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Tournaments  | Story  | 7/9/2017

14u BCS, Super25 July 7 Notes

Photo: Perfect Game

14u BCS, Super25 Scout Notes July 3-4 | 14u BCS Scout Notes July 5 | 14u BCS, Super25 Scout Notes July 6

The 14u BCS National Championship continued with a semifinal matchup between Team Elite 14u Nation and the Florida Burn 2021 Platinum North. A stellar pitching performance from Kenneth Mallory, Jr. (2021, Lawerenceville, Ga.) secured Team Elite’s easy 13-0 victory. Mallory Jr. threw a complete game, throwing five shutout innings while allowing only one hit and striking out two batters. He throws from a traditional three-quarters arm slot with a slow, easy motion. He sometimes struggles to get over his front leg, but it never became too much of an issue. His fastball sits in the mid-70s with good downhill action. Mallory Jr.’s best pitch is his curve. There’s good velocity separation from his fastball. His curve comes in nearly 15 mph slower. The pitch showed good depth as well, and his exceptional arm speed helped add deception. Although Mallory Jr. is known more for his play in the outfield, he clearly has the stuff and poise to continue pitching.

Although it was a one-sided affair in this semifinal matchup, Dylan McDonald (2021, Tampa, Fla.) showed he can hit despite the stiff competition. He starts from a straight stance with good bend at the knees. Most of his weight rests on his back foot before his load. McDonald will keep his weight there until his small, quiet load progresses. His swing is short, and he tries to inside-out the ball. His line drive swing plane should lead to plenty of base hits over the second baseman’s head. McDonald may need to learn to see more pitches per at bat as he is a very aggressive hitter currently. However, McDonald’s bat-to-ball skills are certainly impressive and will continue to keep his contact rates sky high. He’s an interesting follow.

The other semifinal game between Swingman Baseball SC 14u and the Tennessee Nationals was a nail bitter. It was a low scoring affair that kept all on the edge of their seats. Ultimately, the Tennessee Nationals secured a 4-3 victory. David A. Coleman II (2020, Atlanta, Ga.) played an active role in the victory by reaching base three times via two hits and a walk. He swings from an extremely crouched stance with a high back elbow set. As Coleman strides towards the pitch he transfers his weight to his front foot and shows strength at the point of contact. His line drive swing and all fields approach allow him to spray the ball across the field. He will likely make plenty of contact now and in the future. And as he grows into his 5-foot-6, 135-pound frame power should come as well.

Connor Jurek (2020, Knoxville, Tenn.) was another solid contributor to his team’s victory. Jurek scored two of the team’s four runs. He was one of the bigger kids with a stocky 5-foot-10, 161-pound frame. He swings from a slightly crouched, open stance with a high back elbow set. He begins his load with a slight toe tap, but keeps his hips open during his swing. This may cause problems later when pitchers begin to throw more off speed pitches down and away. However, it does allow Jurek to turn on any inside pitch. His healthy uppercut should maximize his power on these inside pitches as well. If he manages to make enough contact on pitches away and can mash anything inside, Jurek could have a bright future.

Despite his team’s loss, Owen Taylor (2021, Darlington, S.C.) impressed on the mound. Taylor throws from a three-quarters arm slot with a compact arm action. He stays extremely tall through his delivery and falls over his front leg. His fastball ranges in the mid-70s and his slider is in the mid-60s. Although his fastball won’t overpower many hitters, it has plenty of wobble. The pitch was consistently difficult for hitters to square up. Taylor’s slider has good lateral bite that he proved he can effectively bury when needed. His slider could be a true swing-and-miss pitch. Taylor also showed some talent with a bat in his hands. His hands move directly to the ball, and he gets natural lift when he connects. Taylor is an interesting two way prospect, but he has a better chance of sticking on the mound.

The consolation championship game between the West Ga Warriors- Meigs and FTB Tucci Northeast 14u turned into a blow out after FTB Tucci Northeast took an early three-run lead. FTB Tucci Northeast closed the game out winning by eight runs. The game was marked by great defensive plays from both teams.

West Ga Warriors’ Eli Runyan (2021, Graham, Ala.) made a phenomenal diving catch in centerfield ranging to his right and extending to the max of his 5-foot-10 frame. He made another superb running catch by tracking down a deep fly ball to the gap in left-center field. Runyan made a casual over-the-should catch to end the inning. Runyan has good speed and can easily close the gap between the ball and him. He also gets great first steps on fly balls. If Runyan can keep making plays like he did in Friday’s game he should have a bright future in the outfield.

