Brown, Clark and Hyder highlight first ‘Prep Ballplayer’ voting of the 2018 season

Our “Prep Ballplayer of the Week” feature and vote is back!

Teams across the area battled chilly temperatures and in some cases, sloppy field conditions due the mid-March snowfall. But players didn’t let it faze them as some within the Baltimore area posted strong numbers on the mound and at the plate.

In case you’re visiting ‘Prep Ballplayer’ voting for the first time, here’s the drill: Three new candidates will be revealed each Monday. You get to vote – early and often – for the finalist you believe should be our winner. Voting ends every Thursday night and the winner is announced each Friday.

If you’re interested in submitting candidates for our consideration, please send the player’s name, key statistics from the previous week and your contact information to sean@baltimorebaseball.com. We welcome suggestions and your feedback.

Here are the first three standouts of 2018 – and it’s a good list to start: Two different players who drove in seven runs in one game and one who reached base nine times in three victories.

Nick Brown, Sr., INF/OF, Archbishop Curley
Brown was a large part of Curley’s 5-0 week. The Towson University commit showcased power against St. Paul’s on Monday – hitting two home runs and a double en route to a seven-RBI performance. Brown added a double and drove in two runs against McDonogh on Thursday. He capped off the week with two more doubles and three RBIs in a tournament Saturday against Old Mill and Broadneck. The Friars also beat local power Archbishop Spalding, 2-1, and Brown contributed a walk and a hit. Overall, he had a whopping 12 RBIs on the week.

Cameron Clark, Sr., RHP/INF, Severna Park
Severna Park held a 9-2 lead over Arundel on Monday when Clark exited the game after six innings of work. The right-hander, credited with allowing those two runs, struck out nine batters during his outing. In the 7th inning, Arundel erupted for seven runs – tying the game. But Clark delivered in the bottom half – hitting a walk-off, two-run home run to put the Falcons in the win column. On Wednesday, Clark went yard twice, notched seven RBIs and scored two runs during Severna Park’s 21-1 rout over Severn.

Cameron Hyder, Sr., OF, Reservoir
Hyder reached base nine times for the Gators this past week. The Salisbury University commit hit four singles, two doubles and legged out a triple. He registered four RBIs, scored three runs and also walked twice. Reservoir went 3-0 on the week – earning wins against Long Reach, Centennial and Oakland Mills.

Others considered (listed alphabetically): Ryan Archibald, John Carroll; Drew Jeffries, Severna Park; Tyler Locklear, Archbishop Curley; Kody Milton, Severna Park; Paul Nixon, Archbishop Curley; Cory Poulson, C. Milton Wright.