Event Preview | PG HS Showdown-Academies event page
2015 PG High School
Showdown-Academies team previews
Charlotte
Country Day Buccaneers
(Charlotte, N.C.)
- Roster/Schedule
Top
Prospects (Position, Class, PG
National Rank):
• Jordan
Greene, 3B, 2015, Top 500
• Trent
Alley, RHP/IF, 2016, Top 1,000
Pitching:
The
Buccaneers of Charlotte Country Day will be led on the mound by
junior righthander Trent Alley, a 6-foot-4, 200-pounder from
Charlotte, N.C. He’s a true Division I pitching prospect, already
working his fastball in the upper-80s with quality off-speed stuff,
and projecting for a good amount more velocity as he matures and
develops his large frame. He can cut or sink his fastball while
retaining command of it, and impressed PG scouts at last summer’s
Atlantic Coast Underclass Showcase.
Offense:
Leading
the offense from the middle of the order will be senior third baseman
Jordan Greene, a top 500 player in the class of 2015 and Clemson
commit. Greene stands 6-foot, 200-pounds and is well put together
with present strength and projection for more. He projects to hit for
both average and power, and can easily handle playing third base with
quick reaction skills and a strong arm. When not pitching, Trent
Alley plays some infield for the Buccaneers as well. He’ll see time
at first base and also as the team's DH; pretty much any way to get
his bat into the lineup. He’ll hit in the middle of the order with
Greene, where his line drive swing and run production will help to
pace the Charlotte Country Day offense.
Synopsis:
Charlotte Country Day
boasts two Division I prospects in Greene and Alley, and show balance
in all three facets of the game. It’s undoubtedly early in the
season, especially in a Mid-Atlantic state like North Carolina, so it
will be very interesting to see what kind of overall team play the
Buccaneers will showcase at this event.
East
Cobb Baseball Academy
(Marietta, Ga.) - Roster/Schedule
Top
Prospects
(Position, Class, PG National Rank):
• Lou
Velasco, 1B/RHP, 2017
• Jose
Mendoza, C/OF, 2015
• Clay
Davis, RHP, 2016
• Farrell
Dunlap, RHP, 2015
• Josh
McCullar, RHP/3B, 2015
• Aaron
Hall, OF/1B, 2015
• Jake
Weiss, OF, 2015
• Sebastian
O’Neill, OF/RHP, 2015
• Tristan
Young, RHP, 2018
Pitching:
The
East Cobb Baseball Academy is a well-know commodity in Georgia, and
they’ll be brining some quality talent to the 2015 PG High School
Showdown. Leading the charge on the mound will be a host of solid
arms, most notably junior righty Clay Davis, senior righty Farrell
Dunlap, senior righty Josh McCullar, and senior righty Sebastian
O’Neill. As one can see, this is a veteran staff with lots of
battle-tested pitchers. Clay Davis is already up over 80 mph as a
junior, and does a good job throwing strikes at the bottom of the
zone. Farrell Dunlap is massive at 6-foot-7 with a loose arm and
quality fastball that works in the low-80s with life from a low
three-quarters slot. Josh McCullar has been up to 81 in the past and
figures to have gained velocity since that last recording. Sebastian
O’Neill provides yet another quality arm that can get above 80 mph,
in addition to being an excellent athlete who will play the outfield
when not on the mound. Others to watch on the mound are freshman
Tristan Young, who is already 6-foot-1, 185-pounds, and senior righty
Devon Eubanks.
Offense:
In
addition to a veteran-laden pitching staff, the ECBA lineup will also
have lots of experience and depth. Senior outfielder Jake Weiss is a
Top 1,000 player in the class of 2015, and patrols the outfield with
a very strong arm and solid athleticism. He’ll hit in the middle of
the lineup as well. Joining him in the outfield will be the
aforementioned Sebastian O’Neill, as well as senior Aaron Hall, a
7.3 runner with solid hitting tools. Handling the load behind the
plate will be senior Jose Mendoza, a strong prospect who can pop in
the sub 2.00-second times as well as provide pop from the middle of
the lineup. Senior Zach Basel will play first base and could catch
some when needed, as he brings great size and projectable hitting
tools to the table. Lou Velasco will play some corner infield, and
will probably be the main power threat for ECBA.
Synopsis:
This is an experienced,
veteran team that has been there and done that as far as playing
together for a long time. They won’t get rattled easily, and will
be a very tough out regardless of who they draw as their opponent.
They're a team to watch in the Academies portion of the Showdown,
that much is for sure.
East
Cobb Padres-Spring HS
(Woodstock, Ga.)
