ESPN

CONCORD, N.H. -- On the way into a Home Depot yesterday, Scott Cote was asked by a young stranger carrying kayaks, "How's Jordan doing?"

The stranger didn't introduce himself, asking only if his son Jordan, a third-round draft pick of the Yankees out of little-known Winnisquam Regional High School, had signed.

"When I walked away from this gentleman, I still didn't know who he was," Scott laughed. "Obviously, he knew I was Jordan's father somehow, some way. But we go into restaurants, banks, anywhere, and it's just, the whole town is talking about it."

The buzz has been fervent for some time now around tiny Sanbornton, a town of less than 3,000 nestled between the state's capital and its motor speedway, ever since this 6-foot-6 son of a body shop mechanic and travel consultant tossed his high school team to its first state title, two springs ago, with a no-hitter.

"It's weird walking around town when people are just staring at you," Jordan said.

As many as 25 scouts had been spotted at his starts this spring, and projected him to go anywhere between the third and seventh rounds. All of it came full circle tonight for the one-time Coastal Carolina commit, at the Concord Sports Center facility where he often trains.

Jordan sent his papers to the commissioner's office on Sunday. Tonight, in front of a crowd of roughly a hundred friends and family; and flanked by his parents, his high school and summer coaches, and the two Yankees scouts that had been on him from the beginning of this wave; he made it official, signing with the club for a $725,000 bonus.

Smiling, Cote admitted the offer was "a little below our number, but it was the New York Yankees, so that made the difference". He also revealed that he had plans to live with good friend Tyler Beede, the Auburn, Mass. native and Blue Jays' first-round pick, in Nashua. Beede, however, turned down a $2.5 million offer last night, and will report to Vanderbilt University at the end of this week.

Cote leaves for Tampa in the morning, and will report to the Gulf Coast League Yankees. Yankees Northeast Scouting Director Matt Hyde said Jordan will then go back down in September for instructional league, followed by a trip to the Dominican Republic to work the club's academy for several weeks. He'll return in November, and could return to Tampa as early as January.

"There's no rush with him," Hyde said. "He needs to get out on the mound, throw quality innings, and it's all about development. We like to move our young pitchers at a nice pace, and not feel like they're under pressure to get to New York right away."

Moments earlier, Scott (the auto body mechanic) reflected on the atmosphere in the warehouse-like facility with humility.

"We're just average American people," Scott said. "Jordan has an opportunity to do what he loves to do, and at the same time make some pretty nice money."

Just how much does he love it? Scott called it "scary, as far as I'm concerned."

"His whole life is baseball," said Scott, who was also an assistant for Winnisquam the last three seasons. "Even when he slows down and decides to relax, he's playing MLB baseball on a video game. I get up in the morning and he's watching the MLB channel. He's watching ESPN, he's on the internet. He goes to work out, and then he comes home and watches baseball. He knows more about baseball personnel than I know in my whole life -- almost to the point where, I love baseball, but after a while I just want to take a break, [and] this kid does not take a break.

"He just absolutely loves baseball. He talks to his agents, his scouts, his trainers, his pitching coach, almost daily. It's all baseball with this kid, and it's all his choice. Has been since he was eight years old."

All of it has translated into a product on the field that had scouts discussing his projectability all spring. Locally, it was a product that Winnisquam head coach Fred Caruso couldn't wait to coach, as he recalled watching Jordan as a 10-year-old crank a 300-foot homer for Northfield-Tilton Little League. When he was elevated to head coach five years ago, Caruso says he "was salivating" at the opportunity to work with Jordan.

As a freshman in 2008, Jordan was named the team's No. 1 starter, with a loose, roughly 6-foot-3 frame Caruso compared to "a scarecrow". But it was far from a finished product.

Enter Matt Blake, a Concord native and former Holy Cross pitcher who specializes with pitchers at the popular Cressey Performance facility in Hudson, Mass., and is now a scout with the Yankees. Three years ago, Blake saw a raw athlete with basketball skills and good hand speed, moving his body fluidly. From there, he worked with Cote to shore up his mechanics and create a downhill delivery that makes his pitches tough to pick up.

