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Tournaments  | Story  | 7/16/2019

14u, 16u West Scout Notes

Connor Spencer      Andrew Jenkins     
Photo: Justin Still (Perfect Game)

14u, 16u WWBA West National Championship: Day 1-2 Scout Notes




Day three started with a bang as 3D Gold’s Dylan Hartmann (2021, Rancho Murieta, Calif.) smoked a towering fly ball that practically never landed as it sailed beyond the right field wall. Hartmann knew it right off the bat as the ball just comes off his barrel differently than anyone else in his class. On Sunday he showed that he can play more than just first base by playing a solid game in left field. He has some good feel for the position, shows an ability to make correct reads off the bat, and also an ability to make adjustments on incorrect reads. Hartmann’s swing contains an elegant dance of controlled violence that stays quiet throughout his load, and then unloads through the zone. He also stays very tall on his backside and it helps him to extend his flat bat path for a longer amount of time. As he’s developed this summer, it feels like his balanced has improved in the box and he’s gotten better with his linear weight shift from a simple mid-leg lift trigger. Hartmann is still uncommitted, but if he continues to display his elite power tool, he won’t only have college coaches calling, but big-league teams as well.

Team California teammates Louis Holt (2021, Mililani, Hawaii) and. Kade Yasui (2021, Mililani, Hawaii) got the job done against 3D Gold accounting for all of the teams 10 runs on the day.

Holt laced an inside-the-park grand slam into the right-center gap and displayed excellent speed around the basepaths. He has good hands at the plate but has a tendency to open up his front side early. When he’s able to get his hands extended through the hitting zone, he has the capability to drive the ball to all fields.

Yasui was a contact machine going 3-for-3 on his day and like Holt possesses good hands and speed on the basepaths. Yasui doesn’t get cheated at the plate with above average discipline and he has a plan every time he steps into the box. He consistently works his hands inside the baseball and finds plenty of barrel with his middle-of-the-field approach. Despite his 5-foot-7, 155-pound frame, Yasui still has decent pop and has a chance to get on base in every game he plays in.



In the late morning slot on day three MBA Utah 2021’s Carson Hawkes (2021, Orem, Utah.) had a good outing against a very good NC Valley 16u/2021 team, allowing just one run through five innings of work. Hawkes is an interesting product on the mound with a strong arm that has the ability to touch 85 mph. However, if at any point during his outing he loses feel for the zone, he’ll significantly take something off his fastball to find it again. Fascinatingly enough this played into his favor today as the significant velocity changes threw hitters for a loop when trying to time him up. In one inning he’d be sitting 81-to-83 and in the next he’d be 77-79 mph. He has an 11-to-4 shaped curveball that is still developing strong actions.



In the morning on day four Justin Still (2021, Chandler, Ariz.) showcased some plus stuff on the mound for AZ T-Rex. With a longer arm that cocks back slowly and then quickly fires through to a high three-quarters to over-the-top slot, he was extremely efficient when spotting up to both sides of the plate. His 84-86 mph fastball has some arm-side run at times but for the most part is pretty straight. He uses a 1-to-7 shaped breaking ball that he missed with quite a bit up and to the arm side. However, when he was able to get the curveball out it in front it flashed plus ability with good late bite down and away from lefthanded bats. When Still was in a rhythm his tempo helped him fly through batters. Unfortunately, his command wavered in the third and he ran into trouble early. The stuff for Still is good and he currently feels like a lefty specialist at the next level.



Collin Reuter (2021, Olive Branch, Miss.) tossed an absolute gem for BPA going 6 1/3 innings allowing one run off five hits with four punchouts. Reuter has a quick and whippy arm action that sits 81-83 mph. He has some arm-side run to his fastball when locating to his arm side. From the windup he has a methodical high leg lift that feels loose and free down the mound. However, the BYU commit is primarily a catcher and has the ability to really swing it at the plate. His 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame is very projectable at the next level, and when he connects has plenty of pop to drive the baseball over outfielders’ heads. Reuter has an upright stance and keeps his weight hard on his back instep even through his weight transfer. His stride and his hands work beautifully in sync with each other, and he creates a heavy amount of coil with his upper half.



