SBLive Texas All-State Baseball 2023: Blake Mitchell is Player of the Year

Which high school baseball players rose above the rest in 2023 in the Lone Star State?

The Texas high school baseball season featured drama, heroics and compelling finishes across every UIL classification. 

And the Lone Star State is home to some of the nation's best high school baseball talent. 

>> Texas (UIL) high school baseball state 2023: Everything you missed in championship round

After covering the long 2023 season all the way through the finish at state in Austin and Round Rock, SBLive is commemorating the top performers across the state.

Here are SBLive's Texas high school postseason awards and all-state teams. 

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TEXAS STATE BASEBALL ALL-STATE AWARDS

Player of the Year

Blake Mitchell, sr., Sinton

Hit .452 with 41 RBI and six homers and backed up his high first round MLB Draft projections behind the plate, where he had a 1.000 fielding percentage. Two-time Gatorade Texas Baseball Player of the Year is signed with defending national champion LSU, but likely will sign where he's drafted. Led Sinton to the Class 4A UIL state semifinals. 

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Pitcher of the Year

Travis Sykora, sr., Round Rock

The Texas commit went 7-0 on the mound in 58 innings and led Round Rock to a district title. Zykora touched 100 at the Perfect Game All-American Classic and has continued to fill out a 6-foot-6 frame that has impressed MLB scouts and is expected to be chosen in the first round of the MLB Draft. Round Rock lost to Class 6A semifinalist Westlake in the regional quarterfinals. 

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Coach of the Year

Cory Beckham, China Spring

Two words: Playoff-tested. On China Spring's road to the Class 4A UIL state championship, it endured record-long 12-inning games in the semifinals and championship and Beckham led wins over nationally ranked Sinton and Texarkana Liberty-Eylau, then won two come-from-behind best-of-three playoff series in a row to help reach state.

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Offensive Player of the Year

Ethan Farris, sr., Cy Woods

The Texas State commit and all-Great Houston hitter of the year was tremendous at the plate, posting a .477 batting average, .532 on base percentage, 61 hits and 47 RBI and seven home runs on the season as Cy Woods' cleanup hitter, helping the Wildcats sweep their District 16-6A Region II slate and reach the state tournament before losing to Flower Mound in the semifinals. 

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Defensive Player of the Year

Cade Arrambide, jr., Tomball, catcher

The LSU-committed catcher is the a projected first rounder in 2024 and would be the state's top catcher — if not for Gatorade National Player of the Year Blake Mitchell. Arrambide hit .543 on the season for Tomball (26-13). He was clocked at 99 miles per hour on a throw from outfield. 

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Newcomer of the Year

Grady Emerson, fr., Argyle

TCU commit had already played with USA Baseball's under-15 national team before his freshman season. Then he asserted himself among the state's top players with a breakout season that netted the 6-foot-1, 16-pound Argyle sophomore a Class 5A first team all-state selection as a first baseman, but is also an effective middle infielder and pitcher.

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SBLIVE TEXAS ALL-STATE BASEBALL TEAM 2023

FIRST TEAM

Photo by Andrew McCulloch

Pitcher: Caylon Dygert, sr., Magnolia West (5A)

Led Magnolia West to its first state title with a save and a win in the 3-2 championship to cap a season where he went 14-0 with a 0.47 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 88 1/3 innings pitched.

Pitcher: Ty Zahradnik, sr., Keller (6A)

District 4-6A MVP went 10-0 in a dominant season: 0.60 ERA, 117 strikeouts and turned it up in three shutdown postseason appearances.

Catcher: Carson Riley, Liberty Hill (5A)

District 25-5A Defensive Player of the Year boasted a .992 fielding percentage and threw out 20 attempted stolen bases. Mary Hardin-Baylor commit.

First base: Adrian Rodriguez, jr., Flower Mound

6A state tournament MVP uncorked a two-run homer run that changed the game in a Class 6A title win over Pearland. Texas A&M commit is a switch-hitter. 

Second base: Colton Roquemore, Argyle, 2B, Jr.

Dallas Baptist commit hit .401 with 39 RBI and 14 stolen bases with a stout .977 fielding percentage on defense.

Short stop: Dylan Schlotterback, sr., Austin Lake Travis

Paris JC signee hit .421 with a .503 on base percentage, 27 RBI and 27 runs while leading Austin Lake Travis to the regional quarterfinals. 

Third base: Boots Landry, sr., Friendswood

Texas A&M commit hit .455 on the season with a .550 on base percentage and .871 slugging percentage with 46 hits and nine home runs. 

Outfielder: Nehomar Ochoa, sr., Galena Park (5A)

Houston commit hit .602 with a.685 on base percentage and 1.277 slugging percentage with 50 hits, 50 RBI, 11 home runs and 55 runs.

Outfielder: Caden Sorrell, sr., Marcus

A projected top-80 MLB Draft pick, the 6-foot-4 Texas A&M commit was District 6-6A Offensive Player of the Year. 

Outfielder: Aidan Smith, sr., Lovejoy

Hit .491 with a .582 on base percentage and seven home runs. Mississippi State commit was a first team Rawlings All-American.

Outfielder: Bennett Fryman, sr., Frisco Lone Star

Arizona State commit and District 9-5A MVP hit .363 with 36 RBI and seven home runs at the plate and a 7-1 record with a 1.84 ERA and 90 strikeouts on the bump.

Utility: Nico Partida, soph., Pearland, middle infield/third base

Led Pearland to the Class 6A championship gameLine at the 6A state tournament: 10 for 20 at-bat and went 13-0 with a 1.08 ERA in 77 1/3 innings pitched and 82 strikeouts.

Utility: Nathan Duvall, sr., Westlake, shortstop/RHP

Austin Statesmen's CenTex Player of the Year logged 31 hits and 19 runs while accruing an 8-1 record including 3-for-3 on save opportunities.

Utility: Mason Kirk, China Spring (4A)

THSBCA All-State selection was a strong presence in the infield for the Class 4A state champions, holding firm for two 12-inning wins back-to-back in the semis and championship. 

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SECOND TEAM

Photo by Andrew McCulloch

Pitcher: Duncan Bowles, sr., Randall

Pitcher: Zane Adams, sr., Porter

Catcher: Zane Becker, jr., Flower Mound

Catcher: Luke Billings, soph., Prosper

First team: Caden Ferraro, sr., Pearland 

Second base: Hudson Ellis, jr., Round Rock

Shortstop: Ashton Beaird, sr., Reagan

Third base: Ryan Alexander, sr., Frisco Reedy

Outfielder: Isaac Yruretagoyena, sr., Comal Canyon

Outfielder: Kendall George, sr., Atascocita

Outfielder: Sam Erickson, jr., Flower Mound

Utility: Jackson Rooker, sr., Celina

Utility: Carson Wallace, soph., Harleton 

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HONORABLE MENTION

James Ellwanger, sr., Magnolia West

Jacob Gholston, sr., Flower Mound

Cam Johnson, sr., Boern

Dondreone Kennedy, sr., Plano Prestonwood

Brayden Sharp, sr., The Woodlands

Chase Womack, sr., Central Valley Christian

John Youens, sr., Waco Bosqueville

Stephen Sepulveda, sr., El Paso Americas