Walker Trusley and the Powell Panthers won 5-4 in eight innings over the Halls Red Devils in the TSSAA District 3-AAA baseball tournament championship in Powell, Tennessee, on Wednesday, May 8, 2019. (Photo by Danny Parker)
The 2019 All-5Star Preps Baseball Teams
How We Select Teams: The 5Star Preps coverage area encompasses a 60-school wide footprint. During the season, we cover as many of the top teams, important games and outlying schools as we can, so to get a thorough knowledge base of the sport and the players involved. While we can’t always see every player and team, we talk with coaches during and after the season to get their input and analysis on players. Taking all we have seen and heard into account, we select teams based on player ability, performance and team performance.
FIRST TEAM
Reuben Church (Maryville, infielder, junior)
The Kentucky commitment had another solid season for the Rebels. This time, Church hit .387 with eight home runs, 29 RBIs and 26 walks.
Lukas Cook (Hardin Valley Academy, infielder, junior)
The Hawks claimed the Region 2-AAA championship, and Cook — a South Carolina commitment — played a major role by driving in 40 runs this past season, scoring 36 times and hitting nine home runs.
Dylan Dickert (Seymour, pitcher, junior)
One of the more under-appreciated talents around, Dickert was named District Player of the Year for going 7-1 for the Eagles with a 1.30 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 53.2 innings
The Farragut Admirals beat Cam Fisher and the Hardin Valley Hawks 4-1 in a TSSAA District 4-AAA baseball game in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Monday, April 1, 2019. (Photo by Danny Parker)
Cam Fisher (Hardin Valley Academy, catcher, senior)
Knoxville is rich in catcher talent, and Fisher is definitely atop the crop. The Ole Miss signee hit nine home runs, drove in 39 runs, scored 35 runs and hit .349 while stealing 19 bases.
Noah Gent (Pigeon Forge, infielder, senior)
A two-time Mr. Baseball winner and Walters State signee, Gent helped lead Pigeon Forge to a Class AA state tournament appearance by hitting .562 with 52 runs, 26 doubles, nine home runs and 52 RBIs.
Ryan Hagenow (Farragut, pitcher, junior)
The big 6-5 right-hander and Kentucky commitment led the Admirals to a Class AAA state championship, winning two games in Murfreesboro — including the championship game. Hagenow is the 5Star Preps Pitcher of the Year and went 12-1 with 96 strikeouts and 1.02 ERA in 68.2 innings.
Kameron Johnson (Heritage, outfielder, junior)
One of the better defensive outfielders in the area, Johnson wielded a pretty solid bat, too. As the Mountaineers leadoff hitter, Johnson hit .341 with 37 runs and 23 stole bases.
Connor Jurek (CAK, infielder/outfielder, junior)
Jurek not only knocked in the game-winning run for CAK in the Division II-A state championship, he also recorded a team-high 50 hits in 2019 while driving in 33 runs, scoring 50 runs and batting .388.
Zane Keener and the CAK Warriors defeated the Powell Panthers 8-2 in a non-district baseball game in Powell, Tennessee, on Thursday, April 4, 2019.
Zane Keener (CAK, outfielder, senior)
Though injury plagued the last leg of his final season, the Tennessee signee still put up huge numbers and helped contribute during the state title run. Keener hit .390 with 28 walks, 43 runs, 19 RBIs and five triples.
Ashton King (Farragut, infielder, senior)
An East Tennessee State signee and gritty competitor, King hit .545 in the postseason while helping Farragut win a Class AAA state title. He wound up hitting .407 his senior season with nine home runs, 43 RBIs and 23 walks.
Owen Kovacs (Farragut, pitcher, senior)
An East Tennessee State signee and part of one of the most heralded pitching staffs in the state, Kovacs ended up with a 7-0 mark this past season with a 1.56 ERA, 36 strikeouts in 45 innings pitched.
Hunter Loyd (CAK, pitcher/outfielder, senior)
The East Tennessee State signee helped CAK win a 2019 Division II-A state title by going 8-1 with 89 strikeouts and 19 walks while also driving in 37 runs at the plate.
