Power25 Countdown: No 7 IMG Academy
February 13, 2020
Leading up to the start of the high school season, we will count down the Top 25 preseason teams every day as part of our comprehensive season coverage:
SS Mac Horvath |
Team: IMG Academy
Preseason Rank: 7
2019 Record: 26-1
FHSAA Class: N/A
Head Coach: Kason Gabbard
Playoff Run: N/A
TOP PLAYERS
Name, Position, Class (College Commitment)
Mac Horvath, SS, 2020 (North Carolina)
Jake Gelof, SS, 2020 (Virginia)
Kevin Karstetter, SS, 2020 (FAU)
Charez Butcher, RHP, 2020 (Tennessee)
Heston Tole, RHP, 2020 (Arkansas)
Billy Underwood, OF, 2020 (Coastal Carolina)
X-FACTOR
Mac Horvath - Horvath, a Minnesota kid, comes down to IMG for his senior year and will immediately make an impact. He is one of the top bats in the 2020 class and should see his name rise on draft boards this spring.
KEY PLAYERS LOST
Brennan Malone, RHP, 2019 (1st RD Arizona Diamondbacks)
Kendall Williams, RHP, 2019 (2nd RD Toronto Blue Jays)
Rece Hinds, SS/3B, 2019 (2nd RD Cincinnati Reds)
Josh Rivera, 3B, 2019 (Florida)
Will Bartlett, C/1B, 2019 (9th RD Cleveland Indians)
Patrick Romeri, OF, 2019 (12th RD St. Louis Cardinals)
OUTLOOK
IMG Academy had one of the best, if not the best team in the country last season. Their 2019 squad included six players who were taken in the 2019 MLB Draft, and three who were taken in the first two rounds. They lose their two aces in Brennan Malone (1st Round) and Kendall Williams (2nd Round), as well as a bunch of impact bats in Rece Hinds (2nd Round), Will Bartlett (9th Round), and Josh Rivera (Florida). But IMG is back and reloaded for the 2020 season.. They come into 2020 with 13 Division 1 commits on their roster. Leading the way on the mound are seniors Charez Butcher (Tennessee), Aaron Combs (Coastal Carolina), Corbin Morrison (Tennessee), and Heston Tole (Arkansas). Offensively, IMG has one of the most talented infields in the country with seniors Jake Gelof (Virginia), Kevin Karstetter (FAU), and Super 60 standout Mac Horvath (UNC) leading the way. They also have PBR Junior Future Games standout Stone Russell (Florida), who is one of the top freshman in the country. In the outfield are D1 commits James Wood (Miss St.) and Billy Underwood (Coastal Carolina). IMG should be one of the top teams in the entire country once again in 2020. Make sure to follow @pbrflorida on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the season.
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