5A, 4A baseball preview: These are the top players, title contenders this spring
The 2020 high school baseball season ended not with a bang, but a whimper as the global coronavirus pandemic ended the season only one week after it first started.
That creates plenty of pent-up excitement for this year. But it also makes predictions tough as no one played more than a handful of games last year.
But we surveyed the Treasure Valley’s 5A and 4A coaches to find the teams to beat and the top players to watch this spring. The results are below.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ben Ford, Eagle
The Boise State football signee originally verbally committed to Washington to play baseball, showing his prowess in both sports. The outfielder and four-year starter is a threat at the plate, hitting .378 as a sophomore. He’s a terror on the basepaths, stealing 16 bases in 2019. And he’ll track down nearly anything in the outfield.
Jacob Hughes, Rocky Mountain
The younger brother of a two-time Gatorade all-class player of the year, the senior right-handed pitcher is already making a name for himself. The 6-foot-3 senior has committed to Oregon with a plus fastball and two offspeed pitches he can locate and fool hitters. One opposing coach referred to him as the “No. 1 pitcher in the state, bar none.”
Jackson Reed, Capital
The senior’s combination of size, speed and power makes him a threat to inflict damage every time he steps to the plate. The outfielder signed with Seattle University in November after hitting .400 with 27 stolen bases and 25 RBIs as a sophomore.
Logan Miller, Timberline
Oregon State has already locked up a verbal commitment from the hard-throwing right-handed pitcher. The junior broke out two seasons ago as a freshman, posting a 1.23 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 39 ⅔ innings. The SIC can only worry about how much he’s improved since then.
Brooks Rasmussen, Mountain View
Good luck keeping the senior center fielder off the basepaths. The Mavericks’ only returning starter from their 2019 state championship team hit .340 that year. But even more impressive was his .595 on-base percentage. With all of his experience, multiple coaches said he’s next to impossible to get out.
Caden Casagrande, Bishop Kelly
With smooth footwork, a strong arm and gap-to-gap power, the junior shortstop has already verbally committed to Washington State. He was elected a team captain and will hit third in the lineup, carrying the Knights both offensively and defensively.
Roman Lake, Emmett
The senior right-hander enters the year as the 4A SIC’s top pitcher. His high velocity and offspeed pitches makes Emmett the favorite every time he steps on the mound. He’s also a threat for power at the plate, earning him an offer and commitment to Central Washington.
5A SIC BREAKDOWN
THE FAVORITE: Rocky Mountain fields another deep pitching staff led by Hughes, as well as lefties Kris Kirkpatrick (College of Idaho commit) and Luke Hines. Conor Christiansen anchors the lineup after breaking out as a freshman two years ago (.382 batting average, 29 RBIs). And the Grizzlies own the pedigree, winning 20 or more games three years in a row before the coronavirus shut down the 2020 schedule.
THE CONTENDERS: Timberline slugged its way to victories in recent years. That formula worked well as the Wolves won the 2018 state title. But now they have a true ace to turn to in Miller. And don’t expect a lineup led by Miller (.319 batting average in 2019), Shafer (.291) and four more returning starters to stop posting crooked numbers anytime soon.
Eagle will rely on its depth led by 14 seniors. The Mustangs may not enter the season with a bona fide ace. But they have tons of pitching depth, a luxury that pays off late in the season and in tournaments. Add in an athletic lineup from top to bottom highlighted by Ford, Chase Hilde, Spencer Warner and Pascal Kazadi, and Eagle has all the tools to win a title.
THE DARK HORSES: Mountain View mounted one of the best runs in Idaho history to win the 2019 state title. The Mavericks return just one starter from that team and lost ace pitcher Cooper Marshall to an elbow injury. But the cupboard isn’t bare with an athletic lineup led by Rasmussen, Logan Burrell and Mason Chiles that can steal outs on defense and wreak havoc on the basepaths.
Capital fields some of the league’s top talent in Reed, Cooper Dalton (Shoreline CC commit) and Zach Carlsile (Blue Mountain CC commit). Those three can do plenty of damage on their own. But varsity experience remains in short supply after them.
Meridian returns just three starters after its 4-0 start to 2020. But it can rely on Isaiah Castillo in center field, and three solid arms in seniors Cruz Simms, Dyson Price and Nik Gibb. Castillo and Simms have both committed to the College of Idaho.
Meanwhile, Centennial lurks with a squad capable of making it back to state for the first time since 2011. The Patriots have five returning starters, including their entire defense up the middle and all of their top pitchers.
THE UNDERDOGS: Boise, Borah and Skyview enter the season with little varsity experience on the roster. And Kuna remains the unknown after spending the past two years at the 4A level.
4A SIC BREAKDOWN
THE FAVORITE: Reigning district champ Bishop Kelly starts as the clear front runner. The Knights only bring back three starters from a year ago. But an athletic lineup led by Casagrande, Aiden McCarthy, AJ Jones and Hadley Smith creates a slick-fielding defense. And after recently relying on small-ball tactics to push runs across the plate, Bishop Kelly coach Jeff Cammann said he has a more rounded lineup this year.
THE CONTENDERS: Emmett hasn’t reached the 4A state tournament since 2013 and has never won a 4A district title. But the Huskies have the talent to snap both of those streaks. Emmett returns seven starters, tied for most in the league. Chief among them are Lake and senior catcher Timmy Williams (Big Bend CC commit), giving Emmett possibly the best battery in the 4A SIC.
Vallivue, meanwhile, will rely on a deep lineup led by Dylan Myers, Jerry Hernandez and Cody Doser that ought to create plenty of runs. And junior right-hander Zac Garner gives the Falcons one of the league’s top arms.
THE DARK HORSES: Middleton also brings back seven starters. That experience shows on the mound, where the Vikings will rely on the one-two punch of seniors Ben Koster and Hayden Gibbs. But the lineup has plenty of varsity at-bats under its belt as well.
Nampa has its eyes set on its first trip to state since 2009. While the Bulldogs only have four seniors — and just two with varsity experience — 13 juniors and 13 sophomores are out to change the trajectory of the program. All that talent provides Nampa with depth and flexibility it lacked in recent seasons.
THE UNDERDOGS: Columbia, Ridgevue and Caldwell enter the season with a handful of talented players. But all three are in the midst of rebuilding projects with young players at many key positions. They’ve set their sights on a possible late-season run.
This story was originally published March 17, 2021 at 1:37 PM.
