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Tournaments  | Story  | 10/13/2018

Sophomore World Day 1 Notes

Taylor Weber      Jerry Miller     
Photo: Josh Pyne (Perfect Game)

2018 WWBA Sophomore World Championship: Daily Leaders

It was a quick first game for the Louisiana Knights as they jumped out to an early lead and never looked back on their way to an 8-0 victory for their first win at the 2018 WWBA Sophomore World Championship. Driving in three runs for the Knights was No. 4 hitter Gavin Kash (2021 Sour Lake, Texas). Kash is a 6-foot-3, 210-pound lefthanded hitter who uses his size well in the box. He swings the bat with intent to drive the ball and can create a lot of lift when meeting the ball out in front of the plate. Kash was able to reach base every trip in the box going 3-for-3 with three singles. He would also come around the score in the Knights three run third inning.

Another spark for the Knights came in the final spot of the batting order in Brennon McNair (2021 Magee, Miss.). McNair is a true definition of a second leadoff spot as he could easily fit in the one-hole as well. He’s got a short and compact stroke and looks to get the ball into play. He’s a poised and patient hitter at the plate, working a walk and driving a line drive the other way that cleared the right fielder for an easy double. McNair has a bit of hidden pop off the bat that is generated from solid torque in the hips.

Iowa Select Black 2021 grabbed a pair of wins including a 3-0 victory over Rising Stars Baseball. On the mound for Iowa Select was 6-foot-2, 165-pound righty Bryce Phelps (2021 Denver, Iowa). Phelps has pretty good projectability in his frame and will continue to move in a positive direction as he continues to add strength throughout his build. The uncommitted hurler tossed six frames of shutout baseball, allowing just three hits and striking out a half dozen. Phelps shows solid arm speed through an over-the-top delivery. His fastball has some short but late running action sitting in the low-80s and scrapping 82 mph. He mixes in a nice curveball but his best secondary was a cutting changeup in the mid-70s that had hitters fooled throughout his outing. Phelps was also able to handle the bat as he would hit a long double in the game as well.

Having a 2-for-3 day at the plate and driving in the first and eventual winning run was Aidan Rath (2021 Kalona, Iowa). Rath is a large lefthanded bat standing at 6-foot-3, 180-pounds who knows how to swing it. He has a smooth stroke with a slightly elevated plane looking to create leverage through contact. He utilizes a compact path, keeping his hands in, to work the ball to middle of the field as well as to the opposite field. His first hit of the day came on a solid line drive back up the middle and his RBI triple in the fourth was a very well struck ball over the left fielder’s head for an opposite field triple.

U.S. Elite 2021 Florida got off to a good start in the tournament with a 6-2 win in their first game. Elite struck early off the bat of catcher Ayden Edwards (2021 Graham, N.C.). Edwards is one of the top ranked catchers and he showed why in this game. He has a lot of present strength throughout and fits in well behind the dish. Through his first three at-bats Edwards was 3-for-3. Edwards drove in a couple runs on an opposite field single and he continued to show his ability to take the ball the other way while still able to generate some power as his other hits went the other way as well, including a long double into the gap.

A fellow teammate of Edwards’ that went 3-for-4 as well was leadoff guy Mason Janz (2021 Ellenton, Fla.). Janz is a prototypical speedy top of the order guy. He looks to put the ball in play with a line drive swing and wants to keep the ball on a line or on the ground and leg it out. He’s got quick hands and can easily turn on velocity. He pulled a ball down the left field line and easily legged out a double that drove in a run. Janz finished the day with an RBI as well as two runs scored.

The FL Dodgers Scout Team 2022 was able to pull out a 5-3 win to end the day at Terry Park. They got a lot of defensive help from their shortstop, Connor Moore (2021 Macclenny, Fla.), as well as their left fielder, Bradley Hodges (2022 Fleming Island, Fla.).

For a 2021 graduate, Moore is advanced as an infielder. His lateral quickness catches the eye and he moves with gliding strides to the ball. His glove work is quick and clean and he looks to get the ball out quick. He makes the routine plays consistently and can handle the tougher plays as well. Moore also grabbed a hit in four trips to the plate.

