2,075 MLB PLAYERS | 14,476 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story  | 7/5/2019

17u WWBA: Day 7 Scout Notes

Greg Gerard      Ben Milks      Jered Goodwin      Jacob Jordan      Jacob Martin      Matthew Arietta     
Photo: Will Carsten (Perfect Game)

17u WWBA Scout Notes:
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6




One of the top uncommitted arms of playoff day belonged to lefthander Grayson Hitt (2020, Germantown, Tenn.) who touched 90 mph with his fastball early on in the outing. Hitt creates plane and stays online with his windup with a longer arm action that works. He releases on top getting his arm through the arm circle up to release producing that upper-80s velocity. The uncommitted lefthander has a feel to spin a 1-to-7 curveball with the ability to land it for strikes at will. The breaking ball complemented his fastball well and helped him tally up seven strikeouts in this contest. This outing was Hitt’s second dominant outing of this year’s 17u WWBA National Championship as he had a similar start earlier in the week touching 91 mph and striking out five with one hit allowed in four innings pitched. Hitt, a native of Tennessee, is a name to follow for collegiate coaches in the Southeast as the 6-foot-3 southpaw is likely not going to be uncommitted for too much longer after his pair of performances in the Peach State.




Will Carsten (2020, San Antonio, Texas) is a righthander with an extra-large frame and plenty of projection remaining. Carsten was masterful for the second time in this event as he tossed five innings of shutout baseball in a victory, striking out seven hitters. The uncommitted righty, sat 86-90 mph with his fastball working from a tough angle and showing a changeup that projects as a plus pitch and already shows above average quite often. Carsten pitches from an extended three-quarters arm slot and has lots of life to both his fastball and changeup. He varies speeds well and keeps hitters off balance with it while being comfortable throwing it to hitters of either handedness. Carsten is a 6-foot-7 righthander and project extremely well physically. The uncommitted prospect was extremely effective for the South Texas Sliders as they enjoyed an impressive day of playoff action during the event.

Kemp Alderman (2020, Decatur, Miss.) is one of the most physical players in the entire 2020 prep class. Looking at him, it is easy to believe that he has real strength at the plate, but what he showed on the mound Thursday morning for BPA was plenty of arm strength as well. Alderman was up to 93 mph from the mound, using plenty of intent to produce his low-90s velocity. The righthander committed to Ole Miss pitched the duration of the game for BPA with a strikeout per inning and limiting a loaded Canes National team to just two runs. It is worth noting that Alderman is a power-hitting righthanded batter with plenty of strength at impact and loft to his path, but the pitching aspect as well as the performance during Thursday’s playoff action is noteworthy.

Two-sport Arizona State commit Hunter Barnhart (2020, Paso Robles, Calif.) was impressive once again at this week’s event going three innings in a start for the Canes National Team as he punched out a batter and showed a low-90s fastball with flashes of an above average curveball. The two-pitch combination for Barnhart is a really impressive one as the righthander is able to land each for strikes effectively. Barnhart was as good as advertised with a full arm stroke and a physical 6-foot-2 frame. The break ball is an effective pitch for Barnhart as he has a wipeout, swing-and-miss curveball that is only going to continue to improve. The California native has a solid strike zone feel and a really high-end arm to follow for the 2020 MLB Draft as shown on Thursday morning.

Highlighted earlier in the week, Chase Hampton (2020, Kilgore, Texas) got another chance on the bump for the Canes National team and did not disappoint. His extension is off of the charts per Trackman extended out in front at nearly seven feet with each pitch adding nearly two mph of effective velocity to every bolt. His fastball topped out at 94 mph and consistently sat in the low-90s over the course of 3 1/3 innings. Hampton was masterful a few days ago in relief, and although he ran into some command issues in this contest, he missed bats a whole lot as hitters never earned a hit against him. He struck out four batters and flashed a power breaking ball in the upper-70s that is on the fringe of being a plus pitch, but mostly grades out at 55 on the MLB scouting scale. The Texas Tech commit throws with plenty of effort and intent at release, but the innings of relief work he has shown at 17u WWBA have been extremely impressive.

Blade Tidwell (2020, Loretoo, Tenn.) was absolutely outstanding for the East Cobb Astros during playoff action as he dealt six shutout innings with 10 punchouts. The righthander filled up the strike zone with just under 60 percent strikes with a three-pitch mix that consistently kept hitters off balance. Tidwell has a clean arm action with plenty of balance to his delivery and the ability to repeat his mechanics. The arm works and the Tennessee commit releases the baseball cleanly to create a downhill plane to the plate from his projectable 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame. The righthander topped out at 91 mph on the mound while sitting in the upper-80s throughout his six innings of dominance. He mixed in a solid pair of breaking balls as well as a changeup that flashed above average.

