Former Sentinel, OSU standout Rebel Ridling earns honor
BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com
Former Sentinel and Oklahoma State standout Rebel Ridling was named the Southern League’s Hitter of the Week for the week ending Sunday.
The Tennessee Smokies infielder took a 13-game hitting streak into Monday night’s game against Jacksonville.
He started the week with five hits and seven RBIs over two games Monday and Tuesday.
Ridling, a 25th-round pick of the Cubs in 2008, is hitting .311 with 20 home runs and 78 RBIs for Chicago’s Double-A affiliate.
Edmond Santa Fe’s Ty Hensley commits to Ole Miss after All-America Game
BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com
Edmond Santa Fe right-hander Ty Hensley walked to the mound at Wrigley Field on Saturday, starting for the American team in the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game.
He got the first batter he faced to ground out, then worked out of a two-on, one-out situation with a double play to cap a scoreless inning.
“It was a blast,” Hensley said. “It was so much fun to be able to do that.”
Hensley hit 94 on the radar run during his performance.
After getting back from Chicago, Hensley made his college choice official when he committed to Ole Miss.
He chose the Rebels over Arizona State and Texas.
He said he had known he wanted to commit to Ole Miss for awhile but wanted to wait to make it official.
“I just wanted to make sure that it was for sure where I wanted to go,” he said. “I felt like it was a place where I could develop as both a pitcher and a hitter better than anyplace else.”
Class 5A-6A baseball districts approved by OSSAA
The OSSAA board of directors approved the coaches’ proposed districts for Class 5A and 6A baseball for the next two seasons. The board also approved holding the Class A and B fall baseball state championship games (finals only) at RedHawks Field at Bricktown, with the hope of doing the same for some games in spring.
Here are the 5A/6A districts:
Class 6A
District 1
Choctaw, Edmond North, Lawton Eisenhower, Midwest City, Moore, Putnam City, Edmond Santa Fe, Yukon
District 2
Putnam City North, Edmond Memorial, Lawton, Norman, Norman North, Putnam City West, Southmoore, Westmoore
District 3
Broken Arrow, Bartlesville, Tulsa Kelley, Bixby, Tulsa Edison, Muskogee, Owasso, Stillwater
District 4
Tulsa Union, Enid, Jenks, Mustang, Ponca City, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, US Grant
Class 5A
District 1
Deer Creek, Bishop McGuinness, Capitol Hill, El Reno, Guthrie, Guymon, Shawnee, Western Heights
District 2
Carl Albert, Altus, Ardmore, Chickasha, Del City, Duncan, Lawton MacArthur, Southeast
District 3
Claremore, Tulsa Washington, Collinsville, Coweta, Tulsa East Central, Grove, Skiatook, Tahlequah
District 4
McAlester, Tulsa Central, Durant, Tulsa Memorial, Tulsa Hale, Noble, Northwest Classen, Pryor
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
Connie Mack state baseball bracket
Here’s the bracket for the Connie Mack State Tournament, which begins Tuesday at Enid’s David Allen Memorial Ballpark.
Tuesday
Game 1: Southmoore vs. Woodward CM, noon
Game 2: Enid Minors vs. Edmond Stars, 2:30 p.m.
Game 3: WW Minors vs. CC Shockers, 5 p.m.
Game 4: OKC Broncos vs. Enid Majors, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Game 5: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, noon
Game 6: Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Loser, 2:30 p.m.
Game 7: OKC Sandlot vs. Game 1 Winner, 5 p.m.
Game 8: Game 2 Winner vs. Game 4 winner, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday
Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner, 2:30 p.m.
Game 10: Game 7 Loser vs. Game 8 Loser, 5 p.m.
Game 11: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner, 7:30 p.m.
Friday
*After Thursday’s play, pairing will be determined by AABC rules
Game 12: TBA vs. TBA, 5 p.m.
Game 13: TBA vs. TBA, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Game 14: TBA vs. TBA, noon
Game 15: TBA vs. TBA, 2:30 p.m.
Game 16: TBA vs. TBA, 7 p.m.
Sunday
Game 17: Championship, 1 p.m.
Game 18: Championship, 6 p.m. (if necessary)
Champion advances to South Plains National Regional in Fort Worth
Heartland Classic baseball schedule
Yukon graduate Cisco Factor and Norman North graduate Caleb Simpson are going to be baseball teammates at Seminole State next season.
But they’ll get a head start on getting to know each other this week as the duo are two members of Team Oklahoma in the Heartland Classic that begins Tuesday.
The event is in its second year and has replaced the Sunbelt Classic. Games this year will be played at Norman High, Norman North and Southmoore.
Oklahoma will be joined by teams from Canada, Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Maryland, Arkansas and Arizona.
