Virginias Top 10 Senior Baseball Prospects

Together again! These two baseball prospects just can't seem to get away from each other! Our countdown of the State's Top 10 baseball prospects from the Class of 2008 concludes with co-#1 rated prospects -

Daniel Marrs and Austin Stadler - both from the reigning AAA state champion, James River High School.

Marrs and Stadler grew up in baseball together, beginning with a youth travel team formed when they were still only 8 years old. In their ninth season together, they headlined James River's run to its first state championship in any sport. The pair has long been recognized by scouting services such as Perfect Game and Baseball America as among the elite prospects from Virginia. Both will return to James River for their senior seasons next spring, where they will anchor not only the pitching rotation but also the middle of the batting order. After that, they have committed to anchoring Wake Forest's incoming recruiting class in 2008 – remaining teammates through their college years.

Impact Baseball, which bills itself as the premier scouting service for Virginia and the Carolinas, recognized both Marrs and Stadler on its 2007 Preseason "Virginia Dream Team". James River was the only high school with more than one player on the fifteen-member "Dream Team". Moreover, 12 of the 15 players noted were seniors – meaning that only one other 2008 grad in Virginia (Chad O'Connor) made that list. 

Named the Richmond Times-Dispatch's 2007 Metro Player of the Year, Stadler followed up a strong 2006 sophomore season for James River with several fine performances in travel baseball the following summer, including being honored as the offensive MVP of the Continental Amateur Baseball Association's World Series event. His regular season performance got him named first team All Dominion District and All Central Region both as a pitcher and as an outfielder. He was later named first team All State as an outfielder, with honorable mention at pitcher as well. Stadler strung together an unbelievable series of clutch performances to carry the Rapids on his back through the post season, finishing 12-0, 1.29 on the mound while leading the Rapids in the "triple crown" offensive categories, batting .464 with 7 HR's and 30 RBI. He is considered one of the nation's top "two-way" prospects, and is expected both to pitch and play offensively for the Demon Deacons come 2009.

Marrs was a finalist for Team USA in 2005 and 2006, then spent 2007 earning the moniker of "consensus All American." Prior to the start of the spring season, he was named both an Under Armor Pre-Season All American and a Perfect Game Pre-season All American, and was an early choice to participate in both the AFLAC All-American High School Baseball Classic and Baseball America/Baseball Factory's Cape Code High School Baseball Classic over the summer. Through the spring months, Perfect Game had Marrs ranked as its # 3 overall prospect in the class of 2008 -- the highest ranked pitcher in the nation. Marrs began the 2007 season determined to justify those honors, seemingly untouchable while going 5-0 with an 0.24 ERA in his first five starts. Unfortunately, shoulder tendonitis and an ill-advised early return to action derailed the second half of his season. Though his rehab program prevented him from pitching over the summer, the 6'3", 210-lbs. right hander has now fully recovered and is back to firing his trademark mid-90's fastball.

A notable omission from the VirginiaPreps.com

top ten list is Kyle Long from St. Anne's Belfield.  When our

list was first compiled, late this past spring, most of those consulted had not

seen Long play, nor had he participated in any showcase events in which to be

ranked by the many services that prepare high school baseball prospect

rankings.  Since that time, however, Long has participated in at least one

showcase event this summer in which he demonstrated a 96+ miles per hour

fastball.  Long, the son of former NFL great Howie Long, was thought at one

time to likely play football in college and possibly follow his older brother

Chris to the University of Virginia.  That plan was shot down in May when

Kyle made a verbal commitment to play baseball at Florida State.  But after

his pitching performance this summer, many feel he will be high draft pick in

next summer's Major League Baseball draft, and that he may never play baseball

or football in college.  Stay tuned!