Great Lakes Qualifier Scout Notes

Drake Browne

Despite all of the wind and rain, the PG Super25 opening weekend was a complete success. Thanks to Fran Pell and his staff at the Ho Chunk Baseball Facility, we were able to get the entire tournament in, and champions were crowned in each of the six age divisions. Here are the 2013 Great Lakes Qualifier Champions:

10u: Portage Tribe
The Tribe were a consistent force in this age division, playing solid baseball the entire weekend. Their solid defense and ability to throw strikes was very impressive for such a young team. Their roster is full of athletic players who play the game the right way.

11u: Hobart Storm
The Storm never gave up, and they showed a lot of heart to come back from behind in the championship game. After allowing five runs in the top half of the final inning, the Storm answered with six runs of their own to take home the title. Throughout the entire tournament, the Storm lineup was able to produce runs. They have a number of powerful bats who can drive the ball to all fields.

12u: Midwest Rangers
The Rangers organization took home their first of two titles in the Great Lakes Region after defeating the Portage Tribe 14-2 in the 12u finals. SS Christian Lucio flashed the leather and also showed a lot of pop in his swing. The rest of the rangers were equally impressive, as the team features a number of power arms for the 12u division, as well as some powerful bats in the middle of the order.

13u: Midlothian Braves
The championship game of the 13u division was a back and forth battle between the Braves and the Chicago White Sox ACE- Thomas. In the end, the Braves were able to come out with a walk-off victory, beating the White Sox by the score of 8-7. RHP/OF Mike Fuentes was impressive on the mound and at the plate for the Braves. Fuentes is a lean, tall pitcher who projects well with his loose arm action and some feel for a curveball. He also came up with a number of clutch hits at the plate for the Braves. SS Chris Trejo was a dominant force in the field, making a number of plays deep in the hole. Trejo also impressed with the bat, showing good bat speed and a line-drive swing plane.

14u: Midwest Rangers
The Midwest Rangers' second title of the night came in the 14u Division, where they defeated the Chicago White Sox ACE- Dye, 9-0. The championship was due in large part to the most interesting prospect of the weekend, Rangers' RHP/CF Max Franklin. Franklin (Chicago Heights, IL, St. Rita of Cascia High School) threw a no-hitter in the championship game, while also contributing on offense with a 2-run home run. The 6'3", 175 pound high schooler sure looks the part, with broad shoulders and a lean, athletic build. On the mound, his fluid motion and strong arm action produces a fastball consistently in the 84-86 mph range. He topped out at 87 mph, with good feel for a breaking ball, and the ability to pitch inside on both left and right-handed hitters. At the plate, Franklin shows gap to gap power with quick wrists and good bat control. Another Ranger, #11 Evan Faulk, is a strong power hitter with power potential and the ability to be a middle of the order run producer. #8 Joey Perez is a solid leadoff hitter with great ability to get on base and cause havoc on the base paths with his speed. RHP Donovan Friel pitched the semifinal game for the Rangers, showing good command and feel for all pitches. For the age group, his velocity was more than adequate, and he projects to make a solid jump with steady improvement.

17u: School of Hard Knocks Land Sharks
The Land Sharks took home the final game of the tournament, beating Team DeMarini Dalio by the score of 2-0. LHP Andrew Petsche threw a complete game to earn the victory. He attacked hitters with a fastball in the low 80's, and a very nice change-up. His ability to pound the strike zone kept his pitch count low, and he was able to have a number of quick innings throughout the game. OF Aaron Bond delivered a big double in the title game, while also showing the ability to cover a lot of ground in the outfield.

Along with the members of the winning teams, the talent level and competition at this inaugural event was incredible. It is exciting to see the number of quality teams that are already participating in the PG Super25!

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