2016 Rawlings Select Classic #4 Event Page
Chattahoochee Cougars (Alpharetta, Ga.)
Top Prospects
• Ryan Zweber (LHP/1B, 2017, High Follow)
• Sean Zweber (OF/LHP, 2017, Follow)
• Ethan Bowdoin (LHP, 2018, High Follow)
• Mason List (SS/RHP, 2018, Follow)
Offense
The offense for the Cougars looks to be led by the Zweber twins, Ryan and Sean. Ryan will get time at first base when not on the mound and Sean will get looks in the outfield. Also playing a role in the offense will be sophomore shortstop Mason List.
Pitching
As noted above, Ryan Zweber should get the nod to open up their set of pool play games against Whitewater. Fellow Junior Jake Bogle will likely slot in as their No. 2 arm, with impressive lefthander Ethan Bowdoin rounding out their rotation.
Summary
Chattahoochee has a very young roster with only a trio of seniors on board for this season. They’ll look to continue to grow as a team and build their chemistry throughout the season, and their pool play games will be against Whitewater as well as Christian Brothers.
Christian Brothers Purple Wave (Memphis, Tenn.)
Top Prospects
• Landon Kelly (SS/OF/RHP, 2016, Top 1000)
• Preston Parker (RHP, 2016, High Follow)
• Weston Bizzle (RHP, 2017, 57)
• Hayden Leatherwood (OF, 2017, 417)
• Jared Shemper (LHP/1B, 2017, Top 1000)
• Cameron Pleasant (C, 2017, Top 1000)
Offense
Junior outfielder Hayden Leatherwood is a Vanderbilt commit with strong barrel-to-ball skills and the ability to drive it to all fields. A pair of senior infielders, Landon Kelly and J.L. Bland, will also look to impress with strong weekends at the plate.
Pitching
The pitching is what will separate Christian Brothers from their competition. The pair of arms they’ll be throwing on Friday include Vanderbilt commit Weston Bizzle and Austin Peay commit Jared shemper. Bizzle is well known through his numerous PG events with a sharp breaking ball and fastball that hovers around 90 mph. Rounding out their rotation will be senior righthander Preston Parker.
Summary
With easily the deepest crop of 2017 class in the tournament, the Purple Wave are in an excellent position to repeat their State Championship finish in 2015. Looking to grow with top arms Bizzle and Semper, Head Coach Buster Kelso is confident about his team’s chances.
East Paulding Raiders (Dallas, Ga.)
Top Prospects
• Nate Butterworth (3B/RHP, 2016, High Follow)
• Mitch White (RHP/SS, 2016, High Follow)
• Ty Delancey (SS/RHP, 2017, High Follow)
• William Prater (MIF/RHP, 2017, High Follow)
• Dawson Vaughn (RHP/1B, 2017, High Follow)
• Jacob Cook (1B/3B, 2018, Top 1000)
Offense
The Raiders offensively have lots of strong up-the-middle talent for the next two years to keep an eye on. Third basemen Nate Butterworth should hit in the middle of the order with talented up-the-middle talents Ty Delancey and William Prater also hitting near the top of the lineup.
Pitching
Senior Mitch White will likely take the mound for East Paulding in their first matchup with the aforementioned Butterworth and Delancey seeing time as well. Promising junior righthander Dawson Vaughn will also get a look on the mound for the Raiders with Nick Hammonds seeing time as well.
Summary
The Raiders have a very veteran roster with lots of seniors and juniors penciled in to play big roles for them in 2016. Their large crop of promising infielders and deep junior class give a lot of hope to the club moving forward. Head Coach Tony Boyd will be relying on his team to improve off of their quarterfinal finish in the state playoffs in 2015.
IMG Varsity Blue (Bradenton, Fla.)
Top Prospects
• Andrew Wilkinson (RHP, 2016, 500)
• Kane Medina (MIF, 2016, High Follow)
• Chris Messer (RHP/OF, 2016, High Follow)
• Sam Jones (SS/3B, 2016, Follow)
• Scott Short (C/MIF, 2016, Follow)
• J.T. Turley (LHP, 2017, High Follow)
• Nathan Scheer (RHP/1B, 2017, Follow)
Offense
Coming into the event with lots of depth, the Ascenders will look for high-level contributions from up-the-middle senior talents Kane Medina and Sam Jones. Coaches are also excited about senior third basemen Trevor Robinson who has already collected eight extra-base hits this season.
Pitching
The backbone of IMG during the event will be their depth of talented arms. Andrew Wilkinson is their top ranked player coming into the event and should get the nod game one as he’s armed with an upper-80s fastball. A pair of talented juniors, Jose Vasquez and J.T. Turley, will also make an impact and fit into the weekend rotation.
Summary
Aside from their pitching, what has head coach Mark Morwaski more excited than anything is their defense around the diamond. That, coupled with their pitching should make them a threat this weekend. They’ll take on King’s Ridge and Russellville in their pool play games.
Jordan Beetdiggers (Sandy, Utah)
Top Prospects
• Alex Baeza (1B/LHP, 2016, Top 1000)
• Andrew Lisk (SS, 2016, High Follow)
• Noah Hennings (3B/RHP, 2018, High Follow)
• Jacob Shaver (SS/RHP, 2019, 55)
Offense
Offensively, the Beetdiggers come in with an absolute loaded lineup with three Division I commits as well as a JUCO prospect. Lefthanded first basemen and Hawaii commit, Alex Baeza, will hit in the middle of their lineup and show off a power bat. Senior shortstop Andrew Lisk will also be near the top of the order, with promising underclassmen Jacob Shaver and Noah Hennings also looking to make an impact.
