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Tournaments  | Story  | 7/2/2019

15U BCS: Day 6 Scout Notes

Vincent Cervino      Tyler Russo     
Photo: Cade Kurland (Perfect Game)
2019 15U BCS National Championship: Day 1 Notes | Day 2 Notes | Day 3 Notes | Day 4 Notes | Day 5 Notes

Team Elite Scout Team played a sound game on Monday morning to advance to the quarterfinals on Tuesday as leadoff man Everett Cooper (2022, Owings Mills, Md.) and three-hole hitter Casey Saucke II (2022, Rochester, N.Y.) certainly stood out.

Cooper is a quick-twitch athlete who had impressed at shortstop with the smoothness of his hands earlier in the tournament and stood out today primarily for his offensive performance. Cooper launched two hits in the game including a double that went way over the head of the left fielder. The swing has components to like with quick hands and raw bat speed and he showed that he’s strong enough to put a charge into the ball when squared up. The combination of athleticism and tools give Cooper a fairly high ceiling overall. Saucke looks the part of a slugger with a big and broad 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame that he uses to generate good bat speed and loft. He’s balanced and physical in the box and contributed with two doubles during the action today. There’s lots of room to project on the Virginia commit and he’ll be one to follow in the middle of the order for this Team Elite Scout Team.

BBA National hasn’t stopped hitting the ball since they got to Fort Myers and the standout in the middle of the lineup today was hulking first baseman Tywone Malone (2021, Jamesburg, N.J.) who went 3-for-3 on the game. Malone is a very physical righthanded hitter at a listed 6-foor-4, 290 pounds with some deceptive athleticism that plays well in all facets. The swing is very strong with some bat speed generated and he creates easy impact when extended out in front of the plate. He went to the pull side and up the middle three times, reaching base in all four plate appearances, often with runners on as he totaled four RBI. Malone’s physicality and overall size limits him to first base at the next level but the offensive potential and obvious raw power are intriguing even at first base.

Finn Howell (2022, St. John’s, Fla.) is an interesting shortstop with some twitch, athleticism, defensive chops and a lot of positives for the profile moving forward. He’s on the younger end of the 2022 class, having just turned 15, with a good amount of projection on the 6-foot, 155-pound frame. He’s impressed with his defensive actions this week, making smooth plays up the middle with easy hands and quick releases. Howell made a standout play during the first round game on Monday as he leaped high to snare a well-struck line drive and turned it into an easy double play at first base. The offensive performance has been a bit light but there are things to like with loose hands and some feel for contact that should only improve as he fills out and adds strength.

The middle of the order presence for Power Baseball, Connor Fosnow (2022, Longwood, Fla.), didn’t collect a hit on the game but looks the part of a Division I hitter at the next level. With a strong and projectable present frame of 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Fosnow has a lot of room to add strength and already has the makings of real bat speed. The swing is mechanically sound with good momentum and separation created and the hands work really well into the swing. He uses a clean rock-back into the stroke and creates a good amount of lift from a full swing path. He hits balls hard into the air and as Fosnow adds strength those fly balls that are well struck are going to turn into home runs.

Kolten Smith (2022, Ocala, Fla.) got the start for Power Baseball and though he lasted a little over an inning he has the stuff and projection of a strong prospect moving forward. There’s lots of room to project on the 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame with a fluid operation and a clean, easy arm stroke that works well. The fastball worked mostly in the 83-85 mph range, touching a bit higher with an 86 and 87 mph bolt, though the life was mostly straight and he needs to keep the fastball in the lower third to have success with the pitch. There’s some feel to spin with a low-70s curveball and Smith even unveiled a couple of mid-70s changeups. Smith is a bit raw right now, he’s only fifteen after all, but there are solid components and tools to build off of in the future.

Cade Kurland (2023, Tampa, Fla.) has been leading the offensive charge for Top Tier as he’s hitting .588 heading into the quarterfinals round and has been very smooth on both sides of the ball. The athleticism and quick twitch are evident from his actions in the field with good first step quickness and snatchy hands. He showed exceptional poise for a young prospect as late in the game made an error on a ground ball at short but had the calm and wherewithal to lock in and help start a game-saving double play a batter later. The hands are a big part of his offensive success too as they’re whippy and fast through the zone; he had three hits on the day including a deep double down the pull side line and one that almost put a hole through the second baseman. He’s a smart, instinctual player with advanced tools for the age and should only continue to get player.

Setting the tempo for the Top Tier offense is the twitchy Nick Monile (2022, Tampa, Fla.) and he has good tools both offensively and defensively. A recent impresser at the Sunshine East Showcase, Monile is a good athlete and a very good defender in center field. He routinely makes correct reads and jumps on fly balls with an innate understanding of body control and how to make routes the most efficient. Monile ran down a couple of well-struck fly balls and has been very effective this week roaming center field. Offensively the swing is simple and quick as he has good barrel control and a feel to work to where he’s pitched. He has no issue working to the opposite field with intent but if you try to bust him inside Monile has enough hand quickness to turn the barrel over for extra base potential. He’s an exciting, well-rounded player and Monile looks like he’ll step right in at national power Calvary Christian.

