Chattanooga-area’s top spring sports prep athletes to watch
This week’s TSSAA BlueCross Basketball boys’ state championship tournament marks the end to the winter sports season.
With the first official day of spring just one week away, five prep sports — baseball, soccer, softball, tennis and track — begin their seasons this week across the state.
Here are 15 Chattanoogaarea spring sports athletes to watch this season:
Alec Bouchard ( Notre Dame baseball): The Wofford signee — whose fastball has been clocked at 91 mph — ranked among the area’s leaders last season with an incredible 120 strikeouts over 65 innings for the Fighting Irish. He struck out 10 or more batters in nine straight starts and fired a no- hitter against Boyd Buchanan. He only allowed 30 hits and 17 walks to go with a miniscule 1.07 earned run average.
Hudson Calhoun (McCallie baseball): The Ole Miss signee went 7- for-10 with a home run, five runs scored and three runs batted during last year’s Division II-AA state tournament run to the championship. The senior shortstop/ pitcher is also excited to be back in the field and pitch this season after having to DH last year following elbow surgery.
Danielle Dunning ( Brained track and field): The sophomore speedster held the state’s fastest times in the 100 (11.69 seconds) and 200 ( 23.98) meter dashes in her breakout debut season.
Evie Culbreath ( Baylor track and field): The University of North Carolina signee is one of the nation’s top-rated combined- events prospects. This past weekend the Red Raiders star was featured in an ad campaign for Nike on a Times Square 3- story billboard in New York. She was the Division II-AA state champion in the 100-meter hurdles last season and currently
ranks 21st in the country with a time of 8.59 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles. Henry Ford ( Baylor baseball): Ford is a major power threat in the middle of a dangerous Red Raiders lineup. As a junior, the third baseman hit .422 with 13 home runs and 32 RBIs with a 21-to-10 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He has signed to play college baseball for the University of Virginia.
Olin Johnson (McCallie baseball): The University of North Carolina signee was lights out on the mound as a junior, helping the Blue Tornado win a state title by going 7-2 with a 1.77 earned-run average and 76 strikeouts over 59.1 innings.
Brodie Johnston ( Boyd Buchanan baseball): The Vanderbilt committment shined as a sophomore, batting .413 with nine home runs, 34 RBIs, 22 extra base hits and 18 stolen bases last season.
Jake Kellerhals (Baylor soccer): The playmaking all-state center back played a crucial role in helping the Red Raiders win their sixth TSSAA state championship since 1997. He made one of Baylor’s four penalty kicks in a 4-2 shootout advantage to beat Father Ryan for the Division II-AA crown. What Kellerhals can do from the back line is invaluable.
Reese Knox ( East Hamilton softball): The Lady Hurricanes look to end a 10-year state tournament drought and could very well do so with Knox leading the way. The Eastern Kentucky University signee has unlimited range in centerfield and is a tough out from the left-hand batter’s box. In 40 games last season, Knox batted .645 with 78 hits, 59 runs, 48 stolen bases and 24 extra base hits.
Holly Merritt (Baylor softball): She paced a stout lineup with a team- leading .506 batting average to go along with seven home runs and 41 RBIs to help the Lady Red Raiders claim a seventh straight Division II-AA state title. The junior outfielder also had more walks than strikeouts.
Brett Rogers ( Silverdale Baptist baseball): Rogers is one of the few in the state who could produce a 20-20 season when it comes to stolen bases and home runs. The senior five- tool outfielder and left-handed hitter had a .475 batting average with 12 home runs, 28 stolen bases and 45 RBIs last season for a 32-win Seahawks team which reached the Division II-A state tournament.
The Andreas Blue Tornado Sillaste No. 1 ( McCallie seed has his tennis): eyes set on becoming the fourth singles champion in program history. The senior has been a part of three straight Division II-AA team state championships for McCallie and was the singles runner-up, falling 6-4, 6-4 to Ensworth’s Hank Trondson in last year’s finals.
Grayson Smith (McCallie baseball): The Florida signee was a key part of the state’s deepest pitching staff last season, going 6-2 with a 1.67 earned- run average and 78 strikeouts over 58.2 innings. To say it will be hard to score runs on McCallie this season is an understatement.
Kennedy Stinson (Silverdale Baptist softball): The Western Kentucky University signee had 17 home runs while driving in 48 runs and scoring 52 more last season for a 30-win Lady Seahawks team. The junior outfielder will once again be an intimidating presence.
Mills Wood (Boyd Buchanan soccer): Last season’s Division II-A state runner-up finish was fueled by Wood, who finished in the top 10 in the state in goals scored with 27 as a junior. He landed a hat trick in a 3-2 state quarterfinals victory over Lausanne and also set a school record with five goals against Concord Christian.