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Tournaments  | Story  | 7/3/2021

Firecracker Finale Scout Notes: Days 1 & 2

Matthew Arietta     
Photo: Perfect Game

Blake Riley (2023, Cumming, Ga.) is a 5-foot-7, 145-pound middle infielder and right-handed pitcher from North Forsyth High School in his hometown. Riley would earn the start for SmarTense 16u White on Thursday during the 16u tournament opener at Brook Run, and turned in a dominant start, spinning a complete game, five hit, four strikeout win. Riley has an athletic build to his current frame and uses it on the mound with keen mechanics and a loose and smooth arm action that delivers from a three-quarter slot. To navigate his assignment, Riley showcased a repertoire of a fastball in the low- to mid-70s with some life and run, and a curveball he used sparingly in the high-60s with good shape, depth and bottom. Riley was efficient throughout the outing needing only 81-pitches from start to finish, filling the zone over 60% of the time. To further illustrate how well Blake pitched on Thursday, he entered the bottom of the first with the lead and never looked back. When all was said and done, Blake worked ahead of over forty percent of the hitters he faced yet induced a ton of soft contact his defense would handle with ease. The win was Riley’s first of the year as he now has almost a strikeout per inning over his first 25 2/3 innings of work during the 2021 tournament season. 

One teammate of Blake’s I’d be remiss to mention is shortstop, Cody Brewer (2022, Gainesville, Ga.). Brewer has been the straw that stirs the drink for SmarTense 16u White all season long and displayed why yet again during the first half of the weekend as he is hitting, .800 through his club’s first two games this weekend. At the plate, Brewer is selective and has quick hands and hand-eye coordination that leads to a lot of barreled contact all over the field. Brewer has a level to high bat path that displays good feel through the hitting zone and produces hard hit, line-drive contact that is hard to handle for any young fielder. Brewer’s tools span past the batter’s box as he moves well all over the diamond with first step quickness and agility. A mechanically sound shortstop, Cody displays time and again that he is able to get quick reads on plays hit his way, and pairs his sound defensive actions with strong, accurate throws to bases. An impressive young ballplayer, Brewer stands 6-foot, 185 pounds, and has produced for his club all year long as he is hitting .382 through 14 games, with 18 total bases and 14 runs and stolen bases respectively, a great start for the young ballplayer. 
 


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