Calvin Hewett (2020, Greenland, N.H.) is a name to follow from the Northeast in the 2020 class. The righthanded hitting, lefthanded throwing outfielder is a sure hitter with plenty of barrel ability and a good eye at the plate. Hewett opened up playoff action for the Giants Scout Team with a line drive single off of a 92 mph fastball for a double. Hewett uses a simple stride into contact to generate plenty of bat speed. His hands work well into the swing on a direct hand path and the barrel stays level through the hitting zone. The Vanderbilt commit swings with plenty of balance and a confident approach at the plate in the middle of the Giants Scout Team’s lineup.

– Gregory Gerard


Clayton Gray (2020, Cabot, Ark.) was solid on Thursday for Rawlings Arkansas Prospects-Menard in the first round of bracket play in the 17u WWBA National Championship. The University of Arkansas commit went 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Gray’s smooth lefthanded swing and gap-to-gap power project nicely along with his speed as well as his athletic, 5-foot-11, 170-pound build that has yet to fully fill out. The center fielder made loud contact all afternoon at plate and played well defensively.

Jaxon Wiggins (2020, Roland, Okla.) showed impressive upside in a relief appearance for Rawlings Arkansas Prospects-Menard on Thursday. Although command was an issue, Wiggins showed glimpses of promise throughout the outing. The righthander’s fastball sat in the 88-90 range but was up to 92 and was paired with a sharp low-80s slider. A smooth, fairly compact arm action works well with good extension down the mound. The Arkansas commit releases from a high three-quarters arm slot and hides the ball well.  Physically, a long and lean 6-foot-5, 205-pound frame also projects well and provides more room to fill out.

Cade Austin (2020, Chapin, S.C.) proved to have a promising future on Thursday in his start for Upstate Mavericks ST. The righthander threw three innings allowing two runs, five hits and walks with two strikeouts. A high-80s fastball was up to 92 and was paired with a sharp mid-70s slider. The South Carolina commit showed a lot of feel for his slider and it was clearly his go-to out-pitch. As far as the arm goes, it is smooth and looks easy. He releases from a high three-quarters arm slot and gets in to his lower half well. Throwing strikes was no issue as the 17-year old pounded the zone all game. From a physical standpoint, with a lean muscular build on a 6-foot-3 210-pound frame, Austin is filling out well with future projection.

Ross Dunn (2020, Salt Lake City, Utah) pitched extremely well on Thursday for the Giants Scout Team-FTB. The southpaw threw four innings allowing one run on two hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Dunn was extremely efficient and commanded his pitches well all game. He worked with an upper-80s to low-90s fastball and a upper-70s changeup while flashing a curveball at 74 mph. His arm works well throughout his long arm action and high three-quarters arm slot. The University of Kentucky commit has some room remaining to fill out his physical 6-foot-3, 220-pound build. Dunn projects well and will most likely add to his fastball velocity in the near future. He could stand to further develop his curveball but that did not hinder him in his outing on Thursday.

Grayson Moore (2020, Longwood, Fla.) was very effective in his outing as a closer for the Giants Scout Team-FTB. The righthander went two innings while giving up two hits and one run with a strikeout. The UCF commit’s fastball sat in the 87-89 range and was up to 90 mph. He also flashed a change up at 81 and loopy curveball in the upper-60s. His arm works smoothly with a long arm action and overhand release. The primary outfielder certainly has more velocity on the way from a pitching standpoint. Physically, there is plenty to like about his lean 6-foot-4, 185-pound frame that leaves plenty of room for added muscle. Although Moore may not be a primary pitcher he projects to be a good one with further development.

Ty Fontenot (2020, San Antonio, Texas) was impressive in his quarterfinals start for the South Texas Sliders 17u Mayer. The lefthander went five innings while allowing one run on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts. The Baylor commit worked off an upper-80s fastball that touched 91 mph and a sweeping mid-70s curveball. There is a lot to like from a mechanical standpoint in the southpaw’s delivery. Starting with the arm, he produces a lot of arm speed within his long fluid arm action and overhand arm slot. He gets extension down the mound very well and throws strikes. Physically, Fontenot passes the eye test with his muscular 6-foot-4, 203-pound frame and a strong lower half. Fontenot is a solid lefty arm with lots of upside.