The Stadium at Terry Park is one of the deepest fields around, at 350-plus down the lines. That didn’t seem to be a problem for Hodges patrolling left field. He took away at least a double heading straight back and catching a ball that may have left some fields and kept a hitter to a double on a ball that seemed to roll forever into the gap with his excellent range. He can also handle the bat well, going 3-for-3 at the plate with three singles, an RBI and a run scored.

– Taylor Weber



Dozens of teams loaded with some of the best 2021 and 2022 prospects in the country descended on Fort Myers, Florida, on Friday to open the 2nd annual WWBA Sophomore World Championship. The Clubhouse 2021 was one of the teams who played two games on opening day of the event, going 1-1, picking up a win in their first game 2-0 over D-Bat Elite. Luke Masiuk (2021, Trumbull, Conn.) was impactful in both games offensively, and looked like an interesting follow on the mound in game one. He has solid size to go along with good projection remaining physically, and his arm works pretty well. He had a pretty short outing in relief, working up to 83 mph with his fastball and creating angle to the plate, landing his curveball for strikes at time as well. It was a quick look, but one that definitely intrigued us, and he’s definitely worth monitoring moving forward.

5 Star National Black 16u moved to 1-0 in pool play on Friday afternoon at the Lee County Player Development complex, winning a 6-0 decision over the 9ers Baseball Club. Ashton Crowther (2022, New Port Richey, Fla.) got the start and the win for 5 Star, going four shutout innings, scattering three hits and a walk while picking up six strikeouts. Crowther is a still-14 years old freshman lefty with good size and a highly projectable build, and he wholly dominated by just pitching with a fastball/changeup combo, and was dominant in doing so. He worked up to 80 mph with the fastball, hiding the ball well through the back and getting on top of the ball, leveraging it down in the strike zone and generating good arm-side run, while the changeup mimicked the action of the fastball with very good arm speed replication and fading action. Crowther’s arm speed, youth, and physical projection all point to an eventual velocity jump, and he’s now on the radar for us to watch into the future.

There were offensive contributions up and down the 5 Star lineup, including from Michael Conder (2021, Bainbridge, Ga.), who hit a missile of a triple up the opposite field gap and was thrown out trying to stretch it into an inside-the-park home run. Conder is slenderly-built at present, still developing physically, but shows off some impressive bat speed and in the brief look we got, showed the ability to keep the barrel in the zone for a long time working slightly uphill with that good bat speed, and obviously he’s capable of driving the ball with authority right now. Given his slender build at present he’s obviously projectable, giving him a pretty good ceiling in terms of raw power at this juncture.

Team Elite Prime 16u likewise moved to 1-0 in Pool Play, getting timely hitting and solid pitching in a 9-0 decision. Carson Kelly (2021, Sanford, N.C.) got the start, and while the North Carolina State commit battled command for his two innings on the mound, he did a very good job escaping jams and showed off intriguing upside. Kelly is a lithely built, broad-shouldered, projectable righthander with an intriguing combination of present stuff, arm speed, athleticism, and deception, and once the command comes along his upside is vast. His traditional arm slot is mid three-quarters, with a fastball that worked between 82-85 mph. He creates good angle to the plate, but did keep spinning off over his restricted front side and yanking the ball offline to the glove side. He is adept at dropping to sidearm relatively often as well, throwing a fastball in the 79-82 mph range from there to give hitters a different look. He throws a slider from both slots as well, each showing promise as a potential bat-misser at the next level.

Florida Elite Baseball fell to 0-1 on Friday afternoon but did send very intriguing sophomore Dylan Schaffer (2021, Lake Butler, Fla.) to the hill, and though it was ultimately a losing effort, Schaffer showed a lot of things to like. He’s much bigger than his listed height/weight, looking more like 6-foot-1/180 than the 5-foot-7/160 he’s listed at, and showed a very loose, easy arm with promising stuff. He ran his fastball up to 86 mph and was in the zone a fair bit with it, and he showed the ability to land his curveball for strikes as well.