"A lot of big guys, they can get mechanical and get bogged down in the whole idea of a delivery," Blake said. "But we wanted it to be an uptempo throwing motion, so that was the first thing we really attacked."

As his body grew, the velocity climbed, and things took off from there. Now at 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, Cote threw as hard as 94 miles per hour this spring, leading to a 6-1 record, 0.77 ERA and strike percentage hovering around 72.

And he's still yet to fill out; scouts see him bulking up to 235 pounds, and his fastball possibly topping out at 97. Cote will have to improve on getting his pitches down in the strike zone, and staying on line.

But if history says anything, Cote could have a good chance down the line. From Brian Wilson to Chris Carpenter, all the way back to Mike Flanagan and Carlton Fisk, New Hampshire has proven a solid track record over the years in spite of its thin pool of prospects.

"I think it's just the attitude coming out of New Hampshire," said Blake, who is also an assistant for Massachusetts Division 1 state champion Lincoln-Sudbury Regional. "You're always going up against the southern kids. You're always going up against the climate. People are always saying you're not as talented. But, every time someone puts that out there, it just wills you to work that much harder, because it's never been handed to you."

Scott Cote and then Caruso entertained the crowd with stories of umpires thanking the Winnisquam staff for starting Jordan, and of Jordan boldly declaring before his famous state title no-hitter that there would be no hits that afternoon, among other things, before handing the pen to Jordan.

When the ink dried, the photo-ops had run their course and the media had cleared out, Jordan went to the back of the facility to throw long-toss to his summertime catcher of four years, Tilton School sophomore Ryan White, as Hyde looked over his shoulder.

Then he went upstairs to the portable mound, and threw a simulated bullpen for Hyde, with a handful of spectators leaning against the railings. The violent whir with each fastball passed by drew faint laughs and wide grins. And then it was back to more immediate matters, like why his laptop wasn't fixed in time for tomorrow morning's flight, and what he'd do in the meantime to cope.

"I'll remember you with the Cannonballs," he said to White as he unstrapped his catcher's equipment, referring to the AAU team they both used to belong to.

And just like that, their last bullpen session together as high schoolers, as amateurs, was over.

Cote then turned back to Hyde and asked, with a chuckle, "So can I pitch tomorrow?"

Jordan Cote sat in front of his computer in the living room of his Sanbornton, N.H. home with a final exam in one hand (his teacher let him take it home), 20 or so friends gathered around (some of them cut class), and afternoon baseball practice an hour and half away.

And then, within the last half hour, things suddenly got crazy. The highly-touted Winnisquam Regional righthander watched his name come across the ticker, going 118th overall (third round) to the Yankees, and watched his mother flip out. Moments later, Yankees Northeaster Director of Scouting Matt Hyde called him up with a welcome greeting, and it was official.

"I'm a Yankees fan, so it couldn’t get any better," Cote said. "I don’t even know what to say…I couldn't have been going to a better team, but I don’t think I've ever been this happy in my entire life."

The Yankees had shown arguably the most interest in Cote for a while, but he said he got a little nervous when the phone didn't ring as things inched closer to the pick.

"I figured I'd get a call before, but evidently they don't do that," he laughed.

The past two months have been eye-opening for the 6-foot-6, 215-pounder, who was named the state's Gatorade Player of the Year last week and has seen his stock soar, based on projectability and a fastball that continues to escalate in the 90's as the weather has gotten warmer. As many as two dozen scouts have been seen at his starts this spring.

And it's not over yet, as the Wolves will face Somersworth in the Class M semifinals Friday. Last season, he tossed a no-hitter against Somersworth to capture the school's first-ever state championship in baseball.

"It's been a pretty wild ride," Cote said.

Cote is currently committed to Coastal Carolina, but is reportedly very signable. In Sunday's profile of the prospect on ESPNBoston.com, he told correspondent Roger Brown "Money is definitely the No. 1 factor. I wish baseball could always be for fun, but that’s not the way it is."

Cote confirmed those comments again, saying that his advisor and the club have come to terms on an undisclosed number that both parties are "very comfortable with". He said with his busy schedule, it would be realistic to expect him to sign close to the August 15 deadline.

