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Tournaments  | Story  | 7/7/2017

14u BCS, Super25 July 6 Notes

Photo: Perfect Game

14u BCS, Super25 Scout Notes July 3-4 | 14u BCS Scout Notes July 5

The Elite Squad Prime 2021 team is loaded with talent. While the team was eliminated from the 14u BCS National Championship during Thursday’s slate of games, individual players continued to shine and show their natural ability to play baseball.

Righthanded pitcher Jayden Melendez (2021, Palmetto Bay, Fla.) is one such player. Melendez came in to pitch late in the game and recorded an impressive three innings of work with one strikeout. His fastball sat in the high-70s and touched 82 mph. Melendez darted the fastball in for strikes and rarely fell behind in the count. Melendez’ motion is compact, and he demonstrated an ease of repeatability. Melendez is no slouch at the plate either. He has very quick hands that translates to good bat speed. Melendez has good control of the barrel, and he consistently made contact. He’ll likely grow into his power, but Melendez already has the ability to hit pitches hard. Melendez is a promising young player, and he will be worth keeping an eye on.

Sean Ambrose (2021, Pembroke Pines, Fla.) claimed the leadoff spot in the lineup and played a smooth shortstop in the field. Ambrose swings an aggressive bat, and that aggressiveness can sometimes lead to him taking big, long hacks. When he does stay within his means, Ambrose has a quick, line drive swing that plays to all fields. Ambrose displayed a good eye, and he could easily distinguish between fastballs and off-speed pitches. Where Ambrose really exceeds is with the glove. His actions are clean and incredibly smooth for someone so young. He remained balanced when charging weak ground balls and had quick exchanges to get rid of the ball in time. If all else fails, Ambrose will have the glove to keep being inserted into lineups.

Kyle Tako (2021, Hollywood, Fla.) and his 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame helps him dwarf most around him, regardless of age. And while there isn’t much physical projection left to give, Tako has plenty of tools that already help him succeed. He has a solid arm out in the field and can likely play anywhere in the outfield. At the plate, Tako dos a good job shifting weight throughout his load and then during his swing. He begins his swing with his back slightly turned from the mound helping to create extra torque and power. Tako did show good disciple, and managed to work a walk. Tako has plenty of talent to work with and has a high ceiling.

Juhlien Gonzalez (2021, Southwest Ranches, Fla.) is an athletic 5-foot-11, 160-pound infielder with plenty of projection left. His start at third base showed good actions and quick footwork. His arm is lightning, easily getting runners at first. Gonzalez is impressive with the bat, too. He possesses solid bat speed and showed a good feel for making contact. Gonzalez has a slight upper cut swing plane and that will help his power continue as he matures physically. Currently his power is limited to the pull side. Gonzalez is a prospect worth keeping notes on.

Izaac Pacheco (2021, Friendswood, Tex.) is a slick-fielding shortstop who can do damage with the bat. Pacheco’s hands in the field are soft and adaptable to strange hops. His arm strength is a plus too, as Pacheco definitely has the tools and athleticism to stick at the position. Pacheco’s lefthanded swing is loose, but packs a punch. Even though he’ll grow into his 6-foot-2, 170-pound frame and add power, he already possesses the ability to drive the ball to the gaps. He creates good whip with his hands and some bat speed is present. Pacheco is an impressive all-around player.

One of the better catching prospects in the tournament is Layne Saunders (2021, Dallas, Ga.). He’s a solid 5-foot-8, 165-pound catcher with the nimbleness of someone much smaller. He blocked several tough pitches in the dirt, and showed better than average receiving skills. Saunders’ has an even stance at the plate with low hands. He takes aggressive swings that clearly show effort. This helps his power, but it sometimes causes a lack of contact on better off speed pitches. Saunders does do a good job of maintaining his balance throughout his swing, though. His up the middle approach paired with his line drive swing should lead to plenty of base hits with good power to the gaps.

