4/13/2012 1:21:24 PM
Championship: El Dorado (CA) vs El Toro (CA)
El Toro charged into the finals having put up 20 runs in their three games to get to the title game matchup with El Dorado, including six runs in the opener against James River (VA), who unleashed their ace (and 2012 MLB Draft prospect) LHP Nate Kirby.
But the championship game served as a statement from a pair of talented El Dorado hurlers who held El Toro's deep and dangerous lineup in check.
2013 RHP Joe Record had never pitched in a varsity game before the 2012 National Classic, and had missed the early part of this season with a hand injury suffered on the basepaths. Perfect Game has well over 100,000 players in an extensive database, Record was not among them (that will change quickly). His performance at the National Classic served as a huge coming out party.
On Wednesday Record came on in relief against IMG Academies, and induced a pair of groundouts before ending the perfect inning of relief with a strikeout. He worked 87-89 and threw a pair of 75 mph splitters. He pitched so well that coach Dave Moore handed him the ball to start the National Classic championship game.
On one of the biggest stages a high school pitcher can find himself in, Record rose to the occasion. He worked at 83-86 as a starter, touching 87 once in the 7th inning. He continued to use his splitter as an out pitch, also working in a deep low 70s curveball. His fastball induced a lot of weak ground balls, thanks to the sink and cut action he imparts on the ball. He has a long stride, with lower half mechanics that bare a slight resemblence to Tim Lincecum, though less exaggerated.
Record took a no-hitter into the 7th inning (though he had yielded an unearned run in the third). On his 96th pitch of the evening, Record made his first mistake, leaving a fastball up to 2013 OF Logan Roberts, who broke up Record's no-hit bid with a single into left field.
Record's lack of experience on the mound, slender frame and loose arm action all suggest that what he showed at the National Classic may be just the tip of the iceberg. He left to a load ovation from the large crowd of supporters from the host El Dorado Hawks after 6 1/3 innings, with six strikeouts under his belt.
El Dorado brought on 2012 LHP Kyle Twomey, who threw a 14 K no-hitter in Monday's opener, to close it out. Twomey would walk a batter and allow an inherited run on a wild pitch, but ultimately slammed the door, lifting El Dorado to their first ever National Classic championship in 23 attempts.
Record earned Most Outstanding Pitcher honors, while Twomey was named tournament MVP. El Toro 2012 OF Nick Villar garnered Most Outstanding Offensive performer.
Scouting impressions from day 4:
-2012 SS/RHP Chris Rivera had an intriguing performance behind the plate catching Twomey's no-hitter on Monday that had scouts wondering aloud about how much upside he would have as a catching prospect. But the webgem he made to end the 6th inning, a barehand-and-throw in one motion play on a slow chopper several steps onto the infield grass reminded everyone just what he is capable of at short. He also earned a win on the mound on Tuesday and hit a walk-off HR in the same game. Basically, Rivera can do just about anything on the diamond.
-2012 LHP Kyle Twomey has always been a highly projectable pitching prospect that scouts can dream on. This week he showed significant strides with his command and his curveball. Which were two his biggest question marks as a draft prospect entering the spring. He doesn't light up radar guns, but lives in the upper 80s with hard tailing action and climbs into the low 90s on occasion. His draft stock is on the rise and is a very interesting prospect.
-2014 CF Nate Alam continued to impress in the championship game, as he has done all tournament long. The kid can just flat out hit, and late in the game he showed that he can use all fields, roping a hard liner to the opposite gap in right center, after having consistently driven the ball to the pull gap througout the week. He also has shown very good reads and routes defensively, and was finally able to show off his range on a ball in the right center gap.
-2013 SS/3B Seve Romo is a known commodity to Perfect Game, having been a mainstay of the talented San Gabriel Valley Arsenal lineup at several national level tournaments. But we hadn't seen him play 3B much, a position he has moved to with El Dorado to form one of the top left sides of an infield you'll find in the country. He also showed very good plate coverage by driving a hard ground ball right at 1B Dan James late in the game. It went down as a 3-unassisted in the scorebook, but it was a tough pitch on the outside corner with movement from sidearm RHP Stephen Villines that Romo put a good swing on.
