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College  | Story  | 3/4/2023

College Reports: March 3

Vincent Cervino      Kyler Peterson      Perfect Game Staff      Steve Fiorindo     
Photo: Brandon Sproat (Tim Casey)
College Report Database

Players Featured: Cade Fisher (Florida), Brandon Sproat (Florida), Gage Ziehl (Miami), Evan Chrest (Jacksonville), Fynn Chester (Cal State Fullerton), Jaden Woods (Georgia), Dawson Brown (Georgia Tech)




Cade Fisher, LHP, Florida
Florida has been searching for bullpen help during the first three weeks of the year as they haven’t been able to bridge the gap between starting pitcher and closer Brandon Neely. They have a ton of talent so why not use an arm that can start as an extended reliever? Enter true freshman Cade Fisher, who tossed three perfect innings to close out their Friday night victory over Miami.

Fisher checks most of every box when looking at young pitching prospects: he’s an uber-projectable 6-foot-4, 215-pounds with a low effort delivery and a clean, repeatable operation. It’s pretty good stuff now but he showed excellent fastball command that worked well to complement the entire three pitch mix. Fisher creates very good deception and fires from a low three-quarters arm slot, adding to said deception. The heater worked in the 90-93 mph range for all three innings, showing good life and the aforementioned command to both sides was very impressive. He turned over a couple of nasty changeups in the 84-86 mph range while the breaking ball worked in the upper-70s showing good shape. Fisher has a starter’s repertoire and command but might be UF’s best shot as an extended relief/fireman type role. He’s going to get plenty of innings and when you don’t allow a baserunner in 30 pitches over 3 innings, you’re probably going to get a lot more opportunities. -Vinnie Cervino


Brandon Sproat, RHP, Florida
 Sproat returned to Gainesville after being drafted for the second time in his life and entered the 2023 season as the No. 2 ranked senior prospect in the country. Sproat is a long and still projectable right-handed pitcher with a physical 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame and a power arsenal that he uses on the mound. He allowed a first inning three run home run to Miami star Yohandy Morales, you’re going to run into those every now and again, but really settled in, delivering five scoreless with just one hit allowed after that.

Sproat was sitting 96-97 mph in the first inning, touching higher on some guns, with only two bolts in the entire frame coming below that range. It’s premium physicality and arm quickness with double-plus arm speed and a longer whippy arm stroke through the back. The first inning is when he struggled the most, likely because that’s when he was throwing his fastball the most. It’s got big velocity but it’s quality plays below that, with two of Miami’s four hits coming off the heater. Sproat will show flashes of a plus slider but the pitch was inconsistent at times, backing up on him when on the arm side. However, the pitch is thrown really hard which helps, sitting in the 84-88 mph range that he would add and subtract from. Sproat showed changeups to left-handed hitters right at 86-88 mph, a couple he turned over pretty good and a couple he didn’t quite and were let up. Sproat also showed a bigger breaking ball in the 80-81 mph range with slurvy shape.  

Sproat’s command was solid early on but he lost it a little bit in the middle innings. Given the arm action and speed there is reliever risk due to repeatability and strikes given that he walked four hitters on the night. This game was a testament to Sproat’s toughness as both projected first round hitters on both sides went deep in the first inning and it could have turned ugly on him in a moment. Sproat buckled down and started to pitch backwards, throwing the entire kitchen sink at the opposition and sprinkling in 95+ mph heaters. It was a gutsy start and there’s obviously a ton to like in the arm, body, and projection. For MLB teams, if they can unlock a better-playing fastball this could be a star, but in the meantime he’ll serve as Florida’s ace as they look toward another national title. -Vinnie Cervino


Gage Ziehl, RHP, Miami
 Miami Friday starter Gage Ziehl was dealt the loss against the Gators on Friday as his slow start to the season continues. Ziehl was a highly regarded prep prospect, ranked in the top 200 in his class coming out, and was drafted in the 11th round, opting to head to Coral Gables. Ziehl had a dominant true freshman season as a reliever for Miami, earning Freshman All-American honors and heading to the Cape, where he also dominated.

Ziehl is super physical at a listed 6-foot, 216-pounds with broad shoulders and strong legs. It’s a simplified windup with a lateral rocker into a big leg lift and he fires from a high three-quarters arm slot. The fastball was pretty much in the 91-93 mph range for the majority of the outing, touching higher early on and when he was in jams. The fastball got hit around a little bit and he would likely benefit from throwing his slider more. The pitch is a plus sweeper, living in the mid-80s with north of 2700 rpm spin rates. The pitch is devastating to right-handed hitters and it’s also Ziehl’s best pitch. Ziehl also has an above average changeup in a similar velocity band with lots of fading action that proves difficult for left-handed hitters.

