2019 Commercial Appeal All-Metro high school baseball team
Khari ThompsonFirst team
Baseball player of the year
Maurice Hampton
Memphis University School, Sr.
Position: Outfielder
Why chosen: The DII-AA Mr. Baseball award winner hit .480 with 10 home runs. He became the first player in Tennessee to win Mr. Football and Mr. Baseball in the same year.
Player of the year nominees
Ben Brantley
Hernando, Sr.
Position: Infielder
Why chosen: The Louisiana Tech signee was a second-team all-state selection. He hit .433 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs.
Kamren James
DeSoto Central, Sr.
Position: Infielder
Why chosen: The Mississippi State signee was a first-team all-state selection who hit .409 with six home runs, three triples and 29 RBIs. He also posted a 6-0 record with a 1.60 ERA.
Blaze Jordan
DeSoto Central, So.
Position: Infielder
Why chosen: The Mississippi State commitment was a first-team all-state selection at the MHSAA 6A level. He hit .440 with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs en route to leading DeSoto Central to the state title. He reclassified to the Class of 2020 in hopes of entering the MLB draft a year earlier.
Ty Leatherwood
Collierville, Sr.
Position: Catcher
Why chosen: Leatherwood hit .378 for Region 15-AAA champ Collierville. He also hit two home runs and drove in 26 runs.
Pierre Seals
Houston, So.
Position: Outfielder
Why chosen: Seals had a .407 batting average and hit six home runs, leading Houston to a Class AAA sectional appearance.
Cade Smith
DeSoto Central, Jr.
Position: Pitcher
Why chosen: Smith went 10-1 for the state champion Jaguars and posted a 1.15 ERA. He also struck out 85 batters.
Cole Smith
Bartlett, Sr.
Position: Infielder
Why chosen: The Ole Miss signee was named Region 16-AAA player of the year. The shortstop hit .337 and stole 12 bases.
Rest of first team
Ethan Burns
Houston, Jr.
Position: Outfielder
Why chosen: Burns hit .390 with four home runs, two triples and 39 RBIs.
Jack Dougherty
Collierville, Jr.
Position: Pitcher
Why chosen: The Ole Miss commitment went 5-0 and posted a 0.57 ERA.
Ty Warmath
Covington, Sr.
Position: Utility
Why chosen: Warmath hit .385 for the Class AA TSSAA state champion Chargers as a second baseman. But he is a Memphis signee as a pitcher. He was 10-2 with a 1.13 ERA.
Second team
Outfield: Francisco Cartaya, Collierville, Sr.
Outfield: Kyle Booker, DeSoto Central, Jr.
Outfield: Brock Lomax, Covington, Sr.
Infield: Ethan Payne, Germantown, Sr.
Infield: Will Portera, MUS, Jr.
Infield: Austin Baskin, Covington, Sr.
Infield: Reagan Burford, St. George's, Jr.
Pitcher: Grayson Hitt, Houston, Jr.
Pitcher: Andy Bean, St. George's, Sr.
Catcher: Jerome Hartman Jr., Kirby, Sr.
Utility: Chris Braswell, Bartlett, Sr.
Coach of the Year
Brad Warmath
Covington
Why chosen: Warmath spent two months in the hospital and had four surgeries after his appendix and part of his colon were removed early in the season. He returned to the dugout and inspired the Chargers to win the Class AA state title. His recovery, along with Kyle Ginn's pinch-hit home run in the championship game garnered national attention.