- Roster/Schedule
Top
Prospects
(Position, Class, PG National Rank):
• Connor
Laubenthal, MIF/RHP, 2015
• Sam
Wallace, RHP, 2016
• Logan
Mikell, RHP, 2016
• Peter
Frazier, RHP/MIF, 2016
• Noah
Ludy, C/3B, 2017
• Alex
Parham, C/OF/RHP, 2017
Pitching:
Led
by a trio of righthanders, the East Cobb Padres-Spring HS team will
head into battle with a deep pitching staff, complete with
pitcher-only types and two-way players alike. Juniors Sam Wallace,
Logan Mikell, and Peter Frazier should handle the bulk of the
pitching load for Head Coach Byron Kizer, and all three offer varying
repertoires and levels of pitchability. Senior Connor Laubenthal will
play the middle infield, but can run his fastball up over 80 mph when
called upon to pitch out of the bullpen. Sophomore Alex Parham is a
bit of a jack-of-all-trades player, but can throw some quality
innings as well if needed.
Offense:
Senior
Connor Laubenthal, in addition to being an excellent option on the
mound, will probably lead the team in the field at shortstop and hit
at or near the top of the lineup. Junior Peter Frazier will see some
time in the middle infield as well, though he could play several
positions if needed. Splitting the catching duties will be a pair of
sophomores in Noah Ludy and Alex Parham. Ludy shows some power to all
fields at times, and could end up leading the team in RBI. Parham is
a super utility player who could really play anywhere if necessary.
Synopsis:
This
is a well-balanced team, with lots of arms and a good mix of veteran
leadership and youth. Senior Connor Laubenthal is the “elder
statesman” here, but several others have the chance to step up and
lead if given the chance. They mix solid pitching with a good
top-to-bottom lineup, and should compete well in this event.
Faith
Baptist (Brandon, Fla.)
- Roster/Schedule
Top
Prospects
(Position, Class, PG National Rank):
• Sixto Torres, LHP/1B, 2015, 111
• Francisco
Arias, RHP, 2015, 217
• Arthur
Rolle, RHP, 2015, Top 500
• Hafid
Nunez, RHP, 2015, Top 500
• Alberto
Vargas, RHP, 2015, Top 500
• Raudy
Martinez, OF, 2015, High Follow
• Shameko
Smith, RHP, 2016, Top 1,000
• Chavez
Young, OF, 2016 High Follow
Pitching:
If
there is a truly loaded pitching staff in the Academies division of
the Perfect Game High School Showdown, Faith Baptist has it. Five of
their top seven prospects are pitchers, and the majority of them can
easily reach over 90 mph. The ace here is senior Francisco Arias, a
Seminole State College recruit who is drawing some interest from
professional scouts as well. Currently ranked 217th overall in the
class of 2015, Arias is capable of ramping his fastball up into the
mid-90s when he wants to, and a good curveball/slider combo round out
his arsenal. Fellow senior righthanders Arthur Rolle, Hafid Nunez,
and Alberto Vargas will round out the rotation. Rolle has been up
over 90 mph in the past; Nunez is a giant at 6-foot-6 and gets up to
the low-90s with an easy arm; while Vargas has been clocked as high
as 92 at Perfect Game events. Junior righty Shameko Smith works in
the upper-80s with quality athleticism and is one to watch moving
forward. Sixto Torres, the 111th ranked player in the class of 2015. The 6-foot-5 lefthander can run his fastball up into the mid-90s, and is generating some significant interest amongst professional scouts as a result. He generates excellent movement on the fastball, and has shown the ability to either sink it or cut it at will, adding a dynamic dimension to his already impressive repertoire.
Offense:
Leading
the offense for Faith Baptist is a pair of outfielders in the form of
Raudy Martinez and Chavez Young. Both offer interesting profiles,
offensively and defensively, but with different sets of tools.
Martinez is the more powerful of the two, standing at 6-foot-4,
180-pounds, and he displays a smooth stroke with some legitimate
power. He’ll also show a strong arm and solid athleticism in the
field. Young is a bit more quick-twitch and a bit faster, hitting at
the top of the lineup and does an excellent job of stealing bases.
Synopsis:
Make
no mistake, this is a pitching-heavy team. But even with the seeming
unbalance, it might not even matter for Faith Baptist, who are the
defending champions for the Academies division of the Showdown. With
a bevy of experienced righthanded pitchers, nearly all of whom can
get over 90 mph with ease, Faith Baptist is going to be very
difficult to play against.
Homeplate
Citadels (McDonough, Ga) –
Roster/Schedule
Top
Prospects (Position, Class, PG National Rank):
• Saul
Forman, RHP, 2015
• Killian
Smith, RHP, 2016
• Timothy
Shaw, RHP, 2015
• William
Manning, RHP/OF, 2015
• Nick
Bollinger, C, 2015
• Drew
Pepper, 2B, 2017
• Frankie
Hohenstein, OF, 2015
Pitching:
The
Citadels will head into the Academies division of the PG High School
Showdown with a deep, talented rotation comprising of a good mix of
righties and lefties. Senior Saul Forman and junior Killian Smith,
both High Follow prospects, will lead the way. Forman, a senior
righty from Atlanta, is the ace of the staff. He can comfortably
throw his fastball in the mid-80s with projection for more from his
6-foot, 205-pound frame. Smith, the junior righty from Peachtree
City, works in the mid-80s as well and offers a physically mature and
strong 6-foot-1, 225-pound frame. Joining them on the mound will be
seniors Timothy Shaw and William Manning, as well as junior lefty
Jared McFall and sophomore lefty Miller McCathren.
