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High School  | General  | 2/23/2017

Regional HS Preview: Mid-Atlantic

Vincent Cervino     
Photo: Perfect Game



For all of Perfect Game's regional previews as part of the 2017 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.




2017 Perfect Game High School Preview Index

Mid-Atlantic Region: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia

The Mid-Atlantic region has historically been loaded with baseball talent and, specifically, the state of North Carolina is particularly deep this year. The East Coast is home to many top-level travel teams and a lot of these high school teams should make some noise as well.

North Davidson (N.C., No. 26) and J.L. Mann (S.C., No. 41) are currently ranked in the Preseason Top 50 with other schools expected to make jumps in the rankings including Greenbrier (S.C.) and Battlefield (Va.).

MacKenzie Gore check in as the lone representative from the Perfect Game All-American Classic but there are still a number of highly-touted prospects that will be expected to make an immediate impact whether that be on their current high school team, their future college campus or in the MLB Draft.


Mid-Atlantic Region Dream Team

C – Spencer Smith, Sr., Northern Durham HS, Bahama (N.C.)
Smith made a good impression at the WWBA World Championship and has a lot of pop from the right side. He has good bat speed and ropes line drives to both gaps with impressive carry to his hits. Smith is athletic behind the plate too with the ability to block well and has impressive arm strength. Smith provides power and a middle-of-the-order presence to go along with sound defensive actions behind the plate.

1B – Brandon Dorsey, Sr., Riverdale Baptist HS, Mount Airy (Md.)
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound slugger from Maryland is one of the premier power hitters of the region. Dorsey has a lot of bat speed and has a lot of strength throughout his frame and his swing. He has the versatility to play third base or first base but the bat is his calling card as a prospect. Dorsey should be a threat from the right side for the entire season and is a strong middle-of-the-order presence in Riverdale Baptist’s lineup.

MIF – Austine Jeremy Arocho, Sr., Old Mill HS, Glen Burnie (Md.)
Athletic, switch-hitting shortstops don’t come along very often but Arocho fits the archetype pretty well. A 6.7 runner, Arocho has the athleticism and instincts to stick at shortstop at the next level. At the dish, he can swing the bat well from both sides but the swing is a lot more fluid and natural from the left side. The bat works from both sides and if he continues his success he should be able to flourish at Maryland if he gets to campus.

MIF – Noah Campbell, Sr., Cardinal Gibbons HS, Durham (N.C.)
Speaking of athletic, switch-hitting shortstops, Campbell fits the mold as well and at times has flashed one of the top hit tools in the region. Campbell ran a 6.6-second 60-yard dash at the National Showcase and oozes offensive talent and projection at the plate. He stays balanced and and does an excellent job at driving the ball through the point of contact. Should he get to campus at Columbia he would be the next in line of an already high-pedigree program.

3B – Tanner Morris, Sr., Miller HS, Crozet (Va.)
Morris is one of the top hitters in the region and has a tremendous feel for hitting the ball out in front with the barrel of the bat. He has an advanced feel for hitting with the ability to drive the ball to all fields and really find the holes in the defense. As he continues to grow and develop his 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame he should be able to tap into some raw power in the near future.

OF – Austin Beck, Sr., North Davidson HS, Arcadia (N.C.)
After missing most of 2016 with injury, Beck looks to make his return to the ballfield in a big way with No. 26 North Davidson High School. Beck has a similar skill-set as Kier Meredith with outstanding defensive ability and good speed. That being said, Beck is more advanced with his hit tool and also has a good amount of pop from the right side. It’s always tough to bounce back from injury but Beck is an outstanding talent and should be one of the top players in the region.

OF – Nick Jodway, Sr., Jimmy C. Draughn HS, Morganton (N.C.)
Jodway is another two-way talent who has the skills to succeed at the next level, both from the outfield and on the mound. He registered the second-highest fastball velocity of the WWBA World Championship with a heater that reached 95 mph. The extremely physical Jodway also has a lot of power at the plate with the potential to be a power threat at the next level. It will be interesting to follow where he will be more successful, at the plate or on the mound, but in the meantime we can enjoy both aspects of his game.

OF – Kier Meredith, Sr., Glenn HS, Winston-Salem (N.C.)
One of the most exciting players in the class, in part due to his blazing speed, Meredith will wreak havoc on offense and show off plus range on defense. He gets excellent reads on fly balls and can track down almost anything in center field, making him a tremendous gap-to-gap defender that any pitcher would love to pitch in front of. Meredith has a contact-oriented approach that allows him to take full advantage of his speed and makes him a player that garners constant attention when on the field.

UT – Owen White, Jr., Jesse C. Carson HS, Mt. Ulla (N.C.)
The highest ranked uncommitted player left in the 2018 class (No. 24), White is the premier two-way talent out of Mt. Ulla. He is extremely athletic and projectable, with a delivery and arm action that leads to believe he will be able to reach velocities well beyond his current high of 93 mph. The curveball works extremely well as a two-strike pitch to induce swings and misses. The arm talent alone would make him worthy of this list and when you throw in the fact he plays above average defense with hitting tools, it makes White a tremendous prospect.

P – MacKenzie Gore, Sr., Whiteville HS, Whiteville (N.C.)
The lone Perfect Game All-American on this list, Gore has a strong case to be considered one of the top southpaws in the nation. He throws from a loose arm action and controls his stuff very well. Gore has excellent command of his fastball and his impressive repertoire allows him multiple weapons to get hitters out. His slider in particular can be devastating when he commands the pitch as well as he can. Gore’s fastball was up to 93 mph at the PG All-American Classic and his body projects for much more as he reaches physical maturity.

P – Aaron Perry, Sr., Hurricane HS, Hurricane (W.Va.)
You wouldn’t think that a 5-11, 175-pound righthander would be able to throw a 95 mph fastball with a wipeout slider in the mid-80s but that’s exactly what Perry did as he jumped onto the national stage at the WWBA World Championship. The delivery is explosive and he fires forward upon release. His two-pitch mix is as strong as any other pitcher in the region and as he continues to refine his stuff and command, Perry can be an absolute weapon on any pitching staff.

P – Hunter Perdue, Sr., Grassfield HS, Chesapeake (Va.)
Perdue enters this list as a polished righthander with a sound approach and three-pitch repertoire to his record. The fastball will climb up to 92 mph and is very consistent with some arm-side bite to it. He will mix in a breaking ball that he can manipulate to act like either a curveball or slider to go along with a changeup. Perdue has the makings of an advanced pitcher who can make an immediate impact on a college pitching staff.

P – Justin Bullock, Sr., South Granville HS, Creedmoor (N.C.)
Bullock has seen time both on the mound and in the infield, however he profiles best as a righthanded pitcher. He is very athletic with good mechanics including solid extension toward the batter. The curveball is a bit inconsistent but his stuff plays up with his deception and feel for mixing pitches. Should he refine his breaking ball, he would have three legitimate pitches and would be very intriguing come June.

P – Austin Elliott, Jr., Cape Henlopen HS, Milton (Del.)
The only other 2018 to make this list is Elliott and he is certainly deserving. Elliott has a very high ceiling on the mound with a strong three-pitch mix. He has a lot of arm speed and is able to work both sides of the plate with the fastball. The arm strength is evident from the outfield as well where he has been up to 93 mph. Elliott is a high-level two-way prospect with good strength and barrel feel to go along with his pitching prowess.


Mid-Atlantic Region Top Tools


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