Prep Baseball Report is excited to bring back Player of the Year honors after the 2020 high school season was cut short. First up this week are the winners of the PBR State Players of the Year, presented by Big League Chew. With its boots-on-the-ground scouting staff, PBR provides coverage of high school baseball at the state level unlike anyone else can. The scouting directors have intimate knowledge of the players in their state and who had the greatest impact.

This year’s list has 42 winners. The Prep Baseball Report staff has been diligently scouting and covering games at diamonds across the country this spring to bring parents, athletes and fans the most comprehensive coverage of amateur baseball. The PBR State Player of the Year represents an athlete who stood above the competition in terms of their on-field production, and all-around effect on their high school program. The athlete will also be a great representation of their state with their positive character qualities, and positive impact as a teammate.

The players listed below have stood out against their in-state peers and have been awarded the Prep Baseball Report Player of the Year at the state level.

ALABAMA
Maddux Bruns, LHP, UMS Wright HS
Commitment: Mississippi State
Stats: 7-0, 0.86 ERA, 49 IP, 102 K. Only 13 hits allowed all year.

ARIZONA
Wes Kath, SS, Desert Mountain HS
Commitment: Arizona State
Stats: .486/.612/1.803, 22 RBIs, 9 2B, 4 3B, 11 HR, 29 R, 22 BB

ARKANSAS
Connor Johnson, RHP, Van Buren HS
Commitment: Central Arkansas
Stats: 14-0, 0.76 ERA, 82.1 IP, 40 H, 121 K, 10 BB, .140 BAA

CALIFORNIA
Cameron Butler, SS, Big Valley Christian School
Commitment: Cal Poly
Stats: .741, 59 R, 60 H, 61 RBIs, 20 2B, 15 HR, 32 SB, 2.421 OPS

CANADA
Calvin Ziegler, RHP, TNXL Academy
Commitment: Auburn
Stats: 2.00 ERA, 35 IP, 13 H, 14 R, 10 ER, 16 BB, 51 K, 3 HBP, .914 WHIP, .111 BAA

COLORADO
Radek Birkholz, RHP/SS, Valor Christian School
Commitment: Notre Dame
Stats: 5-0, 0.98 ERA, 35 IP, 20 H, 71 K; .479, 34 H, 9 2B, 7 HR, 29 RBIs

CONNECTICUT
Frank Mozzicato, LHP, East Catholic HS
Commitment: Connecticut
Stats: 9-0, 0.13 ERA, 55 IP, 9 H, 135 K, 22 BB

FLORIDA
Sal Stewart, 3B, Westminster Christian School (2022)
Commitment: Vanderbilt
Stats: .534, 47 H, 40 RBIs, 13 2B, 2 3B, 17 HR, 44 R

GEORGIA
Carter Holton, LHP/1B, Benedictine Military School
Commitment: Vanderbilt
Stats: 9-2, 0.36 ERA, 59 IP, 17 H, 17 BB, 137 K, 0.58 WHIP, 1 perfect game; .429, 1.359 OPS, 10 2B, 1 3B, 12 HR, 41 RBIs, 42 R

ILLINOIS
Owen Murphy, RHP/3B, Riverside-Brookfield HS (2022)
Commitment: Notre Dame
Stats: 6-1, 0.33 ERA, 1 SV, 42.1 IP, 16 H, 97 K, 5 BB, 0.49 WHIP, .108 BAA; .453, .538 OBP, 1.538 OPS, 6 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 32 RBIs, 28 R, 12 BB, 9 SB

INDIANA
Carter Mathison, OF, Homestead HS
Commitment: Indiana
Stats: .515, 16 HR, 12 2B, 6 3B, 53 RBIs, 25 BB, 1.242 SLG, 18 SB

IOWA
Jackson Wentworth, RHP, Waukee HS
Commitment: Kansas State
Stats: 3-0, 0.39 ERA, 18 IP, 9 H, 3 BB, 36 Ks