Pitching
The pitching for Jordan does not have the same high caliber prospects as their offense, but some of the same names will likely make an impact on the mound. In addition to his skills at the plate, Baeza will also be called on as their opening starter. Lisk will start game two with fellow senior Jackson Bolingbroke getting game three.
Summary
Coming off a fifth-place finish in the state of Utah, coach Chad Fife looks to a deep, talented roster to help push them even farther in the state playoffs. Their roster behind Baeza, Lisk, and Shaver should keep them in any game.
King’s Ridge Christian Tigers (Alpharetta, Ga.)
Top Prospects
• Kyle Brnovich (RHP/MIF, 2016, 500)
• Cullin Monette (1B/3B, 2016, Top 1000)
• Will Janofsky (OF/3B, 2016, High Follow)
• Lawson Hill (C/2B, 2017, 500)
• John Byrnes (RHP, 2017, Top 1000)
Offense
The offense from King’s Ridge will rely heavily on senior bats Cullin Monette and Will Janofsky. Monette will likely man first base with Janofsky playing a corner outfield spot. Highly ranked junior, Lawson Hill, will likely be doing the catching and has also shown good power potential in past events.
Pitching
On the mound Kyle Brnovish is a highly projectable righthander with a fastball that sits in the upper-80s. John Byrnes will also see time on the mound as the Tigers’ No. 2 option in the tournament with Will Janofsky also seeing time on the mound. Coaches are also excited about what lefthander Frasor Ellard will bring to the team.
Summary
The Tigers head into the tournament with several high quality bats and a pair of highly ranked arms. Their roster has a very good blend of seniors and underclassmen that should help them sustain their success moving forward and build off of their state championship run in 2015. They’ll be taking on Russellville and IMG in their pool play games.
Lakeside Vikings (Atlanta, Ga.)
Top Prospects
• Drew Hinton (C/1B, 2016, High Follow)
• Sean Mootrey (3B/C, 2017, 331)
• Nolan Wilson (C/RHP, 2017, 500)
• Kiernan Acklin (OF/RHP, 2017, Follow)
• Charlie Ludwick (SS/3B, 2018, 288)
Offense
The talent the Vikings possess on offense rivals any other team in the event. High-powered offensive bats Sean Mootrey and Nolan Wilson look to provide power for the middle of their lineup. Senior fist basemen Drew Hinton as well as sophomore shortstop Charlie Ludwick are also names to keep an eye on.
Pitching
As for the pitching, Wilson and Mootrey will definitely see time on the mound as well with both of them already hitting 90 mph with their fastballs. Senior righthander Cole Chisholm will also likely earn a start, with Acklin eating innings as well.
Summary
The Vikings head into the event as the co-favorites with the Christian Brothers Academy. Their deep arsenal of offensive weapons will keep them in any contest as well as their talented two-way arms. They look to build off of a strong 2015 campaign with an even more experienced roster.
Russellville Golden Tigers (Russellville, Ala.)
Top Prospects
• Reed Smith (SS/2B, 2016, 203)
• Austin Kitterman (OF/SS/RHP, 2016, Top 1000)
• Cody Greenhill (RHP/1B, 2017, 435)
• Judson Ward (OF, 2017, 500)
Offense
The offense for the Golden Tigers starts with up-the-middle star Reed Smith, who is committed to Mississippi State. Smith has showed very impressive speed in the past with raw hitting tools at the plate. Auburn commit Judson Ward will most likely hit at the top of the order with impressive athletic tools across the board. They’ll also look for big contributions from outfielder Austin Kitterman.
Pitching
Kitterman will also likely see time on the mound with a fastball that sits in the upper-80s. Auburn commit Cody Greenhill will also be a big part of their weekend rotation having shown a quick, deceptive arm action with good life on his fastball.
Summary
Russellville brings a quartet of highly ranked and skilled prospects to the event. Their roster is deep with plenty of underclassmen to help keep winning, although they face a tough first round matchup against King’s Ridge, then get IMG in pool play.
Whitewater Wildcats (Fayetteville, Ga.)
Top Prospects
• Miles Jones (1B, 2016, Top 1000)
• Austin Adams (OF, 2016, Top 1000)
• Jacob Henley (RHP/1B, 2017, 500)
• Austin Gardner (OF, 2017, High Follow)
• Stone Kasten (OF, 2017, High Follow)
• Daniel Langston (OF, 2017, Follow)
• Thomas Cordier (OF/RHP, 2019, High Follow)
Offense
The offense will prove to be the backbone for Whitewater, and Eastern Kentucky commit and first baseman Mile Jones will provide the thunder in the middle of their lineup. Up-the-middle talent Tyler Doanes is getting rave reviews as well and should make a big impact. Their large crop of outfielders, including senior Austin Adams as well as numerous junior options, provide a big area of depth for the club.
Pitching
The pitching for the club took the biggest hit as the calendar flipped to 2015 with lefthander Ethan Gillis moving on to Kennesaw State. Junior righthander Jacob Henley look to fill his shoes with a strong two-pitch mix. Lefthander Hunter White also looks to jump into the weekend rotation and impress.
Summary
Coming off a 2015 campaign where they finished as runner-ups in the state championship, the Wildcats lost several starters across the diamond, but return a lot of talent as well. Their 2017 class offers several plus athletes and Head Coach Rusty Bennett looks to see them grow and continue the program’s high level of success.