Cole Tolbert (2021, Laurel, Miss.) is an all-around great athlete showing the ability to hit, pitch, and field. Tolbert’s stance at the plate is wide, but evenly set. His back elbow begins high. His hands are consistently short to the ball. Tolbert already possesses some present bat speed, but more is sure to come. He has a line drive swing that will play well to the gaps and along the foul lines. Tolbert maintains balance throughout his swing, and showed he can shoot the ball to all fields. In the field, Tolbert has quick actions and smooth hands. He has good arm strength currently, and as Tolbert grows into his 6-foot, 170-pound body more should come. This scout was also informed Tolbert’s fastball from the mound comes in at 75 mph. With so many options for Tolbert on the baseball field, he’s worth watching.

Harrison Howell (2021, Hood River, Ore.) is a highly projectable 5-foot-10, 160-pound outfielder with good potential with the bat. His righthanded swing starts with a pronounced leg kick that he manages to get down on time. After his big load, his swing gets compact and quiet. He rotates well with his upper half and stays short to the ball with his hands. Howell will need to engage his lower half better to up his power output. Howell will also hopefully add more bat speed. However, as Howell grows begins to mature physically these small concerns should be addressed. Howell has the tools needed to be successful and the projectability to continue developing.

Another incredibly projectable young prospect is Morgan Lunceford (2021, Shawnee, Okla.). His righthanded swing is aggressive and shows plenty of effort. He looks to get lift by creating a slight uphill swing plane. The swing should allow for plenty of balls in the air. His power is currently only to the pull side, but as he grows into his 5-foot-10, 155-pound frame he should have plenty of power to all fields. Lunceford demonstrated he can control the barrel fairly well, and he has the bat speed to match. Lunceford has the athleticism to continue his good defense in the field while improving at the plate.

– Kyle Zwenge



With a championship in sight, eight teams took to the diamonds at the quadplex of JetBlue Park in quarterfinal playoff action of the 14u PG Super25 National Championship. Two of the games ended early, the result of run-rule victories. One game went the distance and was highly competitive from start to finish. The fourth quarterfinal contest needed the Perfect Game tie-breaker to produce a winner. When the dust finally settled, four teams celebrated and lived to play another day, while four teams packed their packs and headed home.

The top-seeded MVP Banditos North club faced off against the Sarasota, Florida based Rebels Baseball Club on Field 3. As with many single elimination tournaments, one team can get on an early roll and use the emotion of the moment to carry the day. That was the case with the Rebels, as they used two big innings to first gain a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning, and then put the Banditos away with an impressive six spot in the fifth. The Rebels never allowed the Banditos any opportunity to get off the deck as the kids from Sarasota won a run-rule shortened ball game, 10-0.

Righthanded starting pitcher, Karson Ligon (2021, Sarasota, Fla.) was dominant in his four innings of work. The long limbed, 5-foot-11, 135-pound righty used a quick, smooth and easily repeatable mechanics to dominate the strike zone. His fastball, which touched 88-mph, was consistently clocked in the 84-86 mph range. Ligon’s curveball was a tight spinner, that had excellent 12-to-6 action with sharp break and bite.  Ligon’s final line was quite impressive: four innings, zero runs, one hit and three strike outs.

Caden Chamberlin (2021, Bradenton, Fla.), the Rebels starting shortstop, was solid in his club’s big win. He was one of many Rebels in the middle of the 10-run offensive onslaught. His RBI single in the fifth made the score 5-0 and helped open the floodgates that eventually pushed across five additional runs for the victorious club from Sarasota. The 5-foot-9, 130-pound Chamberlin was exceptionally sound at shortstop, where he used consistently solid footwork, quick hands and a smooth, easy throwing motion to keep the Banditos in check.

