Brooks Brannon was a record-breaking slugger for Randleman (N.C.) this year, leading the Tigers to a Class 2A state championship and landing a spot on the MaxPreps All-America Baseball Team. Brannon adds to his honors after being named MaxPreps Small Town National Player of the Year.
Brannon led the nation in home runs (20) and RBI (91). His RBI total broke the state mark by 29 runs, but Brannon must share the state single-season home run record with his father Paul, who hit 20 home runs at Kings Mountain in 1989.
Brannon edged out the likes of Paxton Kling of Central (Martinsburg, Pa.), Blake Mitchell of Sinton (Texas) and Ethan Frey of Rosepine (La.) for the player of the year honors. Brannon tops a list of 60 players on two teams comprised of the top small town players in the country. In order to qualify, the player had to compete at a school with an enrollment of less than 1,000 students in a town with a population of less than 10,000 people.
Small Town Coach of the Year honors go to Adrian Alaniz of Sinton. In his seventh year with 181 wins with the Pirates, Alaniz led Sinton to the Class 4A state finals last year and then won it all in 2022 with a 36-1 overall record. Sinton finished No. 4 in the Top 25 small town baseball rankings.
Brooks Brannon of Randleman is the Small Town National Player of the Year after leading the nation in home runs and RBI.
Photo: Brad Arrowood
First Team
P — Ethan Lay, Colusa (Calif.)
6-1 | 175 | Senior
Among the national leaders in wins and strikeouts, Lay earned Northern Section Player of the Year honors after posting a 14-0 record with 155 strikeouts and a 0.16 ERA in 85.1 innings. He led the Redhawks to a 33-1 record and batted .406 with 25 RBI, seven doubles and two triples.
P — Jacob Miller, Liberty Union (Baltimore, Ohio)
6-2 | 180 | Senior
Earned Division III all-state honors from the Ohio Baseball Coaches Association while posting a 6-0 record with a 0.35 ERA and 94 strikeouts with six walks in 40 innings.
P — Drake Purvis, Randleman (N.C.)
6-1 | 180 | Sophomore
Allowed four earned runs all season in posting a 0.43 ERA with a 13-0 record. He had a no-hitter against Whiteville in the postseason while leading Randleman to a 33-1 record and a state championship. Purvis had 129 strikeouts in 65.2 innings pitched.
P — Jackson Cox, Toutle Lake (Toutle, Wash.)
6-1 | 185 | Senior
An all-state pick, Cox dominated on the mound with a 7-1 record, a 0.00 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 48 innings. He also batted .359 with 33 runs, 23 RBI, six doubles and two home runs.
P — J.D. Thompson, Rusk (Texas)
6-0 | 180 | Senior
Pitched in the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association all-star game after posting a 6-0 record with 93 strikeouts and a 0.27 ERA. He also batted .400 with 15 RBI.
P — Matt Scott, Joel Barlow (Redding, Conn.)
6-6 | 230 | Senior
Headed to Stanford, Scott was the state coaches association player of the year while posting a 10-0 record with a 0.32 ERA and 136 strikeouts in 66.1 innings.
P — Tanner Thach, Perquimans (Hertford, N.C.)
6-3 | 210 | Senior
Led the Pirates to a 31-2 record and a state championship while earning state player of the year honors by the state coaches association. He went 13-0 with 139 strikeouts and a 0.10 ERA in 73 innings pitched. He also batted .478 with 49 RBI, 11 doubles, 44 runs, three triples and 12 home runs.
P — Brennan Milligan, Blanchard (Okla.)
5-8 | 145 | Senior
A second team all-state selection by the Oklahoman, Milligan was the top pitcher for a Blanchard team that won the Class 4A state championship. He went 10-0 with a 1.05 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 53 innings.
P — Ty Lawson, Whiteville (N.C.)
6-5 | 187 | Senior
The Class 2A pitcher of the year by the state coaches association, Lawson posted a 12-1 record with a 1.24 ERA and 161 strikeouts in 84.2 innings.
P — Tallen Bagwell, Roff (Okla.)
6-4 | 165 | Junior
The top pitcher for the Class B champions, Bagwell made the Oklahoman's all-state second team after going 9-0 on the mound with a 1.76 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 43.2 innings.
C — Brooks Brannon, Randleman
6-1 | 210 | Senior
Led the nation in home runs with 20 while leading the Tigers to a Class 2A state championship. He batted .609 with 17 doubles, three triples and 91 RBI.
C — Ethan Frey, Rosepine (La.)
