John Curtis headed to the 2018 National High School Invitational (baseball)

[RedZone]

Our D1 State Champ John Curtis headed to the Big Stage in North Carolina in March.

In total, 10 states are represented in the 2018 NHSI field, led by Florida with four teams, California with three teams and Arizona with two teams in the event. Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia are represented with one school each in the tournament.

2016 North Carolina High School Athletic Association 4-A baseball state runner-ups, Green Hope High School (Cary, N.C.), will serve as the host of this year's tournament. Green Hope will play its opening game under the lights on Coleman Field against 2016 NHSI semifinalist Walton High School (Marietta, Ga.), following the Opening Ceremonies.

Two-time NHSI champion, Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, Calif.), returns to the event for a fourth time and will take on Sandra Day O'Connor High School (Phoenix, Ariz.) in first-round action. Also returning to the NHSI are American Heritage High School (Plantation, Fla.) and Trinity Preparatory School (Winter Park, Fla.), who will face Santiago High School (Corona, Calif.) and Mountain Ridge High School (Glendale, Ariz.) on day one, respectively.

The final three first-round games feature six teams making their first-ever trip to the NHSI. George Jenkins High School (Lakeland, Fla.) will face Mount Carmel High School (Chicago, Ill.), Hanover High School (Mechanicsville, Va.) will face John Curtis High School (River Ridge, La.), and Hattiesburg High School (Hattiesburg, Miss.) will face Calvary Christian Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.).

[RedZone]

Mater Dei, CA is pretty stacked in baseball too....8 or 9 D1 commits already and are #10 preseason at Perfect Game this year.

10. Mater Dei Monarchs
 

Vinny Tosti

Santa Ana, Calif.
CIF Southern Section Division I Trinity League
Head Coach: Burt Call
2016 Result: 21-12, Division I Final Four

Key Losses: C Blake Hunt (2nd Round, Padres), 3B Jonathan Schiffer (Washington), OF Steven Kotkosky, OF Michael Peabody (UC Irvine)

Top Players: OF Vinny Tosti (Oregon), SS Emilio Rosas (Southern California), OF Grant Burton (Stanford), 2B Maxwell Foxcroft (Oregon), C CJ Rodriguez (Vanderbilt), RHP Hunter Cranton (Arizona), SS Chad Call (Uncommitted), 1B Joey Nicolai (San Diego), RHP Hunter Cope (San Diego), RHP Cameron Wheeler (UC Irvine), RHP Kyle Scott (Uncommitted)

The Trinity League in the CIF Southern Section historically turns out some of the best talent and teams in the country. However, this season the stakes are raised as Mater Dei enters as the second team from the league in the Top 10 and they are oozing with talent entering the 2018 season. 

The Monarchs get a big boost in the form of a senior transfer as PG All-American Vinny Tosti will suit up in the red and gray for the 2018 season and be able to provide an immediate impact near the top of the order and in the outfield. Tosti has a diverse set of tools and should be monitored as a high draft prospect as well. 

Emilio Rosas and Grant Burton will be suiting up on the varsity team for their fourth seasons, being varsity lettermen since they were freshmen. Rosas is one of the most agile and versatile defenders in the entire in the class with an excellent feel to hit to boot; he will be one of the Monarch's top MLB draft prospects as well. Burton is an excellent athlete with a complete tool set as well, running a 6.6-second 60-yard dash and throwing 90-plus from the outfield. Maxwell Foxcroft is the fourth senior to be committed to a Division I college. 

The underclassmen for Mater Dei are some of the top in the country. C.J. Rodriguez is one of the most talented backstops in the country while Chad Call and Joey Nicolai should be important contributors to the lineup. On the mound Hunter Cranton is a standout as he will work his fastball up to 90 mph and the 6-foot-11 Hunter Cope is the picture of projection with incredible balance. 

Mater Dei is clearly one of the top teams in the country and should be followed throughout the year as they have one of the most purely talented rosters across America. 

[RedZone]

John Curtis has more baseball talent than I thought. All the teams are pretty stacked in this tournament just glancing. The California and Florida teams seem extra strong though.

John Curtis

2-LSU commits

2-Tulane commits

1-Tennesse commit (football/baseball)

and, some Junior College commits.

 

 

Perfect Game has 5A Barbe #1 preseason in La once again though. The entire Top 50 Preseason will be out next week.

9. Barbe Buccaneers

Lake Charles, La.
LHSAA 5A District 3
Head Coach: Glen Cecchini
2017 Result: 29-6, 5A Bi-District Playoffs
 

Carter Quinn

Key Losses: LHP Adam Goree (McNeese State), RHP Brandon Rushing (Hutchinson CC), RHP Slate Fuller (LSU-Eunice)

Top Players: IF Antonio Lorenzo Gauthier (New Orleans), SS Bryan Lawrence (Southeastern Louisiana), OF Carter Quinn (South Alabama), LHP Dylan Beier (Uncommitted), RHP Isaac Duplechain (Uncommitted), OF/LHP Brody Drost (Louisiana State), SS Davis Meche (Mississippi State)

The Buccaneers followed up their state title in 2016 with an uncharacteristic finish last season, as Barbe closed out the year with the No. 2 seed in the state playoffs and fell in the first round. 

Coach Glen Cecchini will look to get his 2018 team focused and ready to push onward as Barbe looks poised for another state championship run this spring. The big loss for Barbe will be from the rotation as they lose three of their top starting pitchers to graduation and collegiate baseball. 

The pitchers who will be replacing the departed seniors are young but talented arms. Look for Dylan Beier, Isaac Duplechain, and 14u PG Select Festival participant Brody Drost to all play key roles on the mound throughout the year for the Buccaneers. 

The crop of position players is as talented as ever with seniors Antonio Gauthier and Bryan Lawrence leading the way. They should both occupy the infield while underclassman Carter Quinn will patrol the outfield. Sophomores like Brody Drost and Davis Meche will also be counted upon to help out offensively as well. 

Youth is a big theme for the Barbe Buccaneers, however, there is a strong mix of senior experience and talent to go along with gifted underclassmen which should combine for Barbe to be one of the top teams in the Southeast, and on the path back to the state championships. 

[maxchoboian]

In March, we're still using lot's of indoor batting cages, and wooden mounds to throw off of. I've shoveled snow from diamonds more than I'd like to remember.

[RedZone]

1 hour ago, maxchoboian said:

In March, we're still using lot's of indoor batting cages, and wooden mounds to throw off of. I've shoveled snow from diamonds more than I'd like to remember.

Yeah, the South and West have a huge advantage with the weather in baseball..

The season officially kicks off middle of next month here......probably be around 65-70 degrees or so unless we get zapped with the arctic air again..

 

 

 

[RedZone]

2018 National High School Invitational First Round Schedule:
Hanover, VA vs. John Curtis, La (9:30 a.m. - Field 3)
George Jenkins, FL vs. Mount Carmel, IL (10:30 a.m. - Field 4)
Orange Lutheran, CA vs. Florence, AL (11:30 a.m. - Coleman Field)
American Heritage, FL vs. Santiago, CA (12:30 p.m. - Field 3)
Hattiesburg, MS vs. Calvary Christian, FL (1:30 p.m. - Field 4)
Mountain Ridge, AZ vs. Trinity Prep, FL (2:30 p.m. - Coleman Field)
Sandra Day O'Connor, AZ vs. Mater Dei, CA (3:30 p.m. - Field 3)
Walton, GA vs. Green Hope, NC (6:07 p.m. - Coleman Field)