Games will be played all week, culminating in the championship at 6 p.m. Saturday at Norman.
Oklahoma roster
Cooper Ansell (Shawnee), Tanner Hessman (Choctaw), Garrett Crain (Edmond Santa Fe), Kyle Lacy (Edmond Santa Fe), Denver Johnston (Midwest City), Brad Honeycutt (Edmond Memorial), Grant Hamilton (Bethany), Dylan Raper (Glenpool), Travis Remillard (Norman), Caleb Simpson (Norman North), Ryan Wright (Midwest City), Edward Layton (Pioneer-Pleasant Vale), Sean Patton (Jenks), Cisco Factor (Yukon), John Lassiter (Edmond Memorial), Kyle Vail (Moore), Koda Glover, Jace James (Putnam City North)
Coaches: Wayne Dozier (Carl Albert), Todd Boyer (Shawnee), Colin White (Carl Albert), Kevin James (Yukon).
Heartland Classic
Tuesday
At Norman North
Canada vs. Texas, noon
Oklahoma vs. Maryland, 3:30
Ohio vs. Oklahoma, 7 p.m.
At Southmoore
Ohio vs. Georgia, noon
Arkansas vs. Arizona, 3:30
Canada vs. Arkansas, 7 p.m.
At Norman
Texas vs. Georgia, 3:30
Maryland vs. Arizona, 7 p.m.
Wednesday
At Norman North
Arkansas vs. Maryland, noon
Oklahoma vs. Arizona, 3:30
Georgia vs. Canada, 7 p.m.
At Southmoore
Georgia vs. Oklahoma, noon
Ohio vs. Texas, 3:30
Arkansas vs. Ohio, 7 p.m.
At Norman
Maryland vs. Canada, 3:30
Arizona vs. Texas, 7 p.m.
Thursday
At Norman North
Arizona vs. Ohio, noon
Texas vs. Arkansas, 3:30
At Southmoore
Maryland vs. Texas, noon
Oklahoma vs. Canada, 3:30
At Norman
Arkansas vs. Oklahoma, noon
Arizona vs. Georgia, 3:30
Friday
At Norman North
Georgia vs. Arkansas, noon
Canada vs. Arizona, 3:30
Georgia vs. Maryland, 7 p.m.
At Norman
Canada vs. Ohio, noon
Maryland vs. Ohio, 3:30
Texas vs. Oklahoma, 7 p.m.
Saturday
At Norman
Seventh place, 9 a.m.
Fifth place, noon
Third place, 3 p.m.
Championship, 6 p.m.
MLB Draft coming out party for Deer Creek
Deer Creek's Michael Fulmer was drafted by the New York Mets, while Brian Anderson was drafted by the Minnesota Twins.
State championships are nice but this might rank right up there for the Deer Creek baseball program.
One day after another there was an Antler or former Antler being selected in the MLB Draft. Deer Creek is in a unique position in terms of location. It’s like its own isolated community.
But that’s part of what makes it special, baseball coach Ron Moore said. It wasn’t just Michael Fulmer, Brian Anderson and Derek Vaughn celebrating, the whole Deer Creek community played a role.
“This is an accumulation of not just one person but of the whole program,” Moore said. “One of the things we talk about is individual recognition comes from team success.”
It started Monday night when Fulmer, a right-handed pitcher, was selected by the New York Mets with the 44th overall selection. Anderson followed Tuesday afternoon when chosen by the Minnesota Twins in the 20th round.
Anderson was an interesting case because Moore said Anderson was being looked at hard by some teams as early as the ninth round as a pitcher. However, Anderson chose to enter the draft as a shortstop. It made him fall a little bit down the draft, but he’s still in a pretty good spot.
As for Vaughn, a Deer Creek graduate now at Texas Wesleyan, he was picked in the 47th round by the Tampa Bay Rays. Anderson and Fulmer have both signed with Arkansas.
So in talking to Moore, I put him on the spot: ‘you ready to go through all of this again with Isaac Hellbusch?’
“It’s funny because at our first practice we had more than 40 scouts,” Moore said. “They came to see Michael and Brian, but it was an opportunity for everybody to get noticed. Ike certainly took advantage of that.
“He took more of an ownership of the team this year. Even though he was just a junior, he felt like this was his team, too.”
Hellbusch was one of the better pitchers in the area. And combined with Santa Fe’s Ty Hensley, is another potential big prospect for next year’s class.
***
Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Santa Fe’s Conor Costello, Clayton Blackburn almost selected back-to-back
Edmond Santa Fe's Clayton Blackburn and Conor Costello (not pictured) were drafted two picks within each other Tuesday.
