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2021 5Star Preps Baseball Teams

Presented by New Balance Knoxville

COACH OF THE YEAR

Geff Davis helped lead Gibbs to more than 30 wins and the 2021 Class AA state championship, the second in the program’s history (2010). Gibbs, which had to face rival Pigeon Forge twice in the regular season and three times in the postseason, toppled the Tigers in the season finale.

FIRST TEAM

INFIELDERS

Logen Sutton (Powell, senior): The Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association selected Sutton as the Class AAA Mr. Baseball recipient. The ETSU signee hit .421 with 15 doubles, three triples, 10 homers, 41 RBIs and 28 walks.

Angus Pence (Farragut, senior): A Tennessee signee, Pence overcame mid-season injury to help lead Farragut deep into the Class AAA state tournament. He hit .365 with 11 home runs, 34 RBIs and 14 walks.

Archer Wong-Shasteen (HVA, senior): The District 4-AAA Offensive Player of the year, Wong-Shasteen is a Lincoln Memorial signee who hit .389 with 44 runs, 23 RBIs, three home runs and 13 doubles.

Luke Johnson (Heritage, junior): Johnson is a Middle Tennessee State verbal commitment who didn’t disappoint in 2021. He hit .457 with 41 RBIs, eight home runs, 21 walks and seven doubles.

Jackson Musrock (Webb, senior): A District MVP from the regular season, Musrock helped engineer a respectable postseason run for the Spartans. The Memphis signee hit .418 with eight doubles and 20 RBIs.

MULTI-PURPOSE

Elijah Galyon (Seymour, senior): A prospect from the moment he entered high school, Galyon had a monster final season of high school ball. The ETSU signee hit .494 with 11 home runs, 42 RBIs, 40 runs and 24 walks. He also went 3-0 on the mound with four saves, a 1.18 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 23.2 innings.

Riley Franklin (Pigeon Forge, junior): A massive presence at the plate and on the bump, Franklin helped Pigeon Forge finish runner-up in Class AA with a .381 batting average, 17 doubles, eight homers, 33 runs and 51 RBIs. He went 9-2 pitching with a 1.81 ERA and 111 strikeouts.

Brayden Taylor (Gibbs, senior): The 5Star Preps Player of the Year led Gibbs to the Class AA state championship, starring in the field as a shortstop and leadoff hitter. He batted .341 with 53 runs, 21 stolen bases, 18 RBIs, 15 double and went 5-1 with five saves, a 1.84 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 38 innings.

OUTFIELDERS

Tanner Kim (Farragut, senior): A Kentucky commitment, Kim was the big bat in Farragut’s vaunted lineup. He hit .423 with nine home runs and 45 RBIs.

Bryce Burkey (Farragut, senior): A consistent producer all spring, lefty-hitting Burkey wound up with a .420 batting average, four home runs, 37 RBIs, 52 runs and 26 walks. He signed with Cleveland State.

Ford Wagner (Webb, junior): The 6-2, 200-pound Wagner carries a big GPA (4.3) and a big bat (.454 BA, 34 runs, 12 doubles, 29 RBIs).

Kaden Martin (Catholic, junior): The Miami commit hit .359 with a school-record 13 home runs. He also pitched in 47 RBIs, 31 runs scored and 52 strikeouts in 35 innings pitched.

Ryan Degges (CAK, senior): Degges provided the pop in the Warriors’ run to the Division II-A final four. He hit .392 with 10 home runs, 13 doubles, 54 RBIs and 47 runs scored.

CATCHERS

Carson Raby (Gibbs, senior): A skilled and experienced catcher by trade, Raby will have an opportunity to pitch at the next level, too. He even won a game on the mound at state for the Eagles. At the plate, he hit .353 with 12 doubles, three home runs and 46 RBIs.

Logan Poteet (Powell, junior): A Vanderbilt commitment, Poteet helped guide Powell to 29 wins and a trip to the Class AAA state sectionals. He hit .412 with 10 doubles, four home runs and 31 RBIs.

Andrew Kribbs (CAK, senior): The Tennessee signee’s presence behind the plate proved to be a big reason CAK won 33 games and reached the final four in Division II-A.

PITCHERS

Derek McCarley (Seymour, senior): A candidate for Class AAA Mr. Baseball, the ETSU signee went 10-1 with a 1.39 ERA, 117 strikeouts and 28 walks in 62 innings. He also hit .400 with 27 walks, 27 runs and 25 RBIs.