ESPN's Keith Law has Cote ranked No. 85 on his Top 100, with the following scouting report:

Cote is an extremely tall right-hander with present arm strength, and he's a virtual blank slate as a pitcher, having received limited instruction. His physical tools are a pitching coach's dream.

The New Hampshire native has been mostly 88-92 in cold weather all spring, with fringy off-speed stuff, mostly a mid-70s curveball that he needs to get on top of better. His mechanics need a cleanup, if not an overhaul; among other things he tends to get his back elbow up during his delivery, pinching his shoulders behind him and putting pressure on both joints.

He also might slide because like most New Hampshire kids, he's tough to scout between weather, short schedule, and poor competition. But he's pretty athletic and has very little pitching experience, so it's all projection with lots for a player development group to work with.

Last weekend, an American League scout gave me the following scouting report on Cote:

“He’s the one that’s been climbing the most. I’d say Cote was one that was kind of a sleeper early in the season. People had to wait and see what you get out of him, being in a Northern climate, playing on 35-degree days more so than Mass kids. Early on, he struggled, was hitting 87-88, then over the last two or three weeks, as the weather warmed up he found his groove. He’s really climbed into the upper echelon of high school prospects. You look at that frame, 6-6, 215, and there’s a lot of projectability. You could see him filling out to 240, and see that fastball velocity increase because of the hand speed he demonstrates."

It’s unlikely that Jordan Cote will forget his junior season with the Winnisquam Regional baseball team anytime soon.

That’s when Cote, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound right-handed pitcher, led Winnisquam to the program’s first state championship, and punctuated the season by tossing a no-hitter against previously unbeaten Somersworth in the Class M championship game.

Although pitchers are limited to 16 innings during the state tournament, Cote pitched in each of the Wolves' four postseason games. He collected three victories and a save, and finished his junior year with an 11-0 record and a 0.66 ERA.

His senior season may prove to be even more memorable, however. Cote has already been named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year, and he has his team in position to win another state title.

The fourth-seeded Wolves reached the Division III (formerly Class M) semifinals by beating Mascenic in Saturday’s quarterfinals. Cote pitched a complete game, struck out 12 and allowed just two hits.

The Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft is what may put Cote’s senior season over the top. The draft will be held Monday through Wednesday, and Cote is expected to be selected sometime Tuesday, when rounds two through 30 will be held.

“We’ve heard as high as the third round and as low as the seventh,” Winnisquam coach Fred Caruso said. “We think he’ll be taken in the top 10 somewhere.

“He’s a big kid with huge hands. He has an A-plus fastball for this level. He’s been clocked as high as 94 (mph). [Professional] scouts have told me they project him at 235 [pounds] and throwing 97.

“We still had scouts showing up at our game Saturday, two days before the draft. The Yankees are very, very high on him, as are the Pirates and the Phillies. We just have to see what happens.”

Cote, a Sanbornton, N.H. resident, is scheduled to pitch again Friday, when Winnisquam faces top-seeded Somersworth in the semifinals. Cote was on the mound when Winnisquam handed Somersworth its only regular-season loss earlier this season.

This season Cote is 6-1 with a 0.77 ERA. He’s surrendered 22 hits, five earned runs and eight walks in 45 1/3 innings. He has 82 strikeouts, and recorded his 300th career strikeout during the regular-season victory over Somersworth earlier this season.

Of the 699 pitches he’s thrown, 504 have been strikes. He’s also batting .491 (28 for 57).

“Jordan Cote just dominates people," Franklin High coach Tom Charbono said."He throws gas, and he's got a slider and a tight curveball to go with it. He's a special talent  the complete package."

Cote signed a national letter of intent with Coastal Carolina last November. At that point, Cote said, he had no idea professional scouts would be flocking to his games this spring.

Boston College, Connecticut, Kennesaw State, Vanderbilt and Mississippi were among the other college programs that showed serious interest in Cote. He said his final decision came down to a choice between Connecticut and Coastal Carolina.