Chamberlin followed Ligon to the hill in the fifth inning and nailed down the victory. His quick throwing action and solid high three-quarters arm slot allowed him to make short work of the Banditos in the game’s final inning. His fastball, that he worked only on the edges, was consistently in the 80-81 mph range. Chamberlin’s curve was a knee-buckler that complemented his better than average fastball extremely well. His bender, which ranged in velocity from 65-mph to 76-mph, was an impressive pitch; a 12-to-6 breaker that he astutely added and subtracted velocity on.

There were many Rebel hitting stars that could, and probably should, be recognized. One, in particular, stood out for his approach, balance at the plate, swing path, and bat quickness. Sean Vitug (2021, Bradenton, Fla.), the Rebels second baseman, faced a new Banditos pitcher when he came to the dish in the fifth inning with the bases loaded. The 5-foot-6, 114-pound dynamo lashed the first pitch he saw to left field, driving in two runs, to up the Rebels lead to 9-0.

With this victory, the Rebels advanced to face the International Baseball Academy from Puerto Rico in semifinal action. IBAHS won the most exciting quarterfinal game of the day over Marucci Elite Texas-Lucas, 6-3.

On Field 6, IBAHS and Marucci were tied 2-2 as time expired, forcing the clubs into the Perfect Game tiebreaker. The visiting club from Puerto Rico had the first shot to break the tie. As most PG veterans well know, the tiebreaker rules state that the bases are loaded to start the inning and the game resumes with one out on the board.

Plaudits go out to Daniel Pineda (2021, Deer Park, Texas), Marucci’s workhorse righthander, who, using a solid three-pitch mix of fastball in the 76-78 mph range, an 11-to-5 sweeping curveball that was clocked consistently from 58-61 mph, and straight changeup that sat at 72 mph, was tough all day. He was also quickly approaching the daily 95-pitch limit when the tiebreaker began. His bulldog mentality and quality mechanics had allowed Pineda to keep his club in the ballgame. His very repeatable high three-quarters arm slot was the key to Pineda’s command and control, which was exceptional.

What wasn’t helping the burly righthander from the greater Houston area was the Southwest Florida sun, which, after six-plus innings, was starting to take its toll on the tough Texan. By the time extra innings rolled around, Pineda was running on fumes, but, quite obviously through his body language, wanted the ball.

IBAHS took advantage of the opportunity. After the first Baseball Academy batter of the inning had grounded into a fielder’s choice, where the lead runner was forced at the plate, IBAHS went to work.

Edwin Oquendo (2020, Trujillo, Puerto Rico) took the first Pineda offering in the back, and that hit-by-pitch pushed across the go-ahead run. With the bases still loaded, Jonathan Rosa (2020, Luquillo, Puerto Rico) lashed a hard-hit ground ball down the left field line, driving in two more runs. An additional run crossed the dish on an error by Marucci’s left fielder, which gave IBAHS a 6-2 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.

Crafty 5-foot-5, 125-pound lefty Carlos Vicente (2020, Caguas, Puerto Rico) allowed a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning, but induced Marucci into a routine fly out to end this highly competitive, very entertaining game between two outstanding squads.

For IBAHS to even get to the point of a tiebreaker scenario, they had to get a great effort from their starting pitcher, Ian Martinez (2020, Trujillo, Puerto Rico). The 5-foot-3, 140-pound lefthander, whose actions would remind many baseball followers of former Houston Astro Wandy Rodriquez, was exceptional for his ballclub. His high three-quarters arm slot and repeatable, easy and smooth mechanics, helped Martinez deliver a fastball consistently ranging from 71 to 74 mph. What made his fastball a plus pitch was the excellent arm-side run and sink that was evident with each delivery. Martinez also had a quality breaking ball, as his 12-to-6, sharp-breaking curveball was a great compliment to his very effective fastball.

The game on Field 5, between the EvoShield Canes - Pate and Team Houston, was never in doubt after the first inning. The EvoShield Canes, another long-standing and outstanding baseball organization, pounced on Team Houston for seven first inning runs and never looked back. EvoShield continued to add on to their early lead and disposed of the club from Houston, 13-1, in a game shortened to four innings by the PG run rule.

