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High School  | General  | 2/13/2017

Regional HS Preview: Texahoma

David Rawnsley     
Photo: Perfect Game



For all of Perfect Game's regional previews as part of the 2017 high school baseball preview content, the Dream Team is available for free. The region top tools can be viewed with an Insider subscription. To learn more about Perfect Game's subscription packages and to sign up today please visit this link.




2017 Perfect Game High School Preview Index

Texahoma Region: Oklahoma, Texas

It is a rare year that Oklahoma has as many Perfect Game All-Americans than its neighbor to the south, Texas, but that is the case in 2017. Infielder Ryan Vilade's moving between the two states gives Oklahoma three All-Americans – Vilade, outfielder Connor Uselton and lefthanded pitcher Mitchell Stone – as compared to the trio of outfielder Cole Turney and righthanders Shane Baz and Alex Scherff from the Lone Star State.

That balance isn't going to last long, though, as Texas has an outstanding group of underclassman rising up through the ranks, including a pair of precocious sophomores on the 2017 All-Region team in shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and righthanded pitcher Matt Thompson, along with what looks like an excellent junior class.

Just as Texas seems to reload on talented players every year – at least two Texas high school prospects have been selected in the first round of every draft since 2008 – so do the high schools. Dallas Jesuit and Coppell both suffered extensive losses due to graduation after being nationally ranked to end the 2016 season but open the 2017 season at second and 16th in the Perfect Game Preseason High School Top 50 team rankings, with Flower Mound between them at 12th. Deer Creek is the lone Oklahoma high school in the top 50, checking in at 49th.


Texahoma Region High School Dream Team 

C – Justin Cooke, Sr., Norman (Okla.)
Switch-hitting catchers with tools are very hard to find at any level, which helps Cooke stand out among his catching peers in the region and hold down the 159th spot in PG’s class of 2017 player rankings. Cooke has pretty much the same raw bat speed from both sides of the plate, although his righthanded swing is a bit looser with more extension through contact. Defensively, Cooke has a strong arm with quick and sure hands receiving the ball. He is signed with hometown Oklahoma.

1B – Jose Gonzalez, Jr., Klein (Texas)
Gonzalez has an ideal combination of strength in his 6-foot-1, 195-pound frame and hitting mechanics that are similar to those of Perfect Game All-American first baseman Alejandro Toral. The lefthanded swinger has already committed to Texas Tech.

MIF – Bobby Witt Jr., So., Colleyville Heritage (Texas)
Witt's father was the third overall pick in the 1985 draft by the Texas Rangers and went on to win 142 games in his 16-year big league career. Like many sons of former Major Leaguers, Witt has a very innate and mature feel for the game both offensively and defensively and plays far older than his 16 years would indicate. Throw in the high-level physical tools that Witt possesses in abundance and the end result is Witt's No. 1 ranking in the 2019 class. He hit .410 with 24 RBI as a high school freshman and regularly dominated high-level events during the summer.

MIF – Ryan Vilade, Sr., Stillwater (Okla.)
Vilade moved from Frisco, Texas to Stillwater, Oklahoma over a busy summer to follow his father, James, who took a job the previous summer as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Oklahoma State. That busy summer was highlighted by an appearance in the PG All-American Classic and winning a spot on the USA 18u National Team. Vilade is a well above average offensive player for a middle infielder and might have found his future position at second base while playing for the USA National Team.

3B – Hunter Watson, Jr., Pottsboro (Texas)
Watson has a prototypical 6-foot-3, 210-pound build that looks longer and leaner on the baseball field. He's also a lefthanded hitter with a smooth and tension free swing with lots of bat speed and power potential. While he plays shortstop frequently now, Watson profiles as a future third baseman who should be an asset at that position at the next level. He is ranked 22nd in the Perfect Game 2018 class rankings and is committed to Texas A&M.

OF – Tristen Lutz, Sr., Arlington Martin (Texas)
On an All-Region team that stands out for impressive looking athletes, Lutz might just be the strongest and most imposing. Listed at 6-foot-3, 205-pounds, Lutz looks like he could easily be developed into Big 12 linebacker prospect, especially with his solid big league average speed on the baseball field. With his strength and speed, he's a multi-faceted offensive prospect with a notably short swing for his size and a mature approach at the plate that enables him to drive the ball to all fields.