Over at Terry Park, Rake City split their pair of opening day games, and though they ended up losing game two vs. the Louisiana Knights, Ben Hess (2021, Charleston, Ill.) showed a lot to like. A broad, physical righthander, Hess looks the part at a young age of a durable, innings-eater type of starting pitcher at the next level, with an easy arm and pretty clean delivery to go along with his obviously advanced size/strength. He worked up to 86 mph with his fastball, doing a good job getting over his front side and downhill, flashing occasionally significant arm-side run on his fastball, though he was too often up in the zone with the pitch and got barreled as a result. He throws a breaking ball with 11-to-5 shape in the 70-74 mph range, adding and subtracting to it in order to give it a bit of a different look, and there is definitely an idea of spinning the ball there. This certainly wasn’t the result he’d anticipated but he still showed a lot to like, and as a result he's now firmly on the radar in 2021 out of the Midwest.




The FL Dodgers Scout Team got off to a hot start on Friday night, picking up an opening-game win over Power Baseball by a score of 5-3. William Ross (2022, Winter Garden, Fla.) got the start in front of a packed house of college coaches and was very good. Ross is a still-14-years old freshman with extremely advanced size and strength, looking every bit of his listed 6-foot-5, 235-pounds, extremely strong through his trunk and lower half. He’s got a very easy, controlled delivery that gets online with his hips through rotation and allows him to be on time over his front side through release consistently. He worked mostly in the 81-85 mph range with his fastball and did it easily, hiding the ball well through the back of an efficient arm stroke, and the ball really jumped out of his hand. He worked in a softer curveball in the 68-72 mph range, but the pitch showed good shape and depth and as he continues to mature on the mound and gain feel for the pitch, there’s no reason to think it won’t be an excellent offering for him in the future.




The Canes National 2021 club, loaded with talent as always, picked up a 9-0 win on Friday night to open their weekend. Merritt Beeker (2021, Lexington, N.C.) picked up the win in a dominant three innings, punching out nine of the 10 hitters he faced with the other reaching base on a walk. Beeker is a lefthander committed to East Carolina, and was wholly dominant, though he’s old for the grade.  He has a very fast left arm, hides the ball extremely well through the back and throws from a lower slot, working in the 84-87 mph with angle and excellent sink. He pounded the zone with only fastballs and basically just blew the ball right by guys. He didn’t throw any off-speed pitches in the game, but did show an interesting slider in warmups, thrown at 73-74 mph with sharp, late bite that looks every bit like a bat-misser, though we didn’t get to see it vs. hitters in this particular outing.

Tyler Butler (2021, Virginia Beach, Va.) took perhaps the best swing this evaluator saw on Friday, absolutely launching a double up the left-center field gap, showing off all kinds of bat speed and strength. Butler is a strongly built righthanded hitter who profiles as a corner infielder at the next level, but the profile is built around the bat, which, in an albeit brief look, looks to be prodigious. Payton Green (2021, Cary, N.C.), who recently stood out at the Atlantic Coast Showcase, was once again impressive in terms of his hitting ability and athleticism, to say nothing of his talent on the mound. He has extremely impressive bat speed to go along with his hand-eye coordination, and generates big time jump off the barrel, projecting for big-time raw pop at maturity, as he still has plenty of room remaining to fill out his frame.

– Brian Sakowski



Beautiful Southwest Florida fall weather greeted the participants in this year’s WWBA Sophomore World Championship at the jetBlue Park complex and the teams, players, and fans were treated to great competition throughout the day.

Josh Pyne (2021, Bloomfield, Ind.) paced the Canes Midwest effort with a solid performance on the hill. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound righthander mixed and matched three quality pitches for four, four-hit innings, allowing no runs while striking out six. His pinpoint control allowed the Linton-Stockton HS sophomore to work both edges of the plate with his 87-89 mph fastball that touched 91 on a few occasions. His 12-to-6 sharp breaking curveball (68-73 mph) and 80 mph changeup were solid secondary pitches for the competitive Indiana University commit.

Leading the fundamentally sound Richmond Braves National club was righthanded pitcher Brock Duff (2021, Lynchburg, Va.). The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Brookville HS sophomore pounded the strike zone with a fastball (82-84 mph) that showed solid arm side run and missed bats throughout the morning. His 11-to-5 sweeping breaking pitch (71-73 mph) was a great complement to his lively fastball.

