The high school baseball season is here, and The Courier Journal looks at some of the top Louisville-area players coming into the 2022 season:
Matthew Klein, Trinity
Klein finished 2021 with 50 hits, seven home runs and a .459 batting average in 109 at-bats. He also scored 33 runs while batting in 39. He also drew 29 walks and had five stolen bases. He only struck out eleven times last season. So far in 2022, Klein has 10 hits, four runs and seven RBIs along with one home run.
Dallas Langdon, Bullitt East
Langdon led the Chargers with 48 hits in 2021 and also totaled 26 RBIs, 12 doubles and a triple while scoring 11 runs in 111 at-bats. He also had 20 walks and stole four bases in six attempts. This season, Langdon has 10 hits, nine RBIs and a triple in 19 at-bats. He’s also made good on his two attempts to steal bases so far.
Korbyn Dickerson, Trinity
Dickerson had 12 home runs last season, which was second on the team. He totaled 49 hits, 46 runs, and 59 RBIs while batting .412 for the season. This season, Dickerson has 12 hits, 12 runs and 12 RBIs in 18 at-bats. He also has two home runs and is batting .667 through Trinity’s first six games.
Nic Schutte, Male
Schutte had 33 hits for 31 runs and 20 RBIs in 89 plate appearances last season. He also had a home run, walked 25 times and stole six bases while batting .371. On the mound, Schutte struck out 87 batters in 11 games while posting a 2.15 ERA. He finished with eight wins and two losses.
This season, Schutte has two hits and has scored one run while walking three times in 11 at-bats. Pitching, Schutte has three strike outs and allowed four hits, three runs and three walks in his one start.
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Ashton Prechtel, Fern Creek
Prechtel had 26 hits, 21 RBIs, and scored 16 runs in 2021. He also accounted for 12 doubles and a home run in 60 plate appearances. He also stole three bases in four attempts. On the mound, Prechtel was 6-1 with a 1.36 ERA in nine starts. He struck out 26 batters. This season, Prechtel has eight hits, six runs, three RBIs and three stolen bases in 13 at-bats. As a pitcher, Prechtel has struck out nine batters in six innings.
Nolan Hood, Male
Last season, Hood finished with 44 strikeouts and posted an ERA of 3.50 while winning three games as a pitcher for the Bulldogs. This year, Hood has 12 strikeouts and has allowed four hits and four runs in eight innings. He has one win and one loss in two starts.
Bennett Holdener, Manual
Holdener finished with 34 hits, 14 runs and 26 RBIs in 2021. He also stole four bases in four tries last season. He also pitched 41 innings last season and finished with three wins and struck out 28 batters. So far in 2022, Holdener has three hits, three runs, two RBIs and two stolen bases in nine at-bats. He also has four walks.
Brady Lysher, Ballard
Lysher finished with 27 hits, drove in 28 batters and totaled seven home runs while batting .314 for the Bruins. He also had 10 doubles, walked 11 times and stole four bases in six attempts.
Alexander Yurt, DeSales
Last season, Yurt was third overall on DeSales with 37 hits and scored 42 runs as well as drove in 18 in 96 at-bats. He had a double, five triples and a home run and also drew 25 walks. Yurt also stole 19 bases in 20 attempts. This season, Yurt has eight hits and 11 runs in 17 plate appearances. He’s also notched nine RBIs and has a home run. He’s drawn six walks and stole five bases.
Lavon Thomas, Ballard
Thomas had 34 hits, scored 35 runs and drove in 13 batters while hitting .354 last season for Ballard. He also walked 21 times and stole 21 bases in 23 attempts.
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Colin Autry, Fern Creek: In 2021, Autry had 21 hits, 14 runs and 13 RBIs in 50 at-bats. He walked 14 times and stole four bases on five attempts. He was also 2-1 on the mound, striking out 10 batters in ten innings. This season, Autry has two hits, two RBIs and four runs in 12 plate appearances. He’s also started one time for Fern Creek and has four strikeouts in three innings.
Bradley Jones, Fern Creek:Jones finished with 20 hits for the Tigers, and he also scored 27 runs while batting in eight teammates. While hitting .391, he was able to draw 15 walks and finished with 19 stolen bases in 2021. This season, Jones has two hits, two runs, aRBI and a double for the Tigers. He’s also drawn two walks through the team’s first five games.
Landon Akers, St. Xavier: Akers had 32 hits, a pair of home runs, 19 RBIs and scored 27 runs in 2021. He also walked 12 times and stole seven bases, which was second overall on the team. So far this year, Akers has seven hits, six runs and has driven in two runners in 18 at-bats.
Ezra Yi, Fern Creek:Yi finished 2021 with 19 hits, 15 RBIs, three doubles and a home run. He also walked four times while batting .404. He also finished with two saves and an ERA of 1.83 in seven innings. So far this season, Yi has six hits, nine RBIs, three doubles, two home runs and has walked four times in 10 at-bats.
Andrew Daniel, Male: Daniel had 27 hits, 22 RBIs and four home runs while batting .303 last season for the Bulldogs. He also walked 14 times. This season, Daniel has four hits, two runs and one RBI in 10 plate appearances. He also has two walks so far this season.
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Austyn Peak, Manual: Peak had 37 hits and scored 29 runs for Manual in 2021. He also walked 12 times and stole 13 bases on 14 attempts while batting .363 for the Crimsons. This season, Peak has three hits and five runs in 12 at-bats. He has also stolen eight bases and walked three times through Manual’s first four games.
Bennett Jacob, St. Xavier: Bennett had 32 hits for 20 runs, 26 RBIs and two home runs in 2021. He also accounted for 16 walks while hitting .333 through 96 at-bats. This season, Bennett has four hits, one run, four RBIs and a triple in 13 at-bats with a .308 batting average.
