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Tournaments  | Story  | 6/2/2018

PG East Cobb Days 1-2 Scout Notes

Photo: Riley Stanford (Perfect Game)

See also: Astros look to finish on top | Familiar faces lead DRB Elite

Caswell Smith (2019, Ball Ground, Ga.) has a clean delivery and really pitched a nice game for Nelson Baseball School to open up the PG East Cobb Invitational. Smith worked his fastball up to 88 mph in the first inning sitting in the 86-88 mph range. It is worth noting, however, that his velocity did dip a couple of ticks on the radar gun after his first inning. Smith showed good feel for the strike zone and offered a nice breaking ball to accompany the fastball.



The uncommitted righthander’s arm works nicely through a full arm circle up to a high three-quarters arm slot. The arm is not overly fast, but there is arm strength present. With some additional usage of the lower half, it is not out of the question to project Smith for more velocity moving forward. Multiple college coaches were in attendance to see the pitcher from Pickens County High School continue to dominate early on during the summer circuit. Smith finished the day allowing two runs on two hits and struck out six.

Beginning his summer campaign prior to his senior year on Thursday, was top ranked 2019 Georgia prospect CJ Abrams (2019, Alpharetta, Ga.). Abrams stood out in his team’s victory in multiple ways while first showing up in the field. On a seeing eye line drive to the 5-6 hole, Abrams ranged quickly to his left to make a full extension diving stab. The play was even more spectacular as he gathered to his knees and tossed a strike to second base to double up the base runner. Later in the game, Abrams showed the tremendously quick hands that he has at the plate on an inside fastball that he turned on and hit right on the nose. He kept the ball fair down the first base line and burned around the bases with his plus speed. The Alabama commit stood up into third base for an easy triple while running a home to first base time of 4.19 seconds. Abrams is an exciting player with raw tools that show up nicely in his game.




Riley Stanford (2022, Gainesville, Ga.) has already made his mark as one of the top rising freshman pitchers in the 2022 class. Recently up to 88 mph, Stanford topped out at 87 mph on Thursday with plenty of projection for more to come in due time. He was dominant from the first pitch on in this viewing going 4 1/3 innings of one-hit ball striking out five and walking one. Stanford has advanced feel for the strike zone for his age and can command both his fastball and curveball very well.

His delivery is young, but the arm strength is still present from his extremely projectable 6-foot-3, 170-pound lean frame. The arm works well and his advanced athleticism is noticeable in his delivery. Stanford was a big part of his team’s 12-0 victory Thursday and hopes to help lead his team to a 14u PG East Cobb Invitational title.

Team Elite Prime sent a pair of big-time pitchers to the mound Thursday in their 2-0 victory. Mason Barnett (2019, White, Ga.) and Dowd Ritter (2019, Moutain Brook, Ala.) both showed that they can pitched at the highest level and did so successfully.



Barnett started the game on the bump and pitched three complete innings with his fastball ranging from 87-91 mph while living mostly at 88 mph. His delivery is very smooth and balanced and the arm action is full. Working downhill and establishing the inner half of the strike zone to lefties was the key to Barnett’s success. There were multiple occurrences where Barnett would elevate the fastball getting hitters to chase fastballs out of the zone. Barnett flashed a trio of secondary offerings in warmups but only featured the curveball in this viewing. The breaking ball showed average 11-to-5 shape in the 71-75 mph range, but he was able to land the pitch wherever he wanted to. He flashed a slider and changeup in warmups but did not display either pitch in game. The Auburn commit was very effective in his three innings of work and did not need another offering to pitch three scoreless frames.

Barnett’s teammate and reliever was uncommitted righthander Dowd Ritter. Ritter was just as dominant as Barnett was helping Team Elite Prime 18u earn the victory. The uncommitted arm from Alabama has a unique delivery with some deception present. His arm action is full and the ball is released from a lower arm slot making an at-bat for a righthanded hitter really tough. Ritter’s fastball sat 85-88 mph and did reach 89 mph once as well. He mixed a curveball in the 73-74 mph range that flashed above average at times. The combination of his fastball and curveball helped Ritter strike out six batters in his 2 1/3 innings of work.

Andrew Washington (2019, Sharpsburg, Ga.) started on the mound for GBSA Rays on Friday prior to a pair of weather delays that ultimately pulled him from the game. Washington is an interesting uncommitted righthanded pitcher from the state of Georgia who’s fastball has recently been up to 94 mph. Friday his fastball topped out at 92 mph once while sitting in the 87-91 mph range. Washington threw a fair amount of strikes especially in his first of two innings. Unfortunately, Washington left the ball over the plate some and he did get hit. The uncommitted pitcher did do a good job of coming back and working around allowing base runners. Washington tossed one inning before the first weather delay and one more inning after before being pulled out of the game.

His curveball is a solid secondary pitch especially when located where he wanted it down in the zone. The pitch showed plenty of depth to it and was best when buried to put hitters away deep in counts. The baseball comes out of Washington’s hand from a high three-quarters arm slot. His arm works, but does come from a longer arm stroke that is mostly on time but did get late from the rest of his body moving down the mound occasionally. Washington has a skinny 6-foot-1 frame that has lots of room to fill in the future. Washington is an interesting arm to follow closely in the 2019 class.

Isaiah Magwood (2018, Hazelwood, Ala.) is a physical presence on the mound for Triton Rays 18u. The recent high school graduate is committed to Jacksonville State to play his college baseball. The righthander really pounded the zone in his team’s 10-5 win. Magwood has a really polished delivery that generates good velocity down the mound. Getting downhill and releasing out in front repeatedly, Magwood’s fastball sat in the 88-91 mph range while topping out at 92 mph once. Magwood’s fastball has plenty of life to armside as well and made it hard for hitters to make square contact with the pitch. His ball is heavy as well appearing even quicker to the eye. He featured a nice secondary offering as well in his mid-70s curveball.

