Plano West's McKinney named to Rangers AC team

Rockwall-Heath’s Bret Boswell, Plano West’s Billy McKinney, Colleyville Heritage’s Cody Thomas and Keller Fossil ridge’s Sheldon Neuse have been named to the 2012 Texas Rangers Area Code which symbolizes the tate’s top baseball prospects over the next two years.

Neuse (pronounced noisey) was the only Class of ’13 propsect which played in the Area Code Games of 2011 on the Rangers roster. A shortstop, Neuse was one of several top players at the AC tryouts earlier in June at Weatherford College.

Plano West’s McKinney was selected and it helps re-establish the hard-hitting outfielder among the area’s top prospects. McKinney was a rising freshman star at Plano West two years ago and has had solid seasons but the Wolves have flown under most radars in not qualifying for the state playoffs the last two years. McKinney was a first-team All-
District 8-5A selection among coaches.

A left-handed hitting right fielder, Thomas may be the most high-profile player on the AC roster. Thomas is a quarterback commit to Oklahoma and he has plans to play both sports for the Sooners. Southlake Carroll quarterback Kenny Hill also was at the AC tryouts but won’t be attending the national games coming in a few weeks in Long Beach, Calif.

Boswell is a Class of ’13 commit who was an integral part of Rockwall-Heath winning the Class 4A state championship. Prosper left-handed Brandon Gilson was named to the team. Gilson was one of three Prosper players at the tryouts. Fast-rising Torii Hunter Jr. ran the fastest 60-yard time with a 6.7 but on the final AC roster. Hunter also is considered one of the state’s top football players. He’s the son of major league outfielder Torii Hunter. Prosper infielder Brandon Grudzielanek, the nephew of former major leaguer Mark Grudzielanek, also received a tryout invitation but didn’t make the final cut.

Showing signs of rebounding with top talent, Coppell didn’t have a player selected to the Area Code Games but had a half-dozen players invited to the tryouts _ Matt Delany, Jackson Cramer, Austin Gardener, Trevor Inman, Tyler Zabojnik and Tyler Jones of the Class of ’13.

The most surprising player not on the Rangers’ AC roster is Waco Midway shortstop Kramer Robertson. He had a strong tryout performance but isn’t on the Long Beach roster. An LSU commit, Robertson has committed to LSU.

The most unheralded player named to the Long Beach roster is Burleson Centennial’s hard-throwing right-hander Casey Shane.