OF – Cole Turney, Sr., Travis (Texas)
A Perfect Game All-American and the 17th ranked player in the 2017 class, Turney gets most of his attention for his outstanding power potential but tends to get overlooked for athleticism across the board. A very solidly built 6-foot-1, 200-pound athlete, Turney has run a 6.69 60-yard dash and has pure right field arm strength along with advanced defensive fundamentals. The lefthanded thrower is also upper-80s off the mound. He is signed with Texas A&M.

OF – Conner Uselton, Sr., Southmoore (Okla.)
Uselton is one of the best natural athletes in high school baseball today and qualifies for the oft-overused "five-tool potential" tag if his hit tool advances as he gets older. He has graceful athletic actions with a very projectable 6-foot-3, 185-pound build and it's easy to see him being successful in any other sport he tried; notable as he was the starting quarterback for Southmoore High School as a freshman and already garnered college attention before he decided to concentrate on baseball. Uselton hit .490-11-49 as a junior with 14 doubles and 41 runs scored and is committed to Oklahoma State.

UT – Bryce Bonnin, Sr., Barbers Hill (Texas)
Texas area scouts are still debating the player vs. pitcher equation on Bonnin as the spring season is about to start and there have been light comparisons to former first rounder Kyle Drabek mentioned, although the similarly sized Bonnin doesn't project to be drafted that high. He struck out 44 hitters in 21 innings last spring using a 90-92 mph fastball and a very hard and sharp slider as his strikeout pitch, while also hitting .333-2-30 as a strong-armed shortstop.

P – Shane Baz, Sr., Concordia Lutheran (Texas)
Baz has one of the most explosive fastballs in the country, regularly clocking in at 92-95 mph with lots of late life to it. In addition, he throws four separate secondary pitches, including an upper-80s cutter he developed last summer that is a potential plus pitch. The big key for the very athletic righthander will be improving his fastball command and learning to work ahead in counts. If that happens this spring Baz has a good chance of becoming a first round draft pick.

P – Adam Kloffenstein, Jr., Magnolia (Texas)
Kloffenstein is a Texas-sized righthander at 6-foot-5, 225-pounds who, like Shane Baz, has the ability to throw five different pitches for strikes from a balanced, well-paced delivery. Early reports from the Houston area are that Kloffenstein has bumped his fastball up a notch since last summer and has been 92-94 mph in early workouts, but what really stands out about the TCU commit is his ability to spin the ball with feel. He throws a 77 mph curveball that has very hard, tight spin but has also shown the ability to shorten up his breaking ball to a low-80s slider or even a mid- to upper-80s cutter. 

P – Alex Scherff, Sr., Colleyville Heritage (Texas)
A Perfect Game All-American, Scherff transferred back to Colleyville Heritage High School from Prestonwood Christian, where he went 11-0, 0.75 as a junior after initially attending Colleyville Heritage as a freshman. A strong and mature 6-foot-4, 205-pound athlete, Scherff regularly pitches in the 93-95 mph range with his fastball and will touch higher, but his best pitch is often his mid-80s changeup, which he uses frequently and with tremendous effect. Improvement in his breaking ball could get him first round looks in June. He is signed with Texas A&M.

P – Mitchell Stone, Sr., Shawnee (Okla.)
Stone is the definition of the oversized young pitcher at a listed 6-foot-9, 240-pounds, but his strengths on the mound are different from what one might expect. He stays over the rubber well in a well-paced and balanced delivery and has a smooth and easy arm action he repeats very well. Stone throws an 89-91 mph fastball consistently for strikes and will occasionally touch higher to go with a mid-70s curveball and 80 mph changeup. He went 9-1, 0.78 with 92 strikeouts in 63 innings as a junior at Shawnee High School last spring and threw equally as well on the summer circuit, including an appearance in the Perfect Game All-American Classic. He is signed with Oklahoma.

P – Matt Thompson, So., Cypress Ranch (Texas)
Thompson has already established himself as one of the top 2019 prospects in the country, with a fastball that reaches the low-90s, a sharp curveball he throws for strikes and lots of projection in his 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame. Thompson already performs at a high level, too, as he went 9-2, 1.67 with 92 strikeouts in 75 innings as a freshman and threw five shutouts.


Texahoma Region Top Tools


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