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High School  | General | 2/19/2016

Regional HS Preview: Southwest

David Rawnsley
Photo: Perfect Game




For all of Perfect Game's regional previews as part of the 2016 high school baseball preview content, the Dream Team is available for free. The region top tools can be viewed with an Insider subscription. To learn more about Perfect Game's subscription packages and to sign up today please visit this link.




2016 Perfect Game High School Preview Index

Southwest Region: Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah

Arbor View High School's Nicholas Quintana returns as the Southwest Region's top player in 2016 and seems to be poised to have an outstanding senior year and put himself in position to be a high pick in this June's draft. Quintana, who is the region's only Perfect Game All-American, showed a significantly shortened swing at the WWBA World Championship in October from his longer power-oriented approach from last summer and also looked to be in outstanding shape.

The overall strength of the region appears to be in its 2017 class of juniors, as seven underclass players have made the All-Region team. That includes all three outfielders, Donta Williams of Nevada as well as Blake Paugh and Evan Williams of Arizona. Another junior outfielder, Utah's Trey Winget, is the region's top defensive outfielder and just missed a spot on the team.

Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz. is the top-ranked team in the region, checking in at No. 16 in Perfect Game's pre-season rankings.  Nevada powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School, which finished third in the final 2015 rankings, pulls in at 23rd nationally, while two more of Arizona schools, Raymond Kellis (37) and Desert Mountain (42), also make the Top 50. Quintana's Arbor View team completes the PG Top 50 rankings in the 50th spot.


Southwest Region High School Dream Team

C – Sam Huff, Sr., Arcadia (Ariz.)
Huff is pushing the size limits of a catcher at 6-foot-4, 215-pounds but his combination of athleticism, including 7.0 60-yard dash speed, and very strong fundamentals enable him to excel behind the plate. He has a high ceiling as an offensive threat with a strong righthanded swing that is short for his length and produces big bat speed. Huff has been a three-year starter for Arcadia High School and hit .381-4-40 as a junior and is a .393 hitter for his high school career. He's signed with Grand Canyon.

1B – Boyd Vander Kooi, Jr., Skyline (Ariz.)
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound Vander Kooi is a two-way standout whose future could either be as a position player or a pitcher. He plays first and third base defensively and hit .444-1-23 with 11 stolen bases as a sophomore after hitting .333-0-17 as a freshman starter. On the mound, Vander Kooi tops out at 87-88 mph already with his fastball to go with a solid curveball and posted a 6-1 record with a 2.33 ERA in 51 innings last spring, walking only 11 hitters against 56 strikeouts. He has an early verbal commitment to Oregon.

MIF – Cameron Cannon, Sr., Mountain Ridge (Ariz.)
Cannon has very polished and athletic defensive skills in the middle of the field, with advanced footwork and very quick hands fielding the ball and releasing throws. He's been a consistent high-level performer offensively on the summer and fall circuits, with a short and quick righthanded swing, and hit .412-2-26 last spring for Mountain Ridge High School. He's signed with Arizona.

MIF – Nicholas Quintana, Sr., Arbor View (Nev.)
Quintana is a repeat member of this All-Southwest Region team and stands out as one of the top middle infielders in the country. A participant in the 2015 Perfect Game All-American Classic, Quintana was also a member of the gold medal winning USA 18u National Team last fall. He hit .433-8-49 last spring for Arbor View High School and is signed with Arizona.

3B – Chad McClanahan, Sr., Brophy Prep (Ariz.)
McClanahan has a long and very projectable 6-foot-5, 205-pound build and is athletic enough to have caught 32 passes as a wide receiver on Brophy Prep's football team last fall. A lefthanded hitter, McClanahan has a loose and fast swing that has good balance and he's shown the ability to hit the ball with authority to all fields. He hit .362-5-20 last spring and will be looking to boost those power numbers even more this year. McClanahan is signed with Arizona State.

