Midseason review: No easy outs around Lexington high school baseball this year

Rebooting after a season shut down due to the pandemic, Kentucky’s high school baseball season has been underway for a few weeks and Lexington’s teams have been showing what they’ve got.

Usually, teams have some continuity year over year, but with COVID-19 taking away a season, many coaches came into 2021 with whole new teams.

This weekend some of the top teams in the state will come to town for the Fayette County Invitational Tournament, an event that will provide a measuring stick for how much teams will need to improve when postseason play begins later this month.

There are a number of polls and power rankings fans can Google to gauge how their favorite teams compare. For purposes here, the Herald-Leader will use the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s RPI ratings, which show Frederick Douglass, Lexington Christian and Lafayette all in the top 15. But any ratings system is imperfect and any given day is up for grabs, regardless of where any team falls among the 250 baseball-playing schools in the state.

Here’s a look at the Lexington baseball landscape so far this season in order of teams’ latest KHSAA RPI ranking, noting some of their top players.

FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Record: 13-3 (RPI No. 2).

Big hitters: Dane Key, Jr., OF, .451, 17 runs, 19 stolen bases; Leighton Harris, Fr., INF/OF .400, 14 runs, nine RBI; Ty Bryant, Jr., INF/OF, .304, 14 runs.

On the bump: Thomas Howard, So., RHP, 3-1, 41 K’s, 3.77 ERA, (Louisville commit); Braxton Busse, Jr., RHP, 3-0, 19 K’s, 0.36 ERA.

Other college commits: Julius Scearce, Sr., 2B, (Kentucky); Gavin Faulkner, Jr., LHP, (Eastern Kentucky).

Notes: Howard has one of the best fastballs in the state, topping out at 91 mph, according to Prep Baseball Report. Key and Bryant are among the Broncos’ multi-sport stars who are top football recruits. Key leads the team in extra-base hits and steals with five doubles and three triples.

Coach Eddie Brooks says: “Losing last year for these kids, you’ve got a lot of them who haven’t played baseball in two years. … So, it’s going to take us a little while to get going. All I know is we’ve got to keep getting better. Tomorrow we’ve got to show up better than we were today.”

On days he’s not pitching, Lexington Christian’s Jaxson Davis (20) stays in the lineup in a field position for the Eagles. Davis, a senior, has committed to play college ball at Louisville.
On days he’s not pitching, Lexington Christian’s Jaxson Davis (20) stays in the lineup in a field position for the Eagles. Davis, a senior, has committed to play college ball at Louisville.

LEXINGTON CHRISTIAN

Record: 11-3 (RPI No. 6).

Big hitters: Jaxson Davis, Sr., OF/RHP .361, 12 runs, 16 RBI (Louisville); Will Vernon, Sr., OF .423, 18 runs, 11 stolen bases; Hayden Collins, Jr., 3B .381, 12 runs, five doubles.

On the bump: Davis, RHP, 2-0, 45 K’s, 1.56 ERA; Josh Livengood, Sr., RHP, 3-1, 28 K’s, 3.78 ERA (College of Wooster); Elijah Hammond, Jr., 3B/RHP, 1-0, 29 K’s, 3.78 ERA.

Notes: LCA went through a wringer April 16-25, getting an important win over No. 5 Danville and its Kentucky commit pitcher Christian Howe, but then dropping two district rivalry games against No. 14 Lafayette before getting ousted from the All “A” Classic tournament by No. 9 Walton-Verona and its Kentucky commit hurler Travis Smith. Davis ranks as one of the hardest throwers in the state with a max 92 mph fastball, according to Prep Baseball Report. Hammond isn’t far behind, topping at 88 mph.

Coach Wynn Harris says: “We’re trying to get them better here these last four weeks in this drive toward the district tournament. We faced juggernaut after juggernaut after juggernaut and they’ve weathered a lot of storms. We had a couple of rough weeks, but we’ve faced a lot of really good competition. I’m pleased with where we’re at. We’ve just got to keep it going.”

