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KY High School Invitational: Recap

April 3, 2025
Prep Baseball KY Staff

Our inaugural Prep Baseball KY High School Invitational is officially in the books! A special thanks again to Somerset High School for hosting this high level event. We were pumped to see the elite talent across the Commonwealth and it absolutely lived up to the hype! Check out the highlights and standouts below!

1. TRINITY: SHAMROCKS

The Shamrocks asserted themselves as the #1 ranked team in the state this weekend, going 2-0 with 13 runs scored and 3 runs allowed for a 10 run differential to lead the event. With a 4-1 win over the #3 ranked Sayre Spartans and a 9-2 win over the home team in the #13 Somerset Briarjumpers, the Trinity lineup stood out from top to bottom. Leading the charge as the offensive MVP of the weekend, 2026 University of Louisville commit Nolan Hosking went 3-6 at the plate with a walk and a ridiculous 3 bombs for a total of 7 RBI. Fellow 2026 University of Louisville commit Zach Floyd contributed to the offense as well with his quick bat and blazing footspeed that ran a 6.43s 60yd dash last summer. 2025 Indiana State commit Colin Sander displayed his senior leadership this weekend as well, going 2-6 with a 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB and a SB. Another key senior for the Rocks was uncommitted 2025 Jackson Supsky, who went 2-6 with a 2B, 2 R and 2 BB at the plate, as well as flashing the leather on defense to lock down the middle infield. Trinity showcased four dangerous arms on the mound this weekend, each ranking in the top 10 in their respective classes (including three in the 2027 class alone). The Rocks' game 1 starter was #1 overall ranked 2027 Gray Davis, throwing 6.0 innings allowing 1 ER while picking up 9 Ks to get the win. Coming in to slam the door was #3 overall 2027 Max Phillips with a three-up, three-down inning. A true two-way, Phillips would go on to tally 3 H including 2 2B in game 2 to lead the offense in game 2 while 2026 University of Kentucky commit Grayson Willoughby went to work on the mound. The Trinity ace struck out 9 and gave up just 2 ER to secure the win. Highly anticipated 2027 Hudson Meredith came in to slam the door in relief, running the FB up to 88mph while striking out all six batters he faced in his two innings. The Shamrocks are seemingly the best team in the state on paper, and they made sure to live up to the hype this weekend in Somerset.

2. PLEASURE RIDGE PARK: PANTHERS

The defending State Champions reminded everyone in Somerset this weekend why they're still the team to beat in the Commonwealth. The Panthers boost themselves up to #2 in this week's Power 25 rankings with a 9-2 win over Somerset and a walkoff 12-11 win over Lexington Catholic. We knew we were in for some fireworks right from the very beginning, when 2025 Player of the Year candidate Kobie Howard jumped on the first pitch of the event for a leadoff base knock, kicking off a 5-hit weekend for the Rend Lake JC commit that included a triple, 3 R and 3 SB. Getting the start on the mound in game 1 and hitting 2nd in the PRP lineup was uncommitted 2025 Grayson Roll, who dealt a complete game W allowing 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB and striking out 7. Roll was a key factor in the Panthers' offensive dominance as well, going 3-4 with 5 R, 2 RBI, 3 SB, and 2 BB. Another senior leader in the reigning champs' lineup is 2025 Bellarmine University commit Brayden Bruner, who jumped out to a red-hot start in game 1 with a monster 3 run moonshot to open the scoring. The lefty two-way got the job done at the plate, going 2-6 with 4 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB and a SB. Moving on down the lineup, we saw 2026 Eastern Kentucky University commit Ravon Lee Jr post 3 H, 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 BB and 1 SB to add to the Panthers' offensive rampage. The 2024 Future Games alum showed off his 6.49s 60yd dash time on the base paths, a perfect example of PRP's vicious presence on the basepaths as they stole a total of 10 bags on the weekend. Holding down the bottom third of the lineup was 2026 Brenden Bratcher, going off at the plate in the game against Lexington Catholic with 2 doubles and 4 RBI, including a 2 out, game tying RBI double in B6 to erase a 6 run deficit. Scoring on that play was uncommitted 2025 Deuce Harris, who totaled 3 R, 3 RBI, 1 SB, and a triple before playing the hero for PRP with an electric walk-off RBI single to cap off an incredible comeback win, with the Panthers scoring 7 unanswered runs to take a 12-11 victory. Not to be dismissed is 2025 Noah Miller with a gritty performance in relief, going 3.0 scoreless innings while allowing just 2 H and 1 BB to keep the Panthers' hopes alive. A total of 21 runs scored and a +8 run differential are signs of a very successful weekend for the reigning champs, who certainly proved they just might be even better this season than last.

