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DEL.ICIO.USGeorgia High School Baseball Blog - June 10, 2008
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It was a big day for baseball in the Peach State during last week’s first-year major league baseball player draft. Three Georgians went in the top eight picks, and five players were selected in the first round.
Griffin High School’s Tim Beckham, who hit .667 during the Bears’ run to the state championship series, was selected with the first overall pick by the Tampa Bay Rays.
“One of the biggest things that a lot of people don’t see are the intangibles,” Griffin coach Jamie Cassady said. “His leadership ability, his character [and] mental makeup … those are the things that are going to make him successful at the next level. A lot of kids don’t have those extra things, but Tim’s a special kid. He became committed, and he’s fallen in love with the game.”
Four picks later, the San Francisco Giants selected former Lee County star Buster Posey, the national player of the year from Florida State.
“Posey is as close to a major league-ready catcher now,” said Baseball America draft analyst Matt Blood. “He’s strong behind the plate; he’s athletic, and he can really swing the bat.”
University of Georgia shortstop Gordon Beckham was selected with the eighth overall pick by the Chicago White Sox, completing a banner first hour of the draft for the state’s top talent. Stephens County shortstop/pitcher Ethan Martin went No. 15 overall to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and five picks later, the Seattle Mariners picked University of Georgia closer Josh Fields.
Forty-five other Georgia players were chosen. In the second round, Baltimore selected Cedar Grove outfielder Xavier Avery with the 50th pick; Atlanta chose Kell pitcher Zeke Spruill with the 70th pick, and Georgia Tech outfielder and former North Gwinnett star Charlie Blackmon was selected by the Colorado Rockies with the 72nd pick.
As usual, Spruill wasn’t the only local player selected by the Braves, who picked eight Georgia high school players. The University of Georgia had six players chosen; Georgia Tech had seven. Georgia Southern (3); Kennesaw State (1); North Georgia (1); Middle Georgia (1) and Mercer (1) were all represented.
Final AJC High School Top 10 (with final record)
1. Brookwood (34-3): Broncos win last seven postseason games, first state title since 1986.
2. Wesleyan (30-4-1): Could the Wolves beat the No. 1 team in a best-of-three series?
3. Cartersville (29-7): Purple Hurricanes win fourth title this decade.
4. Loganville (32-7): Underdogs no more: Red Devils knock off three region champs on the way to first Class AAAA title.
5. Walton (27-11): Reach Class AAAAA championship series for second consecutive season.
6. Griffin (28-8): First title series since 1981; shortstop Beckham top overall pick in MLB draft.
7. Pacelli (31-4): Columbus private school lost two games after March 18.
8. Stephens County (29-10): Reach first championship series since 1973; shortstop/pitcher Ethan Martin goes in first round to Los Angeles Dodgers.
9. Landmark Christian (27-8): Young team got to first Class A championship series.
10. Lovett (25-11): Lions won 15 straight before losing Class AA title series to Wesleyan.
Permalink | Comments (18) | Post your comment | Categories: Hardball
Comments
By dooder
June 10, 2008 3:20 PM | Link to this
top 10
By CANESWIN
June 10, 2008 3:22 PM | Link to this
Where is Columbus? They were a tougher opponent than Stephens.
By Kurt Aschermann Jr.
June 10, 2008 3:28 PM | Link to this
CANESWIN
Completely forgot Columbus; you’re right. I wanted to get all of the champs and runners-up into the top 10 but Columbus was an oversight.
Let’s consider them somewhere in the top 5 or 6.
By Derrick Mahone
June 10, 2008 4:41 PM | Link to this
Kurt:
Would like to see a Lovett vs. Landmark series. Although they didn’t show in the last two games of the season, Landmark was a good hitting team. Tanner Bryant can hit with the best of them.
By Kurt Aschermann Jr.
June 10, 2008 4:54 PM | Link to this
Derrick -
it’s funny, I watched Lovett and GAC play in mid-April and Lovett looked terrible. All they did after that loss was win 15 in a row before the Wesleyan series. I agree, I think a series with Landmark would be a great one.
