‘Baseball driven’ standout named 2024 MVP of the Little 4

By barstoolfanatics on June 4, 2024 • ( Leave a comment )

Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Ferndale’s Parker Prior

By Ray Hamill — Ferndale junior Parker Prior has been named Little 4 MVP in baseball after an outstanding season both individually and for his team.

Prior played a key role all spring for the Wildcats, who won their first Little 4 championship in 19 years and followed that with a North Coast Section championship.

And, according to his head coach Justin Andersen, it was his ability to raise the level of his game on the big stage that separated Prior from the pack.

“The bottom line is on the biggest days he was the biggest star,” Andersen said. “In that (conference-clinching) St. Bernard’s doubleheader, I believe he had 11 put-outs at shortstop and third base.”

Prior, whose team lost just three games all season long, including just once in the regular season, split time between shortstop and third base and also turned in some clutch performances on the mound.

But perhaps most impressive, it was his knowledge of the game that has stood out since he first broke into the team as a freshman.

“He has the biggest baseball IQ on our team and it shows in the big moments,” Andersen said. “He’s so baseball driven and baseball savvy.”

Prior was one of eight players to receive all-league honors for the Little 4 champs.

His teammates Levi Dixon, Tanner Pidgeon, Prescott Langer and Jonah Anderson each also were named to the all-league first team, while Trent Titus, Austin Michel and Jarrett Smith all were included as honorable mentions.

Dixon, Titus and Michel are the only seniors in that group, suggesting the Cats should be a force in the L4 once again next year.

And having that many players honored was no surprise for a team that went 11-1 in the Little 4 and 19-3-1 overall.

Levi Dixon

The Wildcats epitomized total team baseball all season long, with a potent lineup from top to bottom and every player contributing on a regular basis.

“Seven of my players were within 30 points of each other (in batting average),” Andersen said. “There wasn’t a whole lot of separation there.”

St. Bernard’s, meanwhile, had six players receive all-league honors, including three named to the all-league team.

Outstanding sophomore Michael Manzi was named to the all-league team, along with freshman Mateo Reiman and sophomore Tyler Hinrichs.

The Crusaders placed second to the Wildcats in a race for the Little 4 that went right down to the final day of action.

A pair of seniors also were named all-league for the South Fork Cubs, with Broc Contreras and Justin Freitas being recognized.

Both Contreras and Freitas are multi-sport athletes who enjoyed outstanding seniors years in multiple sports.

And rounding out the Little 4 all-league baseball team is Hoopa junior Lyle McKinnon, who was a continuous bright spot for the Warriors all season long and gave his team a chance to win every time he took the mound.