3. PIKEVILLE: PANTHERS 

Our final undefeated team from an electric weekend goes to the Pikeville Panthers hailing from the eastern part of the state. In a slightly different style of ball than the Louisville programs, Pikeville relied heavily on pitching and defense and shut down opposing hitters all weekend. A tight 2-1 victory over Ryle and a 4-0 win over Corbin give the Panthers a +5 run differential with their 2-0 record. The reigning 15th Region champs ran out five strong arms this weekend, combining for a team ERA of 0.50 with just one run allowed through the two games. Game one featured uncommitted 2025 Isaac Duty on the mound, allowing the lone run of the weekend against a talented Ryle lineup. The top ranked uncommitted prospect in the '25 class (#7 overall, #4 position), Duty recorded 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB and an impressive 10 K enroute to a game 1 win. Newcomer 2027 Brayden Hagy entered in relief in B7 with the tying run on first, but the low-pulse righty retired all three batters for a clean one-inning save. Leading the offense was uncommitted 2025 Bradyn Hall, who went 2-3 with 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB and a bomb. The leadoff righty bat jumped on the second pitch of the game for a solo shot to put the Panthers ahead. Hall picked up where he left off in game 2, adding another two hits and a run scored as Pikeville controlled the offensive action against the Redhounds. Uncommitted 2025 two-way Jackson Hall got the start on the mound against a talented Corbin lineup. 4.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB and 6 K for the senior righty who also got the job done at the plate, going a perfect 3-3 with a run scored to elevate the Panthers all day long. 2027 Brayden Hagy displayed his two-way talent at the plate this game, picking up a 2 RBI base knock as part of a 4 run 7th inning. 2028 Gage Burgett picked up the win with 1.1 inning in relief, and 2029 Cooper Scott tallied two strikeouts in a scoreless inning in relief to cap off an excellent weekend for the Pikeville Panthers.

4. RYLE: RAIDERS 

The boys from Northern KY came down to Somerset and competed against some of the best during a Saturday doubleheader split, securing a very impressive 5-0 win over Taylor County before dropping a close 2-1 matchup against Pikeville. It's no surprise that 2025 San Jacinto JC commit Dylan McIntyre got the nod as the game 1 starter, going 5.0 IP while allowing 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB and striking out 8 very talented Taylor County hitters to secure the win. At the plate, McIntyre helped himself out with 2 hits and 2 runs scored, including a strong double to LF. Other hitters adding to the mix were 2025 Southwest Tennessee CC commit Josh Caudill going 2-4 with 2 2B and 2 RBI, 2025 Rose-Hulman IT commit Matt Furtado going 1-3 with 1 R, 1 BB and 1 SB, and 2025 Marion Military Institute commit Oli Morris going 1-2 with 2 R, 1 2B and a BB. Out of the bullpen in game 1 was 2027 Nik Carter, picking up an impressive 5 strikouts through 2.0 IP to slam the door. Later that afternoon, uncommitted 2026 Xaden Hughes got the start, delivering 3.0 solid innings while striking out 3, but the 2 R (1 ER) were too much for the Raiders to overcome at the plate. 2025 Race Webb and 2026 A.J. Davis combined for 4.0 scoreless innings in relief to keep the Raiders in a close battle, but the only run was scored by 2026 leadoff man Anthony Coppola, who picked up 2 hits and 3 stolen bases on the weekend. The limited offensive action came off an RBI double off the bat of Caudill as well as 2 hits from McIntyre, but the Raiders were sent down with 10 strikeouts as they drop a close 2-1 game. After a hot start to the day, Ryle came up just short in game 2 hold a +4 run differential to lead the .500 teams on the weekend in an overall great performance.

