Capital Gazette 2024 Baseball All-County: Spalding’s Jake Yeager dominated en route to Player of the Year honor
Jake Yeager Sharpied his affirmations under the bill of his Archbishop Spalding cap. On the left, there’s some plays. Above the rest, “one pitch, one strike” – anything less is a step below the Cavaliers ace’s abilities. To the right, a reminder to Big League box breathe – a technique that aids Major Leaguers in relaxing in the box and helped Spalding improve its hitting across the board.
And then, there’s the middle mantra: “Be a Killer.”
With the new three-game series structure Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference baseball adopted this spring, Spalding tasked Yeager to pitch on Mondays against the other squad’s best.
It didn’t faze him. The Maryland-bound senior cloaks himself in high energy, a trait he adopted from years of studying former Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer.
“I’ll get loud sometimes,” he admitted. “But it’s more of a compete factor. A lot of guys don’t have that thing in their brain that makes them want to win. And I’ll do anything it takes.”
In 56 innings, the 6-foot-3 right-hander unleashed 84 strikeouts for the three-time MIAA A champions (28-5), levying a 1.25 earned-run average and 0.89 WHIP against the top squads from the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference as well as the MIAA A for a 5-3 record.
Batters folded before him, hitting merely .138 against him. Both Perfect Game and PrepBaseballReport ranked him No. 1 among the state’s Class of 2024.
“He was the guy that everybody thought he was going to be this year,” Cavaliers coach Joe Palumbo said, “and he was the guy he ultimately was this year by dominating to get those outs.”
Capital Gazette 2024 baseball Player of the Year is just one of his many postseason accolades. As well as the MIAA A Conference Baseball Athlete of the Year, Yeager was named Gatorade Maryland Baseball Player of the Year, an award that hasn’t been bestowed on an Anne Arundel player since 2016.
That had been a goal that locked into place in Yeager’s mind the moment he set eyes upon a banner in Spalding’s gym for the last pick, Tyler Blohm, currently in the Orioles minor league system.
“It would be cool to have my name up there forever,” Yeager recalled with a smile. “And it feels really good to have accomplished it.”
It was around the same time that chasing the Major Leagues became more real for Yeager, when his close friend and training partner, Severna Park graduate Jackson Merrill, was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2021 (where he currently starts in center field). Soon after, Yeager’s former teammate, Josh Moylan, signed an undrafted free agent contract with the New York Yankees, who have him stationed in High-A Hudson Valley at the moment.
Those relationships do more for Yeager than build necessary contacts in the professional ranks. From Palumbo’s perspective, surrounding himself with high-level players and learning what it takes to be one elevated his own game.
Yeager had the “God-given” height, a powerful arm, an unrelenting work ethic and an already wicked arsenal of pitches – fastball, curveball and changeup. But Yeager had never been able to throw a sweeper, a type of slider, until a friend in the Mets organization advised him to bring his hand closer to the hip.
“Ever since, that’s been my go-to pitch,” Yeager said. “And I think that’s really what set me apart.”
While Yeager’s strikeout numbers are pretty gaudy, Palumbo said it’s not Yeager’s shiniest attribute.
“That’s plus stuff from a high school baseball player that’s going to translate to the next levels of baseball, and that’s what makes him good when he’s playing,” Palumbo said. “But what makes him great is how he’s all in on his teammates. How he was a really strong leader for them throughout his senior year and helped some of those younger players develop.”
After some staff changes, Palumbo spent more time in the bullpen this spring and listened to Yeager, refining what is already a cache of talented arms any other coach would kill for into even better assets.
Junior pitcher Sam Houchens studied Yeager’s hard work ethic — all the other pitchers did, he said — but even more so, the senior’s statuesque composure in face of others’ mistakes.
“Whether someone in the field messes up a routine play to give up a run or the umpire is squeezing the zone on him, you wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at his body language,” Houchens said. “I think all of our pitching staff has taken that away from watching Jake’s outings and we have all gotten better at it as a whole.”
That support Yeager gave his teammates flowed both ways, and lessened the pressure being the Monday pitcher laid on him. His teammates could make plays in the field. They could score runs. And, if he did falter, they could still win championships.
Yeager was on the mound for Game 2 of the MIAA A championship series against Calvert Hall with a chance to clinch the title for the Cavs. Yeager struck out five and gave up three unearned runs. Spalding’s offense couldn’t put up more than one run on six hits and the Cardinals forced a deciding Game 3.
After, Palumbo apologized to his ace after for the reality that Yeager wouldn’t get the chance to end his high school career with his catcher rushing to him on the mound.
Yeager replied: As long as we win tomorrow, it doesn’t matter to me.
