BASEBALL
SPENCER ADAMS
Spencer Adams was a star baseball and basketball player, was one of the best, if not THE best, pitcher in the state of Georgia. Despite committing to UGA, he was drafted so high in the MLB Draft (2nd round, Chicago White Sox) as the 44th overall pick. The two-time BLITZ Player of the Year (one in baseball and one in basketball), Adams amazingly lost two games despite a 0.72 ERA in his senior year. His 4-2 record may not look like much, but he struck out 90 hitters in 58.1 innings of work, walking just 11 and giving up only 27 hits. This included five complete games and four shutouts, and a 0.650 WHIP. At the plate, Adams hit .377 with a homer and 6 RBI. He led his Warriors team multiple times to the state playoffs. With his mid-90’s fastball to impeccable command of his full arsenal, Adams, not surprisingly, has excelled in professional baseball in the White Sox organization. He pitched for the Charlotte Knights (AAA) at his apex. Adams had a 40-48 record with a 3.93 ERA and 473 strikeouts against just 159 walks professionally. He threw four complete games, two being shutouts. Adams was once a MLB Top 100 Prospect (pre-2015).
KOOPER BRILEY
Briley is a generational type of hitter that rolled through Stephens County. A 3-time All-American and 2-time All-State player, the former BLITZ Player of the Year batted .425, slugged 25 homers, and drove in 75 runs. He scored 80 times, knocked 60+ XBH, and showed complete patience with 60 walks. He slugged .850 for his career, and was a part of the Indians’ Elite 8 team in 2017. Briley played for Kennesaw State University.
TY BURCHETT
Ty Burchett was Mr. Consistent for the Leopards, helping the team to its best stretch in program history. He was good for 14 wins and a 2.28 ERA to go with 4 saves and 128 strikeouts on the mound, and was a solid hitter who left with a .410 average and 75 RBI, scoring 80 runs and stealing 62 bases. He had 4 wins in each of his last 3 seasons, and had a 1.19 ERA in 2020 before COVID shortened the season. He was also hitting .451 that season, and hit .407 with 26 RBI as a senior. He went on to play at Chattanooga State.
LOGAN BURT
Burt was an all-region left-handed pitcher who had an extra-special senior year in 2014. He went 6-1 with a 1.15 ERA, striking out 131 batters and recording an opponents batting average of just .106 and a WHIP of just 0.84. He also hit .405 with three homeruns and 20 RBI, scoring 23 runs and stealing 14 bases. His career stats: 15 wins with a 2.50 ERA and 300 K, hitting .400 with 10 HR, 50 RBI, 80 R and 35 SB. Burt went on to play at North Georgia, where he completed his career with a 5-3 record with a 6.72 ERA, two saves and 54 strikeouts. He returned to Dawson to take over the baseball program in 2023.
ZAC CORBIN
Zac Corbin blasted his way to the next level. The Dragons’ standout averaged .375 with five taters and 70 RBI, scoring 75 runs and showing blazing speed with some 45 stolen bases. He also won and saved five games with a 2.05 ERA. The All-State and two-time All-Region honoree had an unreal senior campaign that saw him bat .395 with a homer and 21 RBI and 22 SB, scoring 32 runs and getting on base at a .500 clip. He also went 2-0 with five saves and a perfect 0.00 ERA with a .186 BAA. Corbin went on to Kennesaw State University, where he starred on the diamond with a .302 AVG, 10 HR, 59 RBI, 21 2B, and 92 R along with 17 SB entering 2024.
LUKE CRUMLEY
Crumley was a former Basketball Player of the Year before dropping the sport to focus on just baseball his senior year at White County. The two-way talent enjoyed a big senior year, hitting .376 with 15 HR and 33 RBI, while going 5-1 with a 2.68 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 62.2 innings pitched. He helped lead the Warriors to 20 wins that season with a region title (first in school history). Crumley was named to the 2011 Coaches 8-AAA All-Region team as a P/OF, and also helped White Co to 19 wins and a state playoff berth as a junior. He was rated the number eight prep player in Georgia by Perfect Game. In his junior season, he went 5-3 with a 2.98 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 47 innings pitched, and hit .416 with 10 homeruns and 31 RBI. He led the Warriors with 48 strikeouts in 34.2 innings pitched and had a 3.63 ERA as a sophomore as well. He joined fellow classmate David Sosebee (also a BLITZ HOFer) in going to UGA. Crumley posted a 5-6 record and 6.41 ERA in 41 appearances, including 14 starts, striking out 42 hitters in 78.2 innings.