5. TAYLOR COUNTY: CARDINALS 

Another impressive 1-1 team this weekend was the reigning 5th Region regular season champion Taylor County. After dropping a rough game 1 to Ryle by a score of 5-0, the Cards bounced back on Sunday with a dominant 8-0 win over Lyon County. Game 1 starter against the Raiders was 2025 southpaw Gabe Cole, who went 4.0 IP and gave up 4 H, 2 R (1 ER) and picked up 5 strikeouts. Out of the bullpen was standout 2028 two-way Reace Vaughn to take the last 3.0 innings of the game, who gave up back to back hits right out of the gate before settling in for an overall solid outing. Hits were a premium in game 1 against some great Ryle arms, but game 2 was quite the contrary as the Cards recorded 13 hits and 8 runs against Lyon County. Taylor County featured four players with multi hit games, including the three hits a piece from juniors Grayson Kearney and University of Tennessee commit Cole McLean, who blasted a solo tank in the 3rd to help himself out on the mound. The 2026 lefty was dominant yet again in his game 2 start, going 6.0 shutout innings while walking just 1 and striking out an electric 11 hitters, enough to propel him to the weekend's Pitching MVP award. A pair of freshmen at the bottom of the lineup each had multi-hit games as well, with 2028 Kaysen Thompson picking up 2 R and 2028 Reace Vaughn recording 1 R, 1 RBI and a double. Uncommitted 2025 UTL Layken Lyons joined the party out of the cleanup spot with a run scored and double of his own. On to slam the door out of the pen was the physical 2027 Isaac Burress, recording a one-two-three inning to secure the win. The Cards end the weekend on a high note 8-0 victory thanks to McLean's outstanding performance, who just a few minutes ago was names Prep Baseball's National Player of the Week, the first time in history for a Kentucky player!

6. LEXINGTON CATHOLIC: KNIGHTS 

Certainly one of the most intriguing squads of the weekend, the Knights rolled out some different lineups and a total of seven arms over the span of two games. Splitting a pair of one-run games on Saturday, Lexington Catholic fell victim to a PRP walkoff in game 1 before battling through a back and forth matchup against Lyon County, managing to hold on for an 8-7 win. In a high scoring game 1, the Knights put up 11 runs on 13 hits, scoring all 11 in the first four innings before quieting down late in the game. Uncommitted 2026 Bennie Lawrence was the leadoff man in both games and opened up the scoring, totaling 2 H, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 1 BB and 1 SB on the weekend. 2025 Bellarmine commit Cody Decker bat 2nd in game 1, picking up 2 H, 2 R, 2 RBI and a walk in his only game at the plate. 2026 backstop Brady Wasik put on a great performance off the bench this weekend with 2 H, including a 2B, as well as 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 SB and one speedy runner gunned down from behind the plate. The KY staff was pumped to see some of the Kinights' uber talented freshmen get some playing time, and they made the most of their opportunities both leading the team with three hits apiece. 2028 Baird Woodall led the offense in game 1 with 2 RBI and 1 R, as well as a double for 4 TB on the day. 2028 John Crandall was equally as productive with 2 hits of his own, as well as 2 R and 2 RBI. The Junior Future Games participants were exciting to watch as they will quickly become key pieces of the Knights' success as they develop through their respective careers. Uncommitted 2026 Jack White contributed on both days with the bat, hustling out a triple in his first AB before recording 2 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB and 1 SB over the course of the weekend. Several pitchers contributed for LexCath, but the one that stood out the most to us was 2027 crafty lefty Eamon Hughes, going 3.1 IP before leaving the Knights with a 4-1 lead, giving up just 1 ER and striking out 4. This Lexington Catholic program proved themselves as a very versatile team with incredible depth, certainly capable of hanging with anyone in the state, even during their short stint without MLB Draft candidate backstop 2025 Owen Jenkins.

