Local players selected to All-State baseball teams

A total of nine players from the Class A Private state baseball champion Wesleyan team were honored for their outstanding play on the baseball field as they were among the top players in the state selected to the Georgia Dugout Preview magazine’s All-State teams.

Four Wesleyan seniors — outfielder Druw Jones, pitcher Carson Ballard, infielder Cooper Blauser and catcher Bryce Hubbard — were chosen to the Class A Private first team, while senior pitcher Nate Kerpics and junior outfielders Forrest Lietz and Reed Purcell were selected to the second team, along with Whitefield Academy junior catcher Caleb LaVallee. Junior first baseman/outfielder Schley Gordy and junior Dominik Scalese were honorable mention selections.

Pace Academy and Lovett had a number of players chosen in Class AA.

Pace senior outfielder Deuce Jordan, senior utility player R.J. Austin and sophomore outfielder Terrence Kiel were selected to the first team. Lovett senior outfielder Robert Mitchell and junior pitcher Hayden Bernard were also selected to the first team.

On the AA second team, three Lovett seniors — second baseman Kai Cunningham, pitchers Will Prigge and designated hitter Jack Steel — and Pace senior outfielder Jae Williams and junior pitcher Lucas Klopp were chosen.

Six players from North Springs were selected in Class AAAAA — senior outfielder Jake Streeter, senior catcher Tyler Jackson and junior shortstop Daniel Jackson were chosen for the first team, while senior pitcher Dylan Reid, senior Caden Rogers and junior pitcher Eli Simon were second-team selections.

Other local selections to the AAAAA team were Woodward Academy senior outfielder Chandler Pollard to the first team and St. Pius X seniors Matt Navarro (pitcher) and Will Tippitt (shortstop) to the second team, along with Woodward players Griffin Sorrow (junior infielder), Austin Mance (sophomore first baseman) and Bill Rubenstein (sophomore catcher) and St. Pius seniors Nick Kostopoulos (third baseman/left fielder) and Devin Portee (infielder) as honorable mention choices.

Four Marist seniors were chosen in Class AAAA, including second baseman Champ Davis and outfielder Andrew Mannelly on the first team and infielder Griffin McDonald and pitcher Ryan McTighe on the second team.

Two local players were selected in Class AAAAAA — North Atlanta junior designated hitter Antonio Anderson on the first team and Riverwood senior second baseman Aaron Lopez on the second team.