COLTON DAVIS
Davis, a recent professional pitcher for the Minnesota Twins organization, had a solid high school career and was an All-State talent. He went on to play at Western Carolina before going pro. He had a fantastic senior year, going 5-2 on the mound with a 0.44 ERA with 88 strikeouts, helping Commerce to a 21-8 record and Sweet 16 appearance. He also hit .468 with 4 homeruns and 36 RBI. As a junior, he was 6-3 with a 2.19 ERA and 98 K, batting .420 with 30 RBI.
WILL DEVRIES
DeVries was a constant for the Indians during his time at Towns County. As a sophomore (2015) he won three games on the mound with a 4.28 ERA and 10 strikeouts, while batting .435 with 8 RBI and scoring 18 runs. He stepped it up in 2016 with 4 wins, a 2.38 ERA and 49 K, while batting .379 with 12 RBI and nine stolen bases. But 2017 was his big year, as he went 4-2 with a save, a 3.26 ERA, striking out 73 in 68.2 IP. He hit .432 (38/88) with two homers, 24 RBI, 25 runs, nine doubles and one triple. His career totals included 12 wins with a 2.90 ERA and nearly 300 strikeouts, and a .400 average with two homers, 70 RBI, 100 runs and 35 SB. DeVries was the 2017 region player of the year, and was twice all-region first team and once all-region second team. He tossed a no-hitter in his career, was a two-time Perfect Game all-tournament team honoree and All-Southeast team Honorable Mention.
SEBASTIAN DUNN
Dunn was a hard out at Lumpkin County, batting .420 with 40 RBI, scoring 70 runs, swiping 60 bases, drilling 25-plus extra-base hits, and going 10-6 on the mound with 7 saves and a 2.30 ERA and 75 K. He was a 3-time All-Region pick, and played college ball at Florida St College at Jacksonville before going to UNC Asheville.
LANE EVERETT
Everett anchored a tough Union County team in his time as a Panther, even throwing a perfect game as a senior in 2014. That year, Everett was 6-2 with a save and a 1.20 ERA, striking out 76. He allowed an opponents’ batting average of just .200. At the plate he contributed with a .365 average and 16 RBI. He had roughly 12 wins, a 2.30 ERA and 130 K, batting .350 with 30 RBI. Everett went on to play for awhile at Georgia Highlands.
JAKE FIELDS
Jake Fields had one of the best season in STATE history. We’re not kidding….he hit .628 as a senior with 16 homeruns, had a .737 OBP clip, and was 11-1 on the mound too. Fields’ lifetime average of .561 is a state record that remains, and he had 193 hits, 57 HR, 189 RBI, 44 2B, and 97 BB, all of which rank top 10 in state history. Fields went on to play for Valdosta State University.
JAKE FRANKLIN
Jake Franklin was a key part of the Dragons’ lineup, averaging .447 with 12 HR and 60 RBI in his career. He was an All-American and All-State selection, and 2-time Region Player of the Year. As a a junior, he hit .423 with 23 RBI. Franklin went on to have a great career at Kennesaw State, where he hit .289 with 19 HR and 98 RBI over 4 seasons.
CHASE GILREATH
Gilreath was a special talent out of Dawson County. He could hit in the low 90s on the mound, and was a plus shortstop as well. He was a 2010 Rawlings Preseason All-American heading into his senior year. He lettered all four years and was first-team all-region at pitcher and shortstop as a senior, and second team all-region as a junior shortstop. He set the school record for RBI in a game with 8. As a senior he hit .465 with 7 HR and 38 RBI, and was 8-2 with a 2.59 ERA on the mound. As a junior in 2009, he hit .532 with 7 HR. Gilreath played two years at Columbus State, going 3-5 on the mound with a 3.75 ERA and 35 strikeouts.