Here’s a few three-game series I’d like to see:
Brookwood-Wesleyan Brookwood-Columbus Wesleyan-Landmark Cartersville-Loganville
By Derrick Mahone
June 10, 2008 5:08 PM | Link to this
Not sure how well Landmark pitching would hold up. I really liked the Pacelli team. Both teams should be around the next couple years because they were young. The Wren twins - especially Kyle - should be a player to keep an eye on the next couple years. Landmark only graduates two players, Michael Leonard and Luke Griffith, from this year’s team. Tanner Bryant has an unorthodox batting style, but he was still able to hit .485 with 15 home runs and 50 RBI. Said coach Phil Williams “He can look bad on one pitch, then hit one 400 feet.” It showed in the postseason. Against Brookstone, he he looked bad on two pitches swinging at two bad pitches for an 0-2 count. On the next pitch, he hit a walk-off homer to win the first game. Against Pacelli, he went yard as the ball shattered a window across the street.
By golfer
June 10, 2008 10:41 PM | Link to this
when does all state come out??
By golfer
June 10, 2008 10:45 PM | Link to this
Im pretty sure Pacelli beat landmark, so why wouldn’t they be in any of the three game series you would want to see? must be because they are not metro….
By Kurt Aschermann Jr.
June 11, 2008 2:36 AM | Link to this
Must be.
Pacelli is in Columbus, just like COLUMBUS, one of the teams I’d like to see (vs. Brookwood). I also listed Cartersville and Loganville, two other non-metro teams.
By Patrick
June 11, 2008 10:44 AM | Link to this
Walton’s going to have a tough time of it next year. But you never know, the school is knows for being able to plug anyone and everyone in and make it work somehow in each sport. How do you see Walton fairing next year?
By Coates
June 11, 2008 11:28 AM | Link to this
Kurt, isn’t Bartow Co. a metro county. I am pretty sure it is one of the what 16 or 17 counties listed as Metro. Bartow is the smallest in population but still considered metro. We do have our own idenity from the other metro counties and I hope it stays that way. When the housing market goes back up you will see the Cartersville-Bartow population jump unfortunatley. Right up 75 it takes about 40 minutes to get inside 285. To dooder Brookwood beat the Canes 2 times this year so they should most definetly be above Cartersville. I just hope the AJC doesn’t start coming to C-ville during the regular season to see Georgia’s best prospect for next year Donavon Tate. They don’t need your coverage.
By Coates
June 11, 2008 11:54 AM | Link to this
I hate to tell the AJC but if your going to say that you cover the whole state which we know that would be just about impossible, at least do some research to back up what you say. You should never completly forget about Columbus and shouldn’t be worried about getting the runner-up or Champion when as for me think that Valdosta would beat Pacelli. I know a lot of folks who call this paper the great fish wrapper and sometimes you people deserve it. I’ll be honest I hold a grudge against this paper for reasons stated previoulsy as many others do. Just like saying Bartow is not a metro county when in every map they are included, you seem to be oblivious. To help yourselves just say you are going to cover ATL and then the rest of the state along with me wouldn’t waste their 50 cents or 2 dollars picking up a paper. On a side note I paid 2 dollars for a crappy article on the Stephens-Cartersville series recap. Chris Huth nickname is Hootie not Huddy man yall really are on top of your game. Go ahead and mention again that the guy is 5-6 what are you trying to say in between the lines, that there should be no way he could get the job done the way he always has. Did you guys ever run a story on the Canes team that won the Senior League World Series against a defending champ that had run through everybody till Cartersville beat them in the Championship with Chis Hootie Huth pitching a 1 hitter for a 9-1 win.
By eddie
June 11, 2008 1:22 PM | Link to this
kurt,when will the allstate team be out? intrested in class-a.saw some of the best ball played this year….
By gilbert
June 11, 2008 1:28 PM | Link to this
TANNER BRYANT WAS PROBABLY THE BEST ALL-AROUND PLAYER I SAW THIS YEAR..
By ben
June 12, 2008 1:10 PM | Link to this
KURT,ANY DATE WHEN THE ALL-STATE TEAMS WILL BE ANNOUNCED. THANKS….
By tom
June 17, 2008 5:47 PM | Link to this
By joy alexander
July 1, 2008 9:50 AM | Link to this
When are all state baseball players named? What was the record for homeruns in Georgia High School this year?
By joy alexander
July 1, 2008 10:02 AM | Link to this
When will the All State Baseball players be named? Who has the record for most home runs in Ga High School 2008? Thanks