Top high school baseball players from the Class of 2018 in each state

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The high school baseball Class of 2018, according to recruiting experts, figures to be known for its deep group of pitching prospects and its outstanding talent behind the plate. That opinion is evident as catchers and pitchers constitute 26 of the 47 players chosen on the MaxPreps list of the top high school baseball players in each state. (Note: Montana and Wyoming play Legion baseball and South Dakota high school baseball isn't sanctioned by the state association.)

Alabama — Jeremiah Jackson, St. Luke's Episcopal (Mobile, Ala.), shortstop
An Under Armour All-American and a Perfect Game All-American, Jackson is one of the nation's top shortstop prospects. As a junior, he was named the Class 2A All-State hitter of the year after batting .485 with 37 RBIs, 10 doubles, five triples and 12 home runs. He's headed to Mississippi State.

Alaska — Jake Andresen, Dimond (Anchorage, Alaska), pitcher
The top pitching prospect in the state, Andresen has earned All-State honors the past two seasons and also earned All-State honors during the American Legion summer season.

Arizona — Matthew Liberatore, Mountain Ridge (Glendale, Ariz.), pitcher
Considered the top left-handed pitcher in the nation by Perfect Game, Liberatore was a MaxPreps Junior All-American last year while also earning All-State honors. He posted an 8-0 record with a 0.79 ERA and had 96 strikeouts in 62.1 innings pitched.

Arkansas — Connor Noland, Greenwood (Ark.), pitcher
One of the more accomplished two-sport athletes in the country, Noland has signed to play quarterback for the Arkansas football team after leading Greenwood to the Class 6A state championship. He also ranks as one of the top pitchers in the country and could play both sports in college.

California — Brice Turang, Santiago (Corona, Calif.), infielder
The MaxPreps National Freshman Player of the Year in 2015, Turang has earned Los Angeles Times all-area honors multiple times and batted .465 with 15 RBIs, 25 runs, 13 doubles and two home runs as a junior.

Colorado — Tanner O'Tremba, Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colo.), outfielder
An all-state player in Colorado since his freshman season, O'Tremba is one of the top power hitters in the country. He has 21 career home runs, including 10 that he hit as a junior.

Connecticut — Patrick Winkel, Amity Regional (Woodbridge, Conn.), catcher
Winkel helped Amity reach the Class LL state championship game last season and earned All-State honors while batting .517 with 36 RBIs and five home runs.

Delaware — Bryce Greenly, Milford (Del.), pitcher/outfielder
The toughest part for Greenly is figuring out where he will play, in the outfield or on the mound. He is considered a good enough outfielder to be an MLB draft pick in June. However, he has also earned All-State pitcher honors.

Florida — Nander De Sedas, Montverde Academy (Fla.), shortstop
De Sedas had an outstanding summer and has quickly risen up the draft lists to the point that he is considered the top infield prospect in the nation.

Georgia — Ethan Hankins, Forsyth Central (Cumming, Ga.), pitcher
Hankins has moved ahead of fellow Georgia standout Kumar Rocker as the best player in the Peach State and possibly the nation. He earned MaxPreps Junior All-American honors last year while going 5-2 with a 0.90 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 46.2 innings pitched.

Hawaii — Blaze Pontes, Kamehameha Kapalama (Honolulu), pitcher
An All-State pitcher last year, Pontes had a strong summer playing club baseball for Team California. As a junior, Pontes went 6-1 with 29 strikeouts and a 0.95 ERA.

Idaho — Ethan Christianson, Rocky Mountain (Meridian, Idaho), pitcher
Christianson led the Grizzlies to the Class 5A state championship and was the state Player of the Year by Gatorade. He posted a 7-0 record with a 0.72 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 39 innings pitched.

Illinois — Alek Thomas, Chicago Mt. Carmel (Chicago), outfielder
Thomas has been a force since his freshman year when he earned All-American honors by MaxPreps. He was All-State last year after belting 11 home runs while batting .470 with 43 RBIs and 59 runs scored.
Indiana — Nick Schnell, Roncalli (Indianapolis), outfield
The player of the year in the Indianapolis area last year, Schnell batted .471 with five home runs and 25 RBIs. He also posted a 4-1 mound record. He is headed to Louisville next year.