Parker Noland (Farragut, infielder, senior)
The Vanderbilt signee, 2018 Class AAA Mr. Baseball and 2019 Mr. Baseball finalist helped lead the Admirals to a 2019 state title with a .464 batting average, 13 doubles, seven homers, 44 RBIs and 42 walks.
Greenback’s Reese Plemons rounds the bases after his game-winning home run against Summertown in the TSSAA Class A state baseball tournament at Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on Thursday, May 23, 2019. (Photo by Danny Parker)
Reese Plemons (Greenback, catcher/pitcher, senior)
The catalyst behind Greenback’s 2019 Class A state title run, Plemons hit .449 in 2019 with eight home runs, 18 doubles and 43 RBIs. He also struck out 85 batters in 52.1 innings pitched.
Peter Schaefer (Webb, pitcher, senior)
Schaefer is headed to Johns Hopkins University for college but he left high school on a big note, going 6-2 for the Spartans with a 0.74 ERA, 116 strikeouts and just 12 walks in 66.1 innings.
Will Shelton (Alcoa, INF/P, senior)
Alcoa baseball took a major leap into the spotlight the past two seasons, and Shelton led the charge. He went 10-1 this past season with two saves to go along with a .370 batting average, six homers and 26 RBIs.
Landon Smiddy (Farragut, pitcher, senior)
An East Tennessee State signee, Smiddy went 7-1 for the Class AAA state-champion Admirals this past season with 60 strikeouts and 16 walks in 44.2 innings pitched.
Jacob Tate (CAK, DH/P, senior)
The two-time 5Star Preps Player of the Year and Kentucky signee led the Warriors to another Division II-A state championship this past season with eight home runs, 48 RBIs, 12-0 record, 108 strikeouts and 0.98 ERA.
Walker Trusley (Powell, pitcher, junior)
A 6-3 hurler whose velocity lives in the upper registers, Trusley helped Powell go undefeated in District 3-AAA play and also win the District 3-AAA tournament championship. The East Tennessee State commitment was the Co-District Player of the Year.
Noah Webb (Sevier County, catcher, senior)
Webb capped off his final varsity season before heading to Tennessee by hitting .485 with 10 home runs, 47 RBIs, 40 runs and 28 stolen bases.
SECOND TEAM
Max Bowers (Heritage, senior, infielder): eight home runs, 39 RBIs.
Tate Daniels (Heritage, junior, outfielder): .389 batting average.
Hayden Gilliland (Heritage, junior, catcher): eight home runs, .374 batting average.
Matt Grim (Powell, senior, pitcher): District 3-AAA Pitcher of the Year.
Bryce Hanley (Greenback, senior, infielder): .508 BA and 41 RBIs.
Logan Harbin (Pigeon Forge, junior, catcher): nine homers, 50 RBIs.
Nathan Hickman (Loudon, senior, pitcher): 112 Ks and hit .438
Blake Hubble (Halls, junior, infielder): District 3-AAA Co-MVP
Bryce Jenkins (Hardin Valley Academy, senior, pitcher): 8-2 pitching record
Will Jenkins (Grace Christian, junior, pitcher/utility): Belmont commitment
Ryan McCarthy (Farragut, senior, catcher): Defensive star, MTSU signee
Dalton McClain (Greeneville, senior, outfielder): .423 BA, 41 RBIs
Hunter Monday (Pigeon Forge, senior, pitcher): 8-2, 2 saves, 81 Ks
Jesse Osborne (CAK, senior, catcher): eight home runs, 42 RBIs
Andrew Ott (Seymour, senior, infielder): .495 BA, 39 RBIs
Mason Patel (Webb, junior, pitcher): 5-2, 70 Ks, 7 walks
Seth Riddle (Greenback, senior, outfielder): 46 RBIs, .430 BA
Braden Spano (Greeneville, junior, infielder): .544 BA, 56 RBIs
Cooper Whitt (Catholic, senior, infielder): .454 BA, 41 runs
Ben Wilcoxon (Sevier County, junior, pitcher/utility): .498 BA, 38 RBIs, 50 Ks, 4-3 record