Three of baseball's best may go to UGA

Imagine the three best prep players you have ever seen playing on the same team.

The team would be a juggernaut. The team would be unbeatable. That team could be Georgia baseball in 2007.

As of now, the three best high school baseball players I've seen are committed to the University of Georgia. Cross Creek senior Jon Egan, Columbus senior pitcher Iain Sebastion and Greenbrier junior first baseman Rich Poythress have all made pledges to the Bulldogs.

Egan, the sweet-swinging catcher from Cross Creek, signed with Georgia this past November. He is a .500-hitter and has more than 30 home runs in his prep career.

"The only RBI he will get against us is if the bases are loaded," Harlem coach Jimmie Lewis said in March. "We'll walk in the run. He's too good and too dangerous to pitch to. He will kill you if you give him something to hit."

Egan was ranked as the 33rd best prospect in the Baseball America/Perfect Game Top 100 High School prospects.

Sebastion was listed 64th in the same rankings. The 6-4, 230-pounder went 13-0 with a 1.86 ERA as a junior at Columbus, which beat Greenbrier in the state semifinals in 2004 and won the state title. He also hit .355, with 12 home runs.

"Iain is arguably one of the top pitchers in the country and will make an early impact," Georgia coach David Perno said in a November news release. "He is a power pitcher from the right side and will help us offensively swinging from the left side."

Both Egan and Sebastion played in the elite AFLAC All-American High School Baseball Classic in Maryland this past August. It annually features some of the nation's top draft picks.

Poythress has verbally committed to the Bulldogs but won't join the team until 2007.

It is hard to imagine, however, that all three will end up at Georgia.

The least likely to show up in Athens is Egan, who major league scouts are drooling over. It has become rare to find a prep catching prospect with his defensive and offensive prowess. The Boston Red Sox have been mentioned as a possible suitor. He should be selected in the top three rounds of June's Amateur Draft.

"Jonathan will be tough to keep from the professional draft because he is one of the best high school catchers in the country," Perno said.

Sebastion is more likely to attend Georgia, but he will be drafted. Scouts love his combination of size, power and versatility.

Poythress is a wild card because he also is likely to be drafted. But Poythress seems to be committed to going to school from conversations we've had. He also said he dreams of being drafted.

For now, it is uncertain whether all or any of the three will go to Georgia.

But if they do, I'll be standing in line for a ticket.