14u PG Series Day 4 notes
A full day of games at the PG Series Classic on Friday brought out some of the best baseball we have seen all week. From full games, to continuation games, to doubleheaders, this group of 14u players brought out their best on Day 4.
The action kicked off with two of the most talented teams battling in a close game, with North Texas eventually edging SoCal 2-0. North Texas finished pool-play with a perfect 4 and 0 record and have some great talent on both sides of the ball. Noah Mayhan was filling up the zone in his 1.2 innings of work, collecting 3 strikeouts and walking no one. Mayhan’s front side stays slightly open, but that creates good sink on his fastball and a very good changeup that bottoms out of the zone. His curveball also featured late break. Hagen Mangum was the spark plug for North Texas in this game, recording a hit and scoring both of the team’s runs. 2020 grad Lucas Costello is one of the more advanced players this week, displaying great hands and footwork at shortstop. He also has a very level swing, gets his hands to the ball quickly, and is a plus runner from home to first.
For Socal, starting pitcher Ryne Guida gave a great effort on the mound, going 5 innings and only giving up 1 earned run. 2020 grad Joseph Cetale has been hitting all week, and will most likely continue that streak through the playoffs. The tall lefty has a very smooth swing, stays balanced, and uses all parts of the field. Max Isaacman also showed a good lefty swing, as well as a quick transfer and release from behind the plate. Blake Christopher hammered a ball to the left field fence with a short and compact, but very powerful swing.
Santino Cervone, playing for team Central, was very impressive on the mound. Up to 81 mph, he brings his leg up slowly and then explodes toward the plate. He also creates good deception and hides the ball well starting from a closed stretch position. Also from Central, 2020 grad and Missouri native Trevor Austin has been performing all week at the plate. Austin has raw mechanics, but always finds a way to put his barrel on the ball and hit the ball hard. He has also shown solid athleticism and a good feel for the game.
Team West has a group of players with raw talent and tools, with two of those players being Parker Loverich from Washington and Gavin Roberts from Washington. Loverich is a 2020 catcher with very good arm strength and advanced actions defensively. He also moves well laterally and blocks well. On top of that, Loverich recorded a 1.95 sec pop time during skill testing. Roberts is a projectable middle infielder, already at 6 feet tall and room to fill out his frame. He has a chance of being a great athlete, and his smooth infield actions are already very good for his age. A third player from West worth noting is Jacob Griffin, a tall, athletic build lefty bat who has a balanced approach and creates good leverage in his swing. Griffin showed one of the better swings from a mechanical standpoint all week.
Team Puerto Rico also has some outstanding athletes, starting with their shortstop Jaasiel Casul. Standing only at 5’3’’, Casul’s actions at SS have been unmatched so far this week. During a game in the in JetBlue Stadium, he snared a one hop line drive after laying out in the hole, then popped up and threw a perfect one hop to first base before the runner got there. With some of the best hands and footwork in the event, Casul has a chance to be a plus defender in the infield.