OF – Blake Paugh, Jr., Chaparral (Ariz.)
Paugh is a very impressive athlete for his age at 6-foot-2, 200-pounds with lots of well-developed strength throughout. In addition to his size and strength, Paugh is a 6.8 runner who also throws in the mid-80s off the mound and has right field tools on defense. A righthanded hitter, Paugh hit five home runs in only 62 at-bats as a sophomore (.315-5-16) and should blossom this year as a junior. He's also a 4.0 student with a verbal commitment to Arizona.

OF – Donta Williams, Jr., Legacy (Nev.)
Williams is a quick-twitch athlete with plus speed and center field tools on defense.  His lefthanded swing is short and quick and he fits the leadoff profile with his ability to reach base and his speed on the bases. Perfect Game has him ranked as the 60th best prospect nationally in the 2017 class and the top prospect in the state of Nevada. Williams has a verbal commitment to Arizona.

OF – Evan Williams, Jr., Horizon (Ariz.)
Williams hit cleanup and was named the Most Valuable Player on Horizon High School's strong 2015 team and was named second team All-State, all as a sophomore.  The 6-foot, 175-pound righthanded hitter has a strong swing with very good bat speed and is a high-level defensive outfielder with a strong arm as well. He has a verbal commitment to Oregon.

UT - Payton Henry, Sr., Pleasant Grove (Utah)
Henry didn't pitch as much as many of the positions players on this All-Region team but did post a 0.62 ERA while picking up six saves as the closer for the Utah 5A state champion Pleasant Grove High School team. Where he stands out is at the plate on offense and behind the plate on defense. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound righthanded hitter hit .527-9-46 with 25 walks last spring after hitting .414-5-32 as a sophomore. He is signed with Brigham Young.

P – Jack Little, Sr., Bishop Gorman (Nev.)
Little has been contributing for national powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School since going 6-0, 2.94 in 52 innings as a freshman. He went 6-1, 1.53 last year in 45 innings and now owns a 15-2 career record heading into his senior year. Little works with an upper-80s fastball that tops out at 90 mph to go with a curveball and changeup. He's signed with Stanford.

P – Ryne Nelson, Sr., Basic (Nev.)
Nelson has been more of a primary infielder in his baseball development but he took the mound for national level events at the Area Code Games in August and at the WWBA World Championship in October and saw his stock skyrocket as a pitching prospect. The 6-foot-4, 175-pound Nelson looks like a young pitcher physically and has a very fast arm that produces a fastball up to 91 mph and a potential plus hard curveball in the mid- to upper-70s.  Nelson went 6-1, 2.03 on the mound while also hitting .412-4-22 at the plate last spring. He is signed with Oregon.

P – Chaz Montoya, Sr., Centennial (Ariz.)
Montoya is a slender 6-foot, 150-pound southpaw who throws too hard, generally in the 85-87 mph range but occasionally topping out at 90, to be called a crafty lefty but who has all the pitches and command to frustrate hitters. His best pitch is a 77 mph slider that is both sharp and extra big and will overmatch both righthanded and lefthanded hitters. Montoya is signed with Arizona State. Lefthander Seth Corry of Lone Peak High School in Utah would have been a strong consideration for this slot but tore ligaments in his knee in the fall playing football and is out until at least this summer.

P – Sean Keating, Sr., Bingham (Utah)
Keating and first baseman Boyd Vander Kooi are interchangeable pieces on this Southwest All-Region Team, with Keating also standing out on both the mound and as a first baseman.  A 6-foot-3, 180-pound Arizona State signee, Keating went 10-1, 2.33 on the mound as a junior with 71 strikeouts in 48 innings and also hit .433-5-35 as a lefthanded hitter.  Keating already tops out at 90 mph with a big sweeping slider and with his athleticism and physical projection should continue to improve as he gets stronger.

P – Trey Dillard, Jr., Desert Mountain (Ariz.)
Dillard is a big and strong 6-foot-2, 215-pound righthander with a power pitcher's body and power pitcher's stuff. He's already been up to 92 mph this year with his fastball with nice downhill angle to his pitches. His mid-70s curveball is a nice second pitch for him and he also throws an 80 mph changeup.


Southwest Region Top Tools

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