Setting the tone early for EvoShield was their starting pitcher, Nick Morgan (2021, Cataula, Ga.). The 5-foot-10, 155-pound righthander was dominant from the get-go. He used very polished mechanics and a high three-quarters arm slot to routinely pound the zone and get his potent offense back in the dugout. His lively fastball, which had impressive arm-side run and sink, was clocked between 76 and 78 mph. His curveball was a sharp snapper, with 11-to-5 late break. He also showed a very advanced straight change at 72-mph that many pitchers much his senior would envy. Due to his club’s early large lead, his manager opted to remove Morgan after 35 pitches in hopes of using him again in a possible appearance in the finals.

The hitting stars for EvoShield were numerous. The Canes big, lefthanded hitting first sacker, Ryan Clifford (2022, Raleigh, N.C.) led the hit barrage for EvoShield. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Clifford uses a slightly open stance and really generates consistent bat speed that would one would remind many of a young Will Clark. He squared up two pitches for two singles that produced that sound that all hitting coaches listen for. His two loud knocks drove in two runs.

Grayson Irwin (2021, Wilmington, N.C.), the Canes starting catcher, also had a productive day at the dish. His two-hit day was highlighted by a double in the first inning that drove in two and a single in the third inning that added one to his RBI total. The solidly built, 6-foot-1, 165-pound Irwin hits out of a slightly open stance and maintains balance throughout his swing path. At contact, there is a slight lift in his swing that could project to above average power numbers as he matures.

In the fourth of the quarterfinal games, FTB Kudagra – Royal squared off with the East Coast Clippers - Bouck in a well played, tightly contested ballgame, where FTB came out on top by a 4-1 score. FTB rode the solid right arm of their starting pitcher, Tyler Mitchell (2021, Palm Coast, Fla.). The rising freshman at Matanzas High School, used sound mechanics and advanced command to get early count swings. He only allowed one earned run over five innings. The East Coast club managed six hits over that span and never really threatened beyond the one run they scored. Mitchell’s three pitch mix – fastball, curveball and changeup – was thrown out of the same high three-quarters arm slot which allowed the talented righthander to confidently work all four quadrants of the zone.

FTB and Mitchell were aided by one of the most fundamentally sound defensive clubs in the tournament. Catcher, Schyler Arroyo (2022, Casselberry, Fla.) was exceptional in handling the FTB staff. He consistently flashed advanced receiving skills and an adept knowledge on how to set up hitters and call a game. Considering he is playing a level or two above his age group, Arroyo, playing one of the tougher positions on the field, is certainly worthy of recognition.

Rarely does an entire infield get recognized, especially at this level, for their collective ability. The FTB infield of first baseman Santino Rao (2021, Orlando, Fla.), second baseman Sebastian Burgos (2021, Kissimmee, Fla.), third baseman Keagan Perez (2021, Casselberry, Fla.) and shortstop Manuel Beltre (2022, Miami, Fla.) are all worthy of both individual and collective praise for their attention to detail and their fundamentally sound approach as a unit.

The 6-foot-1, 198-pound Rao is an imposing lefthanded first sacker who possesses very soft hands and exceptional footwork around the bag. He also swings the stick well, as evidenced by his 2-for-3 day at the dish that included a double, two RBI, a walk, and a run scored.

The middle infield combination of the 5-foot-3, 120-pound Burgos and the 5-foot-8, 130-pound Beltre, are mature beyond their years. They obviously enjoy playing together and do a great job of communicating concerning positioning. Both are light on their feet and possess quick first steps and soft hands. Their arm actions are solid and will only get better.

Third baseman, Keagan Perez has the size at 6-foot-1, and 130-pounds to project to a bright future. His lateral movements are above average and his hands and arm are plus tools and show the skill that project for greater success down the road.

– Jerry Miller
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