“It was tough to say no to Connecticut because I had a real close relationship with their recruiting coordinator, Justin Blood,” Cote said. “He came to more than half my games last year.

“At the same time Coastal Carolina was a better fit. It allows me to get out of the Northeast. I don’t like the cold weather.”

Cote’s father Scott said the fact that Cote could golf year-round at Coastal Carolina may have been a factor in his college decision as well.

“I think what made the decision easier for Jordan is that Coastal Carolina is a baseball school,” Scott said. “A school like Connecticut is known more for basketball.”

Cote may never throw a pitch in college, since Scott said his son’s preference is to turn professional this summer. According to Scott, the Cote family has established a dollar figure that will determine whether his son goes to college or begins working for a living this year.

“Money is definitely the No. 1 factor,” Cote said. “I wish baseball could always be for fun, but that’s not the way it is. “

Between the gifted arms of Lawrence Academy's Tyler Beede, St. John's Prep's Pat Connaughton, Lincoln-Sudbury's Adam Ravenelle and Dexter's John Magliozzi, we have an unusually high amount of high school players in the New England region who could see their names getting called in the Major League Baseball Draft, which starts with the first round Monday night.

At the beginning of the high school season, I caught up with an American League scout who projected eight high schoolers that could see their names called. But with BB&N's Andrew Chin on the shelf with Tommy John surgery, and the play of Dexter's Barrett O'Neill and BB&N's Devin Perry dipping a bit, the number of bona fide locks has decreased.

Still, the projections at the top haven't budged, and it starts with Beede, a 6-foot-4 righthander from Auburn who could become the first high schooler from Massachusetts taken in the first round since Peabody High's Jeff Allison in 2003.

"Obviously, the most notable is Beede," said Red Sox Director of Amateur Scouting Amiel Sawdaye, at the club's pre-draft press conference last Wednesday at Fenway Park. "Excellent pitcher, guy we’ve scouted for a long time, we’ve gotten the chance to see him over the summer, seen him this year. Even some of the other guys -- Connaughton, Magliozzi, Ravenelle -- all good athletes signed to good schools, good students, good kids.

"And that’s exciting. To be able to go to the local games and see those guys pitch, it’s exciting for us. You get home games. We normally don’t get those until the Cape [League]."

Traditionally it's been pitchers getting selected out of the local high schools over the years, so it's no surprise that all of the names being thrown around are 90-mile per hour fireballers. And while this year's class has an abundance of players with prototypical pitcher's builds, they also come on the draft market perceivably fresher, what with the limited amount of time playing outdoors.

"We talk about cold weather kids. You know, sometimes they don’t hit their stride until, a lot of times, the summer," Sawday said. "So, you blink and another team takes a player from the Midwest, Northeast, different region where it’s a cold weather region, and the kid’s throwing 94, 95, where in the spring he was throwing 92.

"It gives us an advantage to be able to go watch those kids progress, and I think the other thing is the proximity of being around these guys and being able to see them get better year after year, see how they take off. As a junior, they’re taking off in the summer. As a senior, they’re taking off in the summer. And yeah, I think you can look at it as an advantage."

Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein echoed similar comments, noting the desire of northeast kids playing in a smaller period of warm weather, as well as the easier projections.

"Guys around here, their best baseball is yet to come," Epstein said. "They don’t get out on the field until April sometimes, with the snow on the ground, and you can project these guys going forward. I think makeup is good too. You have to go to baseball here. Compared to California, Texas, Florida, where it’s there 365 days of the year, here you’ve got a short window to play, and you’ve got to relish the opportunity and make the most of it. It’s easy to project off these kids in the northeast."

Added Sawdaye, "We were just watching video of a kid throwing in the snow, so that tells you what some of these kids go through."

I revisited with scouts again late last week, for their thoughts on the top prospects in the area. Below are the scouting reports and projections on seven New Englanders you will definitely see coming across the ticker.

