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Tournaments  | Story | 10/2/2017

California World Series Notes

Jheremy Brown
Vincent Cervino
Photo: Perfect Game

2017 California World Series: Underclass Daily Leaders | Upperclass Daily Leaders

For the Saddleback Cowboys, the eventual champions of the Upperclass California World Series, Zachary Thomas (2018, Lakewood, Calif.) was one of the top hitters of the event but also put forth a quality start in the first game of the event. The 6-foot, 175-pound righthander tossed five strong innings while only allowing one earned run and working primarily off his fastball. The pitch lived in the 82-85 mph range for the duration of the start and showed good run to the arm side. Thomas’ arm swing was short and compact and the arm path allowed for him to get the good run on his fastball through the point of release. He worked very quickly with a good tempo and got a lot of swings and misses on the fastball within the strike zone. Thomas showed a changeup in warmups, but didn’t go to it often during the game, instead favoring a tight slider with 10-to-4 shape.

Thomas’ swing was simple itself with a level swing plane and an easy trigger into the swing. He showed some pop to the pull side during the weekend as he was able to drive the ball and turn the barrel over for extra bases. He finished the tournament with six total hits, four of which were doubles

The center fielder for the Saddleback squad, Chase Luttrell (2018, Mission, Viejo, Calif.), impressed in the first game of the tournament and also showed quality athleticism throughout the weekend. The lefthanded bat showed the ability to extend well through the point of contact and flashed natural loft to the swing plane as well. The athleticism stood out defensively and on the basepaths as Luttrell is a good runner. He was clocked at 4.01 seconds to first base on a bunt and made consistently good reads out in center field over the course of the event. That speed helped translate to multiple stolen bases throughout the event and he was a quality presence near the top of the lineup.

The eventual MVP of the tournament, Joey Nicolai (2019, Newport Beach, Calif.), made consistent hard contact throughout the weekend. The University of San Diego commit is a very physical hitter at a listed 6-foot-3, 210-pounds and that strength aids him at the plate. The strength plays well to all fields but especially to the pull side, and when combined with the raw bat speed he is able to impact the ball hard when turning the barrel over well. Nicolai’s swing is pretty short through the zone and he showed the ability to turn well over the inside part of the plate to generate line drive contact. Such an example came during the championship game when his double down the line to the pull side eventually pushed him around the bases to score the go-ahead run.




One of the most impressive performances over the weekend came courtesty of the No. 20 prospect for the 2019 class in outfielder Jasiah Dixon (2019, Riverside, Calif.). The Southern California commit is a dynamic athlete and an asset to any team whether it be offensively or defensively. The quick-twitch athleticism allows for excellent speed throughout the 6-foot, 155-pound frame and posted consistent run times to first base, as low as 4.05 seconds when bursting out of the box on a single to the opposite field.

He made excellent reads in center field and, as cliché as it may sound, made very difficult catches look routine because of the range he is able to cover in the outfield. He would often camp out under fly balls in the gaps on batted balls that most others would have to dive for to even have a shot at making the catch.

The offensive tools are a bit raw but they are undoubtedly impressive. There is excellent bat speed to the profile with a definite feel for hitting and, save for a few early strikeouts, made excellent contact in almost every plate appearance. Dixon comes about as close as you can find to a five-tool player as a junior and looks to be one of the most talented prospects for the 2019 high school class.

Dixon’s teammate, and tournament MVP, Cody Freeman (2019, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), did nothing but hit all weekend long. The brother of 2017 Indians second round pick – and former PG All-American – Tyler, Cody is absolutely a prospect in every sense of the word. The swing itself is clean and free of extraneous movements with a very simple trigger and shift into contact. The Baylor commit has excellent bat-to-ball skills and a very good feel for handling the barrel of the bat. The actions at shortstop are advanced with present athleticism and feel for the position. Freeman hit almost everything on a line during this tournament and showed the ability to drive the ball with authority to both gaps. He performed extremely well and possesses a complete package of tools that profiles well up the middle and near the top of any lineup.

Two other members of the championship CBA squad who impressed over the weekend were Joseph Naranjo (2019, Chino, Calif.) and Gabe Briones (2019, Riverside, Calif.).

