The MLB Draft is coming soon, with festivities split across July 13-14 in Atlanta. The event opens the biggest weekend in baseball alongside the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby. This year, Maryland celebrates 80 years of producing top MLB talent. In 1965, Jim Spencer made history when the California Angels selected the first baseman with the 11th overall pick out of Andover High School, which is now North County High School. Spencer made his major league debut on Sept. 7, 1968, beginning a 15-year career. In 1978, he became the first Maryland high school draftee to win a World Series. 337 players have followed Spencer's lead from schools across the state. Two, Cal Ripken Jr. and Harold Baines, have made the Hall of Fame. Maryland high school draftees have combined for 37 All-Star appearances, 13 Silver Sluggers, nine Gold Gloves, two MVPs, a Rookie of the Year and seven World Series wins. The Chicago White Sox used their No.1 overall pick in 1977 on Harold Baines out of St. Michaels High School. He became the first and only player to be drafted from the school and the only top selection in state history. The White Sox had faith in the then-18-year-old after he hit .532 as a senior and became an All-American first baseman. Baines played for five teams, headlined by the White Sox and the Baltimore Orioles. He debuted on Opening Day in 1980 and dominated the decade, boasting the 5th most RBIs among American League players from 1980 to 1989. Baines is regarded as one of the most clutch players of all time. He is tied for the fourth-most walk-off home runs and the 10th-most grand slams in MLB history. Baines joined the Hall of Fame in 2019 as an inductee of the Today's Game Era Committee. In his induction speech, Baines gave credit to his Maryland upbringing. “From teachers to coaches to town residents who showed me both kindness and discipline, I thank you all for what you have done for me. I cannot ever express enough appreciation for St. Michaels. It still remains my home to this day,” Baines said. In 1993, the town of St. Michaels named Jan. 9 as Harold Baines Day. The White Sox retired his number 3 in honor of their franchise icon. Baines returned to Chicago as a bench coach in 2004 and finally helped bring a World Series back to the South Side in 2005. Most recently, the San Diego Padres selected Lamar King Jr. (Calvert Hall College High School 22) in the 4th round of the 2022 draft. San Diego has made two of the three most recent Maryland high school selections, joined by Jackson Merrill and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Peter Heubeck. King impressed scouts in his senior season with a .545 batting average and a 1.363 slugging percentage, according to MaxPreps. The catcher had been committed to Georgia Tech before the draft. He ultimately signed for full slot value at the 120th overall pick. King recently won the Minor League Player of the Month award for his June performance. The 21-year-old had a .408 batting average with a 1.084 OPS and 11 doubles in the month. MLB Pipeline ranks King as the Padres’ 29th-best prospect. King now has a chance to follow in his father, Lamar King Sr., a former NFL defensive end, and make it to the pros. The elder King played for Essex High School and the Seattle Seahawks drafted him in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft. In 2025, the legacy of Maryland players could continue with Long Reach High School's Aidan West. MLB lists the shortstop as a top 125 player in the draft class. West could make history for Long Reach as their first draftee and end a three-year drought for Maryland high school talent.
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On May 24, the top-seed in the 1A classification, the Allegany Campers, took on the three-seed St. Michael’s Saints in the state championship at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie. In the semi-finals, the Campers defeated the Smithsburg Leopards 6-3 while the Saints edged out a narrow 4-3 victory, taking down the Pikesville Panthers. While neither team put up a hit in the first two innings of play, St. Michael’s was working into several deep at bats in the top of the second. Pearson Greenwood led off the inning with a four pitch walk, following up the plate appearance with a stolen base. Additionally, Ethan Royer and Brock Grow both worked walks of their own to load the bases for the Saints with two outs. Blake Wheatley stepped to the plate for St. Michael’s, but struck out looking on three pitches. In the top of the third, Will Sherwood put up the first hit of the game for the Saints, singling on a line drive into left field. After three failed pick off attempts, Sherwood was gunned by Allegany catcher Justin Wakefield trying to take second. AJ Dove was walked and Ethan Royer stepped to the plate with two outs. With a runner on second, Royer hit a hard line drive into left field for a single, but Kyran Freeman threw a rope to