5A All-Idaho baseball team: The state’s best talent from its top classification
Note: The All-Idaho teams are chosen by a vote of the state’s coaches. The Idaho Statesman publishes the results.
5A ALL-IDAHO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Merit Jones
Idaho Falls, sr., P/1B/OF
The 6-4 Utah signee and all-class Gatorade player of the year was a two-way threat. He went 7-1 with a 1.57 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 53 ⅓ innings, boosting his career record to 16-1. He was a danger at the plate, hitting .389 with six home runs, 28 RBIs and 24 stolen bases.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Russ Wright
Owyhee
He captured his ninth state title with the first-year program, which finished eighth out of 12 teams in a 5A SIC preseason coaches’ poll.
FIRST TEAM
Will Grizzle
Mountain View, so., P
He could throw three pitches at any time, dominating with a 6-0 record, a 1.00 ERA and a 5A-leading 78 strikeouts in 56 innings.
Luke Hines
Rocky Mountain, sr., P
The lefty and Golden West JC commit stood as the Grizzlies’ ace, going 7-1 with a 0.71 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 49 innings.
Ryan Schneider
Coeur d’Alene, sr., P
A fastball in the upper 80s has the lefty signed with Division I Belmont and allowed him to go 6-0 with a 1.22 ERA and 77 strikeouts.
Junior Garcia
Timberline, sr., C
The College of Southern Idaho commit threw out 7-of-13 base stealers, shutting down the running game while hitting .358 with 19 RBIs.
Logan Miller
Timberline, sr., INF
Injuries kept the future Oregon State pitcher off the mound. He made up for it at the plate, hitting .494 while slugging .810.
Conor Christiansen
Rocky Mountain, sr., INF
The four-year starter finished his career hitting .337 with 18 RBIs and nine stolen bases while shifting over to shortstop.
Chris Ricard
Lewiston, jr., INF
The Inland Empire League’s MVP hit .385 with 16 extra-bases hits, including three home runs. His 38 RBIs were the second most in 5A.
Gunner Wilhelm
Highland, jr., INF
The Rams’ second baseman led the 5A classification in hits (46), batting average (.500) and RBIs (41).
Brody Rasmussen
Mountain View, sr., OF
The rangy center fielder led the Mavericks in nearly every category, including batting average (.390), home runs (three) and OPS (1.238).
Ryder Cutlip
Owyhee, so., OF
The lefty anchored the state champs’ lineup as their No. 3 hitter, hitting .367 with a .511 slugging percentage and 26 RBIs.
Jack Ryan
Owyhee, jr., OF
He ate up tons of ground in the outfield, turning sure hits into outs while hitting .326 with five triples, two home runs and 17 RBIs.