– Jacob Jordan


University of Kentucky commit Reuben Church (2020, Maryville, Tenn.) showcased his large and strong 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame while playing for DRB Elite. The righthanded hitter starts with a wide base in an even stance and a tight hand-set. Using a small leg lift with no stride, he incorporates his lower half well into his powerful swing. He swings on a level plane with intent and the ability to elevate the ball through extension in his backswing. Church showcased impressive barrel-to-ball skills and some jump off the bat. The primary third baseman has an impressive arm across the infield with a smooth glove and pretty solid range. He displayed athletic movements and quick transfers defensively.

Duke commit Joshua Allen (2020, Oviedo, Fla.) showcased his 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame while pitching for the Scorpions 2020 Founders Club. The lefthanded pitcher uses a medium leg lift before working downhill and moderately online. He throws the ball from a three-quarters arm slot with a moderately live arm action. That combination of lower half power and arm action resulted in a fastball that averaged 86 mph and touched 88. The rest of his arsenal included a straight changeup around 79 mph and a sharp slider around 77 mph. He had good command throughout the start and was able to locate on the edges of the strike zone pretty consistently. All told, Allen threw an efficient five innings across 67 pitches with three strikeouts, allowing five hits and no walks.

Blayze Berry (2020, Columbus, Miss.) is a righthanded pitcher with a medium 5-foot-10, 175-pound frame and room to fill out further. Pitching in relief for the East Coast Sox 17u Select, he threw 4 1/3 innings with six strikeouts, no walks, three hits allowed, and two unearned runs. The Mississippi State commit takes an athletic and medium leg lift before working downhill and striding moderately towards the lefthanded batter’s box. He has a live arm action from a deceptive mid three-quarters slot where he hides the ball and throws from an unexpected arm angle. The arsenal started with a running fastball that averaged 88 mph but consistently hit 89. He also threw a fading changeup around 76 mph and a sharp slider around 77 mph. The pitch selection he employed was fairly unpredictable as he would throw different pitches in different counts. He also located exceptionally well and pounded the corners of the strike zone, allowing no walks and throwing 78 percent strikes. Based on his current frame and skill, he could gain additional velocity if he fills out further.

Bryce Carley (2020, Niceville, Fla.) showed off his athletic 5-foot-11, 185-pound frame while displaying above average defensive skills and above average offense. The uncommitted center fielder showed really good range and athleticism while manning the middle of the outfield. He took good jumps and efficient routes on fly balls and line drives in the gap. His glove was pretty smooth and his arm was decent back into the infield. The righthanded hitter starts in a moderately open stance with a high back elbow and employs a toe tap mechanism before taking a medium stride towards the pitcher. He took a compact and short swing on a linear plane. Showing good bat-to-ball skills, he did not swing-and-miss during the game and has the ability to hit to all fields. Carley has the ability to hit the ball with loud contact, typically on a line. During the seventh day of the tournament, he went 1-for-2 with a solid line drive single to the pull side and a walk.

William & Mary commit Nic Britt (2020, Chesapeake, Va.) is a shortstop with a medium 5-foot-10, 170-pound athletic build and room to still fill out. The quick-twitch player displayed a smooth glove, good range, efficient footwork, quick transfers and a decent arm across the infield. He can make some flashy plays but stands out for having the consistent ability to field everything in his general direction. The righthanded hitter starts with an even stance while using a medium leg lift. He maintains good balance throughout the swing on a linear plane. Britt shows some sneaky pop with quick hands and good bat speed as he has the ability to make loud contact on a line and he hit a double down the left field line. He hits the ball out front and hit the ball to the pull field in every at-bat ending with contact. Also displayed above average speed as he beat out an infield single and he has the ability to be an all around player at the next level. All told, Britt went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double.

Mississippi State commit Kellum Clark (2020, Brandon, Miss.) proved why he is one of the top national first base prospects playing for Team Elite 17u Scout Team. The 6-foot-4, 221-pound corner infielder has a large frame with a lot of current strength and some pretty good athleticism. The lefthanded hitter starts with a moderately wide base in an even stance. He uses a large leg lift and stride and maintains excellent balance while generating force from his lower half. Clark’s swing is extremely smooth and fluid on a linear plane with quick hands to match. He has the ability to create extension and elevate the ball. He consistently makes hard contact either on a line or in the air and overall is a projectable hitter with the ability to hit the ball to all fields. The first baseman showed athleticism in his actions and smooth hands defensively. Clark is above average at his position and a really good player overall.

