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College  | Story | 5/23/2018

SEC Tournament: Day 1 Notes

Vincent Cervino
Photo: Davis Daniel (Perfect Game)



College Player Database

During the season Perfect Game scouts will be traveling to some of the top series to watch the very best players in college baseball. Those observations, captured with both written notes and video, will be shared in the College Player Database as linked above, notes that can also be accessed on the players' individual PG profile pages. Throughout the season select reports will be shared in feature format to promote the players, the teams and college baseball as a whole.


Davis Daniel, rhp, Auburn



In an extra-inning affair, both Auburn and Kentucky abandoned their freshmen starters in favor of higher-end arms and the Tigers turned to sophomore Davis Daniel in the second inning of the game. The affair certainly had a high stakes feel to it and Daniel exploded onto the season turning in one of his best performances of the season. 

The energy in the stadium was palpable, and it was evident from the onset that Daniel was certainly feeding off the atmosphere, as Daniel entered with runners on and two outs then proceeded to go 95-95-96-96 for a strikeout. The fastball velocity played well off the previous pitcher Jack Owen, an upper-80s lefthander, as early on Daniel was simply able to power the fastball by opposing hitters as it exploded out of the hand. 

Daniel has a very physical present build, with strength on the mature frame, and that allows him to hold his velocity deep into games even during his most recent few stints as a reliever. Daniel hasn't had the best of seasons, but you couldn't tell that from his outing on Tuesday. Daniel lived 93-96 mph with his fastball and that was his go to pitch to attack hitters with. 

The righthanded pitcher has a long, loose arm stroke with whip-like features that allow him to generate arm speed and thus the high levels of velocity. He mostly threw the fastball but he showed both a breaking ball that he could manipulate with both curveball and slider shape in the 77-82 mph range as well as a straight changeup in the 84-85 mph range. 

The pitchability stood out for Daniel too as his second time through the order he started pitching backwards, landing his breaking ball for strikes, and mixing in his changeup more often. It was very smart from a pitch-calling perspective, as the fastball was a bit hittable as it was mostly straight, and Daniel showed that he can get outs with more than just the fastball later on in the game. 

Daniel got into some trouble early on in the showing, but settled in nicely and shut down a tough Kentucky offense and left Auburn in a situation to win the game. There are some overall reliever concerns due to effort and size, but Daniel opened eyes during this look and turned in an impressive performance.

Other Auburn reports:

• Cody Greenhill


Sean Hjelle, rhp, Kentucky



In what was viewed as a must-win game for coach Nick Mingione and the Kentucky staff, freshman Daniel Harper only lasted a little over two innings on the mound before Mingione made the decision to go to the ace Sean Hjelle. The 6-foot-11 righthander was wildly impressive and mowed down the opposing Auburn lineup for the entirety of his time on the mound. 

For being so tall, you would think that strikes would be an issue for Hjelle, however he is a very athlete and repeats his delivery with such ease and athleticism. There's some projection to the overall frame and delivery here as Hjelle throws with very little effort and the arm stroke is loose and easy through the path to release. The delivery, and height in general, allows him to generate tremendous extension down the mound and create natural downhill plane on his fastball. 

During this look, the fastball was very impressive, working in the 90-94 mph range with the aforementioned plane and some sink on the pitch too. He was able to bump 94s throughout as he had the pitch in his back pocket and was able to bring it out for big pitches. Hjelle showed a clear plan on the mound, going from attacking with the fastball during his first time through the order and shifting to change the approach and attack with the breaking ball during the next go around. 

The curveball was a very impressive pitch for Hjelle, flashing plus early throughout the start in the 80-83 mph range with sharp, down break and was able to throw it for strikes. The ball comes out of his hand well on the curveball as it initially looks like the fastball out of the hand, however this speaks to the overall deception for Hjelle. Due to the extension down the mound, Hjelle's stuff is able to play up and though he doesn't specifically hide the ball the pitches jump on hitters and make for uncomfortable at-bats. 