Naranjo is a lefthanded hitter with impressive raw power and put that on display during the team’s first game on Saturday. In the first inning, Naranjo turned on an inside fastball to deposit the pitch over the right field fence for an early three-run bomb. The swing is simple itself with natural loft and he does a good job at getting his hands to explode over the inner half directly to the ball. He didn’t pitch at all during the event, however the offensive presence was enough to be valuable to the CBA squad as one of the top power hitters in the state for the 2019 class.

Briones is one of the more polished defensive catchers in the entire state and showed exactly why he is a premier defensive prospect. The frame is physical and looks as if he has added strength from the summer at 6-foot, 195-pounds. The catch-and-throw skills are what stand out as the throwing mechanics are both compact and consistent with a lightning quick release. The Southern California commit is a threat to the opposing running game as early on in the event he threw out a runner with ease and posted a 2.03 pop time while doing so. The arm strength plays and he does an excellent job at getting on top of the ball. The offensive game is a bit raw but he shows good strength and did so in the championship game with a triple to the opposite field gap.

Playa Vista threw an extremely projectable righthander late on Saturday afternoon in 6-foot-7 Andrew Beauvais (2018, Claremont, Calif.). The uncommitted righthander has an extremely long and lanky frame with a listed weight of 200 pounds and plenty of room for additional physicality and strength. Beauvais works from a very simple delivery with s light turn in an effort to keep the delivery repeatable. As someone with his stature, he did struggle at times to repeat it, however when he was on top of the ball he was able to generate heavy sink.

He worked mostly in the 83-86 mph range and touched 87 mph early on with the fastball and is a true groundball pitcher. Beauvais could spot the ball well to either side and utilized a higher three-quarters arm slot with a compact arm action. The extended release allowed the life on the fastball and the secondary pitches flashed. The curveball showed soft break and the changeup was rarely used. There is a lot of untapped potential on the frame and the arm and Beauvais will definitely be an arm to monitor next spring.




Opposing Beauvais on the mound was California commit Ian Villers (2018, Walnut Creek, Calif.) and the righthander showed an explosive fastball. Working up to 92 mph and sitting in the 87-90 mph range, Villers created good downhill plane from an over-the-top arm slot. The fastball also flashed occasional riding life when he would throw the pitch up and in to righthanded hitters.

Villers dips his back shoulder and rears back through release, creating a bit of imbalance which can throw off the command. The am path was full with a deep plunge in the back of the arm action and he attacked hitters with the fastball. The secondary pitches are still developing but he showed the ability to throw the breaking ball for strikes well. Villers is pretty athletic for his size, listed at 6-foot-5 and 230-pounds, and fielded his position very well on the mound.

Two shortstops who showed well over the course of the tournament were Playa Vista’s Dawson Gilbert (2018, Cypress, Ga.) and CCB Elite’s Dawson Brigman (2018, San Jose, Calif.).

Gilbert is a switch hitter who is a good runner, posting a 4.25 second time to first from the left side, and showcased quality tools out of the leadoff spot. Gilbert gets out of the box with good energy and burst and showed similar qualities on the basepaths. He stole multiple bases over the weekend and the speed is certainly the carrying tool on the profile.

Brigman is another athletic shortstop and showed quality actions at the position. The Santa Clara commit displayed exemplary footwork at shortstop with quality arm strength to make plays to both sides. The athleticism shone on Saturday night as he made a number of difficult plays, including snagging a line drive over his back shoulder on a leaping play. The swing is pretty clean from the left side as well with a clean shift through contact and the ability to drive the ball on a line to all fields.

Dalton Ponce (2018, Fontana, Calif.) got the start in the opening playoff game for the Southern California Bombers, and, despite getting the hard-luck loss, showed quality tools on the hill. The righthander stands at an athletic 6-foot, 170-pounds The arm action is shorter through a compact arm path and he showed good arm speed through the point of release. The St. Mary’s commit gets on top of the ball well and it comes out of the hand cleanly.

