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College  | Recruiting  | 5/11/2020

Recruiting Notebook: May 11

Jheremy Brown     
Photo: Najer Victor (Perfect Game)
Recruiting Notebook: May 4

Tracer Lopez, ss, Class of 2023
Commitment: Texas Tech

Lopez put his name on the map last spring and summer playing for the Banditos thanks to a well-rounded skill set that’ll continue to make strides as he added physicality to his frame. Currently listed at 5-foot-8, 140-pounds, Lopez helped set the pace of the offense from atop the lineup, handling the barrel well while showing the ability to impact the ball with wood better than one may think. He works well to all parts of the field thanks to a direct path and quick stroke and finished the 14u World Series hitting an impressive .524. As impressive as his offense is, the defense was the first part of his game to catch my eye as he oozes athleticism and fluidity through his footwork and all-around actions. It quickly became a common occurrence for Lopez to make an impressive play, whether it's to his backhand or ranging up the middle, with balance and coordination while showing enough arm strength to finish the play. 

Outlook for the class: The Red Raiders were off to a nice start in 2023 with Seve Martinez, a young lefthanded stick who also shows real potential on the mound, and the additional of Lopez is just as big. The tools he brings to the field are ones you can project upon as a coach and know you very well could have a middle infielder with top of the order offensive skills, checking a couple key boxes while building a class this early. Texas Tech has a long track record of recognizing and developing talent and there’s no doubt Lopez has the potential to be an impact player. 

Kale Fountain, 3b/rhp, Class of 2024
Commitment: Florida State

A long and ultra-projectable 6-foot-3, 180-pounds, Fountain has excellent upside on the diamond and shows the potential as a two-way talent long term. Despite the size/age combo Fountain’s athleticism shines through with his actions as his arm strength plays, not only across the diamond but also on the mound. The young Nebraska native made his mark last summer with the Nebraska Prospects scout team and despite being a rising eighth grader in a freshman tournament, Fountain managed to hit .714 while earning All-Tournament honors. In the box his hands are very quick and he shows the ability to already whip the barrel through the zone, which when you factor in the physical projection you quickly see why the FSU staff made the commitment. 

Outlook for the class: The new staff at Florida State has continually shown they aren’t afraid to leave the state in search for talent, regardless of the player’s age and Fountain is a prime example. He joins Talan Bell, another talented two-way, in the Seminoles’ class of 2024 and while it’s still extremely early in the process, Fountain and Bell form a very nice starting duo heading into the summer circuit. 

Drew Blake, lhp, Class of 2021
Commitment: Oklahoma State

Getting a talented player in-state to commit is always a big win but getting a big-time arm from the same city as your campus is a necessity and that’s just what Josh Holiday and his staff were able to do in locking up lefthander Drew Blake. A Stillwater native, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Blake has seen a nice jump in regard to his arsenal from when we last saw him throw at a Perfect Game event, the 2019 16u WWBA World Championships. After topping out at 86 mph last June, reports now have the lefthander working into the low-90s with a quick arm stroke while still pounding the zone as he showed last summer. The curveball is the more advanced of his secondary offerings, showing a consistent feel for the mid-70s pitch while maintaining a similar higher release point. Blake has an upper-70s changeup as part of his three-pitch arsenal, all of which have taken the next step forward though given his physical projection there’s plenty of optimism he has more in the tank. 

Outlook for the class: Blake may have blossomed later than others in the class, but the Oklahoma State coaching staff has to be ecstatic with adding the lefthander into the mix. Their 2021 class features a mix of talent from around the country with a couple commitments from Florida and California, though the majority of their concentration has stemmed from the Texahoma area. The addition of Blake now gives the class three primary arms, all lefthanded, and ten commitments overall, meaning they still have some room to add a couple more pieces this summer. 



Najer Victor, rhp, Class of 2020
Commitment: Florida Gulf Coast

Victor brings an incredible amount of athleticism to the mound as evidenced by his 6.54 60-yard time and overall fast-twitch. Though he’s shown abilities as a positional prospect in the past, Victor has begun to excel on the mound thanks to plus arm speed which in turn has seen a nice increase on the radar gun. During the 17u WWBA World Championships, the young Floridian righthander showed his best velocity of the summer circuit, working in the 92-95 mph range where he punched out 10 in just five innings of work. That outing helped set the tone for the rest of the summer as Victor went on to strike out 34 throughout his 20.2 innings though it’s not all about the fastball. The curveball has continued to make nice strides through the early portion of the shortened spring, which combined with the aforementioned arm speed and athleticism, make him an arm to follow closely. 

Outlook for the class: It was already a strong class for the Eagles, led by lefthander Mason Miller who looks like he could make an instant impact as a potential rotation piece as a true freshman and Victor certainly adds to it. Checking in at No. 150 in the national rankings, he’s the fifth commit to fall within Perfect Game’s top-500, also joining Miller in making the PG Top 400 MLB Draft list. Simply put, Victor has a chance to make an instant impact as a true freshman and still has projectability remaining until he hits his ultimate ceiling. 



Austin Humphres, lhp, Class of 2022
Commitment: Arizona State

It doesn’t come as much of a surprise that the Sun Devils locked up a talented in-state arm as they seemingly always do well at home while grabbing big pieces from outside the state as well. At 6-foot-4, 180-pounds the physical projection for the young lefthander is off the charts, though through reports it appears the projection is already coming to fruition. In our most recent look at Humphres during the WWBA Underclass Championship he punched out seven in four innings of work, living comfortably in the 81-84 mph range. Given his lower effort release and long, lanky frame it’s of little surprise to hear Humphres is now working in the upper-80s with his fastball and more still in the tank. The heater shows nice life to it and his breaking ball offers 1-7 shape from a similar slot, giving him a secondary pitch to miss bats with. 

Outlook for the class: According to the Perfect Game website, Humphres is the first commit in the 2022 class for Arizona State. Having just completed their sophomore year, it’s still relatively early in the recruiting process and securing a uber-projectable lefthander who has already made big strides in development from your home state, this commitment is a big one for Tracy Smith and his staff. 
 
Dalton Hurst, ss, Class of 2021
Commitment: Florida International

The Panthers have always done a nice job of identifying talent around the state, regardless of age, and they picked up a good one for their 2021 class last Saturday night with the switch-hitting Hurst. Though not overly physical at a listed 5-foot-8, 155-pounds, Hurst gets the most out of his frame and shows a nice array of tools to follow moving forward. As Hurst’s collection of All-Tournament teams suggest he consistently performs in game, showing very nice hand-eye coordination in the box and an innate ability for finding the barrel as he hit .370 last summer circuit, making many of the major stops. He has been up to 84 mph on the bump and it’s a tool that suits him well in the infield dirt as well where he shows athleticism to his actions and a nice overall baseball IQ. 

Outlook for the class: It’s shaping up to be another strong 2021 class for Head Coach Mervyl Melendez and the addition of Hurst certainly helps. A key member of the Spruce Creek HS team this spring, Hurst does all the little things right that a coach looks for and he brings a well-rounded skill set to a recruiting class that offers plenty of big bats and power arms. 
 
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