Rusk head coach Ross McMurry, right, congratulates pitcher JD Thompson (10) after three consecutive strikeouts in an inning in a home game against Palestine on Tuesday. The Eagles won 10-0.

Rusk’s JD Thompson and Malakoff’s Bryson Adair were both selected on one of the MaxPreps specialty All-America squads.

Thompson was chosen to the MaxPreps Underclass All-America Team, while Adair was named to the MaxPreps Small School All-America Team.

Thompson was one of the pitchers on the Junior All-America Team.

Thompson led the nation in strikeouts with 194 in 99.2 innings. The Vanderbilt commit went 13-1 with a 0.35 ERA.

Buford (Georgia) pitcher Dylan Lesko, who went 11-0 with a 0.35 ERA and 112 strikeouts, was selected as the National Junior Player of the Year.

Thompson was the only player from Texas to make the Junior All-America Team. On the Sophomore All-America Team were North Richland Hills pitcher Parker Hutyra and The Woodlands outfielder Brayden Sharp. On the Freshman All-America Team were Rockwall-Heath first baseman Caleb Hoover, Austin Westlake infielder Theo Gillen and Pleasant Grove outfielder Brenton Clark.

Franklin Community’s (Indiana) Max Clark, who hit .450 with six home runs and was 6-0 on the mound with a 0.84 ERA and 120 strikeouts, was named the National Sophomore Player of the Year. Harvard-Westlake (California) infielder Bryce Rainer, who hit .392 and was 9-0 on the mound with 74 strikeouts and a 1.46 ERA, was chosen as the National Freshman Player of the Year.

Past Junior Player of the Year winners are Jared Jones of California (2019), Bobby Witt Jr. (2018), Grant Holman (2017), Nick Brueser (2016), Jason Barber (2015), Chris Andritsos (2014), Alex Jackson (2013), Jeremy Martinez (2012), Kayden Porter (2011), Phillip Pfeiffer III (2010) and Thomas Dorminy (2009).

Past Sophomore Player of the Year winners are Blaze Jordan (2019), Jones (2018), Witt (2017), Ryder Green (2016), Daniel Cabrera (2015), Seth Beer (2014), Andritsos (2013), Kyle Marsh (2012), Keegan Thompson (2011), David Thompson (2010) and Bryce Harper (2009).

Past Freshman Player of the Year winners are Jared Jones of Georgia (2019), Jordan (2018), Lucas Gordon (2017), Hunter Barco (2016), Brice Turang (2015), Owen Lovell (2014), T.J. Collett (2013), Joe DeMers (2012), Carson Sands (2011), J.P. Crawford (2010) and Lance McCullers (2009).

Adair was a first-team infield selection on the Small-School All-America Team. Adair hit .506 with eight doubles, five home runs, 33 RBI, 52 runs and 40 stolen bases to lead Malakoff to the Class 3A title.

Adair was the only player from Texas named to the first team. The lone Texas player on the second team was Troy pitcher Hargen Rose.

Danville (Kentucky) standout Christian Howe was named the Small School National Player of the Year. He hit .547 with a nation-best 21 home runs, 51 runs, 13 doubles and 80 RBI.

Past Small School National Players of the Year were Ronan Kopp (2019), Ryan Weathers (2018), Mackenzie Gore (2017), Cole Ragans (2016), Daz Cameron (2015), Cameron Varga (2014), Carlos Salazar (2013), Byron Buxton (2012), Javier Baez (2011), Kaleb Coward (2010), Wil Myers (2009) and Tyler Stovall (2008).

Hayfield (Minnesota) head coach Kasey Krekling, who led the Vikings to a 26-0 record, was named the MaxPreps Small School Coach of the Year. Nacogdoches Central Heights head coach Travis Jackson earned the honor in 2017.

———

The high school baseball season is still seven months away, but MaxPreps released its way-too-early 2022 MaxPreps Top 25.

Two East Texas teams and four Texas teams total landed in the national rankings.

Rusk, which went 28-8 and advanced to the Class 4A championship game, lands at No. 21 in the national Top 25. The Eagles will return Thompson, along with Mason Cirkel, Tarrant Sunday Brett Rawlinson, Wade Williams and Will Dixon.

Hallsville checks in at No. 22. The Bobcats went 33-9 and made it to the Class 5A title game. Matt Houston, Sawyer Dunagan and Landon Bowden will be back for Hallsville.

The other two Texas teams in the Top 25 are Southland Carroll (No. 7) and Rockwall-Heath (No. 8) which competes in District 10-6A with Tyler Legacy and won the Class 6A championship.