FTB Tucci Northeast’s Tyler Sorrentino (2021, Roseland, N.J.) made two of his own great plays, but from left field. His first diving catch came on a sinking line drive slightly to his right. He closed the gap well, and found the ball in his glove. Unfortunately, after making a hard dive the ball came out of his glove. Although he couldn’t make the out, Sorrentino clearly showed his athleticism, speed, and instincts to even have a chance to make a play. Later in the inning, Sorrentino dove for another line drive and managed to hold on to make the out. He quickly rose to his feet and threw to first to double the runner off first base, receiving an outfield assist. His arm is strong enough that he could likely play anywhere in the outfield, and his speed would surely allow this. Sorrentino, too, could have a bright future in the outfield.

That wasn’t all the great defense featured in this game, though. Kyle Aldridge (2020, Carrollton, Ga.) made a slick, barehanded grab on a weak groundball hit to shortstop. He charged the dribbler hard, grabbed the slowly rolling ball, made an off balance throw to first, and got the runner by a couple steps. Aldridge showed the athleticism and arm strength needed to play the premium infield position.

On the offensive side of things Colton Cosper (2021, Carrollton, Ga.) stood out for the West Ga Warriors. He comes to the plate with a straight stance. He has a high hand and back elbow set. His load is quiet and simple. Cosper then transitions into a smooth lefthanded swing. He is direct to the pitch and stays behind the ball well at the point of contact. Cosper has a line drive swing plane, and he tries to shoot the ball back up the middle. This combination should result in plenty of contact and a good amount of hits directed towards the center of the field. Cosper did show playable power to the alleys.

Triston Horst (2021, Lititz, Pa.) was seemingly always a part of the scoring action for FTB Tucci Northeast. He finished a solid 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. His swing could make that kind of success normal. He starts from a straight stance with a high hand and back elbow set. As he strides, there is no hand drifting. Instead, his hands are direct and short to the ball. Horst does transfer his weight to the front side a little early on occasion. However, he did show impressive plate discipline throughout his at bats by laying off big, sweeping breaking balls. Horst is a scrappy player and will find nearly any way to get on base. And once he’s at first he takes aggressive secondary leads and has good speed once he gets underway. Horst could develop into a consistent danger at the plate and on the base paths.

Generoso Romano (2021, Roseland, N.J.) may not have the bat-to-ball skills that Horst possesses, but he has much better raw power. He sits in a deep crouch at the plate with a high hand set. He features a small toe tap as a timing mechanism and a means to start his swing. Romano coils slightly during his small load and then unleashes at the ball. There’s good rotational power through his hips, and some bat speed is present. His aggressive uppercut will help his power grow as he does. There is a little hand drifting, however, and this can cause him to be late or get too far under pitches causing him to pop up. He’ll need to be wary of this as he progresses. However, his good plate discipline and current tool set allow him to be competitive now, and will most likely keep it that way in the future.

– Kyle Zwenge



Riding the strong right arm of Ryan Waldschmidt (2021, Bradenton, Fla.), the Rebels clung to a 1-0 lead in semifinal action heading into the bottom of the sixth inning of their game against IBAHS. The 5-foot-10, 145-pound Waldschmidt, a rising freshman at Braden River High School, was simply brilliant all day. His composure and poise, especially considering his age and this stage, was noteworthy. He relied heavily on his advanced curveball that he added and subtracted on the entire morning. His curve was a tight-spinning, late-breaking 11-to-5 sweeper that he worked to both sides of the plate. His low-end velocity was 58 mph. His high-end velo was 66 mph.

He also used two variations on his fastball. His two-seamer had outstanding arm-side run and sink. That two-seam fastball was consistently clocked at 75-76 mph. His four-seam fastball was an explosive riding pitch that he worked to his glove side. The velocity on his four-seam fastball was consistently in the 78-80 mph range. What made Waldschmidt especially impressive was his ability to command all his pitches to all four quadrants. The best tool in his pitching bag was unquestionably his uncanny ability to pitch backwards.

Runs were hard to come by early for both clubs, but the Rebels were finally able to break the 0-0 tie in the top of the fourth. The Rebels EH, Karson Ligon (2021, Sarasota, Fla.), the pitching standout from the Rebels semifinal win, led off the fourth by drawing a walk. The 5-foot-11, 135-pound Ligon hits with a slightly open stance and has a great understanding of the strike zone and is keenly aware of situational at-bats.

Cam Martin (2021, Bradenton, Fla.), followed his Braden River High School teammate (Ligon) with a base hit. At 5-foot-9, and 135-pounds, the lefthanded hitting Martin has a very sound awareness of his strengths as a hitter. He is short and direct to the ball and always appears to get a good pass with each swing. Shortstop Caden Chamberlin, (2021, Sarasota, Fla.), another Rebel who had a great tournament, doubled home Ligon with the game’s first run and what would turn out to be, the Rebels lone tally.

IBAHS starting pitcher, Kevin Matos (2020, San Juan, Puerto Rico) battled Waldschmidt all morning. Other than the one run that the Rebels were able to push across in the fourth, Matos matched his mound opponent pitch-for-pitch. The pitching style and ability of both pitchers was almost identical. Matos also used two different fastballs and an advanced curveball to keep the high-scoring Rebels at bay.

