High School Baseball: Here's our Starting 9, plus 21 Players to Watch in 2024
The Southwest Florida baseball talent pool is arguably as deep as any sport locally.
On virtually every field, there's at least one player who's committed to a college program. Their commitments are no slouch, either.
In a perfect world, one might ask: in a hypothetical state title contest, who and how would we craft a lineup featuring players from Southwest Florida?
Here is what our dream starting lineup would be with an analysis of each prospect plus our Southwest Florida Players to Watch for the 2024 season.
THE STARTING 9
Jason Bello, Bishop Verot, INF
The USF signee raked last year, hitting .434 with a team-leading 36 hits, 12 doubles, adding a pair of home runs, 18 RBI, and 26 runs scored. On the mound, Bello went 3-2 with a 0.97 ERA, allowing just four earned runs and 21 total baserunners over 29 innings. He struck out 36 as a reliever, and his arm will be even more important this season.
Grayson Carpenter, Bishop Verot, OF
The leadoff hitter for the Vikings gave coach Casey Scott and company plenty of quality at-bats a season ago, batting .388 with 33 hits, 16 RBI, and 13 walks to just six strikeouts over 85 at-bats. The Dayton-bound outfielder also swiped seven bases and had a fielding percentage of .971 before being named to First Team All-Area by The News-Press.
Joseph De La Nuez, Canterbury, INF
De La Nuez was in an exclusive club statewide last season, as he was the only player in Florida to eclipse the 50-hit mark statewide. De La Nuez hit .485 with 11 doubles, a home run, and 21 RBI along with 18 stolen bases to help Canterbury win an area-leading 26 games last season as the team's leadoff hitter.
Jordi Guerrero, Island Coast, OF
The Florida commit has arguably the best power for a right-handed hitter in our area. The Island Coast outfielder made The News-Press All-Area First Team after a junior season with a .446 batting average, seven home runs, 33 RBI, 38 runs scored, and 19 extra-base hits. Guerrero also swiped nine bases and had a .976 fielding percentage, giving coach Clint Montgomery and company a reliable piece that returns to the heart of the order.
Johnny King, Naples, P
If there were oddsmakers on who the Southwest Florida Baseball Player of the Year would be for the 2024 season, King would be the clear-cut favorite. The highest-ranked MLB Draft prospect in the area this year, King's effectiveness as a pitcher on the mound and as a hitter make him the area's best two-way player. The Miami commit had a 4-2 record with a 1.11 ERA last season, striking out 73 over 38 innings pitched. He hit .443 with 15 extra-base hits and 27 RBI. He's already off to a hot start this year, striking out eight over three innings against IMG Gray, and seeing his fastball top 94 MPH in the outing.
Alex Kuenzle, St. John Neumann, OF
Previously committed to Florida State, Kuenzle flipped his commitment to ACC rival Miami following a .385 season with a team-leading 35 hits. He had eight extra-base hits, three of which were home runs while adding 28 runs scored and 13 RBI. He walked 18 times and stole 13 bases, playing a significant role in the Celtics' Final Four run.
Evan Taveras, Canterbury, C
The Miami commit enters this season as the area's top catcher, having hit .392 with 29 hits, three home runs, seven doubles, and 23 RBI in the cleanup spot. Taveras led the area in walks with 25 and finished the season with a .552 on-base percentage. His power in the middle of the lineup is expected to keep Canterbury competitive in plenty of games.
Madrid Tucker, Fort Myers, INF
The Green Wave infielder batted over 100 points higher than his next closest teammate last season, hitting .436 with 24 hits, 10 extra-base hits, and 15 stolen bases over 17 games. Tucker led the team in OPS by nearly 400 points and finished with an on-base percentage of .500.
Ryder Woodson, St. John Neumann, INF
Entering his senior season as a two-time Naples Daily News All-Area First Team selection during his time at Gulf Coast, the N.C. State commit will look to repeat the feat in new colors. Transferring to St. John Neumann in the offseason, Woodson hit .329 on 25 hits, adding 11 runs and nine RBI for Gulf Coast, which happened to have the toughest schedule in Southwest Florida. Expect his arm to be valuable as well, as he struck out 36 over 20 2/3 innings last season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Logan Baratta, St. John Neumann
Having committed to USF in the offseason, Baratta will be primed to build off a sophomore season in which he hit .348 with seven doubles and 18 RBI, adding 22 runs, 11 walks, and 14 stolen bases. Baratta's become Neumann's everyday third baseman and gives the Celtics some pop and speed towards the top of the order.
