Here are The Baltimore Sun’s All-Metro baseball teams for the 2025 season:
Player of the Year
Gavin Metrick, Reservoir, senior, pitcher
Before embarking on his senior campaign, Reservoir pitcher Gavin Metrick garnered some sage advice from a current major leaguer. Metrick listened carefully to the Boston Red Sox star, and then he decided to make some modifications.
The result was a final season to remember, including The Baltimore Sun’s All-Metro Player of the Year honors.
“Before the season started, I was given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the Boston Red Sox spring training,” Metrick said. “There, I had the chance to talk to many Red Sox players, including Jarren Duran, someone who places a lot of emphasis on the mental side of the game. I asked him if he had any goals coming into the season after his stellar performance last year. He told me he didn’t believe in setting specific goals — just in giving his all every single day. His reasoning was that if he fell behind on any goal, it would create unnecessary pressure.”
Sound logic for sure, but not exactly what Metrick decided to settle on in preparation for the 2025 season.
“When I got home, I applied my own spin on his philosophy,” Metrick said. “I printed out the [Maryland State Association of Baseball Coaches] preseason All-State list — a list I wasn’t on — and taped it on my bedroom wall. It became a daily motivator to keep pushing and improving.
“Every day, I left my room looking at the list as a reminder that there was still more work to be done on my part to get better. Rather than chasing individual stats or accolades, my goal was to give everything I had every single day — for myself, my teammates, and my coaches.”
Metrick did just that as a potent dual-threat contributor on a Reservoir squad that compiled a 20-2 record, including a regional championship, that concluded with a Class 4A state semifinal loss to eventual champion Walter Johnson.
“Gavin made some goals for this season after not having a great junior year,” Gators coach Adam Leader said. “He worked out, worked on his pitching and arm strength, and it really paid off for him.”
On the mound, Metrick compiled a 5-0 record, a minuscule 0.35 ERA, and a mind-boggling 75 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings. He pitched 6 2/3 innings of a combined no-hitter against sixth-ranked River Hill (18-5) and struck out 16 batters against Glenelg (14-5).
“Gavin has great command of his pitches,” Leader said. “He is able to read swings of players and attack any weakness he recognizes. His pitches move a lot, which kept players off-balance.”
Offensively, Metrick batted .429 with 22 RBIs, 20 runs, four doubles, two triples, a home run and 11 stolen bases. He struck out only once this past season.
“Preparation and self-belief: I made this a mental priority this year,” Metrick said. “In every situation, I was as prepared as I possibly could be. So, no matter what happened, I knew I couldn’t have done anything more. That gave me peace of mind throughout the year.”
Metrick will continue his career at Towson University, where he will major in business management.
Coach of the Year
Darrion Siler, John Carroll
Like a prophet from ancient times, John Carroll coach Darrion Siler foresaw a dramatic rise for his program when inspecting his current squad of talented seniors at their first practice some four years ago.
“Honestly, I’ve believed it since this senior class were freshmen,” said Siler, whose squad was anchored by seniors Casey Carpenter, the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference Player of the Year, catcher Dallas Brooks and ace Brooks Mueller, among others. “We’ve been building toward this for years. I’ve always felt this program was capable of breaking through to the top, and we’ve been knocking on that door for a while now.”
Add in some extra motivation from last year’s narrow playoff miss and a successful spring break trip to Alabama, and Siler had all the necessary ingredients to capture the program’s first MIAA A crown. The Patriots did so in grand fashion, sweeping all four of their postseason games.
“We were the most complete team,” said Siler, whose squad went 28-8 and 14-4 in the league, good enough for the tournament’s top seed. “We had elite starting pitching that gave us a chance to win every time out, and our bullpen was a trusted group of guys we could put in tough situations and know they would get the job done.
“Defensively, we played clean baseball. On offense, we trusted each other, stuck to our plan, and executed. It seems like every game someone else stepped up and delivered a big hit, everyone in the lineup had the moment this year. Incredible. In the playoffs, we outscored our opponents 2 to 1. That’s not luck. That’s focus. That’s trust.”
The Patriots showed that dominance throughout the final month of the season, winning their final 10 games, including a combined 8-4 sweep of fourth-seeded Mount Saint Joseph (13-11) in the semifinals and a combined 12-6 sweep of second-seeded Calvert Hall (23-11) in the championship series.
“This group climbed the mountain step by step,” Siler said. “Last year was tough. We missed the playoffs by a game, and it really stung. That was a wake-up call: Nothing in this league is given. So, the guys made a decision this offseason that they weren’t going to let that happen again. We were going to make a statement. That hunger showed up in the weight room, in practices, in how they carried themselves.