“He will go through tough moments, whether it be at the college or pro level. He will fail. He’ll have to learn to adjust. But he can, and he will,” Palumbo said, “because he’s been doing it for a while now.”
Coach of the Year
Mike Bronakoski, St. Mary’s
For nine years, a conference title eluded the Saints. For seven years, so did a winning season. When Bronakoski guided St. Mary’s back to the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference this spring, he acknowledged the expectations that such a move would solve all their problems.
Instead, St. Mary’s experienced “dogfights” this spring. The Saints went extra innings to beat Class 4A state semifinalist Crofton and endured tight battles with neighboring MIAA B foes like Indian Creek, Annapolis Area Christian School and Severn, all to victorious conclusions, on their way to a 13-2 conference mark. St. Mary’s also counted 4A champion Leonardtown and 4A state quarterfinalist Perry Hall among its victims.
“If you told me we were going to go 21-4 [overall] with the win streak we did, well that was definitely a surprise,” Bronakoski said, “and a testament to the group of guys we have. Those 11 seniors [and under] were high character kids with the mindset to be competitive and put a good product on the field.”
In total, St. Mary’s has 13 come-from-behind wins, raising Bronakoski’s blood pressure but earning his admiration for his players’ refuse-to-lose mentality. They finished the season on a 13-game win streak, culminating in a two-game sweep of McDonogh for the crown.
“We really talked to our kids about learning how to win and understanding the mindset that it takes, and they all put the work in to do it,” Bronakoski said. “They needed to trust they could do it. They had the confidence they could go out and finish games, and we didn’t lose a close game since.”
All four of Bronakoski’s All-County nominations were named to the First Team, as well as to the MIAA B All-Conference squad. Two credited a printout portrait of a raccoon in their dugout for their late-season success, something that Bronakoski genuinely agreed with.
“It’s still high school baseball,” he said. “We want to be competitive and win, and there’s high-pressure situations, but we’re here to have fun. We’d do goofy stuff with the guys and keep reminders like that around.”
All-County first team
Brennan Moran, St. Mary’s, senior, catcher
The hawk-eyed three-year varsity starter pinned 14 potential base-stealers and picked off eight runners in 163 innings behind the plate while only committing two errors. With a .387 batting average, Moran knocked in 23 runs and scored 22 on 29 hits, including 10 doubles and three homers.
Kody Phillips, Severna Park, senior, catcher
The anchor behind the plate blasted six home runs as the highlight of his county-best .527 batting average, combined with a .909 slugging percentage and .623 on-base percentage. He tallied 29 hits, 23 runs, 20 RBIs and three doubles as well as eight stolen bases.
Drew Emrich, Archbishop Spalding, junior, first baseman
The junior could be placed anywhere in the infield with efficiency. At the plate, his .410 average and 1.035 OPS consisted of five doubles, a triple, a home run, 23 RBIs and 16 runs as well as a stolen base.
AJ Cozzone, Old Mill, junior, second baseman
The Patriot led his squad to the Class 4A East Region I final behind a .357 batting average and .456 on-base percentage, spurring in 11 runs and 19 RBIs, while walking 11 times and striking out only seven.
Angel Santiago-Cruz, Severna Park, senior, shortstop
One of the state’s leading power-hitters blasted seven home runs against top opponents, coinciding with 26 RBIs and 16 runs for a .364/.562/.841 slash. He had two home runs in a regular season win over Broadneck.
Calvin Cook, Broadneck, senior, shortstop
The Middle Tennessee State-bound shortstop totaled 18 runs, 11 RBIs, 16 hits, six stolen bases, three doubles and three home runs, hitting .327 batting. He also had a .548 on-base percentage and .571 slugging, and also secured a 92.2% fielding.
Quinn Yellin, South River, senior, third baseman
A Maryland commit, the Seahawks infielder unloaded 22 hits and 14 RBIs for a .373 batting average alongside .471 on-base percentage and .457 slugging. In the field, Yellin fielded with 97.3% accuracy while on the mound, he collected four saves.
Henry Carbone, St. Mary’s, senior, outfielder/first baseman
Carbone had a hit in 24 of 25 games totaling 25 singles, 10 doubles, a triple, a home run and 20 RBIs in the leadoff spot for a .468/.574/.658 slash, while also swiping 16 bags.
Carter Drab, Chesapeake, senior, outfielder
Drab concluded his Cougars career batting .333, including a .922 OPS, 23 hits, six doubles, 17 RBIs and a dozen runs. Starting each game in center field for four seasons, Drab only ever committed one error.
