Gainesville senior outfielder and pitcher Caden Merritt is the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 Baseball Player of the Year, and Gainesville head coach John Miller is the Class 6 Baseball Coach of the Year.

Merritt, a Class 6 first-team all-state selection last year as an outfielder, earned first-team all-state nods this season at both outfielder and pitcher. The five-tool 6’1″, 195-pound leadoff hitter batted a team-high .421 batting average while totaling a team-high six homers, 27 RBI, and 38 runs scored.

Four-year starter Caden Merritt is a two-way threat for Gainesville

Gainesville graduate Caden Merritt is on the move

He had a .763 slugging percentage and a .587 on-base percentage, leading the state with 30 stolen bases. As a pitcher, Merritt, a Coastal Carolina signee, threw 54 innings and fashioned a 10-1 record with 74 strikeouts/15 BB, a 1.53 ERA, and held opposing batters to a .173 average this season. His career batting numbers produced a slash line of .352 BA/.499 OBP/.583 SLG. He had 93 hits, 10 home runs, 74 RBI, scored 100 runs, and stole 64 bases.

In four short years and experiencing growing pains from its inaugural beginnings as a program in 2022, Miller took his 23-5 Cardinals to the Class 6 state baseball title with a thrilling 8-6 win over Cedar District and Region B rivals Battlefield in the finals.

The state title was not only a first for Gainesville but the first baseball championship for a Prince William County VHSL member school since 1995. In the program’s first four seasons, Miller has led the Cardinals to a 69-61 record while scheduling one of the region’s most demanding schedules each season.

His opponents put together a .830 winning percentage during the regular season. He spent three seasons, including the COVID year in 2020, at Unity Reed before moving to Gainesville in 2022.

Baseball, coaching and teaching are Miller family staples

Eight (8) players make up the first and second teams, regardless of position. Only those players selected to all-region first teams are eligible for selection to the All-State team. Each All-State selection committee comprises eight basketball coaches (2 from each Region).

FIRST TEAM

POSITION, FIRST NAME, LAST NAME, SCHOOL, YEAR

Pitcher, Caden Merritt, Gainesville, 12

Pitcher, Sammy Michel, Battlefield, 12

Pitcher, Aaron Dierks, West Springfield, 11

Catcher, Ben Bosse, Patriot, 11

1st Base, Brady Burkhart, Battlefield, 11

2nd Base, Justin Jerome, Chantilly, 12

3rd Base, Jack Ross, Hayfield, 11

Shortstop, Kaleb Williams, West Springfield, 12

Outfielder, Caden Merritt, Gainesville, 12

Outfielder, Nathan Tondreault, James Madison, 12

Outfielder, Nicolas Moritz-Toledo, Battlefield, 10

DH, Teagan Leach, Battlefield, 10

SECOND TEAM

POSITION,  FIRST NAME, LAST NAME, SCHOOL, YEAR

Pitcher, Daniel Nienaber, Glen Allen, 11

Pitcher, Alex Gonzalez, McLean, 12

Pitcher, Cael Yates, James Madison, 12

Catcher, Kase Cochran, Westfield, 12

1st Base, Niko Papathanasiou, James Madison, 12

2nd Base, Yogi Colangelo, Battlefield, 10

3rd Base, Logan Adams, Western Branch, 12

Shortstop, Ethan Ball, McLean, 12

Outfielder, Gabriel Pegues, McLean, 12

Outfielder, Ben Pulliam, Glen Allen, 12

Outfielder, Luke Sullivan, Patriot, 12

DH, Conner Doherty, Robinson, 12

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IN PHOTOS: Gainesville baseball captures Class 6 state crown

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