Ponce worked his fastball in the mid-80s, predominantly in the 83-86 mph range, to both sides of the plate, although the velocity did drop a bit out of the stretch. He utilizes an up-tempo delivery as well as a feel for three pitches. He can really spin the ball well and showed a breaking ball in the mid-70s with tight rotation that was used as a swing-and-miss offering. The changeup is a bit raw but he showed good feel for it out in front. Ponce struck out six batters while working into the sixth inning and getting the loss against a quality BPA team.

Closing out the semifinal victory for the Saddleback Cowboys was physical righthander Benjamin Ziv (2018, Trabuco Canyon, Calif.). The 6-foot-1, 185-pound righthander closed out the game in excellent fashion as he tossed four shutout innings while not allowing a hit. Ziv attacked hitters with a fastball that sat 84-88 mph on the afternoon. He throws from a lower three-quarters slot with some recoil to the finish, but the lower slot helped to create some cut on the fastball. The arm action itself was hooked and traveled through a shorter path to release, though he could do a bit to shore up the consistency of the arm. The fastball and the life on it is the main draw as he created good angle to the plate on release. The breaking ball was an effective offering to be thrown for strikes, however, it could be tightened up a bit.




Turning in one of the strongest performances of the tournament was righthander Jeremy Hassel (2018, Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) who tossed five innings while only allowing one hit in the championship game for Saddleback. The broad shouldered 6-foot-4, 195-pound uncommitted arm was dazzling during the game, working with a three-pitch mix that kept hitters off balance.

The arm action was short and compact with an over-the-top arm slot. The slot created good downhill plane on the fastball, especially to the lower third of the plate. He powered the fastball by the opposing hitters consistently, getting a lot of swings and misses within the strike zone as well as weak contact.

The breaking ball was a difference-maker both in terms of his performance on Sunday and the overall profile. The offering worked in the 68-72 mph range with sharp, downward bite as well as late tilt. The uncommitted arm turned in a tremendous performance and he shouldn’t be uncommitted for much longer.

– Vinnie Cervino



Even in the quickest of looks it isn’t tough to see that Brooks Lee (2019, San Luis Obispo, Calif.) grew up around the game and on the field, following his father Larry, who enters his 15th season as head coach at Cal Poly. A Mustang commit himself, the game comes easy for Lee who shows the understanding and awareness on the field that you don’t typically find from players who are just through two seasons of their high school career.

A true switch-hitter who handles the barrel well from both sides of the plate, it’s the acumen on defense that truly stands out. Along with quick feet up the middle at shortstop, Lee shows the body control to work behind the ball while reading the hop and adjusting though he can also make the charge play and throw across his body while making it look like second nature. His hands are both soft and fluid and he was consistently on target with his throws from a lower release point, whether it was on the run and across his body or on a turn at the second base bag.

It’s natural to expect a young switch-hitter to be more advanced and comfortable from the left side given a majority of one’s reps will come against righthanded pitching, which holds true for Lee, but he also has made notable strides with his righthanded stroke. His hands are quick and he’s able to get the barrel through the zone from both sides of the plate well, finding the barrel while showing some jump when squared up. Currently ranked 222nd in the class of 2019, Lee finished the tournament hitting .538 in the Upperclass portion.




Hunter Cranton (2019, Dana Point, Calif.) has been a frequent performer in Perfect Game events and every time we see him take the mound he continues to take a step forward, whether it be in his mechanics or overall stuff. His most recent outing saw him go four innings in which he punched out five while scattering three hits and also provided a new top velocity as he bumped 88 mph with his heater early in the game.

At a long and projectable 6-foot-2, 165-pounds, Cranton isn’t near finished in terms of filling out though he’s already able to generate some whip with his right arm, leading to a steady 85-87 mph fastball. There were times in the game where the future Arizona Wildcat would lose his release point but he was able to make and adjustment and get back to working on top of the ball which allowed for downhill plane from his high three-quarters slot. The velocity will keep progressing as he fills out physically and continues to make subtle refinements to his delivery, which bodes well as he also shows a feel for an array of secondaries.

A good athlete off the mound and fielding his position, Cranton’s breaking ball was at its best when thrown in the 73-75 mph range and showing more like a slider with tilting action as opposed to his curveball in the low-70s with 12-to-6 shape. 

