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Tournaments  | Story  | 9/23/2018

Fall Championship Notes: Day 2

Vincent Cervino     
Photo: Danny Suarez (Perfect Game)

PG Fall National Underclass Championship: Daily Leaders | Day 1 Notes

In what was an absolutely dominant performance, Joseph Acosta (2021, Murrieta, Calif.) pitched Dykstra Baseball to a 2-0 win on Saturday morning and a 2-1 overall record in pool play on the weekend. Acosta was tremendous, throwing a complete game shutout, allowing only three baserunners (one hit, two walks) while striking out 11. The No. 193-ranked player in the class of 2021, Acosta is a solidly, athletically built righthander with some serious ease of operation on the mound, repeating his delivery quite well and showing the ability to pound the strike zone, due in part to the aforementioned athleticism, repeatability, and ease of operation. He worked in the 80-84 mph range for the most part, working the fastball up and down as well as in and out, generating solid life to the pitch, and mixing in a curveball that varied in a shape a bit but came with definite good spin and overall action. Acosta is also a pretty legitimate positional prospect who, while not hitting in this one, should be monitored in every facet of the game moving forward. 

The So Cal Birds moved to 3-0 in pool play on Saturday morning, getting a nice start from Cole Seward (2021, Placentia, Calif.) in the process. Seward held the CBA Sacramento club in check over four innings, punching out five and allowing only an unearned run. Seward has solid present strength and overall physicality and ran his fastball up to 86 mph in this one, doing a good job throwing strikes and attacking hitters while also mixing in a very firm slider that had late bite to it at times. 

Max Rajcic (2020, Fullerton, Calif.) had another big day at the plate, picking up three hits and coming in a home run shy of the cycle, while also tallying five RBI, while fellow Birds teammate Isaiah Greene (2020, Eastvale, Calif.) continued his hot-hitting ways atop the lineup, reaching base four times via two hits and two walks, scoring three runs in the process. The Birds will take their sweet-swinging lineup into playoff action on Sunday morning over at Camelback Ranch. 

GBG Marucci Navy also moved to 3-0 in pool play and secured themselves a spot in the playoffs on Saturday morning via a decisive 5-0 victory over Klutch Baseball Academy, and did so with three different pitchers seeing time and impressing in the process. Tyler Stromsborg (2020, Newport Beach, Calif.) came on to close it out, and Southern California commit looked good in the process. Stromsborg is actually a primary power-hitting infielder but, as we saw back in the spring at the Boras Classic, he looks very good on the mound as well. He's very physical for his age and looks nearly college ready from a physical perspective, and he's added significant velocity since our last viewing as well, working up to 89 mph in this look and still generating a solid amount of sink to the pitch. It was a quick one inning look, but Stromsborg is obviously a very intriguing player to follow in the class of 2020 continuing on here. 

The San Diego Show got into the playoff round by winning their third game Saturday morning by a 5-0 score, moving to 2-1 overall, and as he usually does, Kevin Sim (2020, San Diego, Calif.) made a lot of the difference from an offensive perspective. An intriguing two-way talent, Sim is primarily an offensive-minded infielder, and the University of San Diego commit continues to rake at PG events as he did all summer, going 2-for-3 in this game with a double, triple, RBI and run scored, showing the ability to handle the bat as he did seemingly all summer long, with a very good combination of hit-ability, bat speed, and strength in the swing. He didn't pitch in this game but we've seen him make an impact on the mound repeatedly as well, making him one of the more intriguing two-way talents in attendance this weekend. 

Wildfire Baseball ended up taking the loss on Saturday afternoon to the So Cal Birds, but Trevin Badger (2020, San Tan Valley, Ariz.) made an impression in his outing on the mound. A very slender, projectable righthander, Badger showed a lot to like from a pitching perspective in this one, though he ended up saddled with the loss. He works downhill well, creating plane to the plate from a higher slot, and looking pretty close to untouchable the first time through the order via a combination of stuff, strikes, and deception, hiding the ball well through the back and giving hitters a tough look. He worked up to 85 mph with the fastball, with good arm side life as well, and he challenged hitters consistently with the pitch. The breaking ball, a true curveball at this point, has some depth to it and he showed the ability to throw it for strikes, but the overall development of the pitch will likely end up determining his ceiling as a pitcher, as is the case with many young pitchers at this stage in their respective developments. Regardless, he looks like one to watch coming out of the general Mesa area. 

– Brian Sakowski

Day two of the PG National Championship featured a lot of close games as teams wrapped up pool play and prepared for bracket play on Sunday. One of the juggernaut offensive performances of the day came courtesy of Braden Campbell (2020, Centerville, Utah) as the infielder notched six hits over two games including three extra-base hits for MBA Utah.

Campbell got the day started off on the right foot as his first swing of the morning was a long home run to the pull side and he did nothing but lace barrels throughout the day. The swing itself is very clean, direct, and compact through the zone with both natural loft to the plane and plenty of bat speed. What stood out about the swing was the way he fires his hips to incorporate his lower half well through contact. Campbell has a simple, quiet set up at the dish which allows for a good amount of balance throughout and he showed that during the day with both extra base pop and handling two-strike pitches well to still get the barrel head out. The swing is very smooth throughout and he showed on Saturday that he could get extended with the barrel out in front on a consistent basis and not only connect, but drive baseballs to the pull side with authority and he looks the part of a very interesting uncommitted prospect at this juncture.