This was an outing that Ziehl would like to forget, getting tagged with the loss, six earned, and nine hits to go along with three walks. It’s still swing-and-miss stuff, however, and Ziehl is every bit a top round prospect for the 2024 draft, but Hurricanes fans would like to see him figure out his issues sooner rather than later. -Vinnie Cervino


Evan Chrest, RHP, Jacksonville
A heralded freshman, Chrest got some buzz in high school and was selected in the 17th Round by the Marlins. The right-hander impressed as soon as he stepped foot on campus, opening the season as Jacksonville’s Friday night starter. He has thrived in the role over his first three collegiate starts, holding a 1.69 ERA with 21 punchouts over 16 innings. Standing at an athletic 5-foot-11, Chrest has added noticeable strength to his lower-half that aided in him holding his low-90s fastball into the seventh inning of his 105-pitch outing versus Southeast Louisiana. The heater peaked at 93 mph and features late, heavy sink and run to both sides of the plate. The Tampa native mixed in a sharp slider that he has added a touch of velo to, now working 81-84 mph. The pitch flashed plus, featuring sharp sweep to glove side and was up to 3000 RPM, although he will need to find that same consistency arm side. He found increasingly better feel for the slider as the game went on, beginning to rip off some nasty ones in the fourth  frame. Chrest’s changeup proved to be a plus offering. It operates at 82-83 mph and he sells it well, pronating really hard and killing spin down to 1600 RPM, creating heavy fade & significant depth. The pitch was especially effective versus left-handed hitters, garnering tons of swing-and-miss, falling off the table and disappearing late. Chrest also flashed a curveball very sparingly at 78-79 mph.

The true freshman is a plus athlete and repeats his delivery well with a clean arm action. The righty is calm and composed on the mound and has real confidence in his stuff. He has present average command, walking only one while striking out five over seven innings, allowing one earned run. Given the athleticism and arm speed, Chrest’s fastball projects to add another tick as does the command. He will be a must-watch arm for Draft implications over the next few years, eligible in 2025. -Kyler Peterson



Fynn Chester, RHP, Cal State Fullerton
Firday night provided another excellent outing out of the 'pen for Chester as he tossed 2 innings of perfect baseball, striking out 4 and he really lived off the fastball in this look, getting excellent run on the heater (generating 18-20 inches of horizontal break). He missed bats, continually pounded the arm side corner to lefties and elevate for effect. Chester also flashed a curveball at 74 mph that even took me by surprise as he went at least a dozen heaters before showing a different look, throwing a little cut number at 86 mph. The fastball worked 87-90 mph, but the pitch really got on hitters. He's really established himself as a valuable 'pen arm that can provide some length as well. -Steve Fiorindo


Jaden Woods, LHP, Georgia
 After a lengthy rain delay in Athens, Woods got the ball and shut out a red hot Tech lineup. He ended up tossing six scoreless, allowed just three hits, two walks, while punching out eight. It wasn’t the smoothest start for Woods, but he really found his groove after the first and got better as he went on. He opened up 89-92 mph and in the later innings found some 93s and one 94. Really good life to the heater and seemed to play up a tick missing bats all night long. He gets good carrying life on the pitch and certainly plays well at the top of the zone. The low-80s slider was a bit inconsistent all night but showed some sharpness when out in front. There’s tough vertical bite when right and can add and subtract some sweep when needed. He didn’t need the changeup much tonight, but looks like it could become a dynamic weapon and is going to need to show it more as the year goes on. Looks to be a split-change, he kills spin on it at 1000 - 1200 rpm and sells it with similar arm speed. It’s firm but has good arm side action to it with good differential off the heater. Woods is an excellent athlete with a fast arm and good bit of polish to the delivery. Fiery competitor with great composure and mound presence. He’ll be the anchor of the Georgia staff and will need to keep performing like tonight to see his name climb up draft boards. -Brendan Kelley


Dawson Brown, RHP, Georgia Tech
Brown didn’t have his best command tonight but still showed the traits to believe he can lead this Tech pitching staff. He works off a classic sinker, slider mix from a deceptive three-quarter slot. The sinker can be pretty devastating on righties at times, but he left the ball elevated too much tonight. Brown operated in the 90-92 mph range and held that through all 82 pitches. He also showed feel for a tight sweeping slider in the low-80s and went to a firmer changeup to both dexterities. He’s still working into the starter role this year and overall just  didn’t throw enough strikes tonight. Watch for him to bounce back and regain confidence as this Georgia Tech team looks to continue their hot start to the season. -Brendan Kelley
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