Tyler Beede, RHP, Lawrence Academy
Hometown: Auburn, Mass.
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 205 lbs
Bats: Right
College: Vanderbilt
Scout’s Take: “I’d say Tyler has basically done everything the scouts and pro evaluators have asked him to do, repeating his delivery, a breaking ball that’s consistent with your average major league pitch. He’s shown velocity they’ve been looking for. His last start, he was consistently hitting 93 to 95. All the intangibles are there. I think that’s as good of a prospect we’ve had in a long time in New England."
Projection: Late first round to Sandwich A. (“That’s assuming signability doesn’t get in the way,” said the scout. “He’s going to be a pricey pick, but I think there are teams willing to go that route.)

Pat Connaughton, RHP, St. John’s Prep
Hometown: Arlington, Mass.
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 190 lbs
Bats: Right
College: Notre Dame (baseball and basketball)
Scout’s Take: “He's been one of the most intriguing prospects of the spring. His velocity has been anywhere from 90 to 94 every outing, a real plus fastball at times with late life on it, which you certainly– can’t teach. His arm is as loose as anyone’s. The only question right now if he puts enough time into his delivery where the off-speed catches up to his fastball. The hardest part of signing him is going to be getting him away from his passion for playing basketball. It looks like he wants to compete for a pro team that will allow him to do that as well.”
Projection: First five rounds.

John Magliozzi, RHP, Dexter
Hometown: Milton, Mass.
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 180 lbs
Bats: Right
College: Florida
Scout’s Take: “Johnny’s been a little inconsistent with his velocity, and that’s led people to press questions about whether that frame is going to be durable over the long haul. His velocity has taken a step back, it’s been in the 87-90 range where people might have expected 92 to 94. Whether that’s reasonable or not, that’s what these guys are looking for. He’s shown signs that he’s going to compete for you, but they need to see that prominent velocity from a frame like that.”
Projection: First 10 rounds.

Adam Ravenelle, RHP Lincoln-Sudbury
Hometown: Sudbury, Mass.
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 185 lbs
Bats: Right
College: Vanderbilt
Scout’s Take: “Ravenelle may have taken the biggest step forward of anyone this spring. Critics questioned his ability to repeat his delivery, but his fastball consistently comes over the plate with a good angle. People wonder when he would decide on an arm slot, but he’s done a tremendous job on keeping to a low three-quarter slot and remaining on top of the ball. He’s also shown he's able to throw that breaking ball for strikes consistently, which hasn't always been the case. The best part about him is he has matured from a mental standpoint. He attacks the game now as a pitcher and not just a thrower by working efficiently with his pitch counts to get outs early in the game without trying to strike everyone out.”
Projection: First 20 rounds. (“He’s a potential top-five talent, but everyone’s sold on the idea that he’s going to end up at Vanderbilt,” the scout said.)

Jordan Cote, RHP, Winnisquam Regional (N.H.)
Hometown: Sanbornton, N.H.
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 215 lbs
Bats: Right
College: Coastal Carolina
Scout’s Take: “He’s the one that’s been climbing the most. I’d say Cote was one that was kind of a sleeper early in the season. People had to wait and see what you get out of him, being in a Northern climate, playing on 35-degree days more so than Mass kids. Early on, he struggled, was hitting 87-88, then over the last two or three weeks, as the weather warmed up he found his groove. He’s really climbed into the upper echelon of high school prospects. You look at that frame, 6-6, 215, and there’s a lot of projectability. You could see him filling out to 240, and see that fastball velocity increase because of the hand speed he demonstrates."
Projection: First five rounds.

John Gorman, RHP/3B, Catholic Memorial
Hometown: Norwood, Mass.
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 215 lbs
Bats: Right
College: Boston College
Scout’s Take: “He’s still in the mix, guys mostly look at him as being a college guy. But, he will step in regardless and be one of the best players on the BC squad when he gets there…. He’s an interesting one. He’s one of the guys people talked about earlier in the year being a bulldog, and one of the best high school kids around. He’s obviously lived up to that being named Gatorade Player of the Year in a year full of big names. He’ll likely see time in college as a corner infielder and a pitcher. I think that over the next two or three years, he’s going to have a lot of success at the college level. His fastball velocity can climb into the 91-92 range, and he can throw his off-speed consistently into the strike zone. I’d imagine his name being called on draft day, as he deserves it.”
Projection: First 20 rounds.