Virginia commit Tristan Shoemaker (2021, Weyers Cave, Va.) flashed a projectible power bat for the Braves. His righthanded swing path showed a slugger’s lift at contact and consistent pull-side power. He has a strong lower half that he consistently incorporates into his swing. In addition to his advanced ability with a bat in his hands, he is also an instinctive runner who can steal a base and force the action with his aggressive style.

Ethan Mishra (2021, Washington D.C.) and Jake Feffer (2021, Chevy Chase, Md.) are teammates at St. John’s College Prep and also teammates with the Diamond Skills Dodgers. The two pitchers combined to help pace their Dodgers club in first round pool play action.

Mishra, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound righthander, is a command and control artist who painted the edges with an active, 83-84 mph fastball and a deceptive 78-80 mph cutter that was thrown out of the same slot as his fastball. His cutter was a swing and miss out pitch that he used confidently throughout his appearance.

Feffer is a crafty lefty who used an impressive three-pitch mix in picking up where Mishra left off. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound Feffer showed great poise and polish in throwing his 81-83 mph fastball that had active, running life to the arm side. His curveball was a sharp, 12-to-6 breaking, 64-66 mph hammer that is an advanced, plus pitch. His 76-77 mph changeup was thrown with outstanding arm action and out of the same window as his fastball.

Ryan McCrystal (2021, Fuquay Varina, N.C.) of the Dirtbags-Haynes club had a big day on the mound and at the plate. In pitching his club to a first pool play game victory, the solidly built, 6-foot-1, 186-pound righthander relied on his 84-86 mph fastball and solid repeatable mechanics to dominate the ball game. His high three-quarters arm slot allowed the poised Fuquay-Varina HS sophomore to pitch confidently to both sides of the plate. He complemented his well-commanded heater with a sweeping 71-76 mph slurve of a breaking ball and an advanced 77 mph changeup. In his club’s second game of the day, McCrystal flashed advanced raw, pull-side power from the left side and drove more than one pitch with his classic swing path that showed a slugger’s lift at contact.

Pitching the second game of the day for the Dirtbags was 6-foot-4, 185-pound, righty, Jaden Winter (2021, Apex, N.C.). The long and lean athletic hurler pitched off his four-seam fastball that touched 88 mph and was thrown consistently between 84-86. He also used a slurvy breaking ball (72-73 mph) that was a great complement to his riding fastball. What made the tall righthander more effective were his deceptive mechanics that included a short, quick takeaway and a delivery that had the ball coming out of his shoulder, making it tough on hitters to track.

SBO Florida Sophomores had a familiar PG participant take to the mound in their first ball game. Lucas Torres (2021, Cayey, Puerto Rico) who was outstanding in numerous events in Fort Myers this summer, including the 14u PG Select Baseball Festival, brought his same energy and quality to the ballpark in mid-day action. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Alabama State commit showed his usual quality fastball that touched 91 mph and sat consistently in the 88-89 mph range. He used great pace and rhythm is also mixing in a quality 77-78 mph breaking ball that had sharp late and quick break and an advanced 78 mph changeup that missed bats. Torres pitched with poise and pace using smooth, fluid, and highly repeatable mechanics.

Pacing the Scorpions 2021 Founders Club was Florida State commit Cade Bush (2021, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.). The 6-foot-2, 200-pound righthanded hitting Bush showed his customary pull-side power stroke in drilling a home run to deep left field. He has a grooved swing path with a slugger’s lift at contact. He consistently shows advanced ability to get his barrel to the ball.

The Scorps starting pitcher in mid-afternoon play was Tj Melani (2021, Lake Mary, Fla.). The 6-foot, 160-pound righthander and Stetson commit, is a command and control specialist who worked quickly and consistently threw strikes to both sides of the plate and to all quadrants. His fastball, which showed consistent arm-side run and sink was clocked routinely between 81 and 83 mph. His sweeping, 11-to-5, 67-70 mph breaking ball was a great complement to his fastball. His easy, smooth and sound mechanics made his pitches appear get on hitters before they could pull the trigger. His four inning, 39 pitch outing saw Melani allow only one hit.