Turning in a very strong start for eventual pool winner GBG NW Marucci was righthander Matt Bachelier (2020, Nogales, Ariz.) who outdueled his opposition and pitched a little over six innings while allowing only one hit and striking out five batters. Bachelier utilized a strong two-pitch mix, headlined by his sinking fastball, to keep hitters at bay and pitch to generally weak, ground ball contact throughout the performance.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame is conducive for that of a starting pitching prospect, and there’s some room for additional strength at maturity. Bachelier has a longer, wrapped arm stroke through the back that he whips through the arm circle well, but what allows him to generate both notable sink and tough angles is his extended slightly lower arm slot through release. Bachelier started off hot, sitting in the 84-87 mph range, and maintaining that velocity throughout, and touching 88 mph in the first inning. He pounded the lower third of the zone and hitters either swung over the sinking fastball or just drove it into the ground. He showed a slider with mostly lateral break and shape to it that functioned as a solid secondary pitch in the low-70s, however the fastball was the bread and butter for Bachelier as he earned an important win in pool play.




Opposing Bachelier on the mound was Trombly righthander Danny Suarez (2021, Mission Viejo, Calif.) and though he was dealt a tough-luck loss, Suarez was very impressive over five innings on the mound. The recently-turned 15-year old shows a lot of ingredients and elements that scouts and college coaches look for out of a young arm as the lanky, projectable righthander showed three pitches and lots of strikes on the afternoon.

Suarez is listed at 6-foot-3, 180-pounds, however that seems to be on the conservative side as he looks to be a tick taller with a very lanky, lean frame. The delivery and ease of operation both stand out as his movements are both simple, repeatable, and very low-effort and despite his age and size, he has a good feel for body control and consistently working on top of the ball. He utilizes a very high front lever, while keeping his arm stroke online, both of which add some deception and Suarez also has very clean mechanics by loading on his backside well and maintaining his release point effectively. The arm stroke is loose and he worked his fastball in the 83-85 mph range throughout the day, consistently working to either corner of the plate low in the strike zone. Suarez flashed a changeup to lefthanded hitters and had a good amount of success with a true 12-to-6 breaking ball that showed good present shape and projects nicely. Physical projection is the big play here as it isn’t hard to see Suarez adding velocity in roves as he continues to develop.

Leadoff man Ethan Silcox (2020, Rio Rancho, N.M.) had a solid day for GBG NW Marucci, showing out not only with some solid offensive tools, but providing athleticism, balance, and arm strength from shortstop in pool play for GBG. The twitchy and athletic Silcox is listed at a lean 6-foot, 165-pounds with room for projection, though at present there’s plenty of fast-twitch muscle to the build. The swing is loose and fast through the zone and he showed a penchant for turning the barrel hard over the inner half and allowing his hands to get the barrel out in front nicely. He moves very well to both sides in the infield and has plenty of arm strength from the position with zip and carry on throws across the diamond. Silcox will be an important piece for GBG as they look to keep playing as they enter the elimination bracket on Sunday.

After impressing at the PG Underclass All American Games, Irvin R. Weems III (2021, Las Vegas, Nev.) had himself a very good Saturday with multiple extra base hits and an all-around explosive package of offensive tools. Weems used the whole field and showed off exciting offensive potential with an easy trigger into the swing that creates very good bat speed almost easily. The swing presently has some inconsistencies to it, but the bat speed combined with the strength and quickness in his hands allow him to impact the ball well to all fields. He drove a double to both sides of the field, one a traditional rope to the pull side while the other was a line shot down the opposite field line and allowed him to turn on the afterburners and accelerate to second base. The power is interesting as the swing creates some naturally and though he didn’t hit a home run there were a couple of long-hanging fly balls to give you a glimpse at the power. The San Diego State commit is continuing to come into his own as a prospect and showed why he is currently a top 100 player for the 2021 class.

Weems’ teammate and starting pitcher for the Nevada Road Dawgs, Ty Coombs (2022, Las Vegas, Nev.), turned in a very strong start and showed a good amount of things to like about a prospect who just entered his freshman year of high school. Coombs has advanced size for the age with a 6-foot-3, 170-pound frame and ran his fastball up to 81 mph in the early portion of the game. The arm stroke is long and loose through the back, and though the back elbow creeps up a bit he gets the ball out on time to work around the strike zone. The arm path through release creates some life, often cutting to the glove side, which allows for some ugly swings on the fastball. Coombs also showed a breaking ball that varied in degrees of tightness, however he worked the zone well, competed, and finished with a little over five innings while striking out eight batters.




Recent TCU commit and MountainWest Baseball shortstop Brayden Taylor (2020, West Jordan, Utah) was a big part of their final pool play win, as his first at-bat concluded after an eight-pitch battle that saw Taylor launch a home run to the pull side. Taylor is hitting at a .444 clip to start the tournament and if the swing is any indication there should be more hits coming for the young shortstop as his team heads into bracket play. Taylor has ideal size and projection from a lefthanded hitting middle infielder at 6-foot, 155-pounds and he’s young in the face with athleticism throughout. There is a simple trigger into the swing and the sheer length makes it easy to manipulate the barrel and maintain it through the zone as it is compact and quick. Taylor remains balanced throughout and gets some rear leg drive going through contact as he is looking to lift the ball and can do so with some surprising pop. Taylor has already been responsible for driving in a lot of the runs for his team thus far, seven RBI through three games, and the offensive tools are very enticing and shows why TCU wanted Taylor in the fold, though Taylor and his teammates still have work to do if they want to come home with the crown.

– Vincent Cervino
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