2018 NHSI Team Preview: Hanover

USA Baseball’s annual high school tournament, the National High School Invitational, is one of the premier high school tournaments in the country and one of the biggest events on the draft schedule as well, bringing together 16 of the top teams in the country. This year’s tournament will have some of the most impressive talent in the event’s seven-year history and will take place in Cary at USA Baseball’s National Training Complex from March 28-31. Baseball America will preview teams as we lead up to the event.

Overview

Hanover (Mechanicsville, Va.) High brings in a talented and experienced roster that finished as the runner-up in last year’s Virginia 4-A state championship, just one year after winning the state title in 2016. With a pair of seniors on the left side of the infield—shortstop Jack Dragum and third baseman Camden Grimes—who have played almost the entirety of their high school careers on the varsity team, plus six returning starters from last year’s 23-3 club, Hanover will certainly not lack for experience.

Head coach Charlie Dragum’s program has turned out 14 Division I commitments over the last three years, including five players on the 2018 team. Dragum is committed to Virginia and is a solid all-around player, serving as the team’s shortstop and top arm, who can also hit and run. Grimes (committed to Virginia Tech) is a good defender at third with a strong arm and some power at the plate, while second baseman Nick Zona (committed to James Madison) can play shortstop with smooth actions and handles the bat well.

Center fielder Will Lopez is an impressive defender with good range and will be the team’s third arm, throwing from the left side with a solid secondary mix, while senior catcher Michael Warley should do a solid job behind the plate handling the pitching staff.

Consistent run production against the top-end pitching in Cary will be a question mark for Hanover, but the team’s experienced senior core should be able to hold their own.

Head Coach: Charlie Dragum

2017 Record: 23-3

Projected Lineup