Charley Bergsma, St. John Neumann
A two-way prospect signed with Harvard, Bergsma finished with an 8-3 record last season with a 1.92 ERA. Bergsma struck out 55 over 51 innings, finding ways to work his way out of jams. His left-handed arm will be pivotal as a starter or reliever when the postseason rolls around for the Celtics, who are aiming to get back to another Final Four.
Mason Blackburn, Island Coast
Blackburn fit right in just fine at Island Coast in his first season with the program, hitting .404 with 40 hits, 31 RBI, seven doubles, and a home run to go along with just eight strikeouts across 99 at-bats (8.08%). Blackburn also pitched 12 innings, a number that's all but sure to go up in his senior season.
Matthew Blasena, North Fort Myers
The Red Knights couldn't ask for much more out of Blasena in his sophomore season, as he hit .419 with a team-leading 40 RBI. Blasena added 14 extra-base hits with 36 hits on the year, helping the program win back-to-back district championships. He also stole 17 bases for the Red Knights while giving the team 26 2/3 innings on the mound.
Jacob Estrada, Bonita Springs
The catcher has played a big role in Bonita Springs' rise to area relevance, hitting .373 as a sophomore last year with 28 hits, seven doubles, a triple, and 14 RBI as the Bull Sharks finished 16-7. Estrada led the team in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage with a 1.2/1 walk-to-strikeout ratio.
Nick Frontino, St. John Neumann
A transfer from Cleveland's St. Ignatius, Frontino has already assumed cleanup duties in Neumann's lineup. Just three games in, Frontino is hitting .500 with three doubles and a team-leading 5 RBI and is expected to be a run-producer for the Celtics throughout the season.
Jackson Geiger, Gulf Coast
After a solid sophomore season at Palmetto Ridge, Geiger made the switch to Gulf Coast. The USF commit hit .354 (28-for-79) behind the dish a season ago with 13 singles, 10 doubles, and five triples, with 17 runs and 16 RBI. He added eight walks while striking out just eight times to help Palmetto Ridge finish 18-8. Expect Geiger's impact on the Gulf Coast offense to be quickly noticeable.
J.T. Huether, Canterbury
A player who was interesting to follow last season, Huether didn't initially start the season but made the most of his opportunities. In 51 at-bats, Huether hit .471 with 24 hits, three doubles, two triples, a home run, and 15 RBI to finish with an OPS of 1.184, just behind teammate Joseph De La Nuez (1.187) for the team lead. Huether's in the cleanup spot this season and will be used more on the mound, striking out 10 over five innings of work against Community School to start the season, allowing just two hits, one earned run, and a walk.
Landon Ide, Bonita Springs
With No. 1 starter Floyd McKenna gone, it's Ide's show on the mound now. Then a sophomore, Ide struck out 64 over 37 innings pitched, closing the year with a 4-0 record and a 1.50 ERA. At the plate, Ide hit .349 over 63 at-bats, helping Bonita win 16 games a season ago. In his first two outings of the year against Gulf Coast and Gateway, Ide threw a combined 7 innings with 4 hits, one unearned run, with one walk, and 11 strikeouts.
Cole Ingole, SFCA
Ingole is one of countless returners to an SFCA squad that graduated zero seniors. The Pensacola State signee hit for power, batting .299 with six home runs and a team-leading 25 RBI to help the King's go 15-11. On the mound, Ingole struck out 35 over 30 innings and will look to build off his first outing of 2024, in which he struck out 13 over six innings against Evangelical Christian in a 2-1 game.
Kyle Klaric-Schell, Evangelical Christian
Speaking of the Sentinels, Klaric-Schell is widely expected to continue his trend of striking out a lot of guys this season. After punching out 82 over 41 2/3 innings last year (13.78 K/7), the Dartmouth-bound standout struck out 12 over six innings of work against SFCA on Feb. 23, allowing three hits, an unearned run, and a pair of walks. Klaric-Schell's bat is off to a hot start, hitting .375 after batting .318 a season ago with a team-leading 24 RBI.