Lafayette’s Micah Cowen is batting .500 with four home runs and 26 RBI.
Lafayette’s Micah Cowen is batting .500 with four home runs and 26 RBI.

LAFAYETTE

Record: 15-5 (RPI No. 14).

Big hitters: Micah Cowen, Sr., 3B/RHP, .500, four HRs, 13 runs, 26 RBI (Centre College); Ben Prather, Jr., INF/RHP .365, 10 runs; Ethan Tuttle, Sr., SS, .333, 20 runs, 17 walks, 15 stolen bases (Spalding University).

On the bump: Cowen, 5-0, 45 K’s, 0.31 ERA; Jaden Basham, Sr., RHP, 3-2, 28 K’s, 0.68 ERA.

Notes: Lafayette has split with No. 2 Frederick Douglass and swept No. 6 LCA.

Other college commits: Connor Arnold, Sr., RHP (Transylvania); Jack Harris, Sr., C (Virginia Wesleyan).

Coach Chris Langston says: “We’re just trying to figure our team out. There’s a lot of stuff we took for granted. This year, we have to learn everything again. … They’ve played baseball, but it’s different when we get to these games when it matters.”

Lexington Catholic’s Colt Thomas (7) launches a home run against Tates Creek. Thomas has committed to play college baseball at Centre.
Lexington Catholic’s Colt Thomas (7) launches a home run against Tates Creek. Thomas has committed to play college baseball at Centre.

LEXINGTON CATHOLIC

Record: 7-6 (RPI No. 52).

Big hitters: Isaac Milburn, Sr., 1B/OF, .326, five HRs, 16 RBI, 11 runs (Eastern Kentucky); Griffin Cameron, So., OF, .436, 11 runs, eight RBI; Jack Powell, Sr., 1B, .349, 14 runs, nine RBI; Colson Perry, Sr., C, .355, eight RBI.

On the bump: Milburn, LHP, 3-1, 50 K’s, 1.62 ERA; Jacob Noffsinger, RHP, 1-1, 2.37 ERA.

Other college commits: Carson Caudill, Sr. OF, Jason Oviedo, Sr., 3B and Colson Perry, Sr., C (Frontier Community College); Colt Thomas, Sr., OF (Centre); JD Woodall, Sr., INF/OF (Davidson).

Notes: The Knights won fourth straight before losing a close game, 8-6, to No. 3 Paducah Tilghman at the Class 2A tournament in Owensboro. Cameron got hits in seven straight at bats at one point this season.

Coach Chris Borntraeger says: Milburn and Noffsinger have proven reliable on the mound. “We need a couple of other guys in our pen to step up and really want to be that guy. … Offense and defense, we’re hanging tough, there.”

TATES CREEK

Record: 9-8 (RPI No. 54).

Big hitters: Grant Stone, Sr., OF/RHP, .317, five doubles, 12 RBI, 11 walks (Roane State); Trenton Taylor, Sr., OF, .303, four doubles, 13 walks, 10 stolen bases.

On the bump: Hayden Dunham, 3-0, 23 K’s, 0.84 ERA; Stone, 1-1, 23 K’s, one save, 2.41 ERA.

Other college commits: Braxton Brinegar, So., 1B, RHP (Xavier).

Notes: Commodores playing without a home field this season during construction of new school. Stone returns as the player with the most experience as part of the Commodores’ 2019 state championship team, but most others are new to varsity.

Coach Larry Poynter says: “We’ve had some young guys step up and we’ve had some guys move around positions. We’re very versatile. … We found ways to win games. ... We’ve had some good pitching when we haven’t hit. And when we’ve had bad pitching, we’ve hit a little bit.”

HENRY CLAY

Record: 11-9 (RPI No. 66).

Big hitters: Parker Henderson, Sr., 3B/1B, .414, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 13 runs (Roane State); Joey Howard, Jr. 1B/RHP, .380, three doubles, three triples, four HRs, 21 RBI, 18 runs; Henry Mitcham, Sr., 2B, .271, 11 runs, nine RBI (Eastern Kentucky); Clay Momeyer, Sr. OF, .315, five doubles, three triples, 21 runs (Centre football).

