5 prep baseball players to watch

Arthur Pate

Shorewood | Sr. | Shortstop

Pate, a speedy 6-foot shortstop and University of Washington signee, hit .298 last season with five doubles and a triple. Two seasons ago as a sophomore, Pate hit .415 with four doubles and three triples. He is ranked by Baseball Northwest as the No. 4 prospect in the state.

“As far as his talent, the sky’s the limit,” Shorewood coach Wyatt Tonkin said. “He’s got all the tools that you’d look for in an infielder: strong arm, quick feet, great instincts. He’s got decent power and he’s close to being a five-tool player — the closest I’ve had in a long time. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he got drafted this spring.”

Michael Attalah

Cedar Park Christian | Sr. | Pitcher/First base

Attalah, a 6-foot-2 Oregon State University signee, recorded a 3.62 earned-run average last season with 35 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched. He also batted .464 with six home runs and 20 RBIs. He is ranked by Baseball Northwest as the No. 6 prospect in the state.

“Michael is a special talent,” CPC-Bothell coach Matt Stevens said. “He can hit, pitch and is an excellent defender. … He is a physical presence on the mound with excellent velocity and command of his fastball, and the ability to throw all of his pitches for strikes.”

Ryan Ober

Glacier Peak | Sr. | Shortstop

Ober, an Oregon State University signee, batted .421 with 13 doubles and a home run last season. He is ranked by Baseball Northwest as the No. 9 prospect in the state.

“He’s always been able to hit, even as a freshman,” Glacier Peak coach Bob Blair said, later adding, “His freshman year he was more of a contact guy. And then his sophomore and junior years he became a stronger hitter, more of an RBI guy producing runs for us. Offensively, that’s been his asset — his ability to drive guys in.”

Nick Hull

Edmonds-Woodway | Sr. | Pitcher

Hull, who has signed to play Division I baseball at Grand Canyon University, recorded a 1.13 earned-run average last season with 67 strikeouts and 14 walks in 49 2/3 innings pitched. He is ranked by Baseball Northwest as the No. 15 prospect in the state.

“He had an outstanding year last year, and I think he’s going to get even better, which is scary,” Edmonds-Woodway coach Dan Somoza said. “He throws pretty hard and he throws all his pitches for strikes, so he really attacks the strike zone. And he’s got great composure on the mound. He really understands how to pitch.”

Collin Montez

Archbishop Murphy | Sr. | Outfielder

Montez, a Marysville Getchell transfer and Washington State University signee, hit .404 last season with a .653 slugging percentage, five doubles, a triple and two home runs for the Chargers. He is ranked by Baseball Northwest as the No. 26 prospect in the state.

“He has the ability to drive balls out of the yard,” Archbishop Murphy coach Maxx Whitt said. “He’s a really strong kid. And he’s really good at situational hitting as well. He’s a good gap-to-gap hitter. His ability to cover ground (in the outfield) is quite impressive … and he’s probably the strongest arm on the team. There’s no wonder why he’s going to WSU.”

— Cameron Van Til, Herald Writer

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