So Georgia is a baseball state? It looks like it.
Eleven of MaxPreps’ top 100 senior baseball prospects are from Georgia. For what it’s worth, there are 10 Georgia football players and seven Georgia basketball players in the top 100 seniors, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.
Two of Georgia’s top-100 baseball seniors will go head-to-head Tuesday, when Pike County travels to Griffin in a 5:55 p.m. game. Pike County pitcher Tristin English will be throwing to Griffin shortstop Cornelius Randolph. ‘’I can assure you that there will be quite a few scouts present today,’’ Don Hanson said.
Here is a look at the 11, with their national ranking, and their 2015 high-school statistics, if they have been reported.
2. OF Daz Cameron, Eagle’s Landing Christian (Florida State) – He’s signed with FSU, but unlikely to make it there. The son of former major league outfielder Mike Cameron, Daz was qa member of USA Baseball’s junior national team last summer. He is a potential No. 1 overall pick in the June MLB Draft.
15. SS Cornelius Randolph, Griffin (Clemson) – Randolph is often compared to Tim Beckham, the former Griffin shortstop who was the No. 1 overall pick to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008. Both are around 6-1, 195. Randolph, who bats left-handed, might be more of a hitter and less of a shortstop long-term as Beckham. Randolph is batting .500 (19-for-35) with three home runs, 15 RBI and 16 stolen bases. Griffin is 9-5.
18. OF Jahmai Jones, Wesleyan (North Carolina) – Jones’ brother, T.J. (or Tai-ler when he played at Gainesville), is a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions. Jahmai Jones was an all-state receiver himself as a sophomore but left football to focus on baseball. He’s batting .452 (14-for-31) with two home runs, six doubles and 19 runs scored. He’s stolen 19 bases.
25. SS Al Jones, Columbus (Vanderbilt) – Jones played in the Perfect Game All-Amerian Classic in San Diego and the Under Armour All-American game in Chicago’s Wrigley Field last summer. He’s a 5-10, 195-pound switch hitter with speed. He’s expected to be his high school’s 19th draft pick since 1990.
35. P/1B Tristin English, Pike County (Georgia Tech) – English is the state’s top pitching prospect, according to MaxPreps. He can hit, too. He’s batting .524 (12-for-21) with four home runs, three doubles and 16 RBI for a team that is 7-1. English is 1-1 as a pitcher with 25 strikeouts and one earned run allowed in 12 innings.
39. RHP Nicholas Neidert, Peachtree Ridge (South Carolina) – Neidert pitched a two-hitter Monday in a 2-0 victory over Mountain View. He struck out 10. He has hit 96 mph but works in the low 90s.
43. 1B Brandt Stallings, King’s Ridge Christian (Georgia Tech) – Stallings, at 6-4, 220, is a power hitter. He’s batting .440 (11-for25) with three home runs, 10 runs scored and six stolen bases. He won the Home Run Derby at the Perfect Game All-America Game in San Diego.
44. SS Jalen Miller, Riverwood (Clemson) – Miller is hitting .483 (14-for-49 with six extra-base hits, 10 runs scored and eight stolen bases for a 6-5 team. He’s a very good defensive shortstop. Miller has made only one error and participated in five double plays on defense.
53. OF/P Dexter “D.J.’’ Neal, Stephenson (South Carolina) – Neal has signed with South Carolina, although it’s officially as a football wide receiver. He’s 6-3, 200, and plans to play center field for the Gamecocks. For Stephenson, Neal is batting .400 (4-for-10) with two home runs and nine walks, as opponents aren’t pitching to him.
58. RHP Dakota Chalmers, North Forsyth (Georgia) – Chalmers is the pitcher/hitter who pitched a two-hitter, striking out eight, in a 2-1 victory over defending Class AAAAAA champion Lambert. Chalmers, who pitched last season for Lakeview Academy in Gainesville, has allowed only 10 hits in 26.1 innings. He has struck out 44. He is 2-2 with a 1.06 ERA. Chalmers is hitting .250 (6-for-24) with three extra-base hits. North Forsyth is 7-5.
83. OF/P Chad Smith, South Gwinnett (Georgia) – Smith is a good hitter and left-handed pitcher. He was named a first-team preseason All-American by Perfect Game.