KANSAS
Carson Liggett, RHP, Blue Valley HS
Commitment: Louisville
Stats: 9-0, 0.80 ERA, 61 IP, 24 H, 17 BB, 92 K, 0.67 WHIP

KENTUCKY
Daylen Lile, OF, Trinity HS
Commitment: Louisville
Stats: .558, 58 H, 66 R, 60 RBIs, 11 2B, 12 3B, 18 HR, 39 BB, 11 SB

LOUISIANA
Jack Walker, RHP, Barbe HS
Commitment: Mississippi State
Stats: 13-0, 0.42 ERA, 83.2 IP, 24 H (0 XBH), 121 Ks, 22 BB, .085 BAA

MAINE
Brady Afthim, C/RHP, Windham HS
Commitment: Connecticut
Stats: .470, 2 2B, 3 HR, 12 RBIs; 47.1 IP, 112 K, 4 BB, 8 H

MARYLAND
Peter Heubeck, RHP, Gilman School
Commitment: Wake Forest
Stats: 8-2, 1.20 ERA, 64.1 IP, 101 K, 0.82 WHIP

MASSACHUSETTS
Josh Baez, RHP/OF, Dexter Southfield School
Commitment: Vanderbilt
Stats: 18 IP, 1.90 ERA, 8 H, 44 K; .378, 3 HR, 16 BB

MICHIGAN
Alex Mooney, SS, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s HS
Commitment: Duke
Stats: .456, 11 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 68 R, 54 RBIs, 26 BB, 18 SB

MINNESOTA
Josh Kingery, LHP/OF, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City HS
Commitment: Uncommitted
Stats: 13-1, 0.48 ERA, 87 IP, 27 H, 4 BB, 182 K, 0.36 WHIP; .547, 45 R, 32 RBIs, 7 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 13 SB

MISSISSIPPI
Braden Montgomery, RHP/OF, Madison Central HS
Commitment: Stanford
Stats: 9-0, 0.74 ERA, 56.2 IP, 17 H, 116 K; .489, 48 H, 51 RBIs, 7 2B, 5 3B, 7 HR 

MISSOURI
Brayden Luikart, OF/LHP Lafayette HS
Commitment: Oklahoma
Stats: .580, 40 H, 14 2b, 1 3b, 1 HR, 34 RBIs, 21 BB, 15 SB; 4-0, 0.83 ERA, 1 SV, 42.1 IP, 86 K, 14 BB

NEBRASKA
Cade Barton, RHP, Skutt Catholic HS
Commitment: Emporia State
Stats: 9-0, 0.30 ERA, 46 IP, 75 K, 14 BB

NEVADA
Tyler Whitaker, OF, Bishop Gorman HS
Commitment: Arizona
Stats: .508, 5 HR, 10 2B, 32 RBIs, 8 SB

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Liam Doyle, LHP, Pinkerton Academy (2022)
Commitment: Uncommitted
Stats: 8-0, 0.54 ERA, 51.1 IP, 101 K, 14 BB

NEW JERSEY
Chase Petty, RHP, Mainland HS
Commitment: Florida
Stats: 6-1, 8 ER, 48.2 IP, 17 H, 17 BB, 99 K; .368, 32 H 32 RBIs, 11 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR

NEW YORK
Gage Ziehl, RHP/3B, Penfield
Commitment: Miami
Stats: 5-0, 0.17 ERA, 1 SV, 42 IP, 91 K, 7 BB; .438, 3 2B, 5 HR, 16 BB, 3 K

NORTH CAROLINA
Josh Hartle, LHP/1B, Reagan HS
Commitment: Wake Forest
Stats: 9-0, 0.52 ERA, 53.2 IP, 15 H, 88 K, 8 BB; .382, 5 2B, 3 HR, 10 BB, 8 K

OHIO
Josh Laisure, RHP/IF, Olentangy Orange
Commitment: Wright State
Stats: 10-0, 0.92 ERA, 60.2 IP, 0.90 WHIP, 89 K, 23 BB; .430, 6 2B, 2 3B, 27 R, 24 RBIs, 10 BB, 16 SB