Sal Romano, RHP, Southington (Conn.)
Hometown: Southington, Conn.
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 220 lbs
Bats: Right
College: Tennessee
Scout’s Take: "Sal'’s another one of those big body high school kids we’ve been blessed with this year. His delivery has some work to do, but he’s shown great velocity on his fastball, up to 93. The feel for the spin on his breaking ball is advanced for his age. His signability demands may push him down in the draft this year, but he’s definitely one to follow."
Projection: Top 10 rounds.

The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE, today announced John Gorman of Catholic Memorial School as its 2010-11 Gatorade Massachusetts Baseball Player of the Year. Gorman is the first Gatorade Massachusetts Baseball Player of the Year to be chosen from Catholic Memorial School.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior right-handed pitcher has led the Knights to a 13-6 record and a berth in the Division 1 sectional tournament, scheduled to begin May 31. At the time of his selection, Gorman owned a 6-1 record on the mound with a 0.14 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 51 innings. A two-time returning All-Scholastic honoree, he had tossed four shutouts and surrendered only 17 hits entering the postseason. Also a third baseman, Gorman batted .362 with 13 runs scored, 11 RBI, four doubles and one home run through 19 games. The 2010 Catholic Conference Most Valuable Player, he finished 8-0 as a junior with a 1.18 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 65 innings in addition to posting a .395 batting average with 25 RBI and three homers.

Also a football standout, Gorman has maintained an A-plus average in the classroom and represents one of the state’s top academic candidates in meeting the Gatorade Award’s broad criteria. In addition to volunteering on behalf of the National Honor Society, Students Against Destructive Decisions and his school’s Leadership and Service program, he has helped coordinate Catholic Memorial’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk and has donated his time as a youth baseball and basketball instructor.

“He’s been phenomenal this year, especially pitching,” said Catholic Memorial head coach Hal Carey. “He’s been dominant on the mound. He works fast, throws hard and has great control of his fastball, change and curve. As a pitcher, he’s one of the best in the state. Add the hitting, and he’s tremendous. He’s done it for four years, and this is a tough sport to be that consistent. He’s great all-around, probably the best in my seven years here.”

Gorman has signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball on scholarship at Boston College this fall.

Gorman joins recent Gatorade Massachusetts Baseball Players of the Year Kevin Ziomek (2009-10, Amherst Regional), Kyle McKenzie (2008-09; Thayer Academy), Scott Weismann (2007-08, Acton-Boxborough), and Jack McGeary (2006-07, Roxbury Latin School), among the state’s list of former award winners.

Here are the winners for the five other New England states:

CONNECTICUT: SAL ROMANO, SOUTHINGTON

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound senior right-handed pitcher led the Blue Knights (15-5) to a berth in the Class LL postseason tournament, scheduled to begin May 31. At the time of his selection, Romano owned an 8-1 record on the mound with a 0.39 ERA, recording 91 strikeouts and just 11 walks in 54 innings pitched. A Rawlings/Perfect Game Preseason High School Senior All-Region First Team selection, he batted .444 with two home runs and 24 RBI through 20 games.

Romano has maintained an A-minus average in the classroom. He has volunteered locally on behalf of a mentoring program at an elementary school and the Mill Foundation for Kids, which benefits children suffering pediatric illnesses.

Romano has signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball on scholarship at the University of Tennessee this fall.

Romano joins recent Gatorade Connecticut Baseball Players of the Year Colin O'Keefe (2009-10, Waterford), Matt Carasiti (2008-09; Berlin), Jason Esposito (2007-08, Amity), and Matt Harvey (2006-07, Fitch), among the state’s list of former award winners.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: JORDAN COTE, WINNISQUAM REGIONAL

The 6-foot-5, 215-pound senior right-handed pitcher has led the Bears (13-4) to a berth in the Div. III postseason tournament against Stevens High, scheduled for June 2. Cote owns a 5-1 record on the mound with a 0.73 ERA, recording 72 strikeouts against just six walks in 38.1 innings. A three-time All-State selection, he owns a .480 batting average with three home runs and 24 RBI. Cote was the Class M Player of the Year in 2010 and was a Rawlings/Perfect Game Preseason High School Senior All-Region First Team honoree.