On the bump: Andrew Newsome, Sr., RHP, 1-1, 18 K’s (Marietta College); Howard, 3-2, 28 K’s, 4.30 ERA; Henderson, RHP, 8 K’s, 1.55 ERA in nine innings.

Notes: Henderson missed nine games due to injury, but has lit it up when healthy. William Webb, a two-sport standout who was a football captain, has been accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy. Momeyer leads the team in extra base hits.

Coach Jordan Tarrence says: “I’m very optimistic. We’ve had a few kids get injured and have yet to play our full 21 guys healthy on the same day. If we’re all healthy at the end of the season, I think we’ll have a chance to be as good as anybody.”

PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR

Record: 8-9 (RPI No. 82).

Big hitters: Gunnar Wheatley, Sr., OF, .356, 11 runs, eight RBI, Matt Hall, Sr., SS .286, 14 runs, 11 RBI (Volunteer State); Alex McCord, Sr., C, .294, 13 RBI. Chase Zipper, Sr., OF, .306, 13 runs, seven RBI, five doubles.

On the bump: Willis McCarter, 1-0, 25 K’s, two saves, 2.80 ERA; Luke Parrigin, 14 K’s, one save, 3.96 ERA.

Notes: The Bulldogs have beaten No. 10 Madison Central and played No. 14 Lafayette close. Wheatley has been the most consistent hitter, according to Coach Steve Deaton, who likes the leadership of Wheatley, Hall, Zipper and others.

Coach Deaton says: “We’ve got a very inexperienced team, but we’ve got guys trying to put it together. I have 11 seniors, but I’ve also got only three or four guys with varsity experience. … We’re extremely confident in what we can do. Our record doesn’t show it, but at the end of the day, it isn’t how you start, it’s how you finish.”

SAYRE

Record: 6-7 (RPI No. 98).

Big hitters: Raymond Saatman, So., OF, .457, nine runs, nine RBI; Grady Johnson, So., SS/RHP, .350, six runs, nine RBI; Charlie Slabaugh, Fr., CF/LHP, .303, 15 runs, seven RBI.

On the bump: Saatman, So., RHP, 2-3, one save, 43 K’s, 0.88 ERA; Addison Stockham, So., LHP, 1-1, 26 K’s, 5.15 ERA.

Notes: Sayre starts young — really young — with one senior, five sophomores, two freshmen and an eighth-grader in the lineup. Saatman already ranks among the top hurlers in the state with a fastball hitting 89 mph, according to Prep Baseball Report. Even with the inexperience, Sayre is on track for its best season since 2016 when it went 22-14. It’s already equaled that team’s number of district wins (three).

Coach Kevin Clary says: “My guys have really stepped up. They’re hungry for knowledge and show up every day with a great work ethic.” On Saatman: “He is the epitome of a real pitcher. He doesn’t just throw hard. He locates three pitches for strikes. He’s done a great job, so far.”

BRYAN STATION

Record: 5-6 (RPI No. 109).

Big hitters: Quinten Webster, Fr., C, .345, six runs, five RBI; Matt Pennington, Sr., 3B, .321, four runs, four doubles (Frontier Community College); Trenton Cutwright, So., OF, .259, 14 runs, 10 stolen bases.

On the bump: Pennington, RHP, 2-1, 18 K’s, 2.62 ERA; T’Shaan Bridgeforth, 1-1, two saves, 4.97 ERA.

Notes: Cutwright steps into the leadoff spot last occupied by Station All-State player Tyeler Hawkins, now at the University of Louisville. Coach Justin Royal says Cutwright does the same things for the Defenders that Hawkins did. “He covers ground on defense and gets on base on offense. We key off of him in all aspects of our game.”

Coach Royal says: “There have been multiple games to this point in which our starting varsity lineup has consisted of 7-9 players being sophomores or below and we have found ways to win. Not every game, of course, but we have more fight in us than any team I have ever coached or been around in my life. We’re relentless.”