CBA Nevada 2021 lost a heartbreaker to MBA Utah 2021 in walk-off fashion, but CBA’s Jaden Harris (2021, Millville, Utah.) had a lights out performance on the mound. Harris has a large frame with a good arm that took a couple of innings to warm up to full potential. By the third he was sitting 83-86 mph and was touching 87. In every aspect he feels like a low effort, free flowing arm down the mound as there isn’t much violence to his motion whatsoever. At times his fastball does have some downward angle, but scouts would like to see it gain more action as he progresses. His 11-to-5 curveball was dominant on the day and is a plus pitch that showed glimpses of plus-plus ability. It has hard late bite and falls off the table when down in the zone. Harris looks very comfortable with it as well, throwing it in any count to any batter. He throws a 79 mph changeup as well that is straight and has some sink but hitters weren’t biting on the pitch. If Harris can improve his arm action on his secondary pitches his already fantastic breaking ball will become an absolute nightmare and something coaches at the next level simply can’t ignore.

MountainWest handed Team California USA their first loss of the tournament thanks to sidearm slinger Colton Sundloff (2021, Erda, Utah.). Sundloff went 4 2/3 innings allowing no runs while fanning two. He has a short arm action that he doesn’t reach back far with and slings it to a high sidearm to low three-quarters slot. It’s surprising how much he can get on his fastball at that slot as he touched 86 mph on a few occasions. Moreover, his fastball frequently had a large amount of sink to it as he’s able to really get on top of the ball at that slot. He has a 9-to-3 slurve that floats directly across the plate and it has a hump in it out of the hand. The problem with the pitch is he really has to force himself to get around it to get the bite that it needs to be effective and in doing so telegraphs that a breaking ball is coming. Sundloff also threw what could have been a changeup or a sinker that tumbles much like a split but he tends to miss arm side with the pitch. His stuff proved to be very tough on righties as the window starts behind their bodies and he’s a very interesting follow going forward.

– Connor Spencer


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Standing at 6-foot-2, Zach Wadas (2023, Phoenix, Ariz.) has a tall, lean frame with broad shoulders and plenty of room to fill out his frame. The young lefthanded hitter has had an impressive tournament and over the last two days has went 4-for-5 with two doubles. Wadas is hitting .538 through five games and has shown signs of present power to all parts by hitting an opposite field double and a deep shot that was just shy of the wall in center field. Wadas has a slightly open stance, a leg kick trigger and a linear swing path. With further development, Wadas has a chance to be a big-time lefthanded hitter in the future.



Kaden Miller (2022, Riverton, Utah) is hitting .643 through five games and has led the way for the 3n2 Warriors offense through the tournament and continues to have strong performances at the plate going 5-for-7 with a triple and three runs scored over his last two games.  Miller begins with an open stance, a high hand set and a high back elbow. He has an aggressive approach, a quick back and has shown to be a good runner as well. He can hit to all parts of the field and is able to go deep in the opposite gap along with showing slight pull-side pop with a triple down the left field line. Miller shows to be a good outfielder, has above average arm strength and gets good reads off the bat.



Josh Tiedemann (2023, Chandler, Ariz.) showed up for day five action and made the most out of his first game by going 2-for-2 with one triple and three runs scored. Tiedemann has a smooth and easy swing and creates slight lift with some juice. His most impressive hit of the day came via a triple that jumped off the bat with a very high exit velocity. Defensively, Tiedeman has soft hands, chargers through the ball and has above average arm strength. He stands out at the plate and should turn into a well-rounded infielder as he continues to mature.