Uncommitted righthanded pitcher Cameron Clines (2021, Lake Worth, Fla.) had numerous college coaches paying close attention to his outing when he toed the bump for the FTB Rockets 2021 in mid-afternoon action. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound righthander was a picture of poise and polish as he threw four lights-out innings in helping pace his club to victory. Clines’ highly repeatable mechanics and high three-quarters arm slot allowed him to work fast and confidently, pitching off his highly effective 85-87 mph fastball. His heater was thrown to both edges with almost pinpoint command. His smooth, short takeaway, and extended finish added to his deception. He complimented his fastball with a sweeping slurve (67-73 mph) of a breaking ball and a highly deceptive 73-75 mph changeup.

The FTB Rockets catcher who did a great job of handling his staff was Austin Fawley (2022, Boynton Beach, Fla.). The 6-foot-1, 175-pound backstop, who is also a high school teammate of Clines’ at Park Vista Community HS, is a gifted receiver who has an easy and confident style behind the plate. He shows soft hands and is advanced framer of pitches. He also shows a quick transition and a plus-average arm that will only get better as his career continues. Where Fawley really impacts the game is at the plate. The FTB cleanup hitter shows advanced raw, pull-side power and drove two pitches to the deepest parts of the diamond. He has a strong lower half that he incorporates into every pass and his ability to consistently get his barrel to the ball separates Fawley from many in his class.

The Tri-State Arsenal Scout team has a number of outstanding players on their roster. Their starting pitcher Caden Hare (2021, Phenix City, Ala.) was quite impressive in his outing in helping pace the Tri-State club to victory in afternoon action. The 5-foot-11, 140-pound wiry righty used a long takeaway and a quick arm stroke to power his high-octane fastball to both edges with confidence. His fastball was consistently clocked in the 86-88 mph range and touched 89 mph on more than one occasion. His secondary breaking ball was a tight spinning and short breaking 81 mph slider that he threw to the front hip of righthanded hitters and to the back foot of lefthanded hitters.

The Stars Baseball Club-Sisk is another talented bunch on hand this weekend in Fort Myers. They were paced this afternoon by two very talented players.

Grant Barberich (2021, Leesburg, Va.) is the very gifted first baseman and three-hole hitter for the Stars. The solidly built, 6-foot-2, 190-pound Barberich, shows great agility around the bag. His quick feet and soft hands saved more than one error. At the dish is where the sophomore at Heritage HS shines as he can really swing the stick. He is a prototypical righthanded hitter who uses a powerful lower half and a slugger’s lift at contact to consistently power the baseball. His advanced ability to get his barrel to the ball make him a threat to drive the ball every time he comes to the plate.

Hitting behind Barberich in the Stars lineup was their catcher, and unquestioned field general Matthew Martinez (2021, Kutztown, Pa.). The gifted, 5-foot-11, 180-pound receiver has a veteran’s ability in handling the Stars staff. He calls an advanced game and shows soft hands and a plus throwing arm. At the dish Martinez also shows a great ability to consistently get his barrel to the ball. He has a pull-side mentality and a flat, line drive path.

The Virginia Cardinals Baseball Club also had a number of college coaches in attendance. Garnering most of the attention was the Cards’ starting righthanded pitcher, Brett Allen (2021, Sandston, Va.). Allen was quite impressive for four solid innings. His 83-85 mph fastball was thrown consistently to both sides of the dish with highly repeatable and projectible mechanics. His long levers and ability to pitch down the slope, coupled with his 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame, added deception to each pitch. He complemented his well-commanded heater with a sharp, 12-to-6 breaking 71-73 curveball that showed bite at the plate. Allen departed after four innings allowing no hits and no runs.

Johnny Oates (2021, Chester, Va.) paced the Cardinals offense from the XH spot in the middle of the Cards order. The solidly built 6-foot, 185-pound righthanded swinger powered a couple of offerings to the fence; one to deep right-center field and another to the base of the fence in left field. His ability to recognize pitches and get his barrel to the ball with lift at contact is impressive. He has a solid lower half that he incorporates into each pass.

– Jerry Miller



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