home plate to get Dove as he tried to score the game’s first run. Allegany did not produce a run in the bottom half, and this game went to the fourth inning without a score. Brennan Dean opened the next inning with a hard ground ball into center field for St. Michael’s third hit of the contest, and pinch runner Bobby Fink stole second base. On a passed ball in the following at bat, Fink took third base, and ultimately scored on a sacrifice bunt by Brock Grow, giving the Saints a 1-0 lead. In response, Allegany’s offense hit a spark in the bottom of the fourth. Kane Williams started the inning with a walk, and Jackson Resh reached on an error by third baseman Blake Wheatley. With no outs, Landyn Ansel laid a bunt down, and pitcher Brock Grow tried to get the runner out at second. However, his throw got into center field, and Kane Williams scored the first run while the two runnres were at second and third base. With no outs, Liam Buck laced a line drive into right center field, scoring both runs and giving the Campers a 3-1 lead. With the runner at first, Justin Wakefield laid a bunt down the third base line, and Blake Wheatley threw the ball away trying to get Wakefield at first, allowing both runners to move up an additional 90 feet. The Saints tried to pick off Liam Buck at third, but hhe got home, avoiding the tag attempt by Pearson Greenwood. Cole Ricker also singled to center, driving in Allegany’s fifth and final run of the inning. Neither team produced any runs in the fifth, but St. Michael’s picked up another run in the sixth. Brandon Toadvine pinch ran for Brennan Dean. Allegany catcher Justin Wakefield tried to get Toadvine out as he stole second, but the ball got into left field, and the run scored, making it a 5-2 ballgame. In the bottom of the sixth, Allegany’s starting pitcher answered at the plate. With a runner on third and two outs,, Myles Bascelli popped a ball into shallow left center field, but the ball found a hole, dropping for a single allowing the run to score. St. Michael’s produced just one hit in the top of the seventh, giving Allegany their first state championship in 35 years as they won this game 6-2. Myles Bascelli was the winning pitcher in the game for the Campers. The senior threw 102 pitches in five innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits and eight walks. For the Saints, Brock Grow was tagged with the loss, allowing just one earned run (five additional unearned) on 92 pitches across five innings. Congratulations to both teams for reaching this momentous game.
Saint Michael’s isn’t rolling over they just scored on a throwing error by Justin Wakefield to bring the lead within three. 5-2 Allegany.
The pitchers duel has been broken in the fourth. Saint Michael’s strikes first as Brennen Dean got a hit and was then pitch ran for by Bobby Fink. Fink stole a base and moved up on a pass ball. Brock Grow hit a sac bunt giving Saint Michael’s the lead going into the bottom of the fourth. Allegany came out and responded quick with Jackson Resh getting on due to an error by Blake Wheatley. Kane Williams would go on to walk and then Landyn Ansel would hit a sac bunt to Brock Grow, who would throw the ball away and allow Resh to score. Saint Michael’s would continue to make errors which would lead to Allegany scoring five in the inning. Liam Buck drove in two with Ansel and Williams also scoring.
Through two at the 1A state finals and both pitchers are in auto pilot. Myles Bascelli for Allegany has had some control issues but has been able to save himself with three strikeouts. For Saint Michael’s, Brock Grow has also not let up a hit while also getting three strikeouts in the process. Saint Michael’s has had some opportunities but hasen’t been able to score. It’s a pitchers duel right now!
‘25 RHP Will Sherwood (4-0) fires a 2-hitter, striking out 7 along the way.
Nate Spurry (1.2 IP 1H 0R 1BB 2K) gets the win in relief of Brock Grow 6.1 IP 5H 3ER 2BB 7K), Will Sherwood 3-for-4, 2B, 4 RBI. Pearson Greenwood 2-for-4 RBI.
Postponed til 4/2 due to poor field conditions
‘26 RHP Eli Wallace complete game 5-hit shutout, 2 BB, 6K
Combined No-Hitter‘28 LHP Brandon Toadvine 5 IP (HS debut)‘25 RHP Will Sherwood 2 IP
Will Sherwood and Brock Grow combined 1-hitter
Johnny Mautz 14 ptsWyatt Barone 10 pts
Johhny Mautz leads the charge with 20 pts despite foul trouble
Ellie Burnside has had 6 assists in the last 2 games!!
‘24 LHP Jake Seek (2-0) fired a 2-hitter, striking out 10 and walking just 1 along the way, as SAINTS (4-0) win their 3rd in a row by mercy rule.
On this week's episode of CSZ Radio, Glenn and I discussed the CSZ Lacrosse Rankings that just released, handed out Athlete of the Week honors to a strong pitching effort by St. Michael's Will Sherwood and talked about what's new with CSZ Pick 'Em! Listen to this week's segment here: https://soundcloud.com/glennclarkradioclips/county-sports-zone-radio-april-3-2024 Tune Tuesdays for the show live on YouTube!