4/10/2012 11:21:56 AM
As expected, it was an action packed opening day at the 2012 Hard 9 National Classic. The tournament has historically been one of, if not the top level of high school competition. On day one, most teams sent their aces to the hill to try and put their team into the winner's side of the bracket, so pitching was the big story on day one.
Bishop Alemany (CA) vs Carlsbad (CA)
It turned out to be a 1-0 pitcher's duel. The strike zone was big, and Carlsbad 2012 RHP Thomas Eshelman took advantage. Eshelman epitomizes the level of high school baseball in Southern California. While he's not especially big (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) and doesn't light up the radar gun (sat 84-87, topped at 88), he really knows how to pitch. Eshelman was spotting up his fastball well and showed advanced feel for his two-plane 70 mph curveball that he routinely threw for strikes in fastball counts. Eshelman struck out 14 and did not issue a walk (though he did hit two batters) while throwing a complete game two-hit shutout of nationally ranked Bishop Alemany.
The only run in the game on a solo Home Run to left center off the bat of Carlsbad 2013 3B/RHP Nick Anderson. The ball came off the bat at 88 mph and traveled approximatly 370 feet. Anderson was one of three standout position players for Carlsbad, joining him were: 2014 1B/LHP Matt Wezniak (DH'd this game) and 2012 1B Chase Blaker.
Bishop Alemany got a strong start out of 2012 RHP Corey Messmore, who combined a deceptive delivery and a finesse approach to frustrate Carlsbad's hitters most of the game.
The standout for Alemany was 2012 SS Peter Van Gansen. He not only had the best at bat of the game, in which he stayed back and drove a 1-2 curveball that was a few inches off the backdoor corner (had been called a strike all game long) into left field for a 2-out single, but he also made several good plays at shortstop.
2012 OF Corey Sims had the other Alemany hit, a hard ground ball through the 5-6 hole, and was one of the better swings anyone got against Eshelman. Sims looks the part with a strong athletic build and has quality hitting tools.
James River (VA) vs El Toro (CA)
This game drew a huge crowd of scouts, scouting directors, executives and advisors. They were mostly on hand to see James River 2012 LHP Nate Kirby face the toughest lineup he'll see all year. El Toro is a very difficult matchup for a pitcher, and Kirby fared well in the early going.
Kirby touched 90 mph twice in his start, working at 87-89. He worked in his 83-84 mph changeup aggressively. He maintains his arm speed on the changeup and it has extra tailing life at the end, but the velocity differential renders what is the makings of a quality changeup essentially an exaggerated two-seamer at present, so it was more hittable than it could have been.
Kirby throws two different breaking balls, a 71-74 mph 12-6 curveball, and a harder version at 78-81 with big 1-7 deep break and bite. The harder version is the better of the two, though it can get a bit slurvy at times, it is usually a very nasty breaking ball that can be used as a legitimate weapon against hitters.
Kirby ran out of gas in the 6th inning, after retiring the first two batters he faced, the wheels came off. He was eventually pulled after giving up a couple of runs and then the bullpen threw gasoline on the fire. El Toro put up a six run inning to break up what had been a scoreless affair with Kirby and 2012 RHP Tyler Brashears (who was relieved by 2013 RHP Stephen Villines) to that point.
It was clear from the pre-game warmups that El Toro is a complete ballclub, they not only boast a loaded offensive lineup, but also have standout defenders.
2013 C Gavin Collins showed off a strong arm, and popped a 1.93 between innings and had good carry on his throws while also showing good offensive ability for a catcher. 2012 1B Dan James is a dangerous left handed hitter who gives the top of the order some pop. 2012 3B/RHP Dan Comny showed off a strong arm from 3B and had some good swings against Kirby. 2013 INF Jonah Arrenado (younger brother of 2011 Arizona Fall League MVP and El Toro alum Nolan Arrenado) was another hitter who showed promise with the bat, having a two-hit day in spite of facing a high level arm.
El Toro looked like a legitimate contender in this tournament with the showing they had, surviving a tough opener is a big step for the Chargers, who will take on Carlsbad in the second round.
IMG Academy (FL) vs Cypress (CA)
A pair of 2013 RHPs took the mound as Brett Hanewich of IMG faced Kevin Lillicrop of Cypress. Hanewich wasn't as sharp as we've seen him in the past, topping out at 89 while working the in the mid-upper 80s. His curveball wasn't sharp today and he wasn't that effective with his changeup.
Yet, Hannewich executed in big spots, making pitches he had to make and worked his way out of some tough spots to grind out 6 innings. He allowed three runs, but they were isolated in the second inning where Cypress' talented lineup put up a three spot.
What stood out most in this game was the play of the two shortstops: IMG 2014 SS/RHP Cameron Varga and Cypress 2013 SS David Fletcher. Varga would show off his arm strength later in the game by touching 92 mph with his fastball when he closed out the 7th inning for the Save. Fletcher's functional infield arm strength was as good, if not even better. Fletcher's highlight play of the game came with two outs in the second inning on a ball far to his right, he ranged over and just managed to get to a ball that seemed destined for left field, then made an off balance throw across his body to nail the runner.
Cypress features several high level underclassmen that we got our first look at in this matchup: 2014 switch hitting CF Elijah Skipps and 2013 3B Stephen Lohr. 2012 OF Travis Buziecki also showed well in our first look, hammering a double to deep center field that registered at 88 mph off the bat.
IMG Academy is a team that we are very familiar with, and the usual suspects continued to stand out, including Varga who had a quiet day offensively, but showed plus bat speed and serious raw power potential. 2012 OF Eric Myskowski had the game winning RBI double to the left field corner in the bottom of the 6th to break the 3-3 deadlock. It was a big win for IMG who will advance to take on Spanish Fork (UT) in the second round a day after the Dons cruised to an 8-0 victory in their opener, getting a pair of Home Runs from 2012 1B/RHP Kayden Porter.
El Dorado (CA) vs Galena (NV)
In the nightcap at Cal State Fullerton's Goodwin Field host El Dorado sent ace 2012 LHP Kyle Twomey to the hill.
He would match Nate Kirby in fastball velocity, also sitting in the 87-89 range, touching 90 a couple of times. Twomey's fastball has more movement, with hard lefty tailing action, though he also mixes in an occasional cutter. Where Kirby has the advantage is in the secondary stuff.
Twomey's curveball has long been a concern for scouts, as it had generally been a mid-upper 60s loose spinner pitch that wasn't much of a factor in year's past. While he's still far behind Kirby's power breaking ball, Twomey showed significant improvement with his breaking ball. It typically sat between 69 and 73, though it got as high as 74 and as low as 66. While the consistency isn't there with it, the two plane 1-7 breaker shows significantly improved spin rate, a very promising sign for Twomey who is one of the more projectable LHPs in the class of 2012.
Twomey would strike out 14 batters and toss a no-hitter.
The battery was an interesting one for El Dorado, as Twomey threw to 2013 SS/RHP Chris Rivera who made a surprise start behind the plate. Rivera isn't particularly polished as a catcher, but his arm strength and athleticism play very well there. His throwdown velocities ranged from 77-80 mph and he posted between innings pop times of 1.93-1.97 with room for improvement and he refines the lower half mechanics on his catch and throw motion. Rivera took a couple of hard foul balls off of his throwing arm (one off the hand, one off the shoulder) but was able to stay in the game, and on the next pitch after regrouping from getting hit on the shoulder he picked a runner off of 3B. Rivera would go 1-for-2 with a pair of walks at the plate.