Baylor Varner and Eli Freyer have been two of the cornerstones for a Harlan baseball program that has been transformed over the past couple of years with two straight 52nd District Tournament titles and regional final four appearances.
Their play has earned them recognition as two of the best players in the region with their recent selection by Prospect U to the Kentucky Scout Team squad that will play all-star teams from around the nation.
“It’s always exciting to get recognized by an organization for your skills,” said Harlan coach Lee Freyer. “Eli and Baylor have put in tons of work. It’s good to see them getting exposure and recognition. I know they take pride in being selected to Team Kentucky. They take great pride in representing our school, district and region. They are both hard workers and love to compete. It’s been a joy seeing them play and compete with a lot of the best players in our state, and against some of the best players from Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. They have really held their own. It’s been good to see them grow and realize they can play with anyone.”
Freyer, a junior infielder, was ranked as the eighth best player in the nation in the junior class for the players who have attended Prospect U events. He led the team with a .415 average last season with 34 hits and 20 RBI.
Varner, a senior shortstop and pitcher, was third on the squad with a .342 average and 27 hits. He had a team-high 32 runs with 19 RBI and 16 steals in 18 attempts.
The Kentucky Scout Team will play games at Union Commonwealth, the University of the Cumberlands and Georgetown in September and at Kentucky Christian, Alice Lloyd and Pikeville in October.