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Tournaments  | Story  | 9/22/2019

Southeast Qualifier Scout Notes

Greg Gerard      Drew Wesolowski      Matthew Arietta     
Photo: Kristian Campbell (Perfect Game)

2019 WWBA Southeast Qualifier #2: Daily Leaders

TCU commit David Bishop (2021, Marietta, Ga.) started the night as an impressive hitter on the first game of the event. Bishop met a pitch out in front, got his hands to it quickly and impacted the baseball with strength and jump to the pull-side gap for a loud double. The righthanded hitting shortstop has loud tools all around the field with an athletic frame, confident approach at the plate, quickness down the line and in the middle infield as well as a hit tool that can spray the ball to all fields on a line.

Cole English (2020, Locust Grove, Ga.) faced off against Reid Fagerstrom (2020, Sharpsburg, Ga.) on Friday night in a matchup that featured a pair of future Division I arms that each topped out at 89 mph.

English has a loose and fast arm through the back with an efficient delivery. His lower half works and his arm work well towards the plate generating good velocity that projects well as he continues to get stronger physically. His fastball sat mostly 83-87 mph but touched 88 twice and 89 mph once as well. The ball comes out cleanly and the delivery projects as he continues to develop arm strength. He shows an average breaking ball that has depth and will miss bats with it. He pitched effectively with each and really showcased lots of promise to his craft with his overall outing.

Fagerstrom has shown well at PG events for several weekends in a row now this fall season and this outing was no different. The Wofford commit pounded the zone punching out 10 without walking a batter in five innings of work. He featured a slider that bites late to the plate while working effectively as his offspeed pitch of choice for swings-and-misses as well as soft contact. The righty sits on his back leg driving to the plate, really getting his strong lower half involved well. The performance the future Terrior had stood out at the East Cobb Baseball Complex as he pitched his Upstate Mavericks team to a 3-0 game one victory.

Brandon Lawrence (2020, Stone Mountain, Ga.) has elite bat speed and he combines it with plenty of strength when meeting the ball. The junior college commit to Polk State is the leadoff hitter as well as the catcher for the Upstate Mavericks and connected on an 87 mph fastball for a bomb. The righthanded hitting catcher lead off the game putting his team up 1-0 in a hurry. Lawrence is a 6-foot, 190-pound prospect with outstanding strength in his lower half. He gets his lower half and legs involved in the swing generating plenty of power especially to his pull side.

Kristian Campbell (2021, Marietta, Ga.) had a big night on Friday connecting on a pair of doubles in a blowout win for East Cobb Baseball. Campbell, a Georgia Tech commit, roped the first of his two doubles. The righthanded hitting shortstop sent the ball to the pull-side gap with a very high exit velocity before showing a solid run time as well. Campbell sprinted down the first base line and clocked a 4.48 second home to first time with a turn on the rocket double. The Milton High School product was able to showcase his all fields approach connecting on the next double to the opposite field corner. Campbell is also an elite defender up the middle at a premium position and certainly looks the part standing at a projectable 6-foot-3, 183 pounds.

Kellum Clark (2020, Brandon, Miss.) put on a huge display last weekend with the batting practice he took in front of professional scouts and this day was no different. He ran into a baseball in a big way on Saturday afternoon depositing it way over the right field wall for a home run. Clark has a clean swing with plenty of power potential when on time meeting the ball. The Mississippi State commit has a large frame and is already so strong with his hands as well as his lower half with the way he drives his hips. The baseball jumps off of his bat and the lefthanded hitting corner infielder will keep hitting at a high level as he continues to improve his barrel skills.

Xander Stephens (2020, Lilburn, Ga.) got the start for Team Elite 2020 Black in the first game of their doubleheader. Stephens was pretty dominant from start to finish in his three innings of work retiring 5 batters via the strikeout. The fastball topped out at 89 mph but lived mostly in the 84-86 mph range. He threw lots of strikes with it commanding it to both sides of the plate effectively. The breaking ball of choice is his slider that served as a wipeout swing-and-miss pitch offing for the righthander. The Georgia Tech commit has seen his fastball up to 92 mph in the past and his overall arm strength as well as his command are certainly intriguing moving towards his draft eligible spring.

Georgia commit Liam Sullivan (2020, Sandy Springs, Ga.) took the mound in relief of Stephens on Saturday afternoon and was just as impressive as his fellow teammate. The big lefthander from Marist High School topped out at 87 mph with his fastball and produced lots of swings-and-misses in his outing. The fastball showed plenty of armside and sinking life to it and did not find a barrel throughout his relief appearance. Sullivan does a lice job of repeating his delivery and did so with feel for a fastball, curveball combination that missed bats at a high rate. Sullivan did not relinquish a hit and worked to the lower third of the zone with his two pitches.

