Baltimore Sun high school baseball preview: Storylines, players to watch and top 15 teams heading into 2024 season

Here’s what you need to know for the 2024 high school baseball season in the Baltimore area.

Storylines to watch

Who can stop Archbishop Spalding’s run in the MIAA A Conference?

The Cavaliers have established themselves as the class of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference and are the favorites to win a third consecutive title. Spalding has the hitting and pitching behind Jake Yeager to defend its crown. Cavaliers coach Joe Palumbo said the program has established “a legacy of excellence.” However, Calvert Hall, which reached last year’s league title game, Curley, Gilman and John Carroll each have the talent to dethrone the Cavaliers, who finished 22-6 last season.

Is River Hill still the class of Howard County?

The Hawks won the Class 3A state championship, 1-0, over Harford County’s C. Milton Wright last season. River Hill reloaded and has a talented squad led by senior Henry Zatkowski, who was the Howard County Pitcher of the Year and hit nearly .500 during the regular season. However, the county is loaded, and Glenelg, Long Reach, Centennial, Mt. Hebron and Marriotts Ridge are all capable of dethroning the Hawks in a parity-driven league.

Who will emerge as the top team in a deep Anne Arundel County?

Anne Arundel might be the deepest league in the state. North County, Broadneck and Severna Park jockeyed for the top position last season. Broadneck has the experience to finish on top with 12 returning players. North County graduated 13 seniors, but its young talent could develop quickly. Chesapeake also has a talented squad that could compete for county, regional and state titles. Old Mill and Arundel will also be in the mix.

Which team will emerge in Baltimore County?

Baltimore County will have another competitive league with Hereford, Perry Hall, Towson, Dulaney and Sparrows Points vying for the title. The Gators are looking to advance to the state title game after falling short last year, losing to three-time champion Sherwood in the Class 4A state quarterfinals. Perry Hall is led by AJ Mendoza, a preseason all-state selection and a four-year varsity player. The Bulls were a Class 2A North Region I finalist last season and have the experience to make a deeper run. Pikesville could be the dark horse.

Who comes out on top in Harford and Carroll counties?

C. Milton Wright was the class of the Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference, advancing to the Class 3A state title game before losing to River Hill. The Mustangs should be strong again but will face a tough test from Fallston, which won the Class 2A East Region I title and UCBAC Chesapeake Division championship. In Carroll County, Liberty advanced to the Class 2A state semifinals and has the depth to compete for a championship this season. Century and Manchester Valley will challenge the Lions for the county title.

Players to watch

Kaden Barmer, Calvert Hall, junior, outfielder

Barmer is a Division I prospect who could play a vital role in getting the Cardinals back atop the MIAA A Conference after a loss to Spalding in the title game last season. He batted .349 with a .877 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, six doubles and 11 RBIs a year ago.

Aziz Bishop, Towson, senior, shortstop

Bishop played defense at a high level for the Baltimore County champs, earning first-team All-County honors. Offensively, he led the team in the triple crown categories: batting average (.486), home runs (eight), and RBIs (33). He was named to the Maryland State Association of Baseball Coaches North Classic Team and earned an invitation to Xposure Sports All-Star Weekend.

Paul Kvech, Fallston, senior, pitcher

Kvech was the Cougars’ go-to pitcher in the biggest games last year, going 6-0 in regular-season conference games and picking up a playoff win. He had a 1.72 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 43 innings.

AJ Mendoza, Perry Hall, senior, pitcher-shortstop

Mendoza slashed .565/.603/.935 with five doubles, three triples, and two home runs and struck out once during the 2023 regular season. He allowed just one hit in his first six innings against eventual Class 4A champion Sherwood in the state quarterfinals.

Cole Parsons, Chesapeake-AA, senior, second baseman

Parsons is regarded as the best second baseman in Anne Arundel County and had a perfect fielding percentage last season. He also batted .438 with a .525 OBP, 1.134 OPS, 26 RBIs, 16 runs and 18 stolen bases.