Edmond Santa Fe’s Conor Costello had to interrupt his own celebration for another one. I guess that’s a pretty good reason, right?
Costello was excited about being selected by the Cincinnati Reds with the 505th pick (16th round) of the MLB Draft. By the time he could let it all sink in, another Santa Fe player was selected. Not two minutes later, pitching star Clayton Blackburn was picked by the San Francisco Giants at No. 507.
“This feels so awesome,” Costello said. “I’ve been playing with him the last five years so to get drafted right by him is really cool.”
Blackburn and Costello were two vital cogs of a crazy-talented group of Wolves that reached the 6A state semifinals.
Costello has signed with Arkansas and was a first-team Big All-City selection, while Blackburn was a first-team Big All-City selection and first-team All-State pick by yours truly. Blackburn is headed to Oklahoma.
Blackburn was also involved in one of my favorite moments of the year, an epic pitching duel won by Blackburn in a 1-0 win at Deer Creek against Michael Fulmer.
Fulmer, of course, could also be headed to Arkansas. He was selected with the 44th pick by the New York Mets. And another Antler, Brian Anderson, is gonna be a Hog, too. So it’s possible to have Blackburn, Fulmer and Costello all in the same lineup.
“If we end up all going there, it’s going to be awesome because we’re all supposed to be roommates,” Costello said. “It’s an exciting time.”
Costello, 6-4 and 200 pounds, hit .373 with five home runs and 33 RBIs. He also was 5-2 on the mound with 57 strikeouts in 44 innings. Blackburn, 6-4 and 22o pounds, was 10-1 with a 1.37 ERA with 106 strikeouts in 66 innings. He hit .375 with seven home runs and 45 RBIs.
UPDATE: Heh, didn’t take long. Anderson got drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 20th round (No. 628). Anderson is a phenomenal shortstop and hitter. Fulmer has given Anderson a lot of credit for Fulmer’s success as a hitter this season. Anderson was first-team All-State and Big All-City.
***
Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Deer Creek’s Michael Fulmer: ‘I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life.’
Deer Creek's Michael Fulmer is one step closer to accomplishing his dream of playing in MLB.
Deer Creek’s Michael Fulmer was busy making the rounds after being selected with the 44th pick of the MLB Draft by the New York Mets.
Was able to get in touch with him recently and here are some of the nuggets.
On the last hour:
“This has been unbelievable. I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life. This is a dream come true.”
On the night’s event:
“We had a big watch party with more than 100 people. We had the entire baseball team and all the families. I want to thank them for all their support and their contributions to my success.”
On when the Mets first contacted him:
“They called around the end of the first round. My agent got back to me and said if I was still around, the Mets were thinking about taking me with the 44th pick.”
On the moment of hearing his name:
“We got the call from the Mets area scout. My eyes lit up. I didn’t say a word to anybody. And then when they said my name the whole place just exploded. It was the happiest moment of my life.”
On other interested teams:
“From my understanding, the Rangers gave a call to my agent. The Rays were the team I thought. They had a lot of picks, and we had a great relationship with their area scout. They made a lot of great picks tonight, too. Right now, I’m just happy to be a Met. They’ve been in contact with me throughout the season, and I just kind of had that gut feeling.”
***
Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Archie Bradley over Dylan Bundy for Player of the Year not an easy choice
In an incredibly close decision, Broken Arrow's Archie Bradley (hoisting trophy) was named The Oklahoman's All-State Player of the Year.
OK, the feedback hasn’t been as negative as I thought. There have been questions about the selection but no irrational sentiments voiced so far.
Knew it was going to be an eye-opener to select Broken Arrow’s Archie Bradley instead of Owasso’s Dylan Bundy as The Oklahoman’s All-State Baseball Player of the Year.
Ryan Aber and myself did not make this selection to cause a stir, believe me. It was a tough one, and I still blame Ryan for why there will never be co-players of the year.
It stems back to the senior seasons of Keiton Page at Pawnee and Rotnei Clarke of Verdigris. Both won state championships. Clarke set the state scoring record. Incredibly tough. Ryan chose Page as the Player of the Year.
Since then, no matter what, it’s eliminated Co-Players of the Year. Though this is close to that, Page over Clarke is about the best case for the co-player honor.
I felt it last year in tennis with undefeated state champions (and clearly the two best singles players in the state) Mia Lancaster of Bishop McGuinness and Julie Labarthe of Heritage Hall. Picked Labarthe, definitely irked some but that’s OK.
So that brought us to this year. We were convinced on Bradley. Then Bundy was named the Gatorade Player of the Year. Then Bundy was named the National Player of the Year. Oy. But I’ve always viewed this as a high school award.