It was a pretty dominant game two for Team Elite 2020 Black as lefthander Chance Vaught (2020, Theodore, Ala.) got a turn on the mound in relief as the Arkansas-Little Rock commit showcased intriguing and projectable stuff on the bump. The southpaw pounded the strike zone during the duration of his outing and mixed in three pitches effectively. His fastball ranged from 83-87 mph with lots of life and downhill plane. He finished off a no-hitter striking out five hitters and not allowing a base runner. His breaking ball is sharp with break out of his hand and tight rotation. He also mixed in a changeup that worked well off of his fastball showing deception as well as a good varying of velocity. Vaught is also interesting on the mound given the youthfulness of his frame and the way his arm works so well. He stands at 6-feet tall and is very skinny. His frame projects well with plenty of room to continue to fill out as he matures.

It is hard to find many more players at the same age that are as athletic as Rob Gordon (2021, Smyrna, Ga.) is in the infield. The Vanderbilt commit has outstanding footwork up the middle with hands that play the baseball really cleanly as well. Gordon stood out on Saturday as he put together a very strong first at-bat in the contest seeing several pitches before roping a fastball to the pull side for a long double. His swing showed some lift to his path with a mostly level plane and the ball simply jumped off of his bat. He followed that up in his second at-bat, after being hit by a pitch, by making a heads-up play on the bases by stealing second while no one was covering the bag after a fly out to left field. Gordon beat the second baseman to the bag in a foot race again, getting a chance to showcase his pure athleticism.

-Greg Gerard

Brent Burford (2020, Jackson, Ga.) is a 5-foot-9, 165-pound catcher from Jackson High School in his hometown. The highly ranked catcher (No. 13 in Ga.) seems to perform all over the field with tools that translate to all three premium positions in catcher, shortstop, and center field. On top of his defensive prowess, Burford has great feel for the bat which helped him hit .667 in two games this weekend, raising his average on the year to .375. The uncommitted backstop uses a simple approach at the plate the seems to keep him short and through the hitting zone a long time. Also evident in Burford’s swing is his keen hand-eye coordination and hit-ability. He continually showcases the ability to get on plane and identify pitches early. With bat speed also present and current power to the gaps, Burford has really come into his own this year at the plate. A mature ballplayer and leader who knows his role and can help a club win in many ways.

Mercer University commit Leo Giannoni (2020, Marietta, Ga.), took the mound for his club, Nelson Baseball School, during the quarterfinal bout Sunday morning at Sprayberry High School and was lights out. Giannoni’s performance set the tone for NBS as it would be the first of three victories on the day helping them capture the tournament win and a trip to Jupiter to compete for the WWBA World Championship a little under a month away. On the bump, Giannoni used a stretch-only approach, and filled up the zone with his two-pitch mix of a fastball and 11/5 curveball. There are a lot of moving parts that makes Giannoni tough to hit at the plate. One is that at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, Giannoni showed to use his entire body in his motion generating a lot of power down the mound as he released towards the plate. Another attribute that led to Giannoni’s success on the day was that he has a really deceptive arm action. It is really long, yet fluid, and he releases from a low three-quarters slot which you don’t normally see. Most importantly Leo was able to fill up the zone all morning and get ahead of his opponent regularly. Giannoni’s dominance helped lead him to an eight-strikeout performance, improving his 2019 stat line to 3-0 with 37 punchouts in 30 2/3 innings pitched.

Jayden Rivera (2020, Jacksonville, Fla.) is a 6-foot-2, 185-pound shortstop from Oakleaf High School, located in a suburb of his hometown. Rivera took the mound for his club, Coastal Plains Upperclass on Saturday morning at Brook Run and dominated his opponent right out of the gate. With an up-beat tempo on the mound and all three of his pitches working that morning, Rivera was able to throw strikes all game long, baffling the Georgia Bombers 17u’s bats. What you notice right away from Rivera on the mound is his fastball velocity which was consistently up in the high-80s and topped at 89 mph. Jayden’s fastball wasn’t straight either which made it even harder to hit throughout his start. Rivera paired his fastball with a curveball which showed proper shape and depth in the low-60s, and a changeup with fade and feel in the low-70s. A solid athlete, Jayden was able to fielding his position as well and make accurate throws to bases when the opportunity arose. Rivera’s performances at PG events have spiked over the last year especially on the mound, so it will be very exciting to follow him as he starts his senior campaign in the spring.

Chandler White (2020, Bishop, Ga.) is a 6-foot, 200-pound righthanded pitcher who took the mound for his club, Team Elite 2020 White on Friday night at Brook Run and continued his perfect 2019 at Perfect Game events. White received the win Friday after an outing that lasted 4 1/3, allowed one hit and struck out five. On the mound, White battles and comes right at his opponents with a two pitch mix of a fastball in the upper-80s and a curveball in the low-70s. White has good feel for his repertoire and was able to mix as he went in all counts keeping his opponent off balance all evening. The win would push White’s record in PG events this year to 6-0 with a 1.40 ERA and 41 punchouts over 34 1/3 innings pitched. Dominant of late on the mound, White appears fearless as he wades through his opponent’s lineup. It is apparent he trusts his stuff and abilities on the mound and is fun to watch compete. Overall, White is a fun righthanded pitcher to watch, with a live arm and an above-average two-pitch mix for his age. With further strength gain, body maturity, and pitchability, sky is the limit for this young pitching talent if he continues to put up performances like he did in Georgia this weekend.