Hjelle also showed a hard changeup in the 85-87 mph range that showed promise, particularly later on when he went to it more often against lefthanded hitters. In all, this was a very good showing for Hjelle should this be his last look on the year as he offers three usable pitches, a legitimate out pitch in the breaking ball, and some projection and command on the mound to profile well as a starting pitcher toward the end of the first round.

Other Kentucky reports:

• Kole Cottam


Konnor Pilkington, lhp, Mississippi State



Lefthanded ace Konnor Pilkington started what might have been a must-win game for the Bulldogs on short rest and laid everything on the table, as he delivered four sparkling innings before allowing a couple of runs in the fifth inning and exiting the game. It was a very strong showing for Pilkington, as the velocity was good and the curveball was sharp and provided head coach Gary Henderson with a half-game's worth of strong pitching. 

Pilkington hasn't had a tremendous season, a 4.28 ERA with 92 strikeouts in 88 1/3 innings pitched, but he certainly gives the air of a prototypical starting pitching prospect. The 6-foot-3, 228-pound prospect has tremendous strength proportioned throughout the frame with very long limbs and a low effort delivery that allows his stuff to travel with him late into the game. 

The deception that Pilkington creates was very tough to pick up on, with an exaggerated stride down the mound that landed crossfired to his back leg, and the arm stroke is online and hides the ball well through the point of release. This allows him to hide what pitch he's throwing and where he is going with the pitch. The fastball showed some of the better velocity that this scout had seen out of the lefthander, working comfortably in the 90-93 mph range with command to both sides of the plate. The deception aided in the pitch as he was able to work with some angle even if the pitch was fairly straight. 

In a rare reversal of pitching, it seems, Pilkington rarely went to his big breaking 1-to-7 curveball in favor of the fastball, which he attacked hitters with. The pitch is a solid pitch, with sharp break and he can throw the pitch for strikes; Pilkington showed a changeup in warm ups but this scout did not observe one in game. Pilkington doesn't have the prime stuff that one would expect from a high-end prospect, however the deception, strike throwing ability, and projection as a starting pitcher make him a sure bet to go in the top 3 rounds in June's draft.

Other Mississippi State reports:

• Jake Mangum


Tyler Brown, rhp, Vanderbilt



Starting the opening game of the SEC Tournament and being tagged with the loss was freshman pitcher Tyler Brown, who showed that he has the makings of some pretty good stuff. Brown lasted five innings on the mound and was working on a shutout before he ultimately allowed two runs to cross the plate that would include the game-winning run in the fifth inning. 

Brown features a very strong, mature frame at a listed 6-foot-4, 242-pounds and utilizes that frame to create impressive velocity out of the hand. Perfect Game has seen Brown up to 95 mph but he worked comfortably in the 89-92 mph range during this look, which may have been a byproduct of the rainy conditions to start out. Brown utilized a primarily fastball-breaking ball mix on the hill and the breaking ball certainly stood out. 

He could manipulate shape on the pitch to work with either a more traditional 11-to-5 curveball with depth in the mid-70s, but he often used the shape of a slider with short biting life in the 80-83 mph range. The slider graded out mostly as an average pitch and he could throw the pitch for strikes with conviction and intent. 

The arm stroke is directly online and repeatable, and Brown did a good job at throwing strikes during the game with only one walk on the afternoon. Brown represents another talented freshman that has contributed right away for the Commodores; he struck out four batters over five innings while allowing two runs.

Other Vanderbilt reports:

• Maddux Conger
• Austin Martin


Kaylor Chafin, lhp, Texas A&M



Senior lefthander Kaylor Chafin got the start in the opening game of the SEC Tournament for Texas A&M and Chafin showed a lot of polish and pitchability on the bump. Chafin struck out five batters over six strong innings while only allowing one run to the Commodores. 

Chafin has a fairly simple and low effort delivery, with a clean arm stroke and repeats his delivery well as he throws a lot of strikes and mixes his pitches effectively. He constantly threw all of his pitches for strikes and at times looked as though he attacked with the slider. The slider was a very good pitch for Chafin as it worked in the 78-80 mph range with some two-plane snap and functions as a legitimate out pitch for the senior. 