After a strong summer debut Jonathan Vaughns (2020, Covina, Calif.) vaulted all the way up to No. 47 in the class of 2020 and in a single inning you can see some things that help justify the lofty ranking. The first thing, and perhaps the easiest assets to see with Vaughns, is his broad and physical 6-foot-2, 192-pound build that offers plenty of athleticism and ability that’s only going to take off moving into the future.

Having seen Vaughns play third base in Georgia this past summer, shortstop was a new look and despite the strength to his frame he made the difficult plays look routine and did so with that aforementioned athleticism. More than once in his team’s opening game Vaughns came charging in, picked the ball, and threw across his body all in one fluid motion with plenty of arm strength to complete the play. And should he shift over to third base at the next level, he’ll bring with him a quick and strong stroke that shows the potential to hit for power from the left side of the plate.

Paul Sanchez (2019, Glendora, Calif.) is a primary middle infielder for the Southern California Bombers who doesn’t have a commitment listed alongside his names according to his Perfect Game profile, but he showed nice tools at the dish throughout the tournament. Though not overly physical at 5-foot-6, 135-pounds, Sanchez put his barrel skills on display as well as his pillaging to use all parts of the field. Full of quick-twitch muscle, Sanchez possesses the type of speed atop a lineup that puts pressure on the defense, something we saw as he legged out an infield single. His next at-bat in the pool play game was more impressive however as he went with an outer half fastball and simply barreled the ball into right field with the same easy swing he continued to show en route to hitting north of .400 for the tournament.

A player who is committed off the Southern California Bombers roster is shortstop Jeovanni Delgado (2019, Palmdale, Calif.) who has already verballed to San Jose State. With a long and projectable 6-foot, 160-pound build, Delgado showed some tools on both sides of the ball in my look during pool play. While there are some timing checkpoints to Delgado’s swing, he showed the ability to get the barrel through the zone on a linear plane while swinging with intent and generating notable bat speed. It turned out to be a quiet tournament for him offensively overall but he also showed his actions on defensive which stood out. Athletic moving to and through the ball, Delgado showed nice instincts up the middle with soft hands and carry across the diamond while remaining accurate to first base.

Committed to California Baptist, third baseman Jack Drury (2018, Mira Loma, Calif.) managed to hit .667 in the tournament over two games for the Southern California Bombers, including a 3-for-3 game in his team’s opener in which he recorded six RBI. A strongly built lefthanded bat who is listed at 6-foot-1, 205-pounds, five of Drury’s six RBI came in the first inning alone as he came to the plate with runners on and both times did his job. Staying short to the ball in his first at-bat, Drury showed the strength in his hands by turning on a single through the three-hole before barreling up a loud triple to center field, clearing the bases. The ball jumped off the bat in both instances and he appears to be a middle-of-the-order run producer at the next level.




Able to follow the progression of Aaron Eden (2018, Corona, Calif.) over the last couple of years, the San Diego State commit continues to make strides in the right direction and Saturday may have been the best I’ve seen him to date. There’s plenty of strength to Eden’s build as well as quickness to his right arm, both elements that helped him maintain his upper-80s velocity over his three innings of work. More impressive than his velocity and ability to generate plane was the improvements he has made in regards to his secondaries as both his curveball and changeup proved they could get out right now.

Eden does a nice job of staying short through the backside with his arm stroke before working to a high three-quarters slot from which he repeatedly powered the ball downhill with hard running life at times. He sat comfortably in the 86-89 mph range throughout and as he continues to refine his lower half mechanics and stay more directional and online towards the plate he’ll continue to undoubtedly unlock additional velocity. Everything about his release on the changeup says fastball, from his arm action to release point and given the velocity of the pitch (up to 79 mph), it proved to be an uncontested offering that induced steady weak contact. His changeup is the more advanced of his two secondaries, though his curveball did flash depth up to 79 mph with short depth and showed the comfort to command the pitch in a 3-2 count.

