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Magnolia Heights' Cole Prosek has been selected as the Gatorade Mississippi baseball player of the year for the 2026 season on June 1.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound senior had a .585 batting average with 79 RBIs, 18 home runs on 76 hits and 62 runs scored. On the mound, Prosek was 5-1 with a 4.22 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 36 innings. Prosek helped the Chiefs to an MAIS 4A-Division I championship after a 2-0 series sweep against Madison-Ridgeland Academy.
The title was Magnolia Heights' eighth consecutive.
“Cole had a tremendous season and high school career,” Magnolia Heights coach Chris McMinn told the Clarion Ledger. “His work ethic and leadership skills have been a pleasure to watch over the past five years.
“Cole will go down as one of the best high school players in Mississippi. I am really proud to have been able to coach Cole, not only has he been a great player but he is one of the best kids I have had the pleasure to be around.”
Prosek, an infielder, was a 2025 Perfect Game All-American Classic player, was awarded the Mississippi Max Preps player of the year and a 2026 Clarion Ledger Dandy Dozen selection. The senior is also an Ole Miss signee.
“Fortunately and unfortunately, I’ve had the opportunity of watching Prosek play since he was a ninth grader,” Pillow Academy coach Bruce Branch said in a press release. “From then to now, he sets himself apart on the field from the way he approaches the game. It’s more than just baseball. It’s who the kid is, too. You don’t find guys this humble and respected like he is around the state or around the country. In that regard, he’s well-deserving. From a player perspective, (he’s got everything) stat-wise as well as the competitor he is on the field. His mentality is: No one is going to beat him.”
MLB.com has Prosek as the No. 33 overall draft prospect and a projected late-first-round or early-second-round selection in their recent rankings. The projection marks Parker as the No. 9 high school prospect in this year's upcoming 2026 MLB draft, which will occur July 11-13.
MORE: How Ole Miss baseball signee Cole Prosek led Magnolia Heights to 8th straight MAIS title
Prosek joins recent Gatorade Mississippi baseball players of the year Joseph "JoJo" Parker (2025, Purvis), Konnor Griffin (2024, Jackson Prep), Cooper Pratt (2023, Magnolia Heights) and Dakota Jordan (2022, Jackson Academy).
Prosek is the fourth MAIS player in the last five years to win the award since Jordan in 2022 at Jackson Academy.
Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach out to him on X @MikeSChavez or Facebook at Michael Chavez.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Magnolia Heights' Cole Prosek wins 2026 Gatorade baseball player of the year
Continue reading...
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound senior had a .585 batting average with 79 RBIs, 18 home runs on 76 hits and 62 runs scored. On the mound, Prosek was 5-1 with a 4.22 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 36 innings. Prosek helped the Chiefs to an MAIS 4A-Division I championship after a 2-0 series sweep against Madison-Ridgeland Academy.
The title was Magnolia Heights' eighth consecutive.
“Cole had a tremendous season and high school career,” Magnolia Heights coach Chris McMinn told the Clarion Ledger. “His work ethic and leadership skills have been a pleasure to watch over the past five years.
“Cole will go down as one of the best high school players in Mississippi. I am really proud to have been able to coach Cole, not only has he been a great player but he is one of the best kids I have had the pleasure to be around.”
Prosek, an infielder, was a 2025 Perfect Game All-American Classic player, was awarded the Mississippi Max Preps player of the year and a 2026 Clarion Ledger Dandy Dozen selection. The senior is also an Ole Miss signee.
“Fortunately and unfortunately, I’ve had the opportunity of watching Prosek play since he was a ninth grader,” Pillow Academy coach Bruce Branch said in a press release. “From then to now, he sets himself apart on the field from the way he approaches the game. It’s more than just baseball. It’s who the kid is, too. You don’t find guys this humble and respected like he is around the state or around the country. In that regard, he’s well-deserving. From a player perspective, (he’s got everything) stat-wise as well as the competitor he is on the field. His mentality is: No one is going to beat him.”
MLB.com has Prosek as the No. 33 overall draft prospect and a projected late-first-round or early-second-round selection in their recent rankings. The projection marks Parker as the No. 9 high school prospect in this year's upcoming 2026 MLB draft, which will occur July 11-13.
MORE: How Ole Miss baseball signee Cole Prosek led Magnolia Heights to 8th straight MAIS title
Prosek joins recent Gatorade Mississippi baseball players of the year Joseph "JoJo" Parker (2025, Purvis), Konnor Griffin (2024, Jackson Prep), Cooper Pratt (2023, Magnolia Heights) and Dakota Jordan (2022, Jackson Academy).
Prosek is the fourth MAIS player in the last five years to win the award since Jordan in 2022 at Jackson Academy.
Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach out to him on X @MikeSChavez or Facebook at Michael Chavez.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Magnolia Heights' Cole Prosek wins 2026 Gatorade baseball player of the year
Continue reading...