TREY HARVEY
Trey Harvey was fantastic on the mound for Dawson County, primarily for the final 2 years of his high school career. The Tigers’ standout was 5-2 with a 1.97 ERA and 50 K in 49.1 IP as a senior, earning All-Region honors, while the team made a deep playoff run. The season prior, Harvey went 5-2 with a 1.96 ERA and 63 K in 50 IP, very similar. His sophomore season is when he burst on the scene, going 5-3 with a 3.82 ERA and 44 K in 47.2 IP. Those 3 seasons saw him combine to go 15-7 with a 2.42 ERA and 157 K in 147 innings of work. He went on to play at Young Harris.
CHASE HORTON
Chase Horton had an arm! The pitcher pitched his way to 15 wins and 170 strikeouts, while holding an ERA below 3 (2.80) in 152 innings of work. He also got it down at the plate, hitting .305 (70-plus hits), with a homer, 51 RBI, 38 runs, 16 doubles, and 15 SB. He won 5 games per season on averaged, and added a couple of saves. His senior year saw him go 5-2 with a 2.32, and his junior year he was 5-1 with a 2.60. He went on to pitch at Augusta University.
HAMPTON HUTTO
Hampton Hutto slugged his way to a solid career for the Tigers, helping Commerce to back-to-back region championships in the process. The 2-time All-State selection was a 1B/DH combo who hit .408 for his career and slugged .647 while getting on base at a .512 clip. He tallied 109 total hits with 14 HR and 99 RBI, adding 28 doubles. He was the BLITZ Player of the Year as a junior in 2022 after putting up a .400 average with 7 HR and 52 RBI. His senior year saw him hit .400 again with 5 HR and 28 RBI.
PEYTON IRVIN
Irvin was a hoss for Hab Central, and it showed in his spectacular senior season which saw him lead the Raiders to the state playoffs for the first time in a decade. The shortstop/pitcher hit .370 with 3 HR, 60 RBI, 60 R, 25+ XBH, and 25 SB along the way, and he went 15-6 (3 saves) with a 1.95 ERA and 135 K in his career, which included a pair of All-Region selections. Irvin played college ball for Piedmont University, going 14-9 with a 4.17 ERA and 123 K across 174.2 IP.
AUCY JACOBS
The 2-sport standout Aucy Jacobs finished his Banks career with a season to remember – .375 with a school record 40 stolen bases and 31 runs scored. He also hit .362 with 14 SB and 15 runs as a sophomore in 2023. Overall, he was around a .350 hitter with 75+ hits, 50+ RBI, 75+ runs, and 65+ stolen bases. Jacobs was a 3-time All-Region pick.
JARRED JONES
Jones put together a stellar second half of his career at Habersham. As a senior in 2018, he hit .333 with five homeruns, 16 RBI, 31 runs, 19 stolen bases and 22 walks. He added five doubles and two triples, and on the mound was 1-3 with a 2.80 ERA and eight strikeouts to go with one save. As a 2017 junior, he hit a mind-blowing .481 (39/81), posing 1 HR, 28 RBI, 22 R, 7 2B, 5 3B, 21 BB, .604 OBP, .728 SLG and went on the mound: 3-3, 6.13 ERA, 32 K, 30.2 IP. Jones closed his career with a .336 average, 8 HR, 64 RBI, 15 2B, 7 3B, 69 BB and 78 R, as well as a .468 OBP. Jones played at Southern Wesleyan University.