-Matt Arietta



In a weekend filled with good pitching, one Logan Jones (2020, Milton, Ga.) stood out amongst the rest. The long, lanky righthanded pitcher got the start in the Semifinals for Team Elite Black and threw a gem. With him on a pitch count getting ready for Jupiter, he flashed signs of brilliance in his shortened outing. He flashed a fast arm running his fastball up to 92 mph at times. Jones liked to get ahead early with the heater as he commanded both sides of the plate with it. He mixed in a tight spinning, slurvy hook as well getting some ugly swings and misses. He proved to get extended out front using that frame to its best ability. He went on to only throw two innings only giving up one hit and striking out four batters. The Samford commit showed to be uber projectable as he will only get bigger, stronger, faster at the next level. Keep an eye on him as he goes into his senior year of high school with a tool set that projects in a big way at the next level.

One of the top uncommitted prospects out of Georgia, Cameron Foster (2020, Douglasville, Ga.) showed out again this weekend. The ultra-projectable shortstop flashed great defensive skills again showing legit range to both sides. With a clean gather, he makes every play with ease and has a plus arm across the diamond. His bat is no drop-off either as he looks to do damage at the plate. He swings a big bat as he looks to lift the baseball and drive it gap-to-gap. He pulled one foul late in the playoffs Sunday that would have left the yard in any stadium had it been a fair ball. Not to mention it was a 90 mph fastball he turned on. With his skill set and frame, he is one of the top uncommitted guys in the state and it will be very interesting to see where he falls as his senior year is quickly approaching and a decision is to be made here soon.



Georgia commit Jaden Woods (2020, Warner Robins, Ga.) showed big-time potential as he took the mound for Team Elite getting his work in as well before the big tourney down in Jupiter in a few weeks. The tall, wiry lefthanded pitcher flashed a whippy arm action showing more in the tank if need be. Easy velocity out of hand as he showed some command issues early but then found a groove. He went on to strike out three batters in 1 2/3 innings pitched. His fastball showed late life as it topped out at 90 mph with a nasty sweeping slider in the upper-70s that proved to be knee-buckling. He will step onto campus in Athens next year looking for some guidance in the approach aspect of pitching and will find it there. Look for him to clean up some mechanical things as well and make a big jump in the future.



With pitching outshining the bats this weekend, Treylen "TJ" White (2021, Moore, S.C.) did his best to change that rhetoric. The young 2021 grad and No. 1 ranked outfielder from the state of South Carolina proved to have big pop in the bat. The uncommitted prospect flashed a super projectable frame as he was tall and physically mature for his age. In the playoffs, he turned on an 89 mph fastball from the left side and drove it over the left field wall. The loudest contact heard all weekend and it wasn’t even close. With that three-run bomb, he put his team on the board against a solid Team Elite Black squad. His hit tool is one of the best in his class and projects very well at the next level. At the moment, he is uncommitted but if he continues to do what he did this weekend, he will make a big splash on the recruiting scene.

With Nelson Baseball School winning it all, Cooper Torres (2020, Woodstock, Ga.) was a huge piece to that puzzle. The middle infielder showed a scrappy-type game play as he hustled in all aspects of the game. He left no room for a lazy effort as he proved to be a leader with his actions. The East Tennessee State commit would go on to rack up a four-RBI game in the playoffs as he pushed his team toward that eventual bid to Jupiter. Torres stole bases and created opportunities with his feet on the basepaths. He showed signs of fast-twitch type play on defense as well making rangy plays and keeping the baseball in the infield. His style of play projects well at the next level and he will fit in nicely at ETSU next fall as he starts his journey at the next level.

Uncommitted Chad Pacas (2020, Talking Rock, Ga.) showed out this weekend as he made a big splash in the playoffs. With the game already taking route as a run-rule, Pacas put the stamp on it as he went yard to the pull side late in the game. Not only did he knock one over the fence, but it was a grand slam. The righthanded hitter flashed a simple, quiet approach as he utilized his lower half to create bat speed. When he gets extended like he did in that at bat, his power potential is head and shoulders above most. Keep a close eye on him as the bat shows big projectability at the next level. A diamond in the rough type candidate who will start to get the looks he deserves if he keeps up the power tear.

Columbus State commit Carson Bell (2020, Woodstock, Ga.) had another big weekend, making that two in a row. Although the bat was not where it was in previous weeks, he proved that he was not one-dimensional. Not to say he struggled in any way as he still hit the ball hard at times, just right at people. His defense proved to be the biggest weapon for his team. A true testament to his skills as he is not just a corner infielder known for his hitting. He made play after play that would not be expected even out of the top of the top type defensive guys. Bell proved that his versatility is another big attribute and he takes pride in all facets of the game. He single-handedly pushed his team to a victory in the championship game. He is a huge get for Columbus State and they look forward to him getting on campus next year.

-Drew Wesolowski
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