Cole Lacrue (2023, Thornton, Colo.) is an athletic righthander with an easy and controlled delivery. Lacrue, who is listed as a primary catcher had a good feel on the mound, getting downhill with good separation and extension out front. His fastball sat 74-78 mph. He showed a curveball that was 62-64 mph with some bite, that created off balance swings. As a relief pitcher for 3n2 Warriors he allowed zero hits and, struck out four in two innings. He will continue to add strength and athleticism, helping build his already talented arsenal.



Carson Daniels (2023, Howe, Texas) has been showing out on both sides of the ball. The two-way athlete has led the way for the Texas Oilers - Hamblin/Hancock offense in day five play going 2-for-3 with one double, one triple and two runs scored. Daniels is hitting .385 through five games and shows raw power at the plate, controls the barrel well, gains ground and creates good whip through the strike zone. He creates leverage in his swing with his strong lower half and projects to be a middle-of-the-order type hitter over the next four years.

On the mound, Daniels throws from a three-quarters arm slot, stays online with a simple delivery and extension out-front. He works his fastball north and south and mixes in a 1-to-7 curveball that he can control to both sides of the plate. With added velocity, Daniels will be an interesting follow of the next four years and will be an athlete to keep an eye on.



Hitting .667 thus far, Caleb Thompson (2023, Sherman, Texas) is a very athletic two-way prospect that has had a strong tournament. He is a rotational type hitter who can go the other way when needed. He is a leadoff type, who has a sound approach and uses his hands to hit. He also toed the rubber and worked his fastball in the 69-74 mph range with a 60 mph curveball. He pitched four innings and struck out five while allowing two earned runs. Although his swing and pitching mechanics are unorthodox, he gets the job and with slight fixes to both, Thompson projects well over the next four years at Sherman High School.



Lefthanded pitcher Zane Kelly (2023, Las Vegas, Nev.) pitched primarily out of the stretch with a high leg lift past belt with on line stride, worked a long arm circle in the back and threw from a high three-quarters release point. He came in as a relief pitcher for LVR allowing two hits and fanning two batters in one inning. Kelly worked consistently in the 78-83 mph with some arm aside and run and dropped in a 68 mph curveball. Kelly has also had a strong showing at the plate going 3-for-5 with a triple and three runs scored. Kelly is hitting .364 through five games. He begins with a slightly open stance, a high back elbow with the bat rested on his shoulder. He drops his hands into a low hand load and has small linear movements to the ball.



Colby Kiesling (2022, Carlsbad, Calif.) is a 6-foot-1, strong framed lefthanded hitter with room to fill out and displayed tools on both sides of the ball. Kiesling is hitting .500 through five games and has hit a moon-shot homerun.  He started with a square stance, lifts the bat off his shoulder with a small leg kick trigger. He employs good rotation in his hips and an easy swing with power to all parts of the field. Defensively, he showed good range in the outfield, a playable arm with online throws and good carry. His tools project well at the next level, he is a prospect that will open some eyes over the next year.



Listed as a primary catcher, Daniel Satterlee (2022, Oklahoma City, Okla.) has been really shown potential on the mound for Oklahoma Elite 2023. He has thrown three innings with eight strikeouts and one walk. Satterlee lived off his fastball and worked 78-82 mph while topping out at 84 mph. Throwing from a high-three quarters are slot, the 6-foot-2 young prospect creates angle, can command his fastball to his glove side with ease and over-powered hitters during his outing. He has a loose and easy arm action with a longer arm circle in the back, had slight effort to his delivery and utilized his lower half well.



Listed as a shortstop, Ruben Castro (2022, Tucson, Ariz.) showed solid range and solid hands. His arm is playable with above average arm strength, carry and accuracy. Castro can make throws on the run, deep in the hole and off balance. At the plate, he had knack for making solid contact, displayed good bat speed and the ability to hit the ball hard to his pull-side. Castro is hitting .462 through five games with three triples and 10 RBI.

– Andrew Jenkins