Road to Baum: 5A State Tournament Preview

May 9, 2017

By: Zac Bottoms
Arkansas Scouting Director

The road to Baum Stadium starts Thursday May 11^th for teams across the state of Arkansas. We will break down all 7 classifications before Thursday. Today we will begin by looking at 5A classification. The tournament will be hosted by Sylvan Hills and Jacksonville High School.

Yesterday I broke down the Road to Baum Stadium for the 7A and 6A classification.

No.1 Seeds

Central; Sylvan Hills: The Bears are the 2016 5A State Runner Up; They return most that roster and have had a dominant season with a record of 29-7 and conference record of 12-2. On the mound, they have plenty of pitching depth, with 2017 RHP River Hunt, 2018 RHP Ryan Lumpkin and 2017 RHP Caleb McMunn leading a staff full of strike throwers, that compete at a high level. Offensively they are anchored by 2018 C Nick Farkouri. Farkouri is a physical player with raw power with bat speed. Defensively, they have received steady play by 2017 MIF Michael Coven. Coven is an advanced athlete with smooth actions and a quick arm with accuracy.

East; Green County Tech: A team anchored by a veteran pitching staff, has the pieces it will take to win 3 games in the 3 days. On the mound, they have had solid production from 2017 RHP Drew Mullins and 2017 RHP Chase Hutson. Both are large framed athletes with mid-80’s fastball and the ability to locate an off-speed pitch consistently. Offensively they have a versatile lineup that has plenty of experience throughout with the majority of the lineup being upper classmen who have been a part of multiple conference championships.

South; Magnolia; Magnolia is the 2016 5A State Champions. 2017 INF/RHP Matt Goodheart has been the engine that drives this group for the past two season. Offensively he is an advanced left handed hitter, that runs well. On the mound, he competes in the strike zone with three pitches consistently. The number 2 on the mound for the Panthers is 2017 LHP Jay French which works with a low 80’s fastball and a solid curveball. Offensively Goodheart is protected in the lineup by 2017 MIF Parker Ribble is a physical player with fast bat speed and a swing that consistently produces line contact. Magnolia is 24-1 on the season;

West; Vilonia; The Eagles are group that have swung their way to the No.1 seed from the competitive 5A West. They are hitting .336 as a team and scoring over 6 runs per game, playing a challenging schedule from top to bottom. Offensively they have leaned on their senior class, with 2017 Luke Gordon, 2017 INF Jordan Chandler, 2017 INF Nick Howard, and 2017 C Chris Bass all hitting above .300 and have driven in 78 RBIs of the teams 164 RBIs. 2018 Cassidy McNespey and 2018 RHP Cody Mitchell are leading the Eagles in innings pitched. McNespey has a 2.70 ERA with 34 strike outs in 46 innings pitched. Mitchell has an ERA of 3.53 in 33 innings pitched with 47 strike outs. Overall a team that will have to stay hot offensively to advance through the three-day task.

No. 2 Seeds

Central; Pulaski Academy; The Bruins, pulled an upset last year in the first round of the state tournament with a win over rival Little Rock Christian. They have carried that momentum over to the 2017 season, securing the No.2 seed in the 5A Central. On the mound, they have received solid seasons from 2017 RHP Will Osmitt and 2018 RHP/MIF Layne Hatcher. Both compete in the strike zone with a steady three pitch mix with a mid-80’s fastball. Offensively they receive production from Osmitt and Hatcher. They are surrounded by 2017 OF Cameron Blann, a premium athlete with an advanced ability to hit for doubles to both gaps. Other players to watch from the Bruins roster are 2018 MIF Brooks Walton and 2020 Gavin Glasgow.

East; Batesville; A team with a roster that sits up to win tournaments with four senior pitchers that have proven to command the strike zone and keep the pioneers in the game consistently. 2017 RHP Braden Alvetti, 2017 RHP Tanner Vinson, 2017 RHP Taylor Ford, and 2017 Brandon Brokaw, provide depth on talent and experience. Offensively they have struggled at times hitting .263 as team this spring. If they are going to get things going offensively, they will have to continue to get solid production from 2018 Ronnie Jeffery who has hit .306 this spring with 23 RBIs and 18 runs scored.

South; Watson Chapel; On the mound the Wildcats have two options as their No. 1 with 2017 RHP Hayden Arnold and 2018 LHP Kaleb Hill. Arnold works off a fastball which works 84-86 mph with the ability to locate on both sides of the plate. He has consistently mixed his changeup and curveball for strikes keeping hitters off balance. Hill is a 6-4 left-hander which works his fastball up into the upper-80s and compliments it with a 1/7 curveball with late action. 2018 OF Jakobi Jackson may have more power than anyone in the field. The left-handed hitter uses a slight uphill swing with advanced bat speed to drive the baseball to all fields, he will anchor their lineup. If they are going to make a run, 2018 MIF Giovanni Turner will have to get the offense going at the top of the lineup. Turner is worth a look as he plays the game hard, with infectious energy.