-2012 SS Jason Yano tends to get lost in the shuffle offensively for El Toro, as he bats ninth and is the only Charger hitter who isn't build like a linebacker. But he stands out defensively at shortstop, his arm strength is well above average, bordering on plus. He moves well defensively and showed solid range, he'll make a quality defender at the next level and contributes with the bat as well.
-2012 OF Nick Villar was a good choice for Most Outstanding Offensive Performer, he generates good bat speed with an easy fluid swing and is a dangerous hitter.
-2013 OF Drew Winter throws his hands really well at the plate and is a solid leadoff hitter for El Dorado. He also showed off a strong arm from right field.
-2012 LHP/OF PJ Conlon made one of the toughest catches of the game look easy, tracking a rocket that was directly over his head off the bat of 2013 3B Jonah Arenado onto the warning track and made the catch over the shoulder. He's a well rounded player who showed good bat control at the plate, though we didn't get to see him pitch this week.
Consolation Championship: Cypress (CA) vs Pacifica (CA)
2013 C Tyler Alamo made his much anticipated return to the Cypress lineup, slotting into the third spot in the order and occupying his usual spot behind the plate. Alamo didn't have a single quality swing in the game, looking a bit rusty after the layoff, but still went 2-for-3. His bat speed and wrist strength allowed him punch balls over the infield without having to be balanced and direct to the ball. And as we've seen in the past, when he squares the ball up it jumps off the bat hard. He also popped a 1.90 between innings, with a 79 mph throwing velocity, and showed surprising agility for his size behind the plate.
Aside from a five run 3rd inning by Cypress, the game was an otherwise scoreless affair.
-Cypress 2013 SS David Fletcher has impressed all week in our first look at the talented infielder. He is an obviously quick runner, and after several days of waiting for an opportunity to get a home-to-first time on him, he posted a 4.59 with a wide turn on what was nearly a double, but the ball his off of the left field fence a couple of inches on the wrong side of the foul line.
-Pacifica 2012 3B Kyle Davis showed the ability to use all fields with a compact swing and quick bat that he can likely accelerate with effort to drive the ball with occasional power. He also showed good lateral agility defensively and is a good all around player.
Other impressions from the final day of the National Classic
-James River (VA) 2014 SS Cullen Large had a good showing against Chaminade (CA). His spread stance at the plate made it difficult for him to make adjustments against El Toro's pitching earlier in the week, but on Thursday he showed the ability to pick up the pitch better out of the hand to clear his lower half and start his swing much better. He may develop the strength to drive the ball with authority in spite of an approach that lends itself more to contact once he matures physically, he has the hand speed to develop into a high level hitter.
-Ocean View (CA) 2012 OF Tim Robinson has a big strong compact build that is not your prototypical center fielder body type. He looks more like Kirby Puckett than Dexter Fowler. But his physical strength allows him to generate good bat speed and he runs well thanks to a muscular lower half. He has an aggressive swing with raw power, he's a player who likely gets overlooked because he doesn't neatly fit into a standard mold of a prospect, but he has tools that play.
-Sunrise Mountain (AZ) 2013 OF Brick Paskiewicz showed quick hands at the plate, with good separation of his upper and lower halves. He lacks strength at present and swings with a contact oriented approach, going out and finding the barrel out front and gets down the line quickly as his left handed swing carries him towards first base. Teammates 2012 SS/RHP Nick White and 2012 OF Draye Turner also showed interesting hitting tools, while White got the start on the mound sitting 81-84.
-Bishop Amat (CA) 2014 OF Scott Hurst continued to show off his high level athleticism and good bat speed with surprising pop that is belied by his small stature. He crushed a double to left against Spanish Fork (UT), showing that he can drive the ball with authority to all fields. Fellow 2014 teammate C Bryan Hernandez had some struggles defenisvely early in the year, but has shown a lot of progress learning the catching position and was a solid receiver this week. The tools are there (as evidenced by his 2.00 between innings pop time), and he's shown improvement with experience.