Florida State commit Wyatt Crowell (2020, Cumming, Ga.) is a lefthanded pitcher with a medium and lanky 6-foot, 160-pound frame with current ability and room to still fill out. Starting with a medium leg lift, he works downhill finishing moderately towards the lefthanded batter’s box. He displays a high three-quarters arm slot with a live arm action and whip. Averaging 87 mph on his fastball during his start, he topped out at 90 mph with room in his projectable frame to add more velocity. He also featured a really good straight changeup around 78 mph and a decent slider around 79 mph. In this most current start, he struggled a little bit with command despite showing really projectable stuff. He did not have his best outing but still managed to throw 4 2/3 innings with three strikeouts and two walks, and while he did allow four runs, only one of those was earned. Despite this, his projectability should allow him to continue to develop to play at the next level.

East Carolina commit Christopher Boyd (2020, Lewisville, N.C.) displayed an electric arm in relief for the Dirtbags 17u Skrap Pak. The righthanded pitcher starts with a medium leg lift and works moderately well downhill and online to the plate. He missed high occasionally and further extension downhill might fix that problem. Despite that, he threw from a high three-quarters arm slot with live arm action. His 6-foot-1, 165-pound frame still has room to fill out and he could gain additional velocity with his already live arm. During his one inning of relief Boyd topped out at 92 mph and averaged 89 on his fastball. He also featured a good straight changeup around 77 mph and what appeared to be two different breaking balls – one with 10-to-4 action and another with sharper east-to-west movement. His projectable frame and live arm should play well at the next level. During his relief appearance, he threw a scoreless inning with one strikeout, one hit allowed and no walks.

– Jake Martin


Luis Guerrero (2020, Miami, Fla.) is a 6-foot-2, 210-pound, large and stocky framed, physically mature righthanded pitcher from Miami. Coming into the game ranked 13th for righthanded pitchers in the state of Florida for the 2020 class, Guerrero was excellent for his club US Elite 2020 International Scout Team pitching them into the quarterfinals with a 5-2 win over Team CDC. Guerrero uses a stretch-only pitching motion from the first base side of the rubber. He loads his weight well on his backside while resting his hands at his waist. He uses a long, smooth and quick arm action that delivers his repertoire from a high three-quarters slot. His arm continually releases out front and is free and easy through deceleration with some minimal natural recoil. Guerrero shows good athleticism as he gets over his front side with good flexibility and pitchability.

Guerrero used a three-pitch mix to baffle his opponents, yet it all starts with his fastball which reached 95 mph sat mostly 92-93 mph. Guerrero’s fastball was down plane with natural tail and sink making it a plus-plus pitch and difficult to connect with. To complement his fastball, Guerrero mixed a curveball with good shape and depth at 81-82 mph and a changeup – also thrown in the 81 – 82 mph range – with good fade and feel. Guerrero’s final line read six innings where he scattered five hits, allowing two unearned runs and a walk while fanning an impressive 13 batters to record the win for his club, his first for the tournament. Guerrero, who is currently uncommitted, has a tremendously high upside and feel for pitching. He is within the top 100 righthanded pitchers in the 2020 class making him a name to remember for the 2020 draft.

Brayden Rowe (2020, Warrior, Ala.) is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound tall and lanky righthanded pitcher with an athletic frame and room to fill to reach physical maturity. Rowe uses an up-tempo and balanced windup from the first base side of the rubber. His arm and body work well together and he had good sync throughout his outing. Brayden showed a good load on his backside giving his arm ample time to work through his smooth, long-circled and unrestricted arm action, consistently delivering his repertoire from a three-quarters slot. His arm is unrestricted through release with some recoil upon finish, which was more upright around a stiff front leg. Rowe was impressive to say the least Thursday afternoon, going the distance pitching Team Georgia into the third round of the playoffs. Brayden’s final line read seven innings, one unearned run on four hits and a walk with an impressive 10 strikeouts. It took Rowe 103 pitches to finish his outing as his confidence never wavered and he was on the attack all afternoon.

Rowe used a three-pitch mix that he filled the zone with all afternoon. Brayden’s fastball was firm with some riding life through the zone. He had a high on the day of 91 mph yet sat mostly around 88-90. Rowe’s control is better than command right now with his fastball, yet he did a good job mixing his pitches and moving in and out to keep his opponent off balance. Currently, Rowe’s curveball is a fringe average offering and was regularly clocked in the upper-70s, (76-79 mph). Lastly, Rowe showcased a changeup that was clocked in the low-80s (80-82 mph) and it had good sell and fade to further keep his opponent off balance.

