Top baseball players in Oakland County

Oakland Press' top 60 baseball players

1. Greg Fettes (6-3, 200), Madison Heights Lamphere Sr. C — As intimidating a presence as you'll find in the batter's box, Fettes can make opposing batters quake just by stepping to the plate. Signed with Kentucky, he batted .500 with a school-record 11 HR, a school-record 49 RBI, 32 BB and 14 SB last season.

2. Luke Dauch (6-3, 190), Bloomfield Hills Lahser Sr. CF — A five-tool player who might be the best player Lahser has had, Dauch is a force offensively and defensively. He batted .458 with 27 RBI, 29 runs and 31 SB last season.

3. Jimmy Pickens, Birmingham Brother Rice Sr. C — Entering his fourth year on varsity, Pickens add to what's a bountiful crop of catchers in the county this year. Signed with Michigan State, he made the all-state Dream Team last year after batting .418 with 5 HR, 31 RBI and 19 SB.

4. Mike Mestdagh (6-3, 190), Birmingham Groves Sr. P — A power arm and a big bat all in one big combo, Mestdagh has signed with Michigan State. Last season, he went 5-2 with 65 K and a 1.01 ERA in 47 IP and hit .400 at the plate.

5. Kevin Conway, Birmingham Detroit Country Day Sr. INF/OF — Signed with Wake Forest, where he'll join older brother Matt next season. He hit .435 with 23 RBI and a .726 slugging percentage last year as a junior.

6. Blaise Salter (6-5, 225), Orchard Lake St. Mary's Sr. C — An intimidating presence at the plate with his size and power, Salter has signed with Michigan State. In 2010, he hit .410 with four HR and 41 RBI.

7. Chase Toth (6-1, 180), Clarkston Sr. OF — A complete player who can hit for both average and power, Toth could be in store for an all-state season. Signed with Michigan State, he hit .385 with five HR and 28 RBI last season.

8. Tom Constand (6-2, 180), Pontiac Notre Dame Prep Sr. P — With impeccable command and a live arm, the Western Illinois-bound Constand will be a handful in the Catholic League AA, even for powerhouses Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard and Madison Heights Bishop Foley.

9. Daniel Zuchowski (6-2, 190), Madison Heights Bishop Foley Sr. P/SS — Signed with Toledo, Zuchowski spearheads a terrific core of talent for Bishop Foley. He hit .367 with nine HR and went 9-2 as a pitcher last season.

10. Mitchell Kozlowski (5-10, 175), Madison Heights Lamphere Sr. SS/P — A sparkplug near the top of the lineup for the Rams who will also be the team's closer, the Grand Valley State-bound Kozlowski batted .464 with six HR, 14 SB and 31 RBI in 2010.

11. Matt Nestor (6-2, 185), Rochester Adams Sr. P — Hard-throwing lefthander who often dominated opposing hitters last season. Signed with Western Michigan, Nestor had a 2.10 ERA and 78 K in 60 IP and is a good bet to be all-state.

12. Andrew Sohn (5-10, 180), Birmingham Brother Rice Sr. SS/P — Missed much of last season with an injury, but returns as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher and hitting force for the Warriors. He's signed with Western Michigan.

13. Nick Bradley, Rochester Sr. INF/P — A dominant ace when he's one, the hard-throwing Bradley hopes to make the last year of what will be a four-year varsity career his best. He's signed with Western Michigan.

14. Brian Portelli (6-3, 190), Auburn Hills Avondale Sr. OF/P — It was somewhat of an injustice Portelli was just second team all-state last year, because hardly anybody was able to get him out. He batted a school-record .562 with 41 RBI and 44 runs. Most who tried to sneak fastballs by him subsequently saw those balls fly over the fence.

15. Matt Rodgers (6-4, 215), Clarkston Sr. P — Came somewhat out of nowhere last season to earn all-state honors, posting an 8-2 record and a 1.54 ERA. He should be one of the top aces in the area and state.

16. Jason Gamble (6-4, 275), Walled Lake Western Jr. P/1B — One of the school's best athletes, Gamble is an imposing presence on the mound and at the plate who has committed to Central Michigan. He batted .356 with eight HR in 2010.

17. Matt Constance (6-2, 180), Birmingham Brother Rice Jr. P — Brother Rice didn't have a true No. 1 last year, but that shouldn't be much of an issue after this flamethrower transferred from Salem.

18. Zach Zott, Lake Orion Sr. OF/P — A powerful lefty from both the plate and on the mound, Zott will be the ace of the Dragons and is versatile enough hit leadoff or cleanup. He had four HR and 26 RBI last year.