Cote has maintained a B average in the classroom. He has volunteered locally on behalf of youth baseball programs and an area nursing home.

Cote has signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball on scholarship at Coastal Carolina University this fall, but is projected as an early round selection in this month’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Cote joins recent Gatorade New Hampshire Baseball Players of the Year Mike Montville (2009-10, 2008-09, Portsmouth), Brad Zapenas (2007-08, Nashua North), and Brian White (2006-07, Salem), among the state’s list of former award winners.

RHODE ISLAND: HARRISON BARLOW, SOUTH KINGSTOWN

The 6-foot-1, 165-pound senior shortstop batted .479 along with 36 runs scored, 20 stolen bases, 14 RBI and seven doubles this past season, leading the Rebels (16-8) to a berth in the Division I state tournament. A returning First Team All-State selection, Barlow produced a .630 slugging percentage and .578 on-base percentage. Also a right-handed pitcher, Barlow posted a 1.77 ERA and 15 strikeouts against just one walk in 17.1 innings. The two-time Division I South Player of the Year, he finished with a .500 batting average at the plate in addition to a 1.99 ERA over 25 innings on the mound as a junior.

Barlow has maintained a 3.44 GPA in the classroom. In addition to donating his time as a youth baseball instructor, he has volunteered as part of the Vacation Bible School on behalf of his church community.

“He’s a great ballplayer,” said South Kingstown head coach James Sauro. “He’s by far the best shortstop and one of the best pitchers in the state. For two years, he’s been the Most Outstanding Player in the league, and three of the final four teams remaining are from Division I South. Harrison’s a stud. We only had one captain this year, and it was him. Whenever things went wrong, he kept guys on task. He’s a great leader.”

Barlow will attend the University of Rhode Island this fall.

Barlow joins recent Gatorade Rhode Island Baseball Players of the Year Anthony Aceto (2009-10, North Providence), Ryan Morris (2008-09; North Kingstown), Ryan Westmoreland (2007-08, 2006-07, Portsmouth), among the state’s list of former award winners.

MAINE: SCOTT HEATH, WESTBROOK

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound senior left-handed pitcher led the Blazes to a 14-1 record entering their regular-season finale with Cheverus, scheduled for May 31. At the time of his selection, Heath owned a 5-0 mark on the mound with a 0.00 ERA, recording 41 strikeouts in 32 innings pitched. A two-time All-State selection and the 2010 Telegram League MVP, he batted .390 with 18 RBI through 15 games.

Heath has maintained an A-minus average in the classroom. A devoted member of his church community, he has volunteered as a peer mentor in his school.

Heath has signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball on scholarship at the University of Maine this fall.

Heath joins recent Gatorade Maine Baseball Players of the Year Matt Verrier (2009-10, Oxford Hills Comprehensive), Chris Bernard (2008-09; Scarborough), Kyle Stilphen (2007-08, Gardiner Area), and Jarrett Lukas (2006-07, Old Town), among the state’s list of former award winners.

VERMONT: NICK SWIM, BELLOWS FREE ACADEMY

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound senior shortstop led the Bobwhites to a 12-3 record and a berth in the Div. I postseason tournament, scheduled to begin May 31. At the time of his selection, Swim owned a .558 batting average with two home runs, 21 runs scored and 21 RBI. He’s a three-time All-Metro selection.

Swim has maintained a 3.45 GPA in the classroom. A member of his school’s Athletic Leadership Council, he has volunteered locally on behalf of youth sports programs. He also has donated his time by mowing lawns and shoveling snow for elderly residents in his neighborhood.

Swim intends to complete a year of post-graduate study at Maine’s Bridgton Academy, beginning this fall.

Swim joins recent Gatorade Vermont Baseball Players of the Year Adam Picard (2009-10, Essex), Ryan Carter (2008-09; Proctor), Greg Lutton (2007-08, Mt. Abraham Union), and Casey Harman (2006-07, South Burlington), among the state’s list of former award winners.