6-6 | 225 | Senior
Frey earned Mr. Baseball honors for the state of Louisiana after dominating on the mound and at the plate. He batted .487 with 13 home runs, 64 RBI and 28 runs. He also posted a 5-0 record with a 0.77 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 27 innings pitched. He led Rosepine to back-to-back state championships.
C — Rylan Galvan, Sinton (Texas)
6-0 | 186 | Senior
The Coastal Bend all-area player of the year by the Caller Times, Galvan also earned all-state honors by the state coaches association. He batted .440 with 49 runs, 43 RBI, seven doubles, six triples and nine home runs.
1B — Giovanni Tofanelli, Calaveras (San Andreas, Calif.)
5-11 | 200 | Junior
The Mother Lode League player of the year led Calaveras to a Sac-Joaquin Section championship. He batted .486 with 52 RBI, 38 runs, five doubles, two triples and 11 home runs.
1B — Brady Birchmeier, New Lothrop (Mich.)
6-3 | 240 | Senior
Led the state of Michigan in RBI for the second year in a row, knocking in 73 runs while batting .554. He also had 26 doubles and 12 home runs while scoring 68 runs. For his career, Birchmeier batted .548 over three seasons with 175 runs, 189 RBI, 67 doubles and 28 home runs. His career RBI totals rank fourth all-time in the state. His career doubles rank No. 2 all-time behind Drew Henson's 68.
IF — Mason Swinney, Phil Campbell (Ala.)
6-2 | 185 | Senior
The Class 3A hitter of the year and an All-Super State selection by the Alabama Sports Writers Association, Swinney batted .463 with 52 RBI and 50 runs scored.
IF — Walker Martin, Eaton (Colo.)
6-2 | 180 | Junior
Named Class 3A state player of the year by CHSAANow.com, Martin batted .566 with 55 runs, 55 RBI, 12 doubles, three triples and nine home runs for the state champions.
IF — Marshall Phillips, Sumrall (Miss.)
6-0 | 195 | Senior
The Class 4A state player of the year by the state coaches association led the Bobcats to a state championship and a 35-1 record. He batted .426 with 44 RBI, 32 runs, 21 doubles, and five home runs.
IF — Easton Ford, Silo (Okla.)
6-3 | 218 | Junior
An all-state infielder by the Oklahoman, Ford batted .506 with 41 RBI and six home runs while leading the Rebels to a 30-0 record and a Class 2A state championship.
IF — Tracer Lopez, C.H. Yoe (Cameron, Texas)
5-9 | 150 | Senior
Lopez earned all-state honors by the coaches association and was All-Super Centex. He batted .543 with 54 runs, 31 RBI, 18 doubles, six triples and a home run.
IF — Easton Swofford, South Side (Bee Branch, Ark.)
5-10 | 165 | Senior
An all-state selection by All-Arkansas Preps, Swofford batted .506 with 38 RBI and 12 home runs.
OF — Cole Prout, Standish-Sterling (Standish, Mich.)
6-3 | 190 | Senior
Led the nation in runs scored with 84 while leading the Panthers to the semifinals of the Division 3 playoffs. He batted .520 with 46 RBI, six doubles, 13 triples and nine home runs. He made the state coaches association dream team.
OF — Jackson Parker, Stringer (Miss.)
6-2 | 205 | Senior
The Class 2A state player of the year by the state coaches association, Parker batted .444 with 54 runs, 54 RBI, eight doubles and 13 home runs.
OF — Paxton Kling, Central (Martinsburg, Pa.)
6-2 | 210 | Senior
Led the Dragons to an undefeated season (27-0) and a Class 3A state championship. The LSU commit batted .566 with nine doubles, three triples, five home runs, 51 runs scored and 32 RBI.
OF — Nathan Brewer, Eagleville (Tenn.)
6-0 | 175 | Senior
Brewer led the Eagles to a state championship and earned all-state honors while knocking in 59 runs with 15 home runs.
OF — Braylen Hayes, Randleman
6-3 | 175 | Senior
Even batting behind Brooks Brannon, the national leader in RBI, Hayes still managed to rack up 53 RBI while batting .510 with 41 runs, 11 doubles, three triples and 11 home runs. He also had two grand slams in one game and was a member of the state coaches association all-state team.
OF — Gehrig Conard, Stone (Wiggins, Miss.)
5-10 | 170 | Senior
The co-player of the year in Class 4A, Conard batted .361 with 18 RBI , 10 doubles and three home runs. He also had a 7-1 pitching record with 122 strikeouts and a 0.66 ERA in 52.2 innings.
