Prep Baseball Report

2015 All-Sunflower League Teams Announced



By Sean McCann
Prep Baseball Report Kansas

In the midst of a week that saw four Sunflower League teams win regionals and advance to the 6A state tournament the league coaches also announced the 2015 All-Sunflower League teams. We take a look at the winners of the top awards as well as the first team honorees below.

College commitments are in parentheses when applicable.

Shawnee Mission East junior LHP/1B Joey Wentz (Virginia) was named Player of the Year as well as first team first baseman and pitcher. Wentz hit .434 with a .537 on-base percentage while slugging at a .604 clip. On the mound the lefty went 4-1

with a 1.01 ERA in 34 and two-thirds innings pitched. Wentz also earned All-Sunflower League first team honors as a sophomore.

Senior RHP Brandon Gomer (Evansville) of Shawnee Mission Northwest was tabbed Pitcher of the Year after posting an 8-1 record and 0.26 ERA. Opponents hit .129 against the righty this season.

Jerrod Ryherd of Shawnee Mission East earned Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Lancers to an 18-4 record and No. 1 seed in the 6A state tournament that takes place at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence starting this Thursday. This is East’s second consecutive trip to the 6A state tournament.

Joining Wentz and Gomer on the first team is SME senior C Karl Harding who had a breakout senior season hitting .373 with 10 extra base hits and seven stolen bases. As starting catcher, Harding has caught 10 shutouts and the SME pitching staff has posted a 1.22 ERA to date.

Lawrence Free State senior 2B Cooper Karlin (Pittsburg State) hit .318 with a .464 on-base percentage courtesy of 18 walks.

3B Ty Herrenbruck (Johnson County CC) of Olathe East also had a strong senior season hitting .339 with nine extra base hits and 17 RBI. This is the second straight year Herrenbruck has been named to the All-Sunflower League first team.

Lawrence SS Michael Sinks (Palomar CC) hit .429 with 11 extra base hits and 13 stolen bases. 

Olathe North senior CF Chase Redick led the league in several offensive categories. Redick hit .537 with seven doubles, three triples, two home runs 16 RBI and posted a .889 slugging percentage. Redick was also named to both the KABC 6A and All-Sunflower first teams as a junior.

Olathe South junior OF Brian Sullivan emerged as a key left-handed bat for Olathe South this spring. He hit .409 with three doubles, three triples, three home runs while leading the league in RBI with 24 and stealing 8 bases.

Senior OF Joel Spain (Cowley County CC) of Lawrence Free State cashed in on his final high school season hitting .382 with 23 runs scored while stealing 18 bases.

Shawnee Mission Northwest senior OF Casey Kelley (Central Missouri) hit .375 with 10 extra base hits, 23 runs scored and 15 RBI.

Olathe South C Noah Croft (Wichita State) was named first-team DH after hitting .500 with 8 extra base hits and posting an impressive .569 on-base percentage on the season.

RHP/IF Max Sanborn (Pittsburg State) was named first-team utility after hitting .362 with 16 runs scored and 10 RBI while also posting a 7-2 record on the mound with a 0.88 ERA in 47 and two-thirds innings pitched.

Lawrence Free State junior RHP Hunter Gudde posted a perfect 8-0 record and 0.96 ERA for the Firebirds.

Senior RHP/1B Isaiah Campbell (Arkansas) was named first team pitcher and second team first baseman. On the mound the righty went 5-2 with a 1.71 ERA in 45 innings pitched this spring and at the plate hit .348 with three home runs and 19 RBI.

RHP Casey Hearnen of Lawrence Free State followed up a strong junior campaign as the Firebirds go-to reliever with another impressive season this year. Hearnen posted a 4-2 record with 6 saves and a 0.96 ERA appearing in 15 games and pitching 32 innings.

Below are the 2015 All-Sunflower League first and second teams with stats: 

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