Top baseball players in the Southland for the 2008 season (for an expanded list, go to latimes.com/preps):
Compiled by Eric Sondheimer
*--* PITCHER Player School Yr. Comment 1. Gerrit Cole Orange Lutheran Sr. Cer tai n fir st- rou nd dra ft pic k. 2. Anthony Gose Bellflower Sr. Ari zon a sig nee is wor kah oli c. 3. Ray Hanson LB Wilson Sr. ASU sig nee was 9-0 las t sea son . 4. Aaron Northcraft Mater Dei Jr. Wat ch him dom ina te wit h hig h leg kic k. 5. Noe Ramirez Alhambra Sr. Alm ont Lea gue MVP hea ded to CS Ful ler ton . CATCHER 1. Kyle Skipworth Riverside Patriot Sr. Rat ed fif th- bes t pro spe ct in the nat ion . 2. David Peterson Servite Sr. Sig ned wit h Ric e. 3. Carlos Escobar Jr. Chatsworth Jr. Has bee n mak ing big str ide s. 4. Jeff Bandy Thousand Oaks Sr. Ari zon a sig nee hit .38 9. 5. Richard Brehaut Los Osos Jr. No dou bts abo ut his ter rif ic arm . FIRST BASE 1. Jordan Fox Bishop Amat Sr. Had sch ool -re cor d 56 hit s. 2. Christian Yelich Westlake So. He’ s 6-4 , lef t-h and ed, hit s for pow er. 3. Tim Smoley Arcadia Jr. Had 16 dou ble s. 4. Derek Collins Esperanza Sr. All -Su nse t Lea gue hon ore e. 5. Miguel Beltran Lakewood Sr. Thr ee- yea r sta rte r bat ted .34 4. SECOND BASE 1. David Nick Cypress Jr. Alr ead y com mit ted to UCL A. 2. Carlos Lopez Crespi Sr. Ful ler ton sig nee who hit s wel l. 3. Jack Marder Newbury Park Sr. Ore gon com mit is clu tch hit ter . 4. Zachary Chavez Santa Barbara Sr. Had 32 RBI s. 5. Matt Akiyama Bishop Montgomery Sr. Sig ned wit h CS Bak ers fie ld. THIRD BASE 1. Ricky Oropesa Etiwanda Sr. USC sig nee hit s and thr ows wit h the bes t. 2. Zachary Wilson LB Wilson Sr. ASU sig nee had 38 RBI . 3. Dimitri de la Fuente South Hills Sr. Sig ned wit h Pep per din e. 4. Ryan Arnold Northview Jr. Bat ted .40 3 as a sop hom ore . 5. Trevor Gee SO Notre Dame Sr. A ter rif ic hit ter . SHORTSTOP 1. Tyler Rahmatulla Mater Dei Sr. Hit s, fie lds , lea ds. 2. Tyler Chatwood Redlands East Valley Sr. Bat ted .56 4 wit h 11 dou ble s. 3. Cutter Dykstra Westlake Sr. Has spe ed and hit tin g ski lls . 4. Chris Amezquita Servite Sr. Ter rif ic two -wa y pla yer . 5. Danny Pulfer Cypress Sr. Mar ina tra nsf er is hea ded to Ore gon . OUTFIELD 1. Aaron Hicks LB Wilson Sr. Ste als bas es, hit s, fie lds ver y wel l. 2. Isaac Galloway Los Osos Sr. Bas eba ll Ame ric a’s 11t h-b est pro spe ct. 3. Scott Colton Mater Dei Sr. Sig ned wit h Sta nfo rd. 4. Tyler Brubaker Saugus Sr. Hit sev en hom e run s. 5. Dennis Holt Esperanza Jr. Alr ead y com mit ted to UCL A. *--*