Joey Lawson, Bishop Verot
A good argument can be made that Lawson was the area's most valuable freshman in 2023, hitting .321 with a team-high 24 RBI to go along with four doubles, three triples, and a pair of home runs all while finishing with a .909 OPS. This season, Lawson will be on the mound more often than not after logging no innings last season. Lawson is more than capable of building off of his freshman season.
Isaac Lopez, Island Coast
The shortstop stepped right into the void that Boe Rodriguez left following the 2022 season, hitting .337 with 35 runs scored, 30 hits, and 16 RBI as the team's leadoff hitter. Lopez drew 23 walks at the top of the lineup, good for an on-base percentage of .478. With many key pieces having graduated from last year's squad, Lopez and others will be asked to pick up what Jake Mueller, Emilio Gonzalez, and Kevin Martinez left behind in the order.
Vincent Mattei, Gulf Coast
Mattei's bat was valuable for Palmetto Ridge last season, going 27 for 82 at the plate with five extra-base hits, 17 runs scored, and 17 RBI to help the Bears win 18 games. Mattei made the switch to Gulf Coast, where he's expected to bring juice to the rotation and the lineup. In his regular-season debut on the hill, Mattei struck out 10 over five innings of work, allowing just one hit in an 8-0 win over Mariner.
Mikey Metcalf, Barron Collier
Don't let Metcalf get hot at the plate because if you do, you're bound to pay. Metcalf's junior year saw him club a team-leading seven home runs with 23 RBI, helping the Cougars finish 16-12 under first-year coach Adam Johnson. Metcalf led the Barron offensive in virtually every statistical category, except stolen bases.
Brendan Murphy, Naples
Naples has something in Murphy, who pitched to a 4-0 record with a 1.75 ERA, striking out 54 over 40 innings. Murphy's WHIP was 1.10 a season ago, good enough to help Naples get to a regional semifinal in Class 5A-Region 3. His success is expected to carry over this season, as his first outing of the season against South Fort Myers went five innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out eight.
Trevor Nikolis, St. John Neumann
Moving into the No. 1 spot in the rotation is something Nikolis has been preparing for. The North Florida signee made 12 appearances last season, with a 7-0 record and a 1.83 ERA over 45 2/3 innings pitched. Nikolis struck out 53 while allowing 27 hits and 12 walks for a WHIP of 0.867. His regular-season debut against Palmetto saw him throw four scoreless innings in a 3-0 win.
Alan Palomino, Bonita Springs
With Palomino transferring from South Fort Myers to Bonita, he should give the Bull Sharks just about everything they can ask for. Palomino's sophomore season saw him hit .405 with 32 hits, 20 RBI, and an OPS of .972 all while leading the team in innings on the mound with 42 2/3.
Owen Rardin, Bishop Verot
One of many USF commits in the area, Rardin is coming into his own in the Verot lineup. Rardin hit .338 as a sophomore, posting 26 hits, 10 RBI, and 22 runs with a positive walk-to-strikeout ratio. Rardin's glove was also valuable, committing just two errors over 58 total chances (.966).
Maddix Simpson, Bishop Verot
After a sluggish junior season that saw Simpson's production go down vastly relative to 2022, the initial impression is that the Ohio State signee his reverting to his sophomore self. Simpson hit .467 two seasons ago with 42 hits and 30 RBI, striking out just seven times over 90 at-bats. He also went hitless in just three games all season. Buy stock while you can on Simpson, who is batting .625 through four games with a team-leading 10 hits.
Presley Woodson, St. John Neumann
Woodson is a player who entered the year with zero varsity experience, but his first outing against Lowndes on Feb. 23 would make you think otherwise. The Florida State commit shut down the defending 7A champs in his time on the hill, allowing just two hits and a walk over four innings of work with six strikeouts. If Woodson can keep churning out outings like that, expect the Celtics to contend with Lakeland Christian and St. Johns Country Day among others for 2A supremacy.
Follow Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X: @NP_AlexMartin. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Baseball: Our Starting 9, Players to Watch lists for 2024 season in SWFL