OKLAHOMA
Jackson Jobe, RHP/SS, Heritage Hall HS
Commitment: Mississippi
Stats: 9-0, 0.14 ERA, 51.2 IP, 15 H, 5 BB, 122 K; .469, 13 2B, 5 3B, 7 HR, 38 RBIs, 33 R

OREGON
Mason Guerra, SS, Westview HS
Commitment: Oregon State
Stats: .592, 29 H, 6 HR, 6 2B, 20 RBIs, 28 R 

PENNSYLVANIA
Benny Montgomery, OF, Red Land HS
Commitment: Virginia
Stats: .423/.529/.794, 7 2B, 4 3B, 7 HR, 45 R, 22 RBIs

RHODE ISLAND
Timothy McGuire, IF, Portsmouth HS
Commitment: Sacred Heart
Stats: .440, 3 HR, 21 RBIs, 20 R, 11 SB, 23 H

SOUTH CAROLINA
Will Taylor, OF, Dutch Fork
Commitment: Clemson
Stats: .429, 7 HR, 31 RBIs, 6 2B, 1 3B, 25 BB, 10 K, 34 R, 19 SB

TENNESSEE
Cooper Kinney, 3B, Baylor School
Commitment: South Carolina
Stats: .480, 35 R, 19 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 50 RBIs

TEXAS
Hagen Smith, LHP, Bullard HS
Commitment: Arkansas
Stats: 10-0, 0.10 ERA, 67 IP, 6 H, 157 K

UTAH
Cameron Day, RHP, Layton HS
Commitment: Utah
Stats: 11-1, 0.46 ERA, 76.1 IP, 48 H, 9 BB, 133 K

VERMONT
Owen Kellington, RHP/IF, U-32 HS
Commitment: Connecticut
Stats: 6-0, 0.18 ERA, 39 IP, 109 K, 9 BB, 4 H; .681, 32 H, 29 RBIs, 8 HR, 18 SBs

VIRGINIA
James Triantos, SS/RHP, James Madison HS
Commitment: North Carolina
Stats: .712/.800/1.577, 10 2B, 1 3B, 11 HR, 27 RBIs, 44 R, 23 BB, 2 K, 23 SB; 9-0, 1.18 ERA, 47.1 IP, 15 H, 14 BB, 66 K, 0.61 WHIP

WASHINGTON
Caden Vire, LHP, Skyview HS
Commitment: Arizona State
Stats: 5-0, 0.56 ERA, 37.1 IP, 13 H, 21 BB, 74 K 

WEST VIRGINIA
Cullen Horowicz, 3B, Jefferson
Commitment: Army
Stats: .435, 16 HRs, 39 R, 41 RBIs, 11 2B 

WISCONSIN
Owen Washburn, RHP/IF, Webster
Commitment: South Carolina
Stats: 34 IP, 84 K, 1 BB, .071 BAA, .026 WHIP; .741, 7 HR, 61 RBIs, 44 R, 12 2B, 3 3B, 18 SB

Prep Baseball Report will announce an overall First Team All-PBR on June 30, in which the PBR staff will choose a list of athletes who were top at their respective position. These athletes will not necessarily be derived from the state Player of the Year awards. We will also announce an overall PBR Player of the Year award on July 1, at which time the Prep Baseball Report staff will choose one player who shined brighter than the rest.

The Prep Baseball Report is the No. 1 resource for high school baseball in each state we cover through our boots-on-the-ground scouting staff, variety of events, daily coverage and multimedia platforms. Our platforms work in tandem, ultimately creating the most powerful source of high school baseball coverage in each state. The Prep Baseball Report scouting staff covers the state at all levels year-round, and is constantly in contact with high school coaches, college coaches and pro scouts. 

It is important to note that the State Player of the Year honors only the states that our boots-on-the-ground scouting staff are currently in.