Zack Leinemann, Crofton, senior, outfielder/pitcher
Leinemann excelled all over the field for the state semifinalists, batting .379 with 19 hits and 11 runs and 10 stolen bases. Leinemann hurled 37 strikeouts over 30 1/3 innings for a 3-2 record, 3.00 ERA and .208 batting average-against.
Mike Swick, Broadneck, junior, outfielder
Swick was a Bruin opposing coaches planned for. His 12 stolen bases and 21 runs were the height of his stats, joining 18 hits, 11 RBI and four doubles for a .310/.473/.419 batting line. He was errorless in 34 opportunities.
Caden Blanck, Severn, junior, utility
The Big 26 Baseball Classic selection led the MIAA B Conference in strikeouts pitched for the second consecutive season (89). Blanck went 9-for-9 on stolen base attempts and committed one error in the outfield and first base.
Dylan Adams, Chesapeake, sophomore, pitcher
Adams led his Cougars to the Class 3A state final behind a 6-2 record with 73 strikeouts and a 1.804 earned-run average. He contributed from the batters box with a .383 average, 29 hits, three doubles, a home run and 27 RBIs.
Nick Hulme, St. Mary’s, senior, pitcher
Hulme starred in St. Mary’s long-awaited championship win by pitching 6.2 innings and tossing nine strikeouts. The right-hander went 6-1, tallying 43 punch-outs and allowing 14 walks, five earned runs and a .199 opposing batting average for a 0.89 ERA.
Sean Williams, Severna Park, senior, pitcher
The Penn State commit smashed his school’s career strikeout record with 136 over 99 innings, including 48 this year in 34 innings. With a sterling 5-0 record and 0.61 ERA, Williams permitted opposing batters only 16 hits and three earned runs.
Peyton Mamula, Archbishop Spalding, junior, pitcher
The 6-foot-2 future Maryland hurler proved a consistent threat against opposing hitters, registering a 1.56 ERA, 6-1 record and 0.99 WHIP over 40 1/3 innings-pitched, permitting only 13 walks and .181 batting average-against while striking out 54.
Brian Sands, St. Mary’s, junior, pitcher
Sands had a 24 2/3 scoreless inning streak from April 11 to May 16. Sands made 11 appearances and seven starts, with a 6-0 record, a save, a 0.875 ERA and 0.938 WHIP. He fanned 52 batters and surrendered just six earned runs.
Nate Wines, Archbishop Spalding junior pitcher
The East Carolina-bound right-hander dealt 56 strikeouts and clipped batters to a .232 average. He compiled a perfect 6-0 mark over 43 innings, as well as a 2.76 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. Wines recorded a perfect game against St. Alban’s (DC).
All-County second team
Jack McNally, Archbishop Spalding junior catcher
Greg Frey, Crofton sophomore catcher
Nick Cicale, Broadneck junior catcher
Jayden Saraullo, Northeast sophomore first baseman
Devin McGowan, Broadneck senior first baseman
Tha’Mon McGriff, Arundel senior second baseman/pitcher
Brennan Inscoe, Archbishop Spalding senior second baseman
Avik Cherry, Broadneck freshman second baseman
Braeden Martin, Archbishop Spalding sophomore shortstop
Cole Parsons, Chesapeake senior shortstop
Ryan Jones, AACS senior shortstop
Jack Woods, Crofton senior third baseman
Kaiden Cummings, North County sophomore third baseman
Cruz Luna, Archbishop Spalding sophomore outfielder
Charlie Hartman, Severna Park junior outfielder
Luke Gamble, Arundel freshman outfielder
Collin Voss, North County junior pitcher
Sam Houchens, Archbishop Spalding junior pitcher/ outfielder
Noah Forman, Broadneck junior pitcher
Wyatt Dowton, Key sophomore pitcher/outfielder
Honorable Mention
AACS: Sawyer Shepherd, senior pitcher. Arundel: Nick Billheimer, junior outfielder; Rowland Thursby, junior infielder/pitcher; Dom Wilder, senior outfielder. Chesapeake: Lucas Slayton, junior outfielder. Crofton: Travis Fleshman, senior shortstop. Indian Creek: Andrew Harris, junior third baseman. Key: Angus Lunt-Woodward, junior shortstop/pitcher. Old Mill: Ayden Burton, junior outfielder; Gavin Glos, junior pitcher; Devin Mauer, junior pitcher; Brady Tingen, junior shortstop. Northeast: Dakota Patton, junior third baseman/pitcher. Severn: Ben Campion, senior pitcher/outfielder. Severna Park: Nick Dinunzio, senior second baseman. South River: Jack Schrader, senior pitcher. Southern: Thomas Martin, senior second baseman; Nick Youmans, sophomore outfielder.