Scouts will flock to see a top ranked hitting prospect face off against a top ranked pitching prospect, and that was the case in Southern California on Tuesday when OF Jake Marisnick of Riverside Poly HS and Norco HS RHP Matt Hobgood matched up. An estimated 70 scouts were there, including 10 scouting directors.

Hobgood definitely had the upper hand, throwing a complete game one-hit shutout in a 7-0 Norco victory and limiting Marisnick to an 0-3 outing that included two ground outs and a strikeout.

Based on Hobgood’s performance, he should be considered a potential first round pick in June. According to a scout at the game, he sat at 92-93 mph, touched 95 mph and threw a 94 mph fastball to the last hitter of the game. Hobgood’s curveball was 79-83 mph and had a power downer break to it. He also showed that he had the makings of a potential plus change up and the confidence to use it, dropping a couple on Marisnick early in counts.

When I saw Hobgood last summer at the Area Code Games, he was very impressive. Here are my notes from that outing: FB 91-93, T94, CB 77. Deliberate delivery, short stride, more velo there with extension, very slow (2.11) from stretch, tends to nibble, easy velo, CB shows very sharp break/spin at times, loose easy arm, could throw upper 90's in future. Strong comp to Bobby Jenks.

I loved hearing that Hobgood has the potential for a quality change up and isn’t afraid to use it on the big stage. That would give him three potential plus pitches and it shows a pitching aptitude that is a big bonus in evaluating a high school pitcher. His velocity comes so easily and he can maintain it so well that being able to go to the mound every outing with two plus pitches before you even start spinning the ball is impressive.

The Bobby Jenks comp I made is based on the body type, arm action and the easy velocity. But if Hobgood can maintain his conditioning, his three pitch mix obviously profiles him as a starter in the future.

I few things to consider about Hobgood.

First, he is a surprisingly good athlete for his size (listed 6-4, 250). He’s one of the most feared hitters in SoCal and hit something like 15 home runs last year. He would certainly rank among the top 2009 high school hitters in the country in terms of raw power, although it isn’t usable raw power against velocity. But the ball just explodes off his bat.

Second is his size and body type. While Hobgood is hugely strong and shows athletic balance, a lot of his weight is soft weight in his hips and thighs. He’s young in the face and you just don’t know which direction his body is going to go. It will be up to him and how he approaches his conditioning as he gets older.