Ten GHSA baseball players made Perfect Game’s preseason all-America first, second or third teams. Without exception, they are playing as advertised this season.
The 10 include five Georgia Tech signees or commitments, the captain of Team USA’s 18U National Team, a 5-foot-9 center fielder with 25 homers in his last 53 high school games and a star quarterback who will play baseball in college if he doesn’t turn pro.
With four weeks until the state playoffs, here’s how the 10 are performing for their high school teams.
Antonio Anderson, North Atlanta: A switch-hitting shortstop, Anderson is batting .455 with five homers, a triple, eight doubles and 35 RBI. He’s slugging .833. “He’s a physical presence,’' North Atlanta coach Ricky Plante said. “You’re looking at a 6-3, 205-pound shortstop with pop on both sides of the plate. You don’t see those often. He’s a quiet leader who comes to the ballpark to do a job. He already acts like a professional athlete.’' North Atlanta, which also features All-America center fielder Isaiah Drake (below), is 16-5. Anderson and Drake are pledged to Georgia Tech.
Drew Burress, Houston County: The Bears’ center fielder is only about 5 feet, 9 inches, but might be the most feared power hitter in the state. Burress is batting .484 with eight homers, two triples and 10 doubles in 62 at-bats on an 18-1 team that is ranked No. 12 nationally by MaxPreps. He’s driven in 35 runs and scored 29. This comes after hitting 17 homers in 34 games last season. “He is really starting to swing it well the last couple of weeks, which bodes well for us going forward,’’ Houston County coach Matt Hopkins said. “Looks extremely confident and locked in.” Burress is committed to Georgia Tech and likely to go in the first three rounds of the June MLB Draft.
Francesco Capocci, Denmark: Capocci, a 6-4 right hander whose fastball is hitting 90-95 mph, is 5-1 with a 1.20 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 35 innings. Opponents are hitting .088 against him. He plays first base when not pitching and is batting .309 with five home runs, five doubles, 22 RBI and a 1.117 OPS. “Cesco is putting together a great senior year on the mound and at the plate,’’ Denmark coach Jamie Corr said. “He’s a relentless hard worker that sets a great example for our entire program.’’ Denmark, a Forsyth County school, is 15-4 and ranked No. 4 in Class 7A. Capocci (pronounced kah-poo-chee) is committed to North Carolina.
Dylan Cupp, Cedartown: Cupp was the captain, starting shortstop and lone Georgia player on the U.S. 18 National Team that won gold in 2022. As Cedartown’s leadoff hitter, he’s batting .535 with 23 hits and 16 walks, putting his on-base percentage at .661. He’s stolen16 bases and scored 19 runs in Cedartown’s 15-3 start. Cupp is one of the top defensive prospects at his position and is projected by some as a first-round pick in the MLB Draft. He has committed to Mississippi State.
Isaiah Drake, North Atlanta: Drake, a center fielder with elite speed, is batting .412 with four homers, three triples and eight doubles. He’s 10-for-11 in stolen bases. He’s been timed at 6.15 seconds over 60 yards. ‘’Isaiah is a freakish athlete,’’ North Atlanta coach Plante said. “He’s not very tall (5-11), but he’s put together well. He’s a plus defender because he covers so much of the outfield. Balls just don’t land. As a hitter, he has plenty of pop and puts pressure on the infield because if you bobble it, he’s going to be safe.’’ Drake is the brother of NFL running back Kenyon Drake.
Colin Houck, Parkview: Houck, a shortstop and potential first-round MLB Draft pick, is batting .481 with six home runs, two triples, five doubles, 29 runs and eight stolen bases for a team that’s 15-3 and ranked No. 1 in Class 7A. (Parkview’s losses are against nationally ranked out-of-state teams.) Houck is an outstanding quarterback with more than 6,000 career passing yards, but he’s committed to Mississippi State for baseball only.
Tate McKee, Mount Paran Christian: McKee, a shortstop and a right-handed pitcher, is hitting .457 with two homers, three triples, eight doubles, 25 RBI, 22 runs scored and eight stolen bases. He’s pitched 18 innings and has a 1.13 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 18 innings. “Tate is having a fantastic year at shortstop and on the mound,’’ Mount Paran coach Kyle Reese said. Mount Paran, a Kennesaw private school, is 15-2 and ranked No. 1 in Class 2A. McKee is committed to Georgia Tech.
Luke McNeillie, Milton: McNeillie is a pitcher whose fastball settles into the 91-93 mph range and occasionally hits 95, but his slider is his best pitch, says coach Jeff Heusing. McNeillie is 1-2 with a 2.00 ERA with 37 strikeouts and only seven walks in 27.1 innings. ‘’I just wish we could get a little more run support behind him,’’ Heusing said. “His current record is not a great reflection of how well he has pitched. Despite that he has been a tremendous leader on the field and in our locker room.” Milton is 6-13-1. McNeillie has signed with Florida.
Tai Peete, Trinity Christian: Peete is a 6-3 shortstop and left-handed power hitter who its putting up arcade numbers, batting .500 (25-of-50) with eight home runs, four triples, five doubles, 25 RBI, 26 runs scored and 11 stolen bases. Trinity Christian, a Coweta County private school in Class 4A, is 12-6. Peete is committed to Georgia Tech.
Landon Stripling, Parkview: Stripling is one of the state’s premier pitcher/hitter types. A left-handed hitter, he’s batting .464 with five homers. He plays first base for Parkview but can handle any infield position. A right-handed pitcher, he’s 3-1 with a 1.42 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings. He was the Gwinnett County pitcher of the year in 2022. Stripling is committed to Texas Tech.
About the Author