Overall, Rowe was in control all afternoon and exuded confidence on the mound. He had a no-fear approach and went out and got the job done for his club. He knows how to pitch and trusts his abilities on the mound. A good athlete, Rowe fields his position well, getting in a good fielding position upon release and follows that up with strong throws to the bases. He is ranked as the sixth-best pitcher in his home state of Alabama and will attend the University of Alabama following graduation from Corner High School next year.

Christian Williams (2020, Port Haywood, Va.) is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound, lefthanded pitcher who is verbally committed to TCU. Ranked as the third-best righthanded pitcher for his class in the state of Virginia, and 40th nationally, Williams’ took the mound for his club, US Elite 2020 International Scout Team, and was spectacular as the southpaw went the distance, scattering a hit per inning, an earned run and a walk while fanning six batters on 99 pitches. Williams delivers from the third base side of the rubber, has a high leg kick above his belt and pivots his front hip towards first base as he really does a nice job loading his weight on his backside and hiding his arm from the batter. He deploys a drop-and-drive leg kick and uses his momentum to pull his front side through and down the mound around a stiff front leg. Williams’ arm action is clean and unrestricted with a slight hook in back. He delivers his repertoire from a three-quarters slot, which is consistent with all pitches and helped his effectiveness and pitchability.

Williams has a two-pitch mix right now of a 87-90 mph fastball, that showcased some hard tailing two-seam action, and a curveball that had depth with downer rotation and good bite when he got extended. Williams mixed both pitches in all counts keeping hitters off balance all game. Williams showed good instincts on the mound and exuded confidence, appearing fearless and locked into his assignment all game long. Williams, who recorded his second win of the tournament, had 10 punchouts over 11 innings at the 17u WWBA.

– Matt Arietta


Ostingers Baseball Academy 2020 got their first of three wins on Thursday largely in thanks to the effort given from Cole Stallings (2020 Lithia, Fla.) on the mound. The Stetson commit tossed an eight-inning complete game only allowing one hit, one run and one walk while striking out six. Stallings features a strong, athletic build and a high intent delivery with interesting arm speed. He showed a heavy fastball thrown consistently up in the zone creating a lot of empty swings up to 91 mph held late into the outing and complemented with a 10-to-5 breaking ball with sharp break at 76 mph.

Dylan Carmouche (2020 Denham Springs, La.) is an uncommitted 2020 that showed impressive stuff on the mound Thursday. The long, lanky lefty showed a low three-quarters arm action with some crossfire in the delivery creating a lot of deception for the hitter and movement on various pitches. He showed a fastball with hard tail up to 89 mph complemented with a 1-to-7 curveball thrown in any count for strikes and thrown more often than the fastball up to 73 mph.

Will Sanders (2020 Atlanta, Ga.), a long, lanky, projectable righty, was impressive on the mound Thursday working a quick seven innings while walking none with five strikeouts. Sanders features a long, deliberate delivery with explosive actions moving down the mound and impressive arm speed all while getting extended out front well, cutting down distance between he and the batter with his long frame. Sanders worked very quick innings behind a fastball thrown for consistent strikes to both sides of the plate up to 91 mph and a sharp 12-to-6 curveball creating a lot of swing-and-miss.

Getting the start on the mound in the quarterfinals for Canes National 17u was Riley Eikhoff (2020, Bristow, Va.). Eikhoff worked four innings while only allowing one hit and striking out two batters. The uncommitted 2020 grad showed an explosive delivery with impressive arm speed while only throwing from the stretch. He displayed a fastball with heavy life through the zone up to 92 mph, showing the ability to work the fastball up in the zone past hitters with a lot of swing-and-miss.

Brayden Eftink (2020 Cape Giradeau, Mo.) got the save in the second round of the playoffs for Gamers 17u Blue. A strong, athletic uncommitted 2020 grad showed good arm speed with a high intent delivery. In his one inning of work he allowed zero hits while striking out two batters. Eftink showed a fastball with good control to both sides of the plate and the ability to throw it by hitters up in the zone up to 89 mph to go along with a sharp curveball at 76 mph.

Coming in to slam the door for Canes National 17u in their quarterfinal game was Wyatt Hudepohl (2020, Mason, Ohio). In 2 1/3 innings of work Hudepohl allowed zero hits while fanning six. The Kentucky commit showed a high intent delivery with impressive arm speed and extension creating good downhill plane on a heavy fastball up to 93 mph. He worked the fastball in the zone consistently creating a lot of swing-and-miss going to a sharp 11-to-5 breaking ball with good depth for strikeouts and outs in general.