Derek Poole, Archbishop Curley, senior, catcher

Poole was one of the Friars’ clutch hitters and was adept at helping the pitching staff become one of the best in the MIAA A Conference. He batted .337 with 28 hits, 11 doubles and two home runs in 30 games.

Will Rhine, John Carroll, senior, infielder-designated hitter

Rhine is a clutch hitter and has already committed to the University of Alabama. He batted .386 with three home runs and 35 RBIs in perhaps the toughest conference in the area.

Kevin Sevilla Castillo, Frederick Douglass, junior, pitcher

Castillo led all pitchers in the state with 106 strikeouts in 53 innings and went 7-2 (7-0 against Class 1A teams) with a 2.87 ERA. Offensively, he was the team’s hits leader with 19 and recorded a 3.5 GPA.

Henry Zatkowski, River Hill, senior, pitcher

Zatkowski averaged more than two strikeouts per inning and only allowed an earned run in two of his nine outings. The Duke commit hit above .500 for most of the regular season before finishing the year at .486.

Jake Yeager, Archbishop Spalding, senior, pitcher

After several talented players graduated, Yeager became the ace of the talented Cavaliers staff. Last year, he played a key role in leading Spalding to the MIAA A Conference title, going 4-1 with a 1.09 ERA, 47 strikeouts and one save in 35 innings.

Archbishop Spalding - Calvert Hall MIAA A playoff

Preseason Top 15 poll

1. Archbishop Spalding

Coach: Joe Palumbo

Last season: 22-6 overall, No. 1 ranking

Postseason: MIAA A Conference champion

Outlook: Expectations are high for a talented group coming off back-to-back MIAA A Conference championships. The pitching staff has four Division I commits — Jake Yeager, Nathan Wines, Peyton Mamula and Brayden Robinson — at the top of the rotation who will be working to keep the tradition of dominant pitching going at Spalding.

2. Calvert Hall

Coach: Brooks Kerr

Last season: 18-13, No. 3

Postseason: MIAA A Conference runner-up

Outlook: The Cardinals have three Divison I commits — shortstop Travis Peitz (George Washington), pitcher-outfielder Nathan Rodriguez (Mount St. Mary’s ) and outfielder Will Haacke (Siena) — and will rely heavily on several underclassmen. Calvert Hall traditionally reloads and will be hunting for a conference title.

3. John Carroll

Coach: Darrion Siler

Last season: 14-12, No. 12

Postseason: Third place in MIAA A Conference

Outlook: The Patriots will look to knock off Spalding in the conference and have a powerful lineup. John Carroll returns plenty of key players, including several who have committed to NCAA Divison I programs in Will Rhine (Alabama), Casey Carpenter (North Carolina Wilmington), Dallas Brooks (Maryland) and Miguel Leon (Maryland).

River Hill vs Glenelg baseball

4. River Hill

Coach: Craig Estrin

Last season: 21-4, No. 2

Postseason: Class 3A state champion

Outlook: River Hill was hit hard with the graduation of several key players last season, but the Hawks have a strong group back in the mix. The team is led by senior pitcher Henry Zatkowski, a Duke commit who went 8-1 with a 0.65 ERA and hit nearly .500 in the regular season. Ryan Walsh batted over .400 last year as a freshman and started every game at third base.

5. Severna Park

Coach: Eric Milton

Last season: 20-4, No. 5

Postseason: Class 4A state semifinalist

Outlook: The Falcons have the talent and depth to make another deep run in the state playoffs. They will be led by shortstop Angel Santiago-Cruz (.429 average, 1.040 OPS, 20 RBIs), catcher Kody Phillips (.355 average, 1.177 OPS, 7 home runs), infielder Nick Dinunzio (.300 average, 13 RBIs) and outfielder Charlie Hartman (.410 average, 1.010 OPS, 13 RBIs).

6. C. Milton Wright

Coach: Richard DeNardi

Last season: 17-5, No. 4

Postseason: Class 3A state finalist

Outlook: The Mustangs have some unfinished business after falling just short of a state championship last season. C. Milton Wright has a deep and experienced team with a solid starting rotation consisting of Thomas Cannavale, Gavin Miller, Chuck Thomas, Brady Perry and Landon Melnick.

