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High School  | General | 2/18/2025

Southwest Dream Team & Top Tools

David Rawnsley
Regional Previews: Florida | Georgia | Pacific | Deep South | Texas | Coastal

SOUTHWEST REGION (AZ, NM, NV, UT, CO)  

The Southwest Region has a solid base of talent for 2025, with lots of promising power hitters and a very strong group of underclassmen leading the way.  All told, there are six underclassmen on the team below, plus another talented Southisene (Troy) coming along.  Three All-Region players, right-handers Brett Crossland and Jack Lafflam from Arizona and Nevada middle infielder Tate Southisene were 2024 PG All-Americans.



Speaking of the Southisene Brothers, the final two, Tate and Troy will star for the Region’s top ranked team, as Basic High School checks in at 18th in the PG Pre-Season Top 50 rankings.  Arizona contributes three schools to the Top 50 in Corona Del Sol (26th), Brophy Prep (28th) and Hamilton (36th), while Nevada also contributes Faith Lutheran at 44th. 

C –  Joe Forbes (Sr., Mountain Ridge HS, Ariz.)

Forbes is a big and strong right-handed hitting catcher with the arm strength and athleticism to remain behind the plate and a very interesting bat that should be his carrying tool.  He’s hit .364-7-29 over the last two years as Mountain Ridge High School’s starting catcher and has hit well over .400 in his PG high school career with plenty of power.  The 15th ranked catcher nationally in the 2025 class, Forbes is signed with Arizona.

1B –    Ryan Harwood (Jr., Casteel HS, Ariz.)

The 6-3/215 Harwood plays more outfield than first base but profiles well at first base in the future despite having plus raw arm strength.  His best tool is his left-handed bat and especially his power potential.  Harwood is already a two-year starter for Arizona State 5-A champion Castell High School and has hit .388-6-66 with 35 walks over his first two high school seasons.  He also hit .368-1-29 in 32 games of PG play in 2024.  Harwood is committed to Texas A&M.

MIF –   Tate Southisene (Sr., Basic HS, Nev.)

2024 PG All-American Tate is the third of the four Southisene brothers to star for Basic High School, joining 2023 PG All-American Ty, now with the Cubs, Ty’s twin brother, Tee, and younger (2026) brother Troy as perhaps the top brother act in high school baseball memory.  Tate is the 16th ranked player in the PG 2025 national rankings and was named the Nevada State 5-A Player of the Year in 2024 after hitting .576-7-49 in 28 games.  He is signed with Southern Cal.

MIF –   Boston Kellner (Sr., Hamilton HS, Ariz.)

Kellner makes his third appearance on the All-Southwest Region Team after another dominating year in 2024, as he hit .462-12-29 with 43 runs scored in 31 games with Hamilton High School while also winning six games on the mound.  Kellner also hit .327-3-20 in 24 games last year in PG play.  A versatile defensive player who could end up at virtually any position on the field, Kellner is signed with Texas A&M.

3B –   Anthony Del Angel (Jr., V. Sue Cleveland HS, N.M.)

Del Angel is the 10th ranked prospect in the 2026 class nationally and is New Mexico’s best high school prospect since left-hander Trevor Rogers graduated in 2017.  A 6-4, 200 right-handed hitter with huge power potential, Del Angel hit .479-6-29 in only 19 games of PG play in 2024 and also threw 98 mph from the outfield while playing an athletic third base at the 2024 PG Underclass All-American Games.  He is committed to Oklahoma.

OF –   Hagen Wright (Sr., Red Mountain HS, Ariz.)

Wright is an imposing 6-5/220 athlete with the potential to play center field at the next level given his easy gliding 6.7 speed and 93 mph outfield throwing arm.  His best tool is his right-handed power and he hit .367-5-25 in 27 PG games in 2024.   The 124th ranked player in the 2025 class, Wright has been committed to and signed with Arizona State since before he played his first high school game.

OF –   Bryden Bull (Sr., Las Vegas HS, Nev.)

Like Hagan Wright above, Bull stands out for his impressive 6-5/190 frame and is very projectable physically along with being a 6.8 runner at his size.  He is a left-handed hitter with obvious power potential and has shown the ability at the high school level to make plenty of solid contact as well, having hit .456-3-24 as a junior after hitting .429 as a sophomore.  The third ranked player in Nevada in the 2025 class and 156th overall, Bull is signed with Mississippi.

OF –   Jake Turner (So., Centennial HS, Nev.)

Turner is a very strong 6-2/210 left-handed hitter who is currently ranked 35th in the 2027 class and has a chance to develop into one of the top two-way players in the country.  He already has outstanding bat speed and barrel skills and has hit .463-3-43 in 44 games the past two years in PG play.  Turner has also been up to 92 mph as a left-handed thrower off the mound.  The TCU commit is older for the 2027 class and it wouldn’t be a surprise for him to re-classify if he continues to develop.

RHP  Dylan Blomker (Jr., La Cueva HS, N.M.)

Blomker is one of better power arms in the 2026 class and gives New Mexico a rare two spots on the All-Region team, both members of the 2026 class.  The 6-3/195 Blomker already sits in the low 90’s and topped out at 95 mph at the 2024 16U WWBA National Championships, where he struck out 9 in 4 2/3 innings.  He also throws a low 80’s slider and change up and has plenty of physical projection remaining.  Blomker is committed to LSU.

LHP  Colton Christman (Jr., Arbor View HS, Nev.)

Christman gained 25 pounds and 7-8 mph on his fastball between 2023 and 2024 to enter the conversation as one of the most promising left-handers in the 2026 class.  He throws from a crossfire delivery and an extended ¾’s arm slot that creates deception and angle and was throwing in the 89-92 mph range with an 83 mph sweeping slider when he struck out nine hitters in seven innings at the 2024 WWBA World Championships.  Christman is committed to LSU.

