The 2023 campaign saw several local players have breakout seasons. Others were established already and built on that success. Here are the 2023 Baseball Player of the Year Nominees. Coaches were permitted to nominate up to a max of 5 players. In total, we have 31 POY nominees.

Next, BLITZ will carefully whittle down the nominee list into a finalist group to be up for Player of the Year. The public will then get to vote for a last finalist from a handful of select nominees who didn’t make our finalist cut.

NOTE: Union County declined to nominate player(s) for consideration

Nolan Angel – Banks County SR OF #20

STATS: .350 AVG, 28 Hits, 10 2B, 1 3B, 17 SB, .518 OBP

Connor Chastain – Towns County JR C #11

STATS: .403 AVG, 3 HR, 43 RBI, 11 2B, 1 3B

Harper Davenport – Lumpkin County JR CF/P #7

STATS: .348 AVG (32/92), 14 RBI, 35 R, 10 2B, 2 3B, 25 SB, 22 BB; 6-2, 2.54 ERA, 42 K, 18 BB, 51.2 IP

Mason Dawe – Habersham Central SR 2B #3

STATS: .421 AVG, 18 RBI, 38 R, 11 2B, 3 3B, .552 OBP

Zane Floyd – Towns County JR P/IF #7

STATS: .395 AVG, 21 RBI, 43 R, 6 2B, 24 SB (24-for-25); 4 Wins, 3.79 ERA, 64 K, 59 IP

Alex Freeman – White County FR 3B/P #7

STATS: .349 AVG (30/86), 1 HR, 24 RBI, 18 R, 6 2B, 13 BB, .431 OBP, .885 OPS, .453 SLG | 1-2, 2 Saves, 1.94 ERA, 20 K, 18 IP, .227 BAA

Reid Giles – Rabun County FR CF #5

STATS: .286 AVG, 18 RBI, 17 R, 6 2B, .341 OBP

Davis Glass – Dawson County SO1B #6

STATS: .350 AVG (36/103), 1 HR, 36 RBI, 18 R, 10 2B, 10 BB, .414 OBP, .476 SLG, .890 OPS

Trey Harvey – Dawson County JR P/IF #10

STATS: 5-2, 1.96 ERA, 63 K, 1.520 WHIP, 50 IP

Hunter Heath – Banks County SR P #7

STATS: 7-4, 1.90 ERA, 48 K, 16 BB; 5-0, 0.90 ERA

Bowman Horn – Jefferson SR MIF #2

STATS: .450 AVG (45/99), 1 HR, 12 RBI, 36 R, 10 2B, 37 SB, .533 OBP, .581 AVG in Region (toughest in Class 5A)

Julian Horner – Dawson County JR RF #1

STATS: .360 AVG (32/89), 8 HR, 32 RBI, 39 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 23 BB, .548 OBP, .697 SLG, 1.244 OPS

Roger Hulsey – Jefferson SR C #10

STATS: .397 AVG (31/80), 19 RBI, 24 R, 8 2B, 3 3B, .470 OBP

Elvis Hunt – Rabun County SO 1B #17

STATS: .377 AVG, 16 RBI, 16 R, .493 OBP, .936 OPS

Hampton Hutto – Commerce SR 1B #19

STATS: .400 AVG, 5 HR, 28 RBI, .500 OBP

Aucy Jacobs – Banks County JR OF #22

STATS: .362 AVG, 25 Hits, 4 2B, 1 3B, 14 SB, .418 OBP

Cayden Lord – Commerce SR P #2

STATS: 2.19 ERA, 65 K, 70 IP

Kyler Mayo – White County SR OF #16

STATS: .303 AVG (27/89), 16 RBI, 20 R, 8 2B, 9 BB, 20 SB, .381 OBP, .774 OPS, .393 SLG

Kade McConnell – Towns County JR P/IF #12

STATS: .312 AVG, 27 RBI, 16 R, 6 2B, 1 3B; 5 Wins, 3.24 ERA, 58 K, 63 IP

Frankey Moree – Tallulah Falls SR SS #13

STATS: .449 AVG (44/98), 7 HR, 21 RBI, 32 R, 8 2B, 3 3B, 10 BB, 13 SB, .509 OBP, .806 SLG

Alejandro Narvaez – Lumpkin County JR SS/P #6

STATS: .390 AVG (41/105), 1 HR, 19 RBI, 35 R, 11 2B, 3 3B, 25 SB, .462 OBP, .581 SLG; 5-6, 3.84 ERA, 69 K, 17 BB, 58.1 IP

Devin Norton – White County SR 1B/SS #22

STATS: .333 AVG (26/78), 18 RBI, 21 R, 9 2B, 2 3B, 12 BB, 4 HBP, 4 SB, .442 OBP, .942 OPS, .500 SLG

Jase Peoples – Jefferson JR 3B/P #24

STATS: .369 AVG (31/83), 3 HR, 30 RBI, 18 R, 11 2B, 3 3B, 8 SB, .486 OBP; 5-4, 3.53 ERA, 61 K, 13 BB, 10.25 K/Game, 41.2 IP

Joshua Priest – Dawson County JR P/IF #7

STATS: 5-3, 1 Save, 2.72 ERA, 91 K, 1.224 WHIP, 67 IP

Nick Randall – Stephens County SR P/DH #3

STATS: 4-2, 1 Save, 1.16 ERA, 88 K, 54 IP; .333 AVG (28/84), 1 HR, 16 RBI, 17 R, 9 2B, 1 3B, .548 SLG

Adian Rogers – Lumpkin County SO P #5

STATS: 6-3, 2.54 ERA, 42 K, 18 BB, 51.2 IP

Coleson Smith – Commerce SR C #6

STATS: .337 AVG, 5 HR, 29 RBI, .481 OBP

Aidan Stewart – Rabun County SR 3B/SS #7

STATS: .305 AVG, 16 RBI, 14 R, .417 OBP

Ben Stowe – Stephens County SR 3B #4

STATS: .348 AVG (32/92), 3 HR, 25 RBI, 21 R, 9 2B, 1 3B, .565 SLG

Cohen Thomason – Commerce SR OF #10

STATS: .313 AVG, 30 R, 17 SB, .412 OBP

Ty Truelove – Rabun County FR 2B #2

STATS: .342 AVG, 9 RBI, 23 R, .823 OPS