Let's take a look at how the Oakland Press ranked the area's prep baseball crop a decade ago back in the spring of 2002;

1 Randy Frye (Lake Orion)

Frye was a power pitcher with few equals in his day on the prep diamond. He was the state's Gatorade Player of the Year and Co-Mr. Baseball (along with current big leaguer Chris Getz of the Kansas City Royals) as a senior in 2002. Drafted in the 4^th Round of the MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners, Frye had a five-year run in the minor leagues.

2 Drew Stanton (FH Harrison)

The county's best two-sport athlete of his era, Stanton was almost as dangerous on the baseball diamond then he was on the football field calling signals for TEAM HERRINGTON's gridiron gang, leading the Hawks to back-to-back state championships. In the spring he was a dominant, pitcher, hitter and shortstop, taking Harrison's diamond cutters – at that time skippered by John Herrington – to a trip into the Class B quarterfinals in '02, losing a 1-0 heartbreaker in extra innings to Monroe Jefferson. Stanton struck out less than 10 times his entire prep career and hit over the .500 mark as both a junior and a senior. Went to college at Michigan St, where he had a very good career quarterbacking the Spartans. Drafted into the NFL by the Detroit Lions, he's still in the league trying to craft a legacy as a durable back-up field general.

3 Kevin Lamb (West Bloomfield)

Just like Stanton at Harrison, Lamb was a MEEGA two-sport stud for the WB, starring on the diamond and the basketball floor and helping lead the Lake Show into the Class A final four in both. He also was a starting tight end/defensive end for the WB on the gridiron. This kid could really hum it from the bump on the baseball field, compiling over 35 wins in three years.

4 Dan Evey (RO Kimball)

Arguably the best base-stealer to ever lace up his cleats in the OC, racking up a county-record 150 successful swipes in his career with the now defunct Knights, Evey hit for average and power too, eventually playing his college ball at Central Michigan.

5 Gary Rosenberg (West Bloomfield)

This early-2000s version of Gabe Berman, Rosenberg was a heavy load to deal with, whether bringing his powerful presence on the mound or at the plate.  Named to the all-state dream team as junior and a senior and had a great college career at Johns Hopkins.

6 Dan Le Noue (RH Adams)

Four-star prospect behind the plate with a lethal bat to boot that went on to play his college ball at Western Michigan.

7 A.J. Scheidt (BH Lahser)

A pre-season All-American entering the '02 campaign, Scheidt was a talented catcher with a wicked arm and a hot stick. This former Knights lefty played his college ball in the Big 10 at Michigan.

8 Bob Schmidt (Oxford)

Another gem in the OC's crop of high-quality catchers back in '02, with a cannon of an arm and a bazooka of a bat for the Wildcats

9 Tony Luttman (Farmington)

A slick and steady outfielder and pitcher, Luttman helped lead the Falcons into the Class A Elite 8 as a junior. Had a perfect .1000 fielding percentage as a sophomore in 2000. Luttman holds the Farmington school single-season record for doubles (16) and RBI (40) and continued his career in college at Madonna.

10 Doug Pickens (Birmingham Brother Rice)

Only a sophomore in '02, Pickens had already showed why he would end up being one of the area's best three-sport stars of the 2000s, headlining the Warriors on the gridiron, hockey rink and baseball diamond. Played baseball in college at Michigan and was drafted in the big leagues by the Cleveland Indians, the franchise he still plays minor league ball for. As a prepster at Rice, he led the Orange and Black to appearances in consecutive state football championship games and baseball final fours.