Arkansas' best high school baseball players: Meet the state's top first basemen
By Kevin Bohannon
SBLive is looking at the best high school baseball players in Arkansas. Today, we feature the first basemen. Typically, first basemen are power hitters and known for their hitting prowess. This group of players cannot only hit, they can defend, and some shine on the mound, too. Players that play multiple positions might be featured on other lists. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list as there are hundreds of great players statewide.
Photo of Cole Spears by Tommy Land
Zanuel Martin | Elkins | SR
Martin was a force once again for the Elks this season in the middle of the lineup. He earned all-conference and all-state honors for the 25-4 Elks, a team ranked No. 2 in our SBLive Super 7 rankings all season.
Andrew Johnston | Episcopal | SR
Episcopal broke nearly every school record this season. They won the most games in program history and advanced to the semifinals of the 2A state championship. Johnston hit .333 with 8 doubles and 22 RBI. He also chipped in with 18 strikeouts over 12.1 innings on the mound.
Preston Prock | Conway | SR
Expectations were high for Conway this season coming off a state championship and Prock weas a big reason why. He had a dominant season on the mound with a 1.52 ERA over 31.1 innings. He did his most damage at the plate with 5 home runs and 31 RBI and a .339 average.
Shane Songer | White Hall | SR
Songer is a power hitter that will flourish at the next level. While White Hall didn’t make the state tournament this season, they did beat some of the top teams in the state and Songer was a big reason why. He will play collegiately for SAU Tech.
Christian Carnal | Star City | JR
Carnal really took his game to the next level this season earning all-state honors and first team SBLive All Arkansas honors after hitting .568 for the bulldogs. He had 15 extra base hits, 26 walks and only 6 strikeouts. He added 39 RBI as well.
Cole Spears | Lonoke | JR
Spears led Lonoke with 10 home runs and 40 RBI. He was at his best down the stretch hitting home runs in the regional and state tournaments. Spears played third, first and shortstop this season for Lonoke and was a lock-down closer on the mound. The Arkansas Razorback commit earned all-state honors and first team SBLive All-Arkansas as a utility player.
Beau Baxter | Batesville | JR
Baxter took a big leap in his junior year for the Pioneers. He served as an outstanding compliment to Mark Brissey on the mound in conference games with a 2.43 ERA and 7-2 record over 60.2 innings. He also hit .292 with 28 RBI and 9 doubles.
Jake Reece | Brookland | SO
Reece is only a sophomore and has been in high pressure situations for the Bearcats. He threw a complete game two hitter in the state tournament and a complete game in the regional tournament. He was named player of the week in the last week of April after hitting over .400 with three home runs in three wins for Brookland.
Broc Mattox | Benton | SO
Mattox has his best days in front of him as a player. He is a big, physical hitter with plenty of power in the bat. Keep an eye on him as he grows up in a Benton program known for producing outstanding baseball players.
Rylan Jones | Jonesboro | SO
Jones hit .525 for the Hurricanes this year with 13 extra base hits. Also had some big innings on the mound for Jonesboro with a fastball that has been clocked as high as 87 MPH this spring. Jones was named to the 6A All Tournament team and was a utility player on the SBLive All-Underclassmen team.
