Arkansas High School Player of the Year

June 20, 2017

By: Zac Bottoms
Arkansas Scouting Director

Summer baseball is in full swing, with showcases and summer tournaments going on most days. I wanted to take a step back and announce the Arkansas High School player of the Year. This award has been given to Paxton Wallace from Greenbrier High School.

2018 RHP/CIF Paxton Wallace is the 2018 Arkansas Player of the Year. The versatile two way player was an anchor in the middle of the order for Greenbrier as they won a conference championship and made a run to the 5A state semi-finals. Wallace hit .533 with 9 doubles, 10 home runs, and 35 runs batted in. He put up impressive power numbers without striking out. He walked or was hit 30 times while striking out only 6 times in 105 at bats. On the mound he flashed power stuff with 38 strike outs in only 26.2 innings pitched. His fastball worked as high as 94 mph, with late life through the strike zone.

This was a difficult decision, with the challengers putting up solid years of their own. The finalist are listed below in order of class.

2017 MIF Matt Goodheart, Magnolia HS; The left-handed hitter was an offensive force from the lead-off spot and on the mound for the Panthers as they attempted to win back to back state championships in the 5A classification. They fell a game short losing to a tough Vilonia club. Goodheart was an advanced hitter, with a highly competitive spirit. On the mound he out competed hitters giving his team as a chance to win night in and night out.

2017 MIF Casey Martin, Lonoke HS; Martin was one of the most feared offensive players in the state. He showed power when given the opportunity. If teams chose to walk Martin he created offensively with a knack for stealing bags, on a consistent basis. Defensively he anchored them at short stop showing solid lateral movement and solid actions. He even competed on the mound winning big games for the Jack Rabbits as competed for a district championship.

2018 RHP Connor Noland, Greenwood HS; Noland lead the Bulldogs to a district championship winning the 6A south and helping the Bulldogs advance to the 6A semi-finals before losing a heartbreaker to eventual champion Sheridan HS, in a 1-0 pitchers dual. Noland showed advanced pitch ability all season locating his upper 80s fastball along with 3 different off speed pitches for strikes on a consistent basis. Like the other finalist he wasn’t just a threat as a pitcher, he also hit in the middle of the order and did so with great success on the spring. Noland is an Arkansas commit and will be a favorite for the player of year award in 2018.

2019 RHP/OF Blake Adams, Har-Ber HS; Sophomore Blake Adams, is the No.1 player in the Arkansas Rankings for the 2019 class. His production on the field matched what our staff thinks of him. Adams anchored the pitching staff of the 7A State Championship Runner Up Har-ber Wildcats. He worked as their frontline starter in the rotation with an era under 2.0, showing advanced pitch ability commanding the strike zone with a fastball which worked into the low 90s. Offensively the he hit in the middle of the order and competed in the outfield on his days off from pitching. Har-ber leaned on Adams and the offense to win higher scoring affairs when he did not pitch. Like Noland Adams will return as a player to watch in 2018, unlike Noland he will be around in 2019 as well.

Arkansas High School Player of the Year

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