It’s what you did on the field/court/mat, etc. It’s not about potential. Bundy is projected to be the higher draft pick and that’s fine. And heck, it’s been great to see the genuine friendship between the two so I don’t feel there is a real rivalry.
Owasso's Dylan Bundy and Broken Arrow's Archie Bradley - two of the better Oklahoma HS pitchers in a LONG time.
This could have kinda been settled in April when the two teams were scheduled. It was rained out. This could have been settled at OneOK Field in Tulsa in the Class 6A state championship. Bundy didn’t pitch. Bradley did. And he pitched, maybe not his best, but the most important game of his life. He was dominant with 14 strikeouts and leading the Tigers to the state championship.
I don’t hold it against Bundy or his coaches/advisers that believed it was in Bundy’s best interest to not pitch. Heck, maybe it was after the backlash of what happened in 2010 with Bundy’s arm.
But I also wasn’t going to use it against Bradley for going out there and getting the job done on the biggest high school stage possible.
If you wanna play the stat game, Bundy was slightly better than Bradley in most major categories on the mound and at the plate. There weren’t many glaring differences between the two. You’re talking about hundredths separating ERAs. Three earned runs for Bradley compared to two for Bundy.
It’s nitpicking no matter which way you slice it. So instead of trying to knock down Bundy or Bradley to give out the honor, I chose to reward Bradley for an outstanding season that culminated with a magical outing on that Saturday in May.
Obviously expect both players to hear their names called Monday night, and it should be an incredible feeling for both of them. But I also feel the right choice was made for the All-State Baseball Player of the Year.
And if you wanna read even more on Bradley and Bundy, here is a tremendous piece by Matt Baker of the Tulsa World. Baker spent the majority of this week with the super studs to see what’s on their minds hours away from their lives being changed forever.
- All-State Player of the Year, Archie Bradley of Broken Arrow
- Big All-City Player of the Year, Michael Fulmer of Deer Creek
- Little All-City Player of the Year, Blake Estep of Jones
***
Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
All-state baseball rosters
All-State baseball rosters
Here are the rosters for the Oklahoma Coaches Association’s All-State baseball games. The games will be played July 25 at Oral Roberts. The small schools game is at 4:30, followed by the large schools game at 7.
Large West
Pitchers — Michael Fulmer, Deer Creek; Clayton Blackburn, Edmond Santa Fe; Colin Hightower, Chickasha.
Infielders — Jackson Matthews, Edmond Santa Fe; Brian Anderson, Deer Creek; Connor Kohlscheen, Norman North; Terrell Evans, Cache; Ethan Elroy, Marlow.
Outfielders — Cisco Factor, Yukon; Brian Brightwell, Putnam City; Taylaun Scott, Lawton Eisenhower; Torey Hart, Westmoore.
Catchers — Tyler Wilkins, Duncan; Caleb Simpson, Norman North.
Coach — Brook Holding, Marlow
Large East
Pitchers — Dylan Bundy, Owasso; Archie Bradley, Broken Arrow; Hayden Sharp, Morris.|
Infielders — Justin Steelmon, Owasso; Ryan Justus, Jenks; Caleb Banks, Verdigris; Kyle Lavigne, Beggs; Josh Brown, Durant.
Outifielders — Cooper Ansell, Shawnee; Dylan Raper, Glenpool; Shane Bay, Sperry; Bryan McClellan, Fort Gibson.
Catchers — Eddie Kieffer, Bethel; Cameron O’Brien, Tulsa Kelley.
Coach — Robbie Burch, Bethel.
Small West
Pitchers — Ryan Lenaburg, Sentinel; Ryan Raupe, Okarche; Heath Curry, Sterling.
Infielders — Jeremy Seaton, Cashion; Tyler Miller, Okarche; Ryan Ainsworth, Sterling; Cody McElroy, Chattanooga; Jason Esparza, Granite.
Outfielders — Edward Layton, Pioneer; Weylin Hargrove, Apache; Bobby Davis, Hydro-Eakly; Zach Friesen, Amber-Pocasset.
Catchers — Bryan Holt, Sentinel; Mason Marshall, Lookeba-Sickles.
Coach — Richard Carney, Granite
Small East
Pitchers — Mason Crenshaw, Red Oak; Parker Taylor, Rattan; Cameron Proctor, Oktaha.
Infielders — Lance Kirkland, Wellston; Jordan Booth, Red Oak; Tanner Goodwin, Dale; Dylan Tinkler, Latta; Shawn Hendricks, Silo.
Outfielders — Colby Nichols, Smithville; B.W. Savage, Silo; Jace Flewallen, Dale; Jacob Sanders, Tupelo.
Catchers — Brendon Barr, Roff; Jamie Oakes, Newkirk.
Coach — Pat Foster, Lincoln Christian
