Here is a look at 13 of the highest-rated seniors and how they’ve performed this season. All are signed or committed to ACC or SEC schools and ranked among the top 200 players nationally by Perfect Game and Future Stars Series.
Jay Abernathy, North Cobb – Batting leadoff, this shortstop is hitting .340 with 27 stolen bases and 28 runs scored for a 13-8 Class 7A team. His on-base average is .557. Abernathy is not big (5-10, 170) but has a strong arm (measured at 98 mph on infield throws) and excellent speed (6.4 seconds to first base). Abernathy has signed with Tennessee.
Jackson Barberi, Brookwood – Barberi, a righthanded pitcher, is 6-0 with an 0.72 ERA for a 17-5 team. Standing 6 feet, 4 inches with a fastball that has hit 95 mph, he has 46 strikeouts in 29 innings. He’s allowed only four runs, three earned. He’s batting .265. Barberi has signed with Florida.
Conrad Cason, Greater Atlanta Christian – Cason is a shortstop and pitcher signed with Mississippi State. He is hitting .426 with a .579 on-base average with 21 runs scored, 22 RBI and eight stolen bases. As a pitcher, he is 5-1 with a 0.52 ERA with 58 strike outs and only eight hits allowed in 26.2 innings. His team is 18-2 and riding a 14-game winning streak.
Levi Clark, Walton – A catcher, Clark is batting .415 with five home runs and 13 extra-base hits and 23 RBI for a 13-6 team. He is the fifth-ranked senior catcher nationally and No. 47 player overall, according to Perfect Game. Clark has signed with Tennessee.
Bryce Clavon, Kell – At No. 19, Clavon is the highest-rated national prospect according to Perfect Game. He’s an athletic shortstop/middle infielder with good speed. He is a two-time all-state quarterback who might’ve played both in college but has chosen Georgia baseball. He’s been injured much of the season but should be healthy for the stretch run. Kell is 13-9.
Chase Fralick, McIntosh – This catcher/first baseman is hitting .448 with 5 home runs and 14 extra-base hits in 58 at-bats for a 14-5 team on a nine-game winning streak. He’s a 6-foot-3, 210-pound power hitter who bats lefthanded. He has signed with Auburn.
Alex Hernandez, Forsyth Central – Hernandez, the state’s No. 1 senior prospect according to Future Stars Series, is hitting .404 with five homers, 21 RBI and 19 runs scored for a 9-12 Class 7A team. He typically bats third and plays shortstop or designated hitter. As a pitcher, where his long-term future likely lies, he has a 2.50 ERA, .167 batting average against and 42 strikeouts in 25 innings. Hernandez has signed with Georgia Tech.
Terrence Kiel II, Pace Academy – A fleet center fielder and leadoff man, Kiel is batting .519 with five triples, 20 runs scored and 19 RBI for an 11-4 team. He’s stolen 19 bases. He is committed to Texas A&M. Kiel also is an all-state football defensive back.
Michael Mullinax, North Cobb Christian – Mullinax is a switch hitter with great speed (6.3 seconds to first) and an elite arm (98 mph from the outfield). He plays center field for an 18-2 team ranked No. 1 in Class 2A. His season statistics were not immediately available. He has signed with Georgia.
Erik Parker, North Gwinnett – Parker, a shortstop, is batting .400 with four homers, four triples and four doubles for a 17-3 team. He’s stolen 20 bases. His on-base percentage is .546. Parker has signed with South Carolina.
Rustan Rigdon, Metter – Rigdon, a shortstop and switch-hitter, is coming back from an injury, and his team has suffered (6-12), but things are getting better as Rigdon is hitting .538 with a .676 on-base average, in 37 at-bats. He has two homers, three doubles and 14 stolen bases. Rigdon has signed with Vanderbilt.
Connor Shouse, Pickens – Shouse is a shortstop/pitcher and perhaps the state’s best dual-role player. He is hitting .493 with five home runs, nine doubles, 21 RBI, 20 runs scored and 37 stolen bases (nearly two per game) for a 19-3 team. As a pitcher with a fastball that hits the high-90s using a three-quarters or sidearm motion, he is 6-0 with an 0.58 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 38.1 innings. Shouse is committed to Georgia Tech.
Nate Taylor, Buford – Taylor has a 1.30 ERA and 59 strikeouts and only five walks in 35.2 innings for a 15-6 team. Also a first baseman, he is batting .351. Taylor has signed with Georgia.
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