– Ben Milks


Cole Stallings (2020 Lithia, Fla.) took the mound for Ostingers Baseball Academy in the playoffs on Thursday morning. He turned in a great performance to help propel Ostingers to the round of 16. Stallings is a 6-foot-2 righthanded pitcher with a sturdy frame and has present strength. He did a great job repeating with his lower half and it gave him a very consistent release point throughout his outing. He has some arm speed and gets very good extension which created plane and deception for hitters. He sat 88-90/91 during his outing and maintained so well that he was still bumping 90 in the seventh inning. He has feel for his curveball and landed it consistently in the 72-76 range. He is a true three-pitch mix guy using a changeup with sinking action to force weak contact. He worked eight innings Thursday allowing only two hits and striking out six. The only run allowed came in an extra innings, tiebreaker scenario. He is young for the 2020 class and with the type of breakout performance he showed Thursday, he will be monitored closely over the next year.

Matthew Fernandez (2020 Miami, Fla.) turned in his second stellar outing of the week when he took the mound in the playoffs for Elite Squad 17u National. He is 6-foot with a compact and athletic frame. He has a very quick arm and the ball jumps out of his hand. He does a great job keeping the ball hidden behind his body and it allowed his 87 mph fastball to play up. Fernandez is ultra-competitive and consistently got the ball and fired strikes, working fast and forcing hitters to swing. His breaking ball has late break and he has the ability to work it to both sides of the plate. He worked four innings surrendering only one hit while striking out five. The FIU commit exudes confidence and makes it easy for his defenders to play behind him.

Cade Henry (2020 Florence, Ala.) is a 6-foot-5 very projectable righthanded pitcher with long limbs and plenty of room to fill out. He has a low three-quarters slot and he was able to throw three pitches with the same release point. He sat in the mid-80s and topped at 88. His fastball had arm-side run and was a very tough match up for righthanded hitters. He used a 71-74 breaking ball to keep righties off balance and mixed a changeup that showed fade to help combat the lefties. He was bold with his pitch calling, throwing any pitch in any count. In all he went 7 1/3 innings and lost a tough 2-1 game. The only runs he gave up were in extra innings. He struck out 11 batters and did not walk a hitter.

Brock Wilken (2020 Valrico, Fla.) is a very strong kid, and with long arms and room to fill out in his chest, he can easily be dreamed upon. He hits in the 3-hole for Ostingers Baseball Academy and is an imposing presence in the box. He has a fast bat with elite hand strength and shows intent with every swing. His hit tool is very good and this morning he did a great job identifying pitches. Between both games Thursday he went 4-for-6 with a double and a triple, while also notching a walkoff hit Thursday morning to move OBA into the round of 16. He also caught on Thursday, showing a very comfortable set up, strong wrists and solid arm strength. There is an overall crudeness to his actions, but he has all the tools to stay behind the plate long term.

Ty Floyd (2020 Rockmart, Ga.) is a very athletic righthanded pitcher that is an accomplished hitter and shortstop as well. He was impressive on the mound on Thursday firing fastballs in the 90-92/94 range with very good command of the pitch. He does a great job when he tunnels a fastball in the top of the zone and works his curveball, up to 76, off of it. His changeup shows fade, but he can sometimes slow his motion on the offering. When he kept his hand speed it looked like it could develop into a very good third offering. His overall appearance has a very young look and it is easy to see him making a huge jump as he physically matures. Floyd is extremely athletic player who added a hit in the contest, and one could see how many ways he can impact a game.

Gus Pulos (2020 St. Louis, Mo.) showed unreal competitiveness Thursday for Gamers 17u Blue. The 6-foot-1 lefthanded pitcher had a boxed delivery and stayed tall throughout. He has a low three-quarters release point and did not throw anything straight making it extremely hard for hitters to barrel. His fastball was up to 85 mph and did a good job of sinking it to his arm side and running one hard to the glove side. Facing a very good opponent he threw 6 2/3 innings and only gave up two hits. He struck out six hitters during his out showing the ability to tunnel his mid-70s slurve and a changeup that showed late fade. He never fell into patterns and sunk everything to the bottom of the zone. It was a very gutsy performance that helped the Gamers reach the final 8. This uncommitted prospect would be a welcomed site to many locker rooms at the next level.

– Jered Goodwin