JOSEPH MANCUSO
The football Hall of Famer who went on to play (and still does) at Richmond on the gridiron, was insanely good on the mound. Makes sense…a QB with a cannon whether throwing a football or baseball. He went an outstanding 15-0 on the mound in his 3-year stint at Union County, with a 2.25 ERA and 155 strikeouts. At the dish, Mancuso batted .330 with 11 HR and 68 RBI, scoring 54 runs, stealing 14 bases, drilling 20 doubles, 3 triples, and drawing 42 walks. That’s a .449 OBP and .619 SLG. His senior year he went 6-0 with a 1.57 ERA, and also hit .356 with 4 HR and 24 RBI. His junior year was just as impressive (6-0, 1.71 ERA; .333-3-23). Mancuso was named BLITZ Player of the Year as a junior.
TUCKER MAXWELL
Maxwell only spent one season at Dawson County (2016), but it was incredible. He took home BLITZ Player of the Year honors. After winning a state title for Lanier, he went to Dawson and led the Tigers to 22 wins and a Sweet 16 run. Maxwell hit .518 with 5 homers and 37 RBI, scoring 51 runs and stealing 38 stolen bases, all while showing plenty of patience with 37 walks. He added 14 doubles and 3 triples. Maxwell was a 2016 Rawlings/Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American, earned 1st Team All-Region and was a Georgia Dugout Club All-Star as well. He had missed his entire junior year at Lanier due to injury, but as a sophomore, batted .404 with 6 HR and earned Best Defensive Player award in helping team to top national ranking and 6A state title after going 36-2. Maxwell played for UGA, where he has a .192 average after two seasons with 8 HR, 35 RBI, 44 R, 16 SB and 11 2B. He then went on to get drafted by the Phillies in the MLB draft, but didn’t play very long in the minors.
ALEX MCFARLANE
It was a short high school career for McFarlane, but no doubt he deserves this. A transfer from the Virgin Islands, the stud pitcher (mid-90s thrower) went a perfect 6-0 with a 1.70 ERA and 66 K in a senior season that saw the Raiders get to the playoffs for just the second time in school history. He also hit .479 with 1 HR, 16 RBI, 44 R, 12 2B, 3 3B, and 19 BB. He was named an All-Region player for his efforts. A Miami commit, he was taken by the St. Louis Cardinals in the MLB Draft (Rnd 25) in 2019 in the late rounds. He bypassed to go to Miami, and was 7-5 with a 4.35 ERA and 120 K for the Hurricanes. He got drafted by the Phillies in 2022 in the 4th Round to begin his pro career.
FRANKEY MOREE
Frankey Moree helped elevate the Tallulah Falls baseball program to unforeseen heights. The middle infielder hit .449 in his 2023 senior season, earning him Region POY honors. He hit .354 over his career, 3rd-best in school history. Moree had 44 hits that year, marking a single-season school record, also setting the HR record with 7 while notching 21 RBI. His career stat line includes a .354 AVG, 9 HR (school record), and 56 RBI (3rd), adding 32 runs, 14 doubles, 5 triples, 28 BB, and 23 SB. His 86 career hits was the school record when he graduated. He went on to play college ball at Benedict College.
CHASE POLLOCK
Chase Pollock is the guy you want on the mound for a decisive game. He was a bulldog for Tallulah Falls, going 6-2 with a 1.77 ERA as a senior with 61 K across 55.1 IP. He was 7-3 the year prior with a 1.95 and 74 K on the way to a State Runner-Up finish. At the plate, he had a .321 average as a senior and .356 as a junior. He ended his career with 19 wins and seven shutouts with a 2.15 career ERA, all school records. His 168 strikeouts ranked second in TFS history. He closed with a .330-1-63 stat line, homering in his final game. He recorded 85 hits and 15 doubles. Pollock was an All-State and multiple All-Region selection.
CHANDLER ROGERS
Rogers closed his Commerce career with a .430 average, 5 HR, 30 RBI, 25+ XBH, 40 SB, 70 R, and 50 BB. He went 10-6 on the mound with 4 saves, a 3.15 ERA, and 110 strikeouts. The all-around player was an exceptional fielder (.970 FLD%), and was a 2-time All-Region pick. Rogers played at USC Aiken.
