Cobb standouts Sutton, Minnick to play at Fenway

Allatoona’s Ethan Sutton and Mount Paran Christian’s Tyler Minnick were selected to take part in the New Balance Future Stars Series Main Event from Sept. 23-25 at Fenway Park in Boston.

The three-game series at the 110-year-old home of the Red Sox will pit two teams made up of some of the most promising high school baseball prospects from across the country.

Sutton pitched 61 innings for Allatoona last season, going 8-1 with a 2.41 ERA. He finished with 91 strikeouts, 22 walks and a WHIP of 1.09, with His strong pitching helping the Buccaneers reach the Class AAAAAA state championship series.

Sutton said he is looking forward to the opportunity to get his name out at the event.

“For me, there’s supposed to be a lot of pro scouts and college scouts there,” Sutton said. “It’s really just building my name and enjoying being able to go there and play with some of the best guys. It’s just to build my name and have fun.”

Sutton said he is also excited to have the chance to play at Fenway, the oldest stadium in the majors, predating Chicago’s Wrigley Field by two ears.

“That’s probably one of the coolest parts of it,” Sutton said. “Honestly, to be able to play in Fenway — it’s one of the best fields in baseball. It’s one of the coolest stadiums, so I’m definitely super excited about that.”

Minnick, a catcher and third baseman, helped Mount Paran to a 32-4 record in 2022, batting .443 with a .531 OBP and totaling 51 hits and 43 RBIs. Defensively, he finished with a .991 fielding percentage from the catcher position.

Mount Paran coach Kyle Reese said he is excited for Minnick to have the chance to participate in the event.

“It’s great for him because he’s just all positive,” Reese said. “He works hard, he does what he’s supposed to do on and off the field, in the classroom. Obviously, you’ve got to have a pretty good skill set to get invited to that. For him, as hard as he works, it’s great to see that pay off for him. I’m excited for him.”

Reese said that Minnick earning his invitation is big for the Mount Paran program and the school itself, because it shows that players from smaller high schools can still garner national attention.

“It was really good for our school and for our kids,” Reese said. “We had 440 or so kids in the high school last year. It’s good for these kids to see that you don’t have to come from some big, giant school for this to happen. If you have some talent and you can work hard and have a good attitude, you can do this as well.”

Reese said that he believes that Minnick’s arm strength and hitting are very strong, but what will impress scouts in Boston the most is his character.

“He’s a fantastic person — just a great personality,” Reese said. “I think it’s going to be really good for him and a lot of these organizations because they like to get to know these kids.”

Allatoona coach Keith Hansen said Sutton’s work ethic will set him apart from many of the other players participating in the event.

“He’s a hard-working kid,” Hansen said. “He’s got his head on straight, and he has a plan of what he’s going to do, and he works as hard as any kid that I’ve coached. I know it’s cliché, but most of the great players do more than anybody else does. They outwork people, and that’s what he does.”