Hunter Merrick (Farragut, senior): The Admirals’ ace and ETSU signee went 10-0-2 as a senior with a 2.02 ERA, 82 strikeouts and 24 walks in 62 innings pitched.

Dylan Loy (Pigeon Forge, sophomore): The 5Star Preps Pitcher of the Year and Class AA Mr. Baseball, Loy went 13-1 in 2021 with a 0.42 ERA and 164 strikeouts. He is a Tennessee commitment.

Bay Griffin (CAK, senior): Griffin, a right-hander, pitched like a boss all season — but especially the postseason. He finished 8-0 with an 0.43 ERA, 67 strikeouts and nine walks.

Coltin Reynolds (Powell, senior): The 6-4 lefty finished 10-1 with two saves, a 0.87 ERA, 91 strikes and 19 walks in 64.1 innings pitched. He also hit .372 with 10 doubles and 30 RBIs.

SECOND TEAM

INFIELDERS

Hutson Lutterman (Catholic, freshman): What a start to prep baseball. Lutterman hit .396 with 12 doubles, 42 RBIs and 34 runs.

Bryson Trammell (Bearden, senior): The MTSU signee hit .378 with six home runs and eight doubles.

Ty Denton (Hardin Valley, sophomore): One of the top players in District 4-AAA, Denton batted .402 with eight doubles and 25 RBIs.

Hudson Seigler (Farragut, senior): The ETSU signee hit .366 with 11 doubles, five home runs and 37 RBIs.

Carson Hoffmeister (Hardin Valley, sophomore): An All-District 4-AAA pick, Hoffmeister hit .462 with 25 RBIs.

MULTI-PURPOSE

Braden Graves (Gibbs, sophomore): Graves was key in the Class AA championship run. He went 5-2 on the mound with 44 strikeouts in 30.1 innings and hit .382 with 37 RBIs and 42 runs.

Logan Ozias (Hardin Valley, junior): Ozias rang up 72 batters and walked just 14 in 55 innings while also hitting .370 with 20 RBIs.

Ty Seritt (Bearden, senior): The big-hitting Seritt belted 10 home runs with 10 doubles and a .347 batting average.

OUTFIELDERS

Ryan Bolton (Central, junior): Bolton hit safely in 31 of 34 games while amassing a .461 batting average with 30 RBIs.

Logan Johnson (Pigeon Forge, senior): The Kennesaw State signee hit .376 with 10 doubles and 36 RBIs.

Kain Collins (Kingston, junior): Collins hit a robust .480 with 24 RBIs. He ws 21 of 21 on stolen-base attempts.

Bryson Shown (Gibbs, senior): Shown hit .383 with 13 doubles, 24 stolen bases and 36 RBIs, as Gibbs won Class AA.

Julian Mays (Webb, junior): Mays had a big 2021 season, batting .398 with 29 RBIs while going 7-1 on the mound.

Jackson Steele (Carter, sophomore): A promising talent, Steele hit .419 in 34 games with six HRs, 24 RBIs, 50 runs and 35 walks.

CATCHERS

Wyatt Collins (Lenoir City, senior): Collins hit an astounding .518 in the spring with 22 RBIs.

Avery Collins (Greeneville, senior): Collins hit .440 with 41 RBIs and 20 walks in 2021.

Riley Orr (Maryville, junior): Orr hit .383 with 35 RBIs in the always difficult District 4-AAA.

PITCHERS

Matthew Wrinkle (Halls, senior): The left-hander finished 7-0 with a 1.16 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 42 innings.

Adam Quincy (Seymour, senior): The Western Carolina signee and lefty went 8-1 with a 1.31 ERA, 63 strikeouts and seven walks in 59 innings.

Brycen Denton (Hardin Valley, senior): A Dyersburg State signee, the left-handed-throwing Denton fanned 63 batters and walked nine in 44 innings.

Jaxson Pease (Farragut, junior): One of Farragut’s top arms, Pease was 9-1-1 in 2021 with a 1.31 ERA and 73 strikeouts.

Reilly Byers (Gibbs, sophomore): A gutty lefty, Byers won 12 games with a 1.64 ERA for state-champion Gibbs. He struck out 115 batters in 85 innings.

J.D. Price (CAK, senior): The Western Carolina signee and right-hander went 7-1 for CAK and struck out 62 with a 1.80 ERA.