West; Greenbrier; A talented group 1-9 which suffered a rare loss to Vilonia in the district tournament final. The Panthers are 29-4 on the season and look like a true contender for a state championship. Their pitching staff is deep with 9 players throwing 10+ innings without any one throwing more 40 or more. 2017 RHP/CIF Paxton Wallace, has the best stuff with a fastball which works into the low 90s complimented by a solid curveball. Wallace is an intriguing prospect because of his ability on the mound and as a hitter. This spring he is hitting .526 with 8 doubles, 8 home runs and 46 RBIs. He has anchored this line up all season, names to watch around him are 2020 CIF/RHP Cayden Wallace, 2017 MIF/RHP Ryan Flake and 2017 LHP/DH Hunter Milligan, all have shown to be consistent producers and the ability to change the scoreboard with one swing of the bat.

No. 3 Seeds

Central; Little Rock Christian; A lower seed with a chance to hang around a disrupt some plans of the higher seeds. The Warriors are dangerous due to have two 2018 RHP that have the ability shut down any opponent. 2018 RHP Bennett Shoptaw and 2018 Jacob Wagner have been dominant all season. Offensively they have a middle of the order bat in 2019 C Cason Tollet which can impact a game on how to pitch him and has proven to drive in runs on a consistent basis. The key will be if Tollett and his teammates can defend and produce enough offense to win a couple low scoring affairs, for before the semi-finals.

East; Wynne; A veteran pitching staff that has had a solid year with a staff ERA of 2.71 with a 3:1 strike out to walk ratio. 2017 Heath Taylor, and 2017 Hunter Taylor are two names to watch for the Yellowjackets. They have been top contributors on the mound and at the plate. This group won the regular season conference championship in the east so they are capable of making some noise if they can get past the first-round match up.

South; White Hall: A group of versatile athletes that play the game with high energy will compete with anyone. Offensively they are led by 2017 OF Chase Bryan. Bryan is an advanced athlete with raw tools. He has bat speed and a feel for the barrel. 2018 RHP/C Layne Hartsfield is another name to watch on this roster, a versatile player that can play all over the infield, including behind the plate, has been a productive hitter and has shown the ability to shut teams down on the mound.

West; Farmington: Tyler Gregg has led this 2017 Cardinals team both offensively and on the mound. Gregg is a large framed prospect with raw strength. On the mound, he competes in the strike zone with an upper 80’s fastball, and compliments the fastball with a 12/6 curveball with late break. Offensively he has shown the ability to hit home runs to the pull-side. 2017 RHP Cade Fenton and 2018 RHP Kyle Gates will play a large roll if the Cardinals are going to stay longer in the tournament than round 1.

No. 4 Seeds

Central; Beebe: A player to watch for Beebe is 2017 CIF/RHP Carson McNeil. He has had a solid year hitting .303 with 15 RBIs, 3 doubles, and a triple. 2018 RHP Mark Clairday has thrown more innings than any other Badger, and I expect him to get the ball in round one as they attempt to knock off the defending State Champions

East; Nettleton: An athletic group which has relied heavily on their athleticism offensively stealing 97 bases, on the season. On the mound, they have primarily used four pitchers this season and have had a solid season with an ERA of 3.20, with a 2:1 Strike out walk ratio. 2018 OF/DH PJ Hilson is a dynamic athlete which can take over a contest. He will need to have a big game if they will pull off an upset in round 1.

South; Lakeside: The Rams competed hard in the deep 5A South with a record of 17-9 and 9-4 5A South play. This experience will have them prepared for the state tournament. They have a lot working against them trying to up end the host team in Sylvan Hills.

West; Harrison; Harrison went 10-16 in the regular season, but have found a way in the state tournament. Coach Gregg Crow has used a movement on his roster, and it may be coming together for them at the right time. They will be well coached and play hard, if they have enough to pull off an upset that is yet to be seen. If they do pull off an upset 2017 CIF/OF Quinn Cherry will have had to provide some offense.

Semi-Finals

Greenbrier vs Magnolia: This is a match-up the state has been waiting on all year. Two solid baseball teams, each with one of the best baseball prospects in the state. Greenbrier has a tough path with Wynne and I predict Sylvan Hills, and I believe Magnolia will face Farmington in the second round.

Watson Chapel vs Vilonia: Watson Chapel’s top two arms carry them to semi-finals. Vilonia is playing well with high level of confidence. Chapel will pull off a close game against Little Rock Christian and Greene County Tech. Vilonia’s offense is too good to get derailed against Nettleton and White Hall.

Finals

Watson Chapel vs Magnolia, a repeat of the 5A South District Championship Which Magnolia won 1-0. It will be another classic with, solid pitching and defense. I am giving Magnolia the advantage over Greenbrier, due to having an easier path. Watson Chapel has the advantage over Vilonia due to abundance of athletes more pitching depth.

Champion

Magnolia: This group repeats as State Champions, as they have played with confidence and drive that is sometimes hard to come by after winnings a title the previous season.

Road to Baum: 5A State Tournament Preview

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