Iowa — Connor Van Scoyoc, Jefferson (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), pitcher
An imposing figure on the mound at 6-foot-5, Van Scoyoc has been the top-ranked player in his class in the state since his freshman season. He went 5-0 last year with 44 strikeouts and a 0.96 ERA in 43.2 innings pitched.

Kansas — Cam McMillan, Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.), shortstop
Large for a shortstop at 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, McMillan has shown good athletic ability at the position with good speed. McMillan is rated as the state's best prospect by Prep Baseball Report.

Kentucky — Gage Hughes, Greenup County (Greenup, Ky.), infielder
Hughes earned all-regional honors from the Baseball Coaches Association and the American Baseball Coaches Association last year with batting .493 with 36 runs, 41 RBIs and four home runs.

Louisiana — CJ Willis, Ruston (La.), catcher
An LSU commit and a Perfect Game All-American, Willis also played quarterback for the Bearcats. He will concentrate on baseball in college after batting .388 with 12 doubles, three home runs and 23 RBIs last year.

Maine — Brendan Tinsman, Cape Elizabeth (Maine), catcher
Committed to play at Wake Forest, Tinsman earned All-State honors last year by batting .491 with four home runs, five doubles and 20 runs scored. A contact hitter, Tinsman struck out three times in 53 at-bats.
Maryland — Jose Rivera, Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.), infielder
Riverdale Baptist had one of the top teams in the country in 2017 and Rivera was a big reason why. He batted .541 with 68 RBIs, 45 runs, 13 doubles and 10 home runs for the Crusaders.

Massachusetts — Mike Vasil, Boston College High (Boston), pitcher
A two-time All-Scholastics honoree, Vasil could be one of the top pitchers in the country this year. He posted a 9-0 record as a junior with a 0.50 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 69.1 innings pitched.

Michigan — John Malcolm, Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.), first baseman
Detroit Country Day could be in the running for a state championship in Michigan this year with Malcolm leading the way. He has hit over .400 the past two seasons and is considered one of the nation's top first basemen. He could be the first high school first baseman taken in the 2018 MLB draft in June.

Minnesota — Seth Halvorsen, Heritage Christian Academy (Maple Grove, Minn.), shortstop
Headed to Missouri, Halvorsen made the all-state team last year and was a Perfect Game All-American. He batted .488 last year in 26 games with eight doubles, 11 triples and three home runs.

Mississippi — Joseph Gray, Hattiesburg (Hattiesburg,Miss.), outfielder
Considered a possible high draft pick in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft, Gray has earned All-State honors the past two seasons, including his junior season when he batted .477 with 43 runs, 34 RBIs, 10 doubles and seven home runs.

Missouri — Luke Mann, Vianney (Kirkwood, Mo.), pitcher
Vianney should be one of the top teams in Missouri this year and Mann is the reason why. He earned All-Metro honors last year by the St. Louis Dispatch while posting an 8-2 record with a 1.15 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 67 innings pitched.

Nebraska — Kyle Perry, Millard South (Omaha, Neb.), pitcher
Undefeated on the mound last year, Perry earned All-State honors while going 10-0 with 90 strikeouts and a 0.47 ERA in just 59.2 innings pitched. He threw a no-hitter against Millard North in the opening round of the state playoffs.

Nevada — Austin Wells, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), catcher
One of the nation's top catchers, Wells made the MaxPreps Junior All-American team last year and was also the Gatorade State Player of the Year. He batted .500 with 47 runs scored, 47 RBIs and eight home runs.
New Hampshire — Grant LaVigne, Bedford (N.H.), first base
A 6-foot-4, 230-pound power hitting prospect, LaVigne has earned All-State honors the past two seasons and was the Gatorade State Player of the Year two seasons ago as a sophomore.

New Jersey — Nick Decker, Seneca (Tabernacle, N.J.), outfielder
Named to the Perfect Game All-American Game, Decker batted .381 with 23 RBIs, 29 runs scored and five home runs last season.

New Mexico — Austin Schlagel, La Cueva (Albuquerque), infielder
Schlagel helped the Bears capture a state championship last year and earned All-State honors as he batted .416 with 15 RBIs, 38 runs scored and seven doubles.

