10 Springfield high school baseball players on contending teams to know before districts
Postseason play for area high school baseball teams begins this week and there are many players on contending teams who will make the difference between a deep run or an early exit.
Here are the players we're watching before the first pitch of districts:
Bryce Davis, Ash Grove
Davis has been a beast at the plate batting out of the Pirates' three-hole and has found a groove in recent weeks. He was critical to the Pirates' state championship win last year and was the team's winning pitcher in the Class 1 championship.
More: Glendale ace Drew Wedgeworth, grandson of Bill Rowe, commits to Missouri State baseball
Connor McCarley, New Covenant
McCarley has been a reliable pitcher and batter in the cleanup spot as he's helped lead the Warriors to one of their best seasons since a 2016 state runner-up finish.
Braxton Gross, Forsyth
Tristan Hunter is the obvious name to know at Forsyth but don't sleep on Gross. He's catching Hunter's 95 mph fastballs and has been a great bat in the middle of the Panthers' lineup.
More: Meet Tristan Hunter: The star pitcher who had a dozen MLB scouts flocking to Forsyth
Crue Crawford, Strafford
Strafford puts up as many runs as anyone in the area and Crawford's been the one to set the tone at the top of the lineup. He's also proven to be a reliable arm in Strafford's rotation.
Nate Eakins, Logan-Rogersville
We could go through many names for the Wildcats, but Eakins has established himself as a name to know. He's a promising freshman prospect who's contributed to the Wildcats' great pitching staff and has been the No. 1 team in Class 5's everyday shortstop.
More: How does Logan-Rogersville baseball continue to be so good after graduating star players?
Drew Quinlan, Willard
Quinlan would be the first to admit that he didn't have the strongest start to the season as he joined the baseball team after serving as the basketball team's starting point guard. He's been on fire recently with extra-base hits and timely at-bats.
Shaun Hunt, Webb City
The Cardinals are coming off a Friday win over Willard and are certainly in the mix for a Class 5 title this year. Hunt is the big bat in the heart of the Cardinals lineup capable of putting the ball over the fence or earning extra bases every time he steps to the plate.
Tank Sims, West Plains
Sims has the perfect name as the Zizzers' star catcher. Teams often pitch around him knowing he possesses some of the best power in the region. He's patient, will take a walk and will make you pay if you challenge him.
Mark Ross II, Glendale
There are a lot of names on the Glendale roster worthy of a mention but Ross gets one here. He's turning in a great season with a .455 batting average and a .533 on-base percentage. Not many in the area have been as consistent as he's been this year.
Adam McKnight, Nixa
The freshman star has lived up to the hype for the Eagles this season, earning his spot in the everyday lineup. Ranked as a top 10 freshman in the state entering the year, McKnight established himself as an everyday outfielder and climbed up in the Eagles lineup with a consistent bat.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield area high school baseball players to know before districts
