Hopkinsville High School’s Easton McGee, a fourth-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Rays last week, has been named Kentucky’s 2016 Mr. Baseball by the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association.
McGee, a 6-foot-6 right-hander, posted an 8-3 record and a 1.29 ERA this season with 92 strikeouts and seven walks in 65 innings. When not pitching, he played first base and batted .343 with three home runs and 30 RBIs.
McGee has signed with the University of Kentucky, but Hopkinsville coach Greg Perry said McGee is leaning toward going pro.
“I think he’ll probably sign by the end of the week,” Perry said.
McGee’s fastball consistently hits 92 mph and has topped out at 95 mph, Perry said.
“He can throw four pitches (fastball, curveball, change-up, slider) for a strike at any time,” Perry said. “The ball comes out of his hand really easy.”
The KHSBCA also released its All-State teams, with seven players from the Louisville area receiving first-team honors – Pleasure Ridge Park’s Garrett Schmeltz, North Bullitt’s Logan Wyatt, Ballard’s Jordon Adell, Trinity’s Brett Marshall, St. Xavier’s Adam Elliott and Daniel Fischer and Oldham County’s Griffin McLarty.
Here are the complete All-State teams:
* First team – Keegan Breese (McCracken County), Easton McGee (Hopkinsville), Jakob Shuler (Apollo), Andy Highbaugh (Barren County), Justin Rousse (Central Hardin), Hunter Sullivan (Elizabethtown), Garrett Schmeltz (Pleasure Ridge Park), Logan Wyatt (North Bullitt), Jordon Adell (Ballard), Brett Marshall (Trinity), Adam Elliott (St. Xavier), Daniel Fischer (St. Xavier), Griffin McLarty (Oldham County), Jake Ziegelmeyer (Ryle), Brayden Combs (Beechwood), Ethan Stringer (Beechwood), Cam Hill (Scott County), Jaren Shelby (Tates Creek), Trae Harmon (Somerset), Geordan Blanton (Johnson Central), Brody Shoupe (Greenup County), Cameron Planck (Rowan County).
* Second team – Luke Brown (Caldwell County), Ray Zuberer (Owensboro Catholic), Andrew Hayden (Daviess County), Michael Hicks (South Warren), Alex Bibb (Central Hardin), Jack Wilson (Elizabethtown), Ryan Henson (North Bullitt), Paul Haupt (Christian Academy), Jake Snider (Ballard), Tanner Johnson (South Oldham), Kyle Rowe (Beechwood), Peyton Dove (Clark County), Jacob Abbott (Lafayette), C.J. Bush (Lexington Catholic), Vincent Boils (Southwestern), Brian Baxa (Danville), Tucker Greer (West Jessamine), Evan Hurt (Perry County Central), Dalton Cornett (Knott County Central), Tate Meade (Johnson Central), Gage Hughes (Greenup County), Jordan Walburn (East Carter).
* Third team – Bryan Chilton (Christian County), Jacob Mulcahy (Owensboro Catholic), Dalton Shoemake (Glasgow), Ethan Wilson (Bowling Green), Cameron Dawson (LaRue County), Chase Thomas (Campbellsville), Tyler Burk (Pleasure Ridge Park), Tyler Horsley (Ballard), Justin Ray (Carroll County), Matthew Gammon (Shelby County), Will McDonald (Collins), Jeff Purnell (Boone County), Cory Franzen (Campbell County), Kori Embs (Bishop Brossart), Darren Williams (Mason County), Josiah Robbins (Boyle County), Chase Wozniak (East Jessamine), Adam Carnahan (Clay County), Weston Griebel (North Laurel), Jared Hunt (Greenup County), Braden Wyatt (Boyd County), Payton Marcum (Boyd County).
* Honorable mention – Lane Kennemore (Mayfield), Stewart Currie (Daviess County), Hunter Combs (Muhlenberg County), James Kingery (Glasgow), Hunter Childress (Nelson County), Evan Flener (Fern Creek), Daulton Walls (North Bullitt), Dustin Cecil (South Oldham), Ryan Smiley (Harrison County), Tyler Walton (Clark County), Colton Hartig (Campbell County), Jake Ohmer (Scott), Andrew Dyer (Montgomery County), Andrew Trame (Scott), Nick Nelson (Mason County), Jackson Boggs (Lafayette), Lucas Jones (Knox Central), Ethan Osborne (Sheldon Clark).