7. SAYRE: SPARTANS 

Sayre School found themselves at the #3 spot in the Preseason Power 25 Rankings and they have held that spot all season. In a school with just over 600 kids from K-12th grade, Sayre's success is a testament to Hall of Fame Head Coach Kevin Clary and the talented prospects on the roster. This weekend in Somerset, the Spartans opened with a 3-2 win over Corbin High School followed by a 4-1 loss against top-ranked Trinity High School. These two opponents are very strong offensively, and Sayre holding them to a combined six runs is impressive by itself. Sayre was another squad that rolled out seven pitchers during the weekend, all holding their own against the dangerous opposing hitters. Uncommitted 2026 two-way Banks Heinrich got the start in game 1, throwing 5.1 IP while allowing 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB and striking out 8 enroute to a win. Uncommitted 2025 transfer Pierre Kauffman pitched 1.2 hitless innings in relief, striking out 3 to pick up the save. In the Saturday loss, 2025 Bellarmine University commit Jaxson Howard pitched 4.0 scoreless innings out of the pen, allowing just 1 H with 7 Ks to shut down the Trinity lineup. 2025 Hanover College commit Lucas Saatman recorded a six pitch one-two-three inning to hold keep Sayre in the mix, but 4 runs ended up being enough to give the Spartans a loss in game 2. Offensively on the weekend, uncommitted 2025 Reed Beatty led the team with 2 H, 1 R and 1 RBI coming off a solo home run. Sayre is another team that likes to win with pitching and small ball, stealing five bases as well as putting down mature ABs all weekend long. Despite a -2 run differential, no reason to doubt the Spartan's success as their deep roster proved they can hang with anyone in the state.

8. CORBIN: REDHOUNDS 

The defending Region 13 Champions came into the weekend off to a rocky start to the year after making the top-10 in the preseason rankings. This comes as a result of star 2025 MLB Draft candidate Kade Elam suffering an injury right out of the gates, forcing the rest of the lineup to figure out new roles. However, the two-way University of Louisville commit made his return this weekend, and it seems like things are back to normal in the 13th Region. Leading the offense was uncommitted 2025 Noah Cima with 2 H, 2 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 3 SB and a solo moonshot in his first AB. 2025 Brescia University commit Cruz Cima got the nod on the mound in game 1, where he tossed 3.2 hitless innings while striking out 5, but was slightly off his usually-strong command, leading to 6 BB, which, paired with an unfortunate 2-run error, was enough for 3 R (1 ER) and the loss. Two-way Elam made his return on the mound first, pitching 3.1 scoreless innings with 4 Ks to keep the Redhounds in the hunt until the final out. On Sunday, Corbin dropped another close one, facing off against the challenging Pikeville pitching staff in a 4-0 loss. On the mound, uncommitted 2025 Will Freeman pitched a complete game in the loss, striking out 6 with no walks and allowing just 1 ER, but another error and some timely hitting from the Panthers led to a total of 4 runs against the senior lefty. Uncommitted 2026 Cam Estep shined at the plate despite the Redhounds' offensive struggles, picking up 3 H including 2 2B, as well as a walk over the course of the weekend. In the Super 60 participant's return to the plate, Elam went 1-3 with a walk and a stolen bag. Despite a tough 0-2 weekend, the Redhounds are certainly still one of the most talented teams in the state and can expect to get on a roll now that their senior leader is back in the middle infield.