The fastball worked in the 86-88 mph range bumping an 89 or 90 mph on the radar gun if he needed to reach back for it. The pitch showed significant arm side run and it did so to both sides of the plate effectively. Chafin flashed a couple changeups in the 80-82 mph range during this look. 

Chafin will almost certainly have an opportunity to continue baseball at the professional level and he has already an advanced feel for pitching and throws plenty of strikes. There are obviously concerns with the profile, he's undersized with below average velocity, however Chain uses his pitches effectively and creates deception, which should translate well to the next level.


Zack Hess, rhp, Louisiana State



After excelling in a bullpen role during his freshman campaign, PG All-American Zack Hess has transitioned to the starting pitching staff for the Tigers. Hess faltered early in the year, causing some questions about his overall role, but towards the back end of the season Hess has picked up the pieces and looked solid. In a day that featured coaches going to their aces out of the bullpen, Paul Manieri didn't hesitate as he pull starter Nick Bush after three innings and turned to Hess. 

The numbers are skewed a bit, with an ERA around 5.00, but the strikeout numbers are good with 94 strikeouts in 82 innings pitched. Hess works with a quick-paced delivery, exuding violence and effort which are normally negative indicators, however the wildness to his motion creates for some deception and something for the batters to look at as opposed to the ball. The arm stroke is long and loose through the back, this causes some timing issues, however the arm itself is fast and given that combined with his impressive stature of 6-foot-6, 216-pounds, triple digits might not be so much of a stretch for Hess in the future. 

This look at Hess was, to put it bluntly, not a great look. Immediately out of coming out of the bullpen Hess surrendered three walks in his first inning of work, with the fastball command not looking sharp and the breaking ball lacking traditional bite. Hess was up to 95 mph during this look, living mostly 90-94 on the evening. The pitch is fairly straight, however the "effectively wild" nature of his profile gives him some devastating angle when locating the pitch in the strike zone. 

The aforementioned curveball flashed 11-to-5 shape in the 78-80 mph range, and though it was a bit loose early on it took strides as the outing went on, becoming a legitimate out pitch later on in the game. Hess also showed a changeup in the 82-83 mph range. Hess showed three pitches during this look that would be usable at the professional level, however due to the command and strike throwing issues both numbers-wise and mechanically, he has 43 walks in 82 innings pitched on the year, Hess offers significant reliever risk. That being said, should he transition to the bullpen, he offers two potential plus pitches, fastball and curveball, with the velocity upside as well.

Other LSU reports:

• Todd Peterson


Carmen Mlodzinski, rhp, South Carolina



The night game got started over an hour past the scheduled start time, in part due to rain and extra innings earlier, however freshman Carmen Mlodzinski was given the start for South Carolina and the righthander was very impressive in the early portion of the affair. Mlodzinski has been an immediate presence for the Gamecocks as he has been thrust into the starting rotation right away. 

Mlodzinski has a large, physically projectable frame with long limbs, room to fill, and is relatively young for the class as he was only 18 and 3 months on the day of his high school draft. There is some effort to the delivery, however the arm is very loose and he commands his pitches to either side with intent and proper execution. The delivery itself is pretty good, however, with good fluidity to his motion and he follows through effectively, though he has the tendency to spin off and rotate off that front leg at some points. 

Tossing three perfect innings to start the game while striking out five, Mlodzinski powered his fastball to either side of the plate with pinpoint command in the 91-93 mph range while bumping 94 mph early on. The fastball offered significant arm side run and the late life on the pitch made it very hard to square up consistently. He got a lot of weak contact off the pitch, though he ran into trouble when he started leaving it in the middle of the plate. 

It's rare to see a young prospect use a changeup with such conviction and frequency, yet it seemed that Mlodzinski attacked lefthanded hitters primarily with the changeup. The pitch worked in the 84-86 mph range with some sinking life to it and he got a lot of swings-and-misses right over it from the Missouri lefties. He also showed a tight slurve in the 79-82 mph range with significant break to it, though the consistency of the pitch was only okay. The pitch was at its best when he buried it on the back foot of lefties or just in the dirt against righthanded hitters. This was a very good look at a young prospect that has the stuff, size, and command to transform into a top of the rotation starter in the SEC.
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