“Early in the season, we were still figuring things out, but each week we got a little better. The culture matured. The standard got raised. And by the end of the year, we were playing some really great baseball. Everyone was on the same page, whether it was the ace on the mound or the last guy off the bench, we were all rowing in the same direction.”
First team
Caden Blanck, Severn, senior, first baseman-pitcher
Blanck, a University of Richmond commit, earned MIAA B Conference Player of the Year honors by recording a 0.54 ERA with 83 strikeouts in 39 innings on the mound and a .420 batting average with 13 stolen bases at the plate.
Casey Carpenter, John Carroll, senior, first baseman
Carpenter earned MIAA A Conference Player of the Year honors by compiling a .401 batting average, 12 home runs — including a two-run shot in the A Conference final — 49 RBIs and 49 runs.
Joey Coudon, John Carroll, junior, infielder-outfielder
Batting from the leadoff spot, Coudon ignited John Carroll’s potent offense, batting .368 with a team-high 15 home runs and 60 runs to go along with 40 RBIs and 28 stolen bases.
Anderson Dang, River Hill, senior, catcher
Dang was a defensive stalwart behind the plate and a force in the box, batting a sizzling .563 with six home runs, 27 RBIs, 30 runs, six doubles and a pair of triples for the Hawks.
Will Haacke, Calvert Hall, senior, outfielder
This James Madison University commit batted .418 with 19 extra-base hits, including seven home runs, with 32 RBIs and 30 runs.
Eli Livingston, St. Paul’s, senior, outfielder
The Maryland commit was a force at the plate (.415 average, six doubles, six triples, five home runs, 24 RBIs, 26 runs, 16 stolen bases) and in the outfield, including a pair of assists while committing just one error.
Braeden Martin, Spalding, junior, shortstop
Martin, an All-MIAA selection, guided the Cavaliers (23-10) with a .418 batting average, .500 on-base percentage, nine doubles, two homers, 19 RBIs, 27 runs and 12 stolen bases.
Brooks Mueller, John Carroll, senior, pitcher
Mueller anchored a stingy pitching staff, leading the Patriots to the MIAA A crown by compiling a perfect 12-0 record with a 2.61 ERA, 60 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings and a .228 batting average against.
Brayden Robinson, Spalding, senior, pitcher
Robinson, an All-MIAA selection, was a dominant force on the hill for the Cavaliers, collecting a 6-2 record with 62 strikeouts and a 1.34 ERA as opponents hit a mere .186 against the talented right-hander.
Mike Swick, Broadneck, senior, outfielder
Swick, who has committed to Frostburg, paced the Bruins (21-2) with a .462 batting average, .583 on-base percentage, eight doubles, five triples, three home runs, 33 RBIs, 34 runs and 10 stolen bases.
Aidan West, Long Reach, senior, infielder
This slick fielding middle infielder, who is headed to North Carolina State, batted .538 with five home runs, 30 RBIs, 29 runs and 34 stolen bases.
Second team
Leo Antwerpen, McDonogh, junior, pitcher-first baseman
Kaden Barmer, Calvert Hall, senior, outfielder
Peter Bashore, Calvert Hall, senior, pitcher
Nick Cicale, Broadneck, senior, catcher
Aidan Ciurca, Hereford, junior, pitcher
Noah Forman, Broadneck, senior, pitcher-first baseman
Andy Lambert, McDonogh, sophomore, utility player-pitcher
Will Rhine, John Carroll, senior, infielder
Seth Rosenfeld, Long Reach, senior, infielder
Matt Russell, Reservoir, senior pitcher-shortstop
Carter Shanks, Liberty, junior, pitcher-third baseman
Nathan Wines, Spalding, senior, pitcher
Final Top 15 poll
Rank, team, record
1. John Carroll (28-8)
2. Calvert Hall (23-11)
3. Broadneck (21-2)
4. Reservoir (20-2)
5. Spalding (23-10)
6. River Hill (18-5)
7. Mount Saint Joseph (15-12)
8. Towson (16-3)
9. Liberty (15-3)
10. McDonogh (17-11)
11. Boys’ Latin (17-5)
12. Severn (17-5)
13. Chesapeake-AA (15-7)
14. Long Reach (15-5)
15. Gerstell (13-5)
Others considered: Centennial (12-5), Curley (17-13), Glenelg (14-5), Hereford (16-8), North Harford (18-5-1)
Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13.
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