UT — Kyler Proctor, Silo
5-10 | 170 | Junior
Named to the Oklahoman all-state second team, Proctor batted .459 with 28 RBI and seven home runs. He also went 6-0 on the mound with a 0.18 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 38 innings.
UT — Blake Mitchell, Sinton
6-1 | 200 | Junior
Led Sinton to the Class 5A state championship while excelling behind the plate and on the mound. He batted .465 with 49 runs, 52 RBI, 17 doubles, five triples and seven home runs. On the mound, Mitchell posted a 6-0 record and a 0.40 ERA with 67 strikeouts in 35.1 innings.
UT — Dylan Loy, Pigeon Forge (Tenn.)
6-1 | 175 | Junior
Earned all-state honors for the second year in a row and was again among the wins leader in the state. He had 12 wins on the season with a 0.59 ERA and 126 strikeouts. Also batted .422 with 38 RBI and was the Gatorade State Player of the Year.
Second Team
P — Aaron Jackson Hayes, Piedmont (Ala.)
5-11 | 190 | Junior
The Class 3A player of the year went 8-0 on the mound with a 1.08 ERA and also batted .472 with 64 RBI as the team's catcher.
P — Blayne McDaniel, Long (Skipperville, Ala.)
6-0 | 150 | Senior
The Super 12 Player of the Year by the Dothan Eagle and an All-Super State selection by the ASWA, McDaniel went 11-1 with a 1.29 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 76 innings pitched while leading the Rebels to a state championship.
P — Brady Rockwell, Limon (Colo.)
6-0 | 165 | Senior
While leading the Badgers to an undefeated record and a state championship, Rockwell batted .441 with 28 runs, 27 RBI and eight doubles. The Class 2A state MVP also went 12-0 on the mound with a 1.95 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 61 innings pitched.
P — Aiden Moffett, Taylorsville (Miss.)
6-2 | 185 | Senior
The Class 1A state MVP by the state coaches association, Moffett batted .440 with 22 runs, 33 RBI, 10 doubles and seven home runs. He also went 9-1 with 128 strikeouts and a 0.54 ERA in 52 innings.
P — Aiden Leonard, North Vermilion (Maurice, La.)
5-9 | 170 | Senior
Landed a spot on the Class 4A all-state team while posting a 9-0 record with 110 strikeouts and a 0.96 ERA.
P — Matthew Hoover, Buchanan (Mich.)
5-10 | 170 | Senior
Led the Bucks to the Division 3 state championship as a pitcher and hitter. He had a 10-0 record with 98 strikeouts and a 1.11 ERA in 63 innings pitched. At the plate, he batted exactly .500 with 47 runs, 50 RBI, 12 doubles and four home runs. He earned a spot on the state coaches association dream team.
P — Kyle Percival, Andrew Jackson (Kershaw, S.C.)
6-4 | 205 | Senior
The Rock Hill Herald's all-area player of the year and the state player of the year by the state coaches association, Percival went 11-0 with a 1.17 ERA and 143 strikeouts in 69.1 innings pitched. He also batted .307 with 32 RBI, nine doubles and six home runs.
P — Andrew Knight, Sumrall
6-3 | 205 | Senior
The all-state pick led Sumrall to a No. 7 national ranking and a Class 4A state championship with a 9-1 record, a 1.91 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 58.2 innings pitched.
P — Jonah Snowberger, Central (Martinsburg)
6-4 | 195 | Senior
The top pitcher on the Class 3A state champions, Snowberger went 10-0 with a 0.83 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 42.1 innings pitched.
P — Brock Lucas, St. Elizabeth (Mo.)
5-10 | 140 | Senior
Led the Hornets to a Class 1 state championship by batting .581 with 34 runs, 37 RBI, 11 doubles, five triples and two home runs. He went 6-2 with 104 strikeouts and a 1.74 ERA in 56.1 innings.
C — Brayden Faulkner, China Spring (Texas)
6-2 | 215 | Senior
An all-state pick and the All-Super CenTex player of the year, Faulkner batted .444 with 16 doubles, two triples and seven home runs. He also scored 46 runs and had 31 RBI.
C — Trey Hill, Farmington (Ark.)
5-11 | 210 | Senior
An all-state selection by All-Arkansas Preps, Hill batted .507 with 26 runs, 45 RBI, 10 doubles and eight home runs.
C — Jaxon Gless, Blanchard
6-0 | 190 | Senior
The Oklahoman all-state first team selection led Blanchard to a Class 4A state championship while batting .438 with 41 RBI and five home runs.