It was a quick look at UC Santa Barbara commit and 2018 graduate Kevin Lyons (2018, San Diego, Calif.) as he worked a brief inning out of the bullpen for the CBA Cavs but showed things to like nonetheless. A primary shortstop according to his Perfect Game profile and currently ranked No. 366 in the class, Lyons appears both taller and longer than his current 6-foot, 175-pounds that appears on his profile page.

Working with a rather simple set of mechanics on the mound, Lyons featured a quick right arm and a high three-quarters release point which helped produce a fastball that topped out at 88 mph and very steadily sat in the 86-88 mph both out of the windup and stretch. He showed the ability to work on top of the baseball and generate plane to his heater, living down in the zone with occasional cut action from his release. That cut comes from Lyons finishing towards the first base side of the mound with his lower half, which as he becomes more directional in his finish, will lead to additional velocity given how quick his arm is and the physical projection that remains. He only flashed a couple changeups between 79 and 81 mph but it appeared to be a strong offering as he maintained both his release point and arm action while generating late fading life on the pitch.

Austin Kretzschmar (2018, La Mesa, Calif.) is currently uncommitted but certainly showed his talents against Trosky, both up the middle and from the right side of the plate. Athletically built, Kretzschmar showed balanced actions and range up the middle for BPA with soft hands and comfort in picking with his backhand. He gets the ball out of his glove quickly and should be able to stick up the middle defensively at the next level. The California native also provided a big knock in the bottom of the seventh to help his team walk off a winner, staying direct to the ball with leverage on a double to deep left field, showing jump off the barrel.

Michael Defelippi (2018, San Diego, Calif.) and Dylan Cook (2019, Chino Hills, Calif.) are a pair of lefthanded pitchers who were both up to 84 mph for their respective clubs in the tournament and neither have a commitment listed per their profiles. Built different in terms of physical stature as Defelippi is 6-foot-1, 175-pounds per the BPA roster, and Cook, of CBA, is listed 5-foot-8, 150-pounds, but both showed the aptitude and feel on the mound to mix their pitches and consistently pound the zone while carrying their low-80s velocity throughout. Cook went to his changeup/curveball combo more often than Defelippi went to his low-70s breaking ball, but both proved to be effective in navigating difficult lineups while helping their teams come out ahead.

A primary catcher according to his profile, Brandt Voth (2019, Murrieta, Calif.) showed two-way potential as he threw six innings and punched out 10 for BPA. Already committed to UC Santa Barbara, Voth topped out at 88 mph with his fastball early in the contest while living in the mid-80s throughout with a full and loose arm action. He worked with an attack mode mentality, changing his tempo and looks to keep hitters off balance while getting his fastball to either side of the plate. Showing the same whip to his arm action, Voth spun a tight slider up to 79 mph which proved to be a true swing-and-miss pitch and it was one he showed comfort in doubling up with, consistently getting hitters to chase the pitch out of the zone.

Both Spencer Williams (2019, Northridge, Calif.) of CBA and Roger Vasquez (2020, Orange, Calif.) of OC Sun Devils provided key home runs in ultimately helping to propel their teams into the championship game of the Cal World Series-Underclass. Hitting out of the 10-hole for CBA, Williams put a charge into an 85 mph fastball, connecting for a long two-run home run in the third inning of his team’s quarterfinal victory, which served as the winning run. He put a nice swing on the ball out front and showed leverage to his path, just as Vasquez did, though his two-run walk-off home run sent his team into the championship game. With the score tied in the bottom of the seventh and one runner on, Vasquez found a pitch he could handle up in the zone and connected for a no-doubt two-run shot over the high left field wall out of the four-hole in the lineup, despite being just one of the few 2020 graduates on the roster.

Garrett Runyan (2019, Huntington Beach, Calif.) and Jeffrey Castillo (2019, Arcadia, Calif.) hit first and second in the OC Sun Devils lineup and both bring elements to the offense that helped their team reach the championship game. One of the more physical players on the roster, Runyan patrols center field for the Sun Devils and brings a quick and short righthanded stroke to the lineup that helped produce steady jump off the barrel to the middle of the field. Castillo, the team’s starting shortstop, showed quick footwork and clean, athletic actions up the middle which paired well with his short and quick righthanded stroke.

– Jheremy Brown
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