COLBY ROGERS
Colby Rogers batted .430ish for his career, drove in about 50 runs, and scored another 70. He had a little bit of power as well, notching around 25 extra base hits. He had a knack of getting on base, playing solid defense, and was reliable on the mound. To knowledge (stats we know of), he went 4-2 with 3 saves and about a 2.00 ERA with 25 strikeouts, and was a two-time All-Region selection.
HUDSON SAPP
Hudson Sapp had an absolute beastly career, and since his sophomore year was already committed to play at Ole Miss beginning in 2021. The lefty outfielder batted over .510 for his career with 15 HR, 70 RBI, 105 R, 65 SB, and 90 BB. He had 25 doubles and 10 triples as well. On the mound, he registered a 5-2 record with a 0.89 ERA and 60 strikeouts. His COVID-19 shortened senior year consisted of him battling Graves Disease, yet still hit .500 with 5 HR and 18 RBI, and was 3-1 with a 1.77 ERA and 30 K, which included throwing a perfect game. His junior year was even better, as he hit .582 with 6 HR and 22 RBI, 27 SB, 23 BB, and 37 R. He also went 2-1 that year with a 0.45 ERA and 30 K. Sapp is a two-time All-State player and Region Player of the Year, as well as a two-time BLITZ Player of the Year. He played at Ole Miss before transferring to Georgia Highlands College.
PALMER SAPP
Sapp was a stellar player for the Tigers from his sophomore to senior season. In his final year at Dawson, he was named BLITZ Player of the Year after putting up 40 hits, batting .460 and adding 23 walks. He displayed power in the form of 5 homeruns, driving in 31 runs. He swiped 15 bases as well, notching a dozen doubles and two triples. In his 2018 senior season, Sapp also went 4-4 with a save and a 3.71 ERA. He struck out 40 batters in 52.2 innings of work. As a junior (2017), he put up a .444 average (40/90), 5 HR, 29 RBI, 31 R, 7 2B, 2 3B, 12 SB and went 3-0 with a save on the mound, compiling a 4.20 ERA, 17 K, 18.1 IP, 12 BB. As a sophomore (2016), his numbers were impressive as well: .429 – 6 HR – 41 RBI; 39 R, 9 2B, 2 3B, 14 BB, 18 SB; 5-2, 3.63 ERA, 37 K, 44.1 IP. In total, he hit .440 (134 hits) with 16 homeruns, 113 RBI, 115 runs, 51 stolen bases and 30 doubles as well as seven triples. On the mound, he pitched to the tune of a 3.80 ERA, going 12-7 with two saves and 97 strikeouts in over 120.1 innings of work. Sapp played at North Greenville University, Georgia Highlands, and Georgia College.
DAWSON SORRELLS
The Indians at Stephens County were blessed to have Dawson Sorrells in their program. The workhorse went 20-7 with 2 saves and a 2.26 ERA alongside 201 strikeouts. At the plate, he hit .350 with 2 homers and 55 RBI, scoring 75 runs and drilling out 27 extra-base hits. His sophomore year saw him go 9-2 with a 1.72 ERA and 51 K. He followed that with a 5-2 (3.19) 46 K junior year, and a 5-3 (2.49) 72 K senior season. Sorrells went on to play at East Georgia State.
DAVID SOSEBEE
Sosebee closely resembles the success of teammate Spencer Adams (above), who was a freshman when Sosebee was a senior. Sosebee went on to much success at UGA. David Sosebee was a great talent on the mound as well as at the plate, though he’d go pro due to the success on the bump. His prep senior season saw him hit .386 with 10 HR and 30 RBI, and saw him go a mind-blowing 10-1 on the hill with a 0.63 ERA, striking out 115. He hurled seven complete games and two shutouts, earning the BLITZ Player of the Year award. He also earned it the year prior by going 7-1 with a 0.76 ERA as a junior, striking out 106 to the tune of a 0.801 WHIP. He also hit .450 that year with 14 RBI. Sosebee currently is in the MLB New York Yankees organization (AAA), and in 2018 pitched a relievers’ no-hitter, retiring 28 batters without allowing a single hit. In five seasons in the minors, he was 18-14 overall with a tiny 2.64 ERA and 28 saves to go with 296 strikeouts (against just 90 walks).
