PBR Georgia Player of the Week: RHP Mason Barnett
February 26, 2019
Rain slowed everything and everyone down on the GHSA baseball scene last week – that is, everything and everyone except for RHP Mason Barnett.
The Auburn commit and Cartersville ace was tasked with starting the ‘Canes game against rival Blessed Trinity on Saturday at LakePoint. The feud began on the gridiron and has spilled onto the baseball field within the last few years and, while it’s gone the Titans’ way in their last couple of meetings, Barnett made sure Cartersville were the ones celebrating this time around.
These two programs always find each other in the postseason, it seems like, so while this might not be the last time Barnett opposes BT in 2019, the ‘Canes certainly set the tone for their spring with this quality win early.
In the game, the Titans scored an unearned run in both the first and second frames off Barnett, taking an early 2-0 lead despite the Cartersville ace pitching well enough to keep the game scoreless.
From the second inning on, Barnett was locked in. He struck out five of the next nine he faced – and those nine went down in order, too.
His final line: 5IP, 2R (0ER), 2H, 1BB, 8K.
Mason Barnett (2/26/19)
Looking at the line alone doesn’t tell the whole story here. Barnett was tasked with quieting one of the toughest lineups in the state, and arguably the country. His poise after a sloppy two innings behind him defensively kept the ‘Canes within reach, and his offensive tied it in the bottom of the third and added three each in the fourth and sixth.
And Barnett didn’t just best Blessed Trinity, he also earned the win over counterpart RHP D.J. Radtke (2021), a fellow Auburn commit.
In a match-up and section of the state where bragging rights really matter, Barnett’s big-time performance on Saturday warrants an even greater spotlight as PBR Georgia’s Player of the Week.
LATEST SCOUTING REPORT
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Mason Barnett RHP / Cartersville, GA / 2019GA 2019 Rankings: No. 31
Barnett is a medium-framed RHP, 6-foot-1, with a mature, broad build and slightly sloped shoulders. He can run his fastball into the 93-94 mph range, but Barnett is most effective pitching in the 88-91 mph range, using his sink, pitching at the bottom of the zone. He also has a weapon in his hard, downer breaking ball that he shows the ability to land for strikes or bury out front. With all this talent, Barnett’s best attribute may be his lack of fear while on the mound and his competitiveness. He comes across as a kid who can be counted on to take the ball and go perform. – PBR Georgia Scouting Director Blake Davis |