9. LYON COUNTY: LYONS 

Coming into the weekend as the #2 ranked team in the state, Lyon County might not have gotten the results they wanted, but there are absolutely some bright futures for the men from Western KY. The Lyons dropped a one-run game to Lexington Catholic by a score of 8-7, then couldn't quite get to Taylor County's LHP Cole McLean in a 8-0 loss to the Cards. Head Coach Ricky Baker draws from a pool of less than 300 kids at the high school level, making them one of the smallest public schools in the Commonwealth. As the reigning Region 2 regular season champs their success is a testament to Baker's coaching and the grit of the team, which is almost all two-way prospects. First out of the gate on the mound was 2025 MLB Draft candidate John Bingham, who pitched 2.0 innings, allowing 1 H and 2 ER with 2 Ks. A talented two-way, the Mississippi State commit and Super 60 participant totaled 4 hits on the weekend, with 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB and 2 SB as well. Coming out of the pen was 2025 Western Kentucky commit Peyton Williams, working up to 92mph with incredible spin rates (2400+) in 3.0 no-hit innings, where he just happened to record all 9 outs via the strikeout. Game 2 starter was Pitcher of the Year candidate and 2025 Radford University commit Eli Baker, who struck out 5 through 5.0 IP, allowing 4 ER to take the tough loss. Uncommitted 2025 LHP Brady Belt pitched 2.0 innings in relief, striking out 2 while allowing 3 H and 0 BB for 0 ER, but giving up 4 unearned runs due to a rough defensive showing from the Lyons behind him, making three errors. Offensively, one of the stars was 2025 Frontier CC commit Korben Lucas, who went 4-7 with 1 R, 2 RBI and a walk, as well as a no-doubt moonshot. Other strong bats include 2025 Northeast Mississippi CC commit Austin Spears, going 3-5 with a double and 2 BB, and 2028 Hudson Phillips, who also went 3-5 with a walk and a run scored. Certainly a rough weekend for the Lyons' record, but definitey a lot to build on as this team undoubtedly has the talent level to make a deep postseason run.

10. SOMERSET: BRIARJUMPERS 

Our last team to recap is the hosting Somerset Briarjumpers, who, despite going 0-2 on the weekend, are clearly some of the most skilled prospects in the state. The Briarjumpers had arguably the toughest draw of anyone in the tournament, going up against the now top-2 ranked teams in the Trinity Shamrocks and PRP Panthers. A testament to Head Coach Phil Grundy's coaching values, we know the Somerset program will not make excuses and is surely disappointed with the results, but they were one fun team to watch as they compete as hard as anyone. A true example of it is uncommitted 2026 Kole Grundy, who got the game 1 start on the mound. The '24 Future Games participant went 6.0 innings, allowing 6 H and 5 ER while walking just 1 and striking out 7 against the defending State Champions. At the plate, Grundy helped himself out with a double and a walk. In Game 2, 2026 Duke University commit Griffin Loy got the nod to start, striking out 4 through 3.2 IP while allowing 5 H and 5 ER in the loss against the top ranked Shamrocks. At the plate, the '24 Future Games two-way helped himself out as best as he could with a massive 2 run blast. 2025 Bellarmine commit Raygan New picked up a multi hit game, as the Briarjumpers senior leader went 3-5 on the weekend with a run scored and an RBI. Rounding out the offensive highlights was 2026 UTL Connor Roberts with two hits of his own. Again, a dissapointing weekend for the home team, but we have seen the talent that they have in the locker room and there is absolutely a promising future for the Briarjumpers.

The Prep Baseball KY staff is incredibly grateful to everyone involved in making this weekend a reality, especially Somerset Head Coach Phil Grundy! This event was in the works for a year, and we were so excited to see the traction it caught thanks to these ten programs. We know that teams are much different in June than in March, and this absolutely won't be the last we see of these talented squads that are all liable to make a postseason run in Lexington!