BEN STOWE
Ben Stowe was a 3-time All-Region pick from Stephens County. The Indians’ third baseman put up a solid career, posting a .333 average and .473 OBP. That includes 7 HR, 63 RBI, 64 runs scored, 30 doubles, a triple, 39 walks, and 87 total hits. Stowe played exceptional defense as well, and his senior season saw him bat .348 with 3 HR and 25 RBI. As a sophomore in 2021, he hit .367 with 2 HR and 20 RBI as well. Stowe went on to play college football at Shorter University.
DAVIS SWENSON
Davis Swenson was a rock in the rotation for the Indians, especially in his last two seasons. In that time, he went 12-5 with a pair of saves. He was 6-3 with a 2.51 with 73 K as a junior, and 6-2 with a 2.05 ERA with 81 K as a senior. He was also solid at the plate as a senior, batting .400 with 23 RBI and 15 doubles. He finished his career with 200 strikeouts, won 17 games, and had a 2.50 ERA while batting .375 with 35 RBI and 20 doubles. He was an All-State and two-time All-Region pick. He went on to play at Georgia College after first going to Gordon State College.
CJ THOMAS
CJ Thomas put together a solid career for the Leopards, racking up a 16-9 mark with a couple of saves and a tidy 1.75 ERA to go with 150 strikeouts. He hit .415ish with a homer and 40 RBI, adding 60 runs, 55 stolen bases, and 30 extra-base hits. His junior season saw him go 7-7 with a 1.60 ERA. His senior year in 2018 he went 6-2 with a 1.69 ERA, and tore it up at the plate with a state line of .511 average, 1 HR, 18 RBI, 29 R, and 22 SB. Thomas went on to play college ball at Toccoa Falls.
LANE WATKINS
Watkins was a UGA baseball player after wrapping his career up at Jefferson. He was a strong piece of the State Championship team his junior 2018 season. The first baseman/pitcher was a 2-time All-State honoree, and hit .425 with 12 HR, 70 RBI, 60 BB, 40+ XBH, 30 SB, and 75 R in his career. He also went 20-5 with a 1.80 ERA, striking out 140 batters.
BRETT WESTMORELAND
Westmoreland was one of the top power hitters in the state of Georgia during his senior year at White County. Westmoreland was the BLITZ Baseball Player of the Year in 2013 after hitting .536 with 13 HR and 31 RBI. His OBP was .673 and he scored 31 runs and notched 24 walks. A mainstay at Young Harris, Westmoreland finished his career with a .288 average with 19 homers and 94 RBI, adding 79 runs scored and 22 doubles while playing in roughly 150 games.
BRADY WILSON
Brady Wilson had a phenomenal senior year in which he went 6-2 with a 3.81 ERA, and batted .534 with a pair of homers and 19 RBI. A victim of the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Wilson’s career stats, though solid, could have been much better had he not lost a full season. He won six games with a 3.95 ERA and 85 K, and hit .350 overall with five homers and 55 RBI to go with 25 doubles. He was a two-time All-Region pick, and went on to play at Truett McConnell University.
ALDEN WRIGHT
Wright missed his entire senior season due to an ACL tear from his senior football season, but still put together a fantastic high school career. As a 2015 junior, he was 10-2 with two saves and a 2.20 ERA with 45 strikeouts, and at the plate hit .434 with three homers and 21 RBI, scoring 23 runs and adding 26 stolen bases. He added six doubles and three triples that season, and totaled a .395 average with 9 homers, 64 RBI, 49 SB, and notch a .500+ OBP. He was 14-4 as a starting pitcher with 9 saves and a 2.71 ERA along with 117 strikeouts. Wright had a fine career at Maryville College, where he has been one of the top hitters in the lineup through his first two seasons, and was leading the NATION in RBI as a senior before COVID-19 abruptly ended his career. His college stats include a .348 AVG, 4 HR, 52 RBI, 36 R, and 16 2B.
BLITZ 