Showing off some serious bat speed this week was righthanded hitter Michael Baumgardner (2022, Cocoa, Fla.), who punished some baseballs during Monday’s Platinum Bracket game. Baumgardner is an extremely physical prospect with a listed frame of 6-foot, 200 pounds that he uses all of to impact the baseball with serious strength out in front. He collected a double and a single to the pull side during game action and has a simple trigger that allows him to whip the barrel quickly and efficiently through the zone. There’s some pop and raw power too as Baumgardner had a home run earlier in the week and the offensive tools are loud for this young prospect.

-Vinnie Cervino



Gunnett Carlson (2022, Tampa, Fla.) is a strong and athletic primary catcher with a smooth lefthanded stroke at the plate who just missed a home run as he smoked a double off the right-center fence in the look above. The swing is free and easy as he puts forth a great deal of bat speed with good feel for getting the barrel out front and driving through the baseball. Behind the plate he showed good, athletic actions with feel for using his body to absorb pitches in the dirt. He flashed a quick transfer with some arm strength that will continue to improve as he adds more athleticism in his 5-foot-10, 190-pound frame.



Javi Marrero (2021, Smiths Station, Ala.) is an uncommitted righthander with good feel for a two-pitch mix as he picked up four strikeouts in 2 2/3 no-hit innings. Marrero works from a clean, balanced delivery that allows him to repeat his arm slot and release point well to fill the zone often. The fastball comes out easy with some arm side run at 84-86 mph, topping out at 87 mph. He flashed good feel for a 12-to-6 curveball that he was able to spin to both halves of the plate and keep hitters struggling to make any solid contact. At 6-foot, 170 pounds, Marrero projects to more velocity and with the current ease in his stuff, he is a very intriguing uncommitted prospect with potential starter aspirations at the next level.

Santiago Ordonez (2022, Coconut Creek, Fla.) didn’t pick up a hit on the day, but showed a sound set of tools on both sides of the ball. The primary catcher is athletic defensively from a typical stocky, catcher’s profile. The actions are good as he adjusts his body very well to absorb pitches in the dirt. The arm created some carry on throws as he proved able to throw on line in off-balanced situations. At the plate, there is some present strength in the swing as he uses good bat speed to pull his hands inside and drive through pitches to the inner half.



Jose Ayala (2023, Bradenton, Fla.) is a young, athletic standout on both sides of the ball as he plays to a maturity level well above his age. Ayala has a very disciplined approach at the plate as he works deep into counts and finds a pitch he can drive to the pull side. In this look, he followed up a double that skipped the bottom of the left field wall with a hard line single to the pull-side gap. On the bases he stands out in terms of pure speed and feel for taking the extra base as he is comfortable and well-knowing of his abilities. Defensively, he is very mature and handles himself well as he gets around the baseball in his approach to get on line to the bag in his throws. He is an intriguing young prospect to watch as he fills into his currently thin, athletic frame.

Manning West (2022, Winder, Ga.) is a highly projectable 6-foot-6 righthander with a long lower-half that works out of a very controlled and balanced delivery as he extends well to the plate. The large frame creates consistent downhill action on the fastball with a heavy dose of arm-side run from a low three-quarters slot as he worked at 82-86 mph. West flashed some feel for a slow breaking ball that showed good depth and late turn to the outer half. He’ll need to sure up the consistency on the release point from the arm slot he throws at, but the stuff is there and the body is as projectable as they come.

Kodi Deskins (2023, Gibsonton, Fla.) is another young, mature prospect to watch as he continued a solid week at the plate picking up a pair of hits in four at-bats. The righthanded hitting catcher stands out physically at 5-foot-11, 155 pounds with plenty of room and time to add to that. The swing can get a bit out of control at times, but when under control and on plane, Deskins showed some pop to all fields and good amount of barrel control. The bat speed is there and will only continue to improve as he adds strength to it. Behind the plate he is advanced in his tools and does a great job at adjusting his body to receive and block balls in the dirt. The arm strength is there as evidenced by a fastball up to 85 mph on the mound earlier in the week.



Jason Lopez (2021, Brentwood, N.Y.) is a very intriguing uncommitted 2021 as he worked only the fastball across five innings while picking up 10 strikeouts to no walks. Lopez is a smaller, but athletic lefthander who does a phenomenal job at moving the pitch around and changing eye levels. Working at 80-83 mph, he showed a heavy dose of arm side run on his fastball that flashed a bit of arm-side life at times. It will be interesting to see if Lopez can develop an off-speed pitch or two to compliment the pitchability he has with just a fastball.

-Tyler Russo
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