Here are 15 Division I baseball players who played for Wilmington-area high schools

The 2024 college baseball season is underway, and the Wilmington area has plenty of representatives.

Each year, Wilmington-area high schools turn out a host of baseball talent, with several becoming MLB draft picks in recent years. This list is for athletes from Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties on current Division I rosters, but there are also a large number at the Division II and III levels.

Our list also doesn't include South Brunswick's Walker Jenkins, who was selected No. 5 overall by the Minnesota Twins in the 2023 MLB Draft.

Did we miss someone on this list? Let sports reporter Michael Cuneo at mcuneo@gannett.com.

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Brandon Bannerman, Trask, Longwood University

Batting .568 batting with 14 doubles, three triples, two home runs and 36 RBIs in his senior season at Trask, Bannerman begins his freshman season with the Lancers this spring.

Miles Cota, Topsail, UMass Lowell

Cota made a career-high 16 appearances and six starts as a senior for the Riverhawks in 2023, throwing 18 strikeouts. As a graduate student this spring, he's made one appearance.

Cota helped Topsail reach a 3A state championship as a freshman in 2016.

Cooper Cavanaugh, Topsail, Davidson

The left-handed pitcher has thrown nine strikeouts in 4⅔ innings for the Wildcats as a freshman in the first week and a half of the 2024 season.

The reigning StarNews All-Area Pitcher of the Year, Cavanaugh led the Mideastern Conference with 134 strikeouts as a senior in 2023.

Jac Croom, New Hanover, UNCW

Croom is back with UNCW for one final go-around as a graduate student in 2024. The New Hanover baseball product had a breakout season with the Seahawks in 2023, batting .361 while recording 54 runs and 34 RBIs.

Croom helped New Hanover to 3A state championships during his junior and senior seasons. As a junior, he hit the only home run in New Hanover's state championship series win over Crest.

Sam Garcia, Laney, Oklahoma State

Garcia made the jump from High Point to Oklahoma State this spring. With the Panthers in 2023, the left-handed pitcher threw 49 strikeouts in 44 innings.

A 2020 Laney graduate, Garcia had 40 strikeouts in his best season.

Hunter Hodges, New Hanover, TCU

Hodges made 13 appearances for the Horned Frogs in 2023 as a junior, throwing nine strikeouts in 14 innings pitched, after transferring from UNCW.

During his time at New Hanover, he was also part of the back-to-back state title teams and went 6-0 as a junior.

Nathan Keeter, Coastal Christian, Liberty

As a sophomore for the Flames last spring, Keeter hit .172 with 19 RBIs and 17 runs scored.

A 2020 Coastal Christian graduate, Keeter set records for the Centurions as he batted .307 with 74 runs and 40 stolen bases.

Chase Nixon, New Hanover, N.C. State

Nixon played in 32 games and made 18 starts for the Wolfpack, batting .319 with eight doubles, two homers, and 11 runs scored as a sophomore.

The junior (a 2020 New Hanover grad) excelled in both baseball and football during his time at New Hanover, throwing 28 touchdowns in his senior season and batting .321 as a junior.

Luke Nixon, New Hanover, N.C. State

The younger Nixon brother joins the Wolfpack this spring after batting .300, with 26 runs scored and two RBIs for New Hanover in 2023.

Spencer Nolan, Hoggard, UNC Charlotte

Nolan worked his way into the 49ers' starting lineup as a freshman in 2023, appearing in all but two games and batting .193 with four doubles, two homers and 14 RBIs.

A 2022 graduate, Nolan led Hoggard in hits as a senior.

Sean Smith, New Hanover, UNC Greensboro

Smith makes his debut with the Spartans after throwing 86 strikeouts and recording 15 RBIs as a senior at New Hanover in 2023.

Aubrey Smith, South Brunswick, UNCW

The sophomore pitcher made 17 relief appearances last spring, throwing 11 strikeouts.

With 99 strikeouts as a senior at South Brunswick in 2022, Smith helped lead the Cougars to a 3A state championship appearance.

Kyle Smith, New Hanover, New Mexico

The sophomore made 28 appearances and 20 starts for the Lobos last spring, batting .271 with three doubles, three triples, and five home runs.

As a senior in 2019, Smith was New Hanover's best hitter with a .451 batting average, 34 RBIs, 31 runs and four home runs.

Bromley Thornton, New Hanover, UNCW

One of the Mideastern Conference's best pitchers last season, Thornton begins his collegiate baseball journey in his hometown this spring.

Throwing 105 strikeouts, Thornton led the Wildcats to their first outright MEC title since 2019 and the quarterfinals of the NCHSAA 4A playoffs.

Isaac Turner, Trask, UNC Asheville

Turner joins the Bulldogs this spring after leading the Titans to a Waccamaw Conference title in 2023.

Shuffling from pitcher to shortstop to outfielder as a senior, he batted .561 with 38 runs, 25 RBIs, and 14 doubles.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington-area Division I college baseball players in 2024