Like Waldschmidt, Matos’ fastball velocity and movement were tied to the grip he chose to throw those pitches with. The young Puerto Rican’s two-seamer was consistently in the 75-76 mph range, while his four-seamer was in the 78-80 range. He was especially effective when he threw his riding four-seamer up in the zone. That pitch had exploding late life that the Rebels could not get to, and certainly could not lay off of.

With one out in the bottom of the sixth the Academy’s lefthanded leadoff hitter, Carlos Vicente, drilled a Waldschmidt offering to deep right-center field for a standup double. The speedy 5-foot-5, 125-pound Vicente then stole third base on the very next pitch, although on the pitch after that he was tagged out on a suicide squeeze attempt.

Two pitches later, the Academy’s shortstop, 5-foot-8, 130-pound, Steven Ondina (2020, Gurabo, Puerto), lashed a double down the left field line. With two outs, IBAHS had another chance to tie the game and this time they cashed in. Their big 6-foot-1, 185-pound, three-hole hitter, Mario Zabala, swinging out of an upright and slightly open stance, drove a Waldschmidt outer-half four-seamer to right field. This knock plated Ondina and this highly entertaining, and well-played game, was tied.

Jodian Gonzalez (2020, Humacao, Puerto Rico) led off the bottom of the seventh with a solid knock up the middle, setting the tone for an IBAHS victory. The righthanded hitting, 5-foot-10, 140-pound Gonzalez couldn’t have squared his swing up any better. Gonzalez would end up scoring the winning run, as Edwin Oquendo (2020, Trujillo Alto, PR), one of the IBAHS quarterfinals standouts, calmly drove Walderschmidt’s 94th offering into left field, setting off pandemonium in the IBAHS dugout.

The IBAHS squad then moved over to Field 6 to watch the conclusion of the FTB Kudagra-Royal vs. EvoShield Canes-Pate game. By the time IBAHS settled in to watch the end of the Field 6 game, the outcome was pretty much decided. The relentless offense that is the EvoShield Canes posted a 10-3 come-for-behind victory over a solid FTB squad to advance to the 14U PG Super 25 final.

In the other semifinal game between FTB Kudagra-Royal and the EvoShield Canes-Pate, the FTB squad got runs on the board first in support of their starting pitcher, Keagan Perez (2021, Casselberry, Fla.). The 6-foot-1, 130-pound righthanded strike thrower used a smooth and easy approach and a three-pitch mix – fastball, curveball and changeup – to keep the potent EvoShield squad at bay for a few innings. Perez pitched effectively off his changeup and had the EvoShield offense taking some uncharacteristically poor swings early in the contest.

After giving up a pair of second-inning runs, Cyle Phelan (2021, Fuquay Varina, N.C.) settled in and used his plus stuff to keep FTB at arm’s length and let his potent offense get a chance to rally. The lefty Phelan is a polished pitcher, so his early control and command difficulties were rather surprising. Phelan used a great three-pitch mix and relied especially on his plus fastball that ranged between 79 and 82 mph and sharp, late-breaking 11-to-5 slurve that sat between 61 and 63 mph. His change at 73 mph is also a solid pitch that is thrown out of the same window as his fastball. His mechanics are very repeatable, easy, and smooth.

Once the Canes hitters saw Phelan take a breath, EvoShield broke out the lumber. They squared the game at two in the top of the fourth and got RBI hits from 5-foot-11, 165-pound lefthanded hitting, Jack Howell (2020, Fuquay Varina, N.C.) and 5-foot-5, 130-pound, Logan Davidson (2020, Pinehurst, N.C.) to finally pull out ahead of a tough FTB squad, 4-2.

After FTB got a run back in the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-3, EvoShield sent 12 batters to the plate in the top of the sixth and quash all hope of an FTB rally. At the fore of the hitting onslaught by EvoShield were 5-foot-11, 150-pound right fielder, Tyler Christmas (2021, Summerville, S.C.), 5-foot-10, 140-pound shortstop, Jax Masterson (2021, Raleigh, N.C.) and 6-foot-2, 185-pound, center ielder, Ryan Clifford (2022, Raleigh, N.C.).

Tyler Christmas (2021, Summerville, S.C.) was one of EvoShields more notable hitters in this contest, using a slightly open stance and a middle-of-the-field swing path to send a sharp single up the middle, plating two EvoShield runners and upping the Canes lead to 7-3. Not to be outdone, Jax Masterson (2021, Raleigh, N.C.), the Canes quick-twitch leadoff hitter, lined a double down the left-field line, plating another run. The big lefty hitting Ryan Clifford (2022, Raleigh, N.C.), who has had some impressive swings in the tournament, then drove a double to the base of the right centerfield wall for quite possibly the most impressive knock of the entire week.

– Jerry Miller
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