1B — Hampton Hutto, Commerce (Ga.)
6-5 | 240 | Junior
The Blitz Sports Georgia player of the year, and an all-state pick by Georgia Dugout Preview, Hutto batted .400 with 52 RBI, 32 runs, 15 doubles and seven home runs.
1B — Ashton Michek, Bangor (Wis.)
6-3 | 175 | Senior
The Division IV player of the year by the state coaches association, Michek went 10-1 on the mound with a 0.45 ERA.
IF — Rustan Rigdon, Metter (Ga.)
5-11 | 165 | Sophomore
Missed the first 10 games of the season, but he came on strong to earn Class 1A Public player of the year honors from Georgia Dugout Preview. He batted .471 with 34 runs and 30 RBI, 11 doubles and two home runs. He went 6-0 on the mound with a 0.35 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 40.1 innings.
IF — Matthew Thorsen Chatham (N.Y.)
6-3 | 190 | Junior
One of the top-ranked infielders in the Class of 2023 by Perfect Game, he led the Panthers to a state championship. He batted .441 with 46 runs, eight double, 10 home runs and 34 RBI.
IF — Nathan Chrismon, South Rowan
5-9 | 165 | Senior
The Rowan County player of the year led the Raiders to a Class 3A state championship. He had 36 RBI, 42 runs, and batted .363.
IF — Tyson LeBlanc, North Vermilion
5-11 | 170 | Junior
Earned Class 4A all-state honors by the sports writers association. He batted .468 with 56 RBI and 50 runs scored.
IF — Marshall Louque, Lutcher (La.)
6-2 | 155 | Freshman
The state Class 3A player of the year, Louque went 7-2 with a 0.27 ERA. He also batted .475 with 19 doubles, four triples, six home runs and 52 RBI.
IF — Colby Jones, Holmes County (Bonifay, Fla.)
5-10 | 165 | Senior
The Florida Dairy Farmers Class 1A player of the year, Jones batted .511 with 33 RBI, 31 runs, five doubles, five triples and two home runs. He also went 8-1 with a 0.87 ERA, and 80 strikeouts in 64.2 innings.
OF — Kane Kepley, South Rowan (China Grove, N.C.)
5-8 | 160 | Senior
Earned all-state honors by the state coaches association. He had 47 runs and 33 stolen bases for the Class 3A state champions.
OF — Eli Huddleston, Upperman (Baxter, Tenn.)
5-10 | 175 | JuniorThe pitcher of the year on the Main Street All-MidState team, Huddleston was a two-way standout on the mound and at the plate. He batted .421 with 43 runs, 41 RBI, 10 doubles, five triples and four home runs. He also went 10-0 with a 0.44 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 64 innings.
OF — Trey Oblas, Gunter (Texas)
6-5 | 215 | SeniorThe Texomaland player of the year, Oblas led the Tigers to the Class 3A state tournament and batted .480 on the season. He also earned all-state honors by the state coaches association.
OF — Shaydon Benson, Parowan (Utah)
6-6 | 195 | Senior
The Class 2A player of the year, Benson batted .530 with 37 runs, 33 RBI, six doubles, two triples and seven home runs. He also posted a 6-3 record with 91 strikeouts in 43.2 innings pitched.
OF — Kaleb Kuligowski, Valley Mills (Texas)
6-0 | 150 | Senior
Led the Eagles to a Class 2A state championship and was named to the coaches association all-state team. He batted .444 and had a 4-0 record on the mound.
UT — Chase Raymond, Standish-Sterling
6-3 | 205 | Senior
A three-sport athlete, Raymond made the state coaches association dream team in three sports. In baseball, he batted .469 with 77 RBI, 48 runs, 10 doubles, 10 triples and five home runs.
UT — Grant Pohlman, Carrollton (Ill.)
6-2 | 200 | Senior
Named to the all-state team by the state coaches association, Pohlman batted .571 with 39 runs, 50 RBI, nine doubles, three triple and 16 home runs. He also went 3-1 with 34 strikeouts in 30.1 innings.
UT — Abram Wills, Coal City (Ill.)
6-0 | 195 | Senior
The Daily Journal player of the year, Wills went 8-1 on the mound with a 1.09 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 57.2 innings. He also batted .325 with 32 RBI and seven home runs.
UT — Hayden Christiansen, Richmond-Burton (Richmond, Ill.)
6-2 | 207 | Senior
The Northwest Herald player of the year for the second year in a row, Christiansen batted .553 with 50 RBI and 12 home runs.
