2014 Coach Bob National Invitational: PG Event Page | Official Site
ANTHEM,
Ariz. – For the sixth time since its inception in 2009, the Coach
Bob National Invitational will fill Arizona high school baseball
fields with teams from all over the Western half of the country. A
two-week tournament – aligning with high school spring break –
Coach Bob is one of several high school tournaments occurring
throughout the country in the early spring.
The
initial week features the Premier Division, Classic Division, and
American Division – the top division for the week. Following up in
the second week is the National Division, All-Star Division, West
Coast Division, and AAA Division. Continuously occurring throughout
the two-week span is the Open Division which always proves to create
story lines and intriguing matchups.
Last
year the All-Star championship was won by ThunderRidge (Colo.), a
team who was just beginning to heat up at the Coach Bob Tournament.
Throughout the spring they ascended Perfect Game’s Top 50 National
High School Rankings and provided Perfect Game with their first
glimpse of shortstop Brody Westmoreland, who has since committed to
San Diego State, at this tournament.
The
Coach Bob National Invitational tournament is a conglomeration of two
tournaments, a national invitational that was started by Boulder
Creek High School, and the Eagles Classic hosted by O'Connor High
School. The two events merged into one major event beginning in 2008
and will now grow to 105 teams this year.
The
tournament is named in honor of former Boulder Creek coach Bob
Weinheimer, who concluded his 44-year coaching career at the school.
Boulder Creek head coach Joe McDonald explained that his team –
which has captured the National Division championship two of the last three years – has a lot of pride playing in memory of Coach Bob.
Some
players are coming into the event with college commitments and
prolific resumes, some will leave with such college offers, and
others will be making their debuts in front of the Perfect Game
staff. Some players that have already made lasting impressions on the
Perfect Game staff, as here some of the more notable prospects set to
attend:
Class
of 2014
OF
Gerard Hernandez, Pinnacle (Ariz.)
RHP
Jonathan Teaney, Quartz Hill (Calif.)
OF
Cole Krzmarzick, Bishop Gorman (Nev.)
1B
Caleb Eldridge, Deer Creek (Okla.)
OF
Elliot Cary, Clackamas (Ore.)
SS
Kobie Foppe, Pinnacle (Ariz.)
Class
of 2015
SS
Nicholas Shumpert, Highlands Ranch (Colo.)
SS
Cadyn Grenier, Bishop Gorman (Nev.)
OF
Greg Pickett, Legend (Colo.)
RHP
Andy Pagnozzi, Fayetteville (Ariz.)
SS
Tyler Wyatt, Liberty (Ariz.)
SS
Jordan Stephens, Legend (Colo.)
RHP
Ty Harpenau, Fort Smith (Ark.)
RHP
Karsen Lindell, West Linn (Ore.)
RHP
Jacob Bennett, 2015, Tualatin (Ore.)
Class
of 2016
RHP
Jack Little, Bishop Gorman (Nev.)
OF
Wyatt Featherstone, Green Mountain (Colo.)
C
Maverick Handley, Mullen (Colo.)
RHP
Kevin Gowdy, Santa Barbara (Calif.)
While
the players above are known and currently ranked in their respective
classes, it’s important to remember that with 105 teams competing
over the course of two weeks, new names will pop up and find
themselves within the rankings in future updates.
Three
Games to Watch:
Fayetteville
(Ark.) vs. Bishop Gorman (Nev.) | March
22, 9:30 AM
On
paper heading into the tournament these two teams appear to be the
top teams in attendance thanks to front line talent and pitching
depth. Fayetteville has a bevy of options to send to the mound, led
by 2015 righthander Andy Pagnozzi, a Mississippi commit who recently
turned in a strong performance at the Perfect Game Indoor Showcase.
Other potential candidates to start the game include Arkansas commit
Kyle Pate, Cody Davenport and Walker Powell, all of whom have
garnered Division I interest. Two players who play an integral role
on both sides of the ball are shortstop Drew Tyler and catcher Grant
Koch, both juniors who are also committed to the University of
Arkansas.
The
success of Bishop Gorman has long been documented, and the 2014
version of Coach Nick O’Day’s squad boasts as much talent as his
past teams. One of the top ranked players in the 2015 class is Oregon
State commit Cadyn Grenier, who shows the highest-level tools both at
shortstop and from the right side of the plate. The Gaels' lineup is
littered with Division I commits, as is their pitching rotation which
includes talented sophomore Jack Little. A Stanford commit who
excelled last spring during his freshman year, Little will be counted
on again this year, along with Alex Perron, who is committed to the
University of San Diego.
Quartz
Hill (Calif.) vs. West Linn (Ore.) | March
24, 12:30 PM
This
game is very intriguing based on the potential pitching matchup it
could produce. With this being the first game for both sides in the
tournament, there is a strong possibility that each will send their
ace to the mound.
Quartz
Hill is lead by righthander Jonathan Teaney who made the rounds on
the summer circuit and participated in the 2013 National Showcase in
Minnesota this past June. The San Diego commit works
comfortably in the low-90s, topping out at 92, with a hammer 12-to-6
curveball. He also shows a feel for a late fading changeup. Teaney is
a pitcher scouts are sure to keep their eyes on this spring,
especially once he begins to fill out his lean 6-foot-2 frame.
One
of the top pitchers in the state of Oregon could take the ball to
counter Quartz Hill’s ace. Karsen Lindell is currently a junior who
has already committed to the University of Washington and shows big
time potential on the mound. Lindell performed at a high level at his
first ever Perfect Game event – the 2013 16u PG/MLK Championship –
topping out at 89 mph while striking out 10 batters in six innings of
work. Now over a year since that performance, it is easy to believe
that Lindell is now working in the low-90s as reports indicate.
Legend
(Colo.) vs. Pinnacle (Ariz.) | March
28, 9:30 AM
Despite
being located over 12 hours apart from one another, there are some
glaring similarities in both lineups.
Starting
at shortstop for Pinnacle is senior Kobie Foppe, an Arizona State
commit who shows quick-twitch muscle and plays the game with high
energy. Foppe transferred to Pinnacle for his senior season from
Notre Dame Prep and will help set the table at the top of the lineup
for lefthanded slugger Gerard Hernandez. Hernandez has adjusted his
approach at the plate, showing a strong understanding of the strike
zone and taking advantage when a pitcher throws him his pitch.
Like
Pinnacle, Legend has a quick-twitch shortstop of their own, Jordan
Stephens, and although he isn’t committed to a Division I school
currently, he will be by the time he graduates. Stephens, a junior,
is very sound defensively up the middle and shows some nice potential
with the bat as he continues to physically develop.
Just
as Pinnacle has Hernandez, Legend also boasts a lefthanded power
threat in the middle of their order, Greg Pickett. The 6-foot-4
Pickett burst onto the national scene last summer with his big bat
and ability to drive the ball over the fence with relative ease.
To
follow all the action from the Coach Bob National Invitational and
keep tabs on all the players be sure to follow Todd Gold (@TGold_PG)
and Jheremy Brown (@JBrownPG) on Twitter as they will be
providing scouting notes and game updates throughout the course of
the tournament.