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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.