Offense:
Senior
catcher Nick Bollinger will handle the bulk of the catching duties,
but watch out for sophomore Daylen Dunn to get some work behind the
plate as well. Both project well defensively as well as showing some
solid hitting tools. Up the middle, sophomore Drew Pepper will play
second base and hit near the top of the order. William Manning, in
addition to pitching, will see some time in the outfield. Frankie
Hohenstein, a senior, will hit somewhere around the middle of the
order and be expected to put his power on display to drive in runs.
Sophomore Mincho Herod projects to get some time at first base, and
his lefthanded bat will provide balance to the lineup.
Synopsis:
The
Citadels have a bevy of arms to choose from to throw at opposing
hitters, ranging from seniors all the way down to sophomores, with a
good mix of righties and lefties. They show good balance top to
bottom in their lineup, with good senior leadership behind the plate
and in the outfield. They mix veteran experience with youthful talent
to produce a well-balanced, potentially dangerous team.
North
Metro GA Baseball (Buford, Ga.)
- Roster/Schedule
Top
Prospects
(Position, Class, PG National Rank):
• Xavier
Torres, SS/2B, 2017
• Gabriel
Pizarro, 3B/C/OF, 2016
• Jonathan
Rivera, RHP, 2016
• Matt
Taylor, OF/SS, 2016
• Travis
Amaral, OF, 2016
• Zach
Mahr, RHP/UT, 2015
• Reece
Thompson, RHP/2B, 2015
Pitching:
North
Metro will bring a solid, pretty deep staff to the Perfect Game High
School Showdown-Academies. Leading the way for Head Coach Anthony
Fedele will be junior righthander Jonathan Rivera, who works his
fastball in the mid- to upper-80s, showing solid arm-side life and
command on the pitch. He also throws a curveball and a changeup to
round out his arsenal, with the curve being the better pitch of the
two but with both showing promise. Joining Rivera on the pitching
staff are seniors Zach Mahr and Reece Thompson, both of whom will get
some time in the everyday lineup as well. Mahr throws a
fastball/curveball combo, working at or around 80 mph from a
6-foot-2, 190-pound frame. Thompson is the sinker baller, throwing a
mid- to upper-70s fastball with heavy riding life, which produces a
lot of ground ball outs.
Offense:
All
of the players mentioned above will contribute in some way on offense
for Coach Fedele. North Metro is unique in that they don't seem to
have any “pitcher-only” players, but instead are made of players
who contribute in all three facets of the game. Sophomore Xavier
Torres and senior Reece Thompson should form the keystone combination
at shortstop and second base, respectively. Junior Gabriel Pizarro
will handle the bulk of the catching duties, as his sub 2.10-second
pop times will look to keep opposing runners from advancing on the
bases. Juniors Matt Taylor and Travis Amaral will patrol the
outfield, with both showing off excellent speed and fielding
instincts. Offensively, North Metro brings an on-base, opposite-field
approach into play, and according to Heach Coach Anthony Fedele, they
do it well.
Synopsis:
This
is a hard-working, high-character team. They’re all great kids with
excellent grades and more than enough talent to compete with the big
boys. They have a deep crop of two-way players who can contribute in
all three facets of the game and with great success.
West
Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.)
- Roster/Schedule
Top
Prospects
(Position, Class, PG National Rank):
• Julio Flores, RHP, 2016
• Cesar
Alvarez, LHP/OF/1B, 2016, Top 1,000
Pitching:
Junior lefty Cesar Alvarez, a 2016 Top 1,000 prospect, will show a
fastball that can reach the upper-80s at times. Junior Julio Flores has good command on the mound with a good curveball and touch the mid 80's on his fastball.
Offense:
All
three of the pitchers mentioned above have shown the ability to play
the field and be impactful with the bat, so don't be surprised to see
any two of them hitting the lineup while the third toes the slab on
the mound. Joining them in the lineup will be seniors Michael Diaz
and Daniel Soto, both of whom are hitting near .400 so far in the
2015 season.
Synopsis:
West
Oaks is a pitching-heavy team, yes, but they still will bring a
balanced attack to North Georgia this week. Torres and Alvarez are a
pair of giant lefthanders with big fastballs, but don't underestimate
the impact of this team on the offensive side of the game. They will
be a fun team to watch.