RHP   Brett Crossland (Sr., Mountain Pointe HS, Ariz.)

Crossland is the 38th ranked player in the 2025 national class rankings and the top ranked pitcher in the Four Corners Region.  He topped out at 97 mph at both the PG All-American Classic and the PG National Showcase, was named the Most Valuable Pitcher at the WWBA 18U National Championships and has good command of a full four-pitch mix.  The big 6-5/240 right-hander is signed with Texas.

RHP  Jack Lafflam (Sr., Brophy College Prep, Ariz.)

Arizona’s second PG All-American pitcher, Lafflam is a very projectable 6-6/180 right hander with a very loose arm that already produces a fastball up to 96 mph.  He went 5-0, 1.50 as a junior and will be the first player in the last 20 years at the prestigious Brophy Prep program to play varsity all four seasons.  The 74th ranked player in the 2025 class nationally, Lafflam is signed with Arizona.

RHP  Alexander Mercurius (Sr., Durango HS, Nev.)

Mercurius is an outstanding athlete on a compact 5-11/180 frame whose highest ceiling on field is on the mound.  He went 8-2, 1.84 with 110 strikeouts in 64 innings as a junior at Durango High School with a fastball that topped out at 95 mph and the ability to throw strikes with all his pitches.  Mercurius also hit .474-5-32 with 25 stolen bases and was the starting quarterback on Durango’s football team.  He is signed with Oklahoma.

UT –  Rookie Shepard (Jr., Faith Lutheran HS, Nev.)

Shepard is a three-time PG Select Festival athlete who started his PG career as a catcher before moving to the middle infield and also undoubtedly has the tools and skills to play centerfield as well.  Along with his athleticism, Shepard’s best tool is his left-handed bat, which combines outstanding bat speed with advanced barrel skills.  He hit .393-4-25 as a sophomore at Faith Lutheran while also hitting .515 in 15 games of PG play.  Shepard is also a standout on the football field and caught 37 passes as a wide receiver last fall.  He is committed to Miami.


Southwest Region Top Tools


Best Hitter for Average: Boston Kellner (Sr., Hamilton HS, Ariz.)

Kellner is one of the rare players at this level who earns the tag “professional hitter”.  He always takes quality at-bats and has an idea combination of power and barrel skills.  Another quality spring could see him getting increased draft attention come this summer.

Best Hitter for Power: Anthony Del Angel (Jr., V. Sue Cleveland HS, N.M.)

This might be the Region’s best overall tool area but the nod here goes to the slugging New Mexico junior.  Del Angel has some swing and miss in his approach, as many young hitters do, but his physicality, projection and present juice are all impressive.

Best Runner: Trevor Gottsegen (Sr., Highlands Ranch HS, Colo.)

Gottsegen is the top ranked 2025 player in Colorado in the PG national class rankings and ranks 264th overall.  A 6-2/180 right-handed hitter, Gottsegen blazed a 6.31 sixty at the PG National Showcase to highlight his speed.  A four-year starter at Highlands Ranch High School, Gottsegen is hitting .417-5-48 in his high school career.  He is signed with Utah.

Best Defensive Catcher: Joe Forbes (Sr., Mountain Ridge HS, Ariz.)

Forbes has the tools and athleticism to stay behind the plate for a long time and should be an immediate college standout.

Best Defensive Infielder: Tate Southisene (Sr., Basic HS, Nev.)

You could slot Southisene at any infield or outfield position and he’s going to be one of the best defenders on the field with his combination of athleticism, speed and arm strength.

Best Defensive Outfielder: Trevor Gottsegen (Sr., Highlands Ranch HS, Colo.)

Gottsegen also throws 92 mph from the outfield to go with his outstanding speed and center field tools.  He could be a real sleeper moving forward in college if he can add significant strength while keeping that speed.

Best Defensive Arm: Tate Southisene (Sr., Basic HS, Nev.)

Southisene has thrown 96 mph during infield drills and 99 mph from the outfield, which stands out even among the many strong arms in this region.

Best Fastball: Brett Crossland (Sr., Mountain Pointe HS, Ariz.)

Crossland has had one of the best fastballs in the class for years and is notable for the way he maintains his mid-90’s velocity and shows it every outing.  He’s topped out at 97 mph at PG events and very believably hit 100 mph elsewhere.

Best Off-Speed Stuff: Brett Crossland (Sr., Mountain Pointe HS, Ariz.)

Crossland has an impressive array of secondary pitches for a big, hard throwing right-hander, almost too many to use at the high school level.  His change up might be his best off-speed pitch and he shows nice feel already for adding and subtracting depth to his slider.

Best Pitchability: Jack Lafflam (Sr., Brophy College Prep, Ariz.)

It’s unusual for a long and lean young pitcher to be a quality strike thrower but Lafflam is a good enough athlete, with easy low-effort mechanics, to be just that.  He throws a big sweeping slider and a nice change up to go with his low to mid-90’s fastball.

Best Multi-Sport Athlete: OF Tait Reynolds (Jr., Queen Creek HS, Ariz.)

The 6-2/210 Reynolds hit .408-2-27 as a sophomore at Queen Creek High School and was named Conference Player of the Year but his baseball talents pale in comparison to what he’s done on the football field.  A four-star quarterback who hopes to play both sports at Clemson, Reynolds threw for 2,238 yards and 22 touchdowns as a junior while using his plus/plus speed to run for 1,426 yards and an additional 19 touchdowns.
 
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