New York — Brandon Neeck, Greeley (Chappaqua, N.Y.), pitcher
One of the harder throwing pitchers in the nation, Neeck can reach the mid-90s on his fastball. He has committed to Virginia, but he could go high in the 2018 MLB draft. He struck out 50 batters in 30 innings and had a 1.40 ERA last year.

North Carolina — Jordyn Adams, Green Hope (Cary, N.C.), outfield
One of the nation's top wide receivers in football, Adams played in the US Army All-American Game. He is also an Under Armour All-American in baseball after hitting .494 with 26 stolen bases.

North Dakota — Chandler Ibach, Fargo North (N.D.), catcher
One of just two juniors to earn All-State first team honors last year, Ibach also earned honorable mention All-State honors in football last fall.

Ohio — Austin Becker, Big Walnut (Sunbury, Ohio), pitcher
The 6-foot-6, 180-pound righty has hit 91 mph on his fastball. He earned third team All-Metro honors by the Columbus Dispatch last season with a 5-1 record, a 1.50 ERA and 51 strikeouts.

Oklahoma — Cayden Aldridge, Tahlequah (Okla.), catcher
School record holder in many passing categories in football, Aldridge earned All-State honors in the sport this year. He is a University of Oklahoma signee in baseball, however, after batting .347 with seven home runs and 24 doubles in his two seasons on the varsity.

Oregon — Jacob Melton, South Medford (Ore.), outfielder
The All-State pick was one of the leading home run hitters in the state last year with six. He also batted .421 with 19 RBIs and 18 stolen bases.

Pennsylvania — Mike Siani, William Penn Charter (Philadelphia), outfielder
A standout in the Inter-Academic conference since his freshman season, Siani made the All-Southeastern Pennsylvania team last year after batting .367 with 33 runs and 27 RBIs.

Rhode Island — Justin Gervais, La Salle Academy (Providence, R.I.), infielder
An All-State pick last year and the Division I North Player of the Year, Gervais led La Salle to its first state championship in 33 seasons while batting .382.

South Carolina — Cameron Reeves, Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.), infielder
Northwestern had one of the best seasons in school history last year, thanks in part to the play of Reeves. He batted .402 and had a 6-2 record with a 2.43 ERA.

Tennessee — Ryan Weathers, Loretto (Tenn.), pitcher
A Vanderbilt signee, Weathers is a potential first round draft pick in 2018. He posted a 9-0 record with a 0.11 ERA and 139 strikeouts in 63 innings pitched. He was the Class A Mr. Baseball in Tennessee as a junior.

Texas — Jonathan Childress, Forney (Texas), pitcher
Childress's biggest challenge to the honor of best player in the state might come from his own team in fellow pitcher Mason Englert. Both earned All-State honors last year and have signed letters of intent with Childress slated to go to Texas A&M.

Utah — Nick Burdette, Bingham (South Jordan, Utah), first base
A returning Class 5A All-State player for one of the top programs in Utah, Burdette batted .452 last year with a 1.427 OPS.

Vermont — Maverick King, Essex (Essex Junction, Vt.), pitcher
King earned All-State honors in both baseball and ice hockey. He has been one of the state's top pitchers for the past three seasons, throwing a no-hitter as a sophomore.

Virginia — Wesley Clarke, Liberty Christian (Lynchburg, Va.), catcher
Clarke has played on the varsity at Liberty Christian since his eighth-grade season. He has earned multiple All-State honors and has a career batting average of .436.

Washington — Trevin Hope, Lynden (Wash.), pitcher
A small school pitcher in the Northwest, Hope had a strong summer and that has propelled him to the top of the heap in Washington. A 6-foot-6 right-hander, Hope posted a 0.15 ERA with 75 strikeouts as a junior.

West Virginia — Michael Maiolo, Woodrow Wilson (Beckley, W. Va.), pitcher
It may be the upset of the year if Maiolo doesn't earn All-State honors this season. The 6-1, 180-pound pitcher has earned All-State first team honors in each of his first three varsity seasons.

Wisconsin — Jarred Kelenic, West (Waukesha, Wis.), outfield
Mock Drafts have Kelenic going very early in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. He is a veteran of Team USA, playing on the last two 18U teams and batting .407 during the 2016 tournament.