7. Broadneck

Coach: Matt Skrenchuk

Last season: 17-4, No. 6

Postseason: Class 4A East Region II semifinalist

Outlook: The Bruins have experience with 12 returning players, including two starting pitchers and six everyday players. Shortstop Calvin Cook leads the charge after batting .300 with nine doubles, two triples, and one home run last season, and senior first baseman Devin McGowan and junior catcher Nick Cicale are also expected to be main contributors.

8. Archbishop Curley

Coach: Joe Gaeta

Last season: 17-10, No. 7

Postseason: MIAA A Conference semifinalist

Outlook: The Friars, led by Nate Welkos (5-1, 35 strikeouts), will go as far as their pitching takes them. Curley has depth with several returning starters who add power to the lineup, including Derek Poole (.337 average, two homers), Anthony Cerone (.349 average, six doubles) and Austin Sealing (26 hits, seven doubles).

Hammond vs Glenelg baseball

9. Glenelg

Coach: Steve Tiffany

Last season: 21-3, No. 8

Postseason: Class 2A state quarterfinalist

Outlook: The Gladiators will battle for county, regional and state crowns with the return of Salisbury commit Zach Lafountain, a pitcher and third baseman who was injured last season. The lineup will be led by senior outfielder Logan Pusheck (.423 average, 16 RBIs) and Delaware commit Nick Bilotto (.369 average, 12 RBIs).

10. Towson

Coach: Shawn Tormey

Last season: 16-7, No. 10

Postseason: Class 3A North Region I finalist

Outlook: The Generals are led by shortstop Aziz Bishop, who led the team in batting average (.486), home runs (eight) and RBIs (33) and was a first-team All-County selection. Towson has solid depth and left-hander Jackson Huck leads the pitching staff after recording 56 strikeouts last season.

11. Gilman

Coach: Larry Sheets

Last season: 14-11, No. 14

Postseason: MIAA A Conference quarterfinalist

Outlook: The Greyhounds have solid senior leadership with catcher Danny Leikus and pitcher-first baseman Wyatt Randolph. Gilman also has some young players who bring versatility and athleticism to the lineup, but pitching will be vital for the Greyhounds to stay near the top of the powerful MIAA A Conference.

12. Dulaney

Coach: Max Jemellaro

Last season: 15-5, No. 11

Postseason: Class 4A North Region I semifinalist

Outlook: The Lions have a pair of All-County performers back in the lineup in seniors Thomas Mezzullo (.475 average, 18 RBIs) and Connor Dow (1.61 ERA, 37 strikeouts). Dulaney should compete for county and regional championships with a strong group of underclassmen to complement a strong core of returning players.

13. Liberty

Coach: Travis Inch

Last season: 19-6, No. 13

Postseason: Class 2A state semifinalist

Outlook: The Lions have a solid mix of players who are looking to make a deep run in the state playoffs. Rocco Dietz is coming off a solid year in which he went 5-0 with a 1.36 ERA and middle infielder Nate Martin adds some pop to the lineup.

14. Chesapeake-AA

Coach: Jeff Young

Last season: 15-7

Postseason: Class 3A South Region II finalist

Outlook: The Cougars have established themselves as one of the top teams in the region and will be tough again this year. The top returning players include infielder Cole Parsons (.418 average), pitcher-outfielder Carter Drab (.324 average; 2.21 ERA in 31 2/3 innings), pitcher-shortstop Sean Carroll (.306 average), outfielder Jimmy Dreyer (.301 average) and left-hander Cam Sisson (2.77 ERA in 23 innings).

15. Fallston

Coach: Grant Morlock

Last season: 17-6

Postseason: Class 2A state quarterfinalist

Outlook: The Cougars have lofty expectations again this year coming off a 2A East Region I title and UCBAC Chesapeake Division championship. Pitching will be a strength with returning seniors Paul Kvech (2023 All-Metro) and Noah Bark (2023 All-County).

Others considered: Centennial (15-6), Frederick Douglass (14-5), Hereford (13-10), Old Mill (13-11), Pikesville (17-6), Sparrows Point (14-6)