19. Ryan Horvath (6-2, 175), Madison Heights Lamphere Sr. 2B/P — Another member of Lamphere's core group of players that have played together since they were little, Horvath had a .424 average last season.

20. Brett Sunde (6-0, 195), Madison Heights Bishop Foley Jr. C — Last season as a sophomore, Sunde hit .367, led the Ventures in RBI and played outstanding defense behind the plate, throwing out 16 of 19 runners who tried to steal on him.

21. Jake Baldwin (6-0, 180), Madison Heights Lamphere Sr. OF/P — Will take over as the team's ace after being the No. 3 pitcher last season. He'll is an offensive weapon, having hit .406 with 42 RBI last year.

22. Jeff Schalk (6-1, 190), Madison Heights Bishop Foley Sr. P/INF — Teams with Zuchowski and brother Brad to give Ventures a potent trio at the top of the rotation. He also is an instrumental part of lineup, having hit .342 a year ago.

23. Brad Schalk (6-1, 190), Madison Heights Bishop Foley Sr. P — Coming off a season where he hit .360 and won seven games on the mound for the Ventures.

24. Sean Lau, Royal Oak Soph. 1B — A rising star without question after he led the Ravens in batting average last season as a freshman.

25. Dominic Valente, Royal Oak Jr. SS/P — Just like Lau, Valente was one of Royal Oak's best players as an underclassmen last year. He set the school record for hits and is the team's ace.

26. Gabe Berman, Bloomfield Hills Andover Jr. P/C/INF (6-2, 220) — If you haven't heard much about Berman, you will this year. Can be a dominant ace on the mound and will also anchor Andover's hitting attack.

27. Will Schwartz, Birmingham Brother Rice Jr. OF — Another player for Brother Rice who'll likely end up at a Division 1 college program, Schwartz should be a lethal hitter in the middle of the order.

28. Dallas Sutton, Farmington Hills Harrison Sr. SS — Sutton can flat out rake at the plate, as evidenced by his .485 BA, 28 RBI and 22 2B last season.

29. Chris Pochas, Birmingham Groves Sr. P/SS — Will be an important player for Groves as the team's No. 3 pitcher and middle-of-the-order hitter. He batted. 465 with 31 runs last year.

30. Ian Mercer (5-7, 145), Rochester Adams Sr. INF — Adams head coach Jeff Hall calls Mercer the team's emotional leader on and off the field. He hit .434 as the No. 9 hitter last year and should have no trouble moving into the role as the team's table setter at the top of the lineup.

30 others to watch (in alphabetical order)

Derreck Amboyan, Birmingham Seaholm Sr. 2B; Matt Andrus (5-11, 170), Auburn Hills Avondale Jr. INF/P; Jake Balicki, Birmingham Groves Jr. P; Alex Borglin (6-0, 160), Rochester Adams Jr. OF; Blake Burns, Walled Lake Central sr. INF; Cody Campbell, Lake Orion Soph. OF/P; Shane Daykin, Walled Lake Central Sr. OF; Nick Deeg, Lake Orion Soph. P/OF; Danny Dulapa, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep Sr. 2B; Jimmy Eloff, Novi Jr. SS; Niko Gonzalez, Stoney Creek Jr. C; Joe Harris, Walled Lake Central Sr. C; Alex Harrison (6-4, 195), Troy Athens Sr. P; Austin Karbowski, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes Sr. C/OF; Brandon Katta, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep Sr. SS; Nick Krajewski, Troy Sr. P/INF; Ira Land (5-10, 165), Troy Athens Sr. INF/P; Cole Lubin, Walled Lake Northern Jr. OF/P; Billy Malak, Madison Heights Bishop Foley Soph. INF/C; Patrick Monahan, Bloomfield Hills Lahser Jr. P/1B; Steven Morse, Orchard Lake St. Mary's Sr. P/SS; Ian Nolan, Waterford Kettering Sr. 1B; Dalton Oveson, Lake Orion, Jr. OF/P; Tyler Root, Novi Sr. P; Matt Ruppenthal, Birmingham Brother Rice Fr. P; Cole Schaenzer, Lake Orion Sr. OF/P; Graham Shearer, Lakeland Sr. OF; Vince Siwicki, Clarkston Sr. P; Zach Szajner, Lakeland Sr. 2B; Brett Wyss, Lake Orion Sr. SS.

Prep Baseball

No logos, photographs, or graphics on the site may be reproduced without written permission.