Ryan Pettys (2019, Panama City Beach, Fla.) pitched one of the more masterful games in recent memory at PG Park going seven no-hit innings with 14 strikeouts. Pettys, a lefthander from the Panhandle of Florida, set a new personal best on his fastball at Perfect Game events in doing so as well. Peaking at 90 mph and sitting 86-89 mph, Pettys’ fastball has plenty of angle coming from his projectable 6-foot-2, 155-pound. Pettys showed all three pitches in his arsenal early on and used them all to perfection. His curveball showed plenty of depth and landed the pitch continually in the lower third of the strike zone. The changeup was used less, but appeared to be the better of the two secondary pitches. The pitch featured a large difference in speed from the fastball (10-plus mph) and short sink as well. Hitters repeatedly swung through the pitch and were on their front foot when making contact.

Pettys features one of the cleanest arm actions in the entire 2019 class. His delivery is clean as well with a slower tempo, but it works well for him. With his deliberate delivery, the Florida State commit gets outstanding use of his lower half and generates plenty of arm speed in doing so. Pettys was masterful as he has been in previous viewings at PG events and will be a participant at this year’s Perfect Game National Showcase.

– Gregory Gerard



Jadyn Jackson (2019, Sugar Hill, Ga.) got off to a great start on day one with a very productive day for his 17u Georgia Bombers Squad. He tallied a hit and two walks along with showing his prowess on the base-path with two stolen bases. He has very advanced instincts both on the bases and at the plate. In the batter’s box, he has a very patient approach and is always willing to wait for the right pitch. He is a quick twitch athlete which gives him an edge in all facets of his game. At shortstop, he has soft hands with a quick transfer and reaction time. He won’t force any throws and is very accurate and fluid in his mechanics. The Georgia Tech commit is still filling out his 6-foot, 175-pound frame, and simply oozes potential all around the diamond.

Another top morning performer was Marshall Whittington (2018, Auburn, Ala.) who really contributed at the plate for his Team Elite National team as they went up against the 17u Nelson Baseball School squad. He went 2-for-2 on the day including an opposite field RBI triple with four total bases. Whittington has legit power and solid instincts on the bases as well. The key to his approach is when he gets his hands extended in order to barrel up the ball, and he did that quite well on Thursday. The 6-foot, 190-pounder is committed to Chattahoochee Valley Community College.

In one of the more impressive power performances of the day, Cedric Clark (2018, Conyers, Ga.) showed legitimate plus power when he drilled a home run over the left-center wall. Cedric gets his hands extended and the barrel through the zone with ease leading to consistent hard contact. He also battles at the plate and is patient, coaxing a walk with a good plate approach. The 6-foot, 235-pounder fills out every bit of his strong frame and is committed to play next year at Jackson State Community College.

On the other hand, in terms of potential tools, look no further than Kevin Kilpatrick (2019, Stockbridge, Ga.). Kilpatrick boasts a great combination of speed, defense, hitting ability making him one of the more well-rounded players of his class. In centerfield, Kevin’s athleticism and quickness makes him a fluid and plus defender with a solid arm as well. At the plate, he helped his 17u Gaines Georgia Bombers team with an opposite field RBI single. Kevin has a quick bat and gets his hands through the zone efficiently. His great speed is a bonus on the bases as well, as he has good instincts and smarts to go along with it. There is also more power potential as he completely fills out his 6-foot, 170-pound frame. He is currently the 449th-ranked player in 2019 and is uncommitted.

One of the standout 14u performers on Thursday was Connor Haynes (2022, Dunwoody, Ga.) who put on a show for his Diablos Gold squad. Connor ripped two opposite field triples displaying gap power and an advanced feel at the plate. He also totaled six bases and added an RBI as well. Haynes has quick hands and a short swing and his ability to keep his head down on the ball is key to his success at the plate. Defensively, he is agile and athletic, boasting quick hands and a short transfer from glove to hand. Only 14, Haynes will continue to grow on his current 5-9, 155-pound body and as he continues to mature, his ceiling is only going to continue to get higher.

Starting Day 2 off on a high note, Jonathan Ponder (2020, Lawrenceville, Ga.) flashed some game-changing tools for his 16u Rawlings Southeast National team. Ponder led off the game with a triple, showing his dynamic speed around the bases. He does an excellent job of squaring the ball up and letting his hands fly through the zone. He is patient at the plate as well, working counts well with a good feel for the strike zone. Manning center field, he is quick to the ball and athletic, and there are very few balls that he can’t track down. The uncommitted Ponder is still growing into his 5-foot-11, 160-pound frame, and as he adds strength his game will only continue to get better.

Caleb Bohn (2020, Cumming, Ga.) a teammate of Ponders flashed his fastball up to 83 on the mound for 16u Rawlings National. Bohn puts his clean, low effort delivery to good use as he displayed solid command and the ability to hit the corners well. His breaking ball is sharp as well sitting mostly low-70s, and he can throw it for strikes attributing to consistent swings and misses. He did fade a bit as his start progressed but he is also projectable, as he adds strength to his 6-foot-4, 180-pound frame expect more velocity deeper into starts to go along with his solid off-speed already.

On the 18u side, Matthew Gravely (2018, Johns Creek, Ga.) showed an excellent feel in the box and at shortstop for the 6-4-3 Cougars on Friday. He works the count well and really has a good feel for the strike zone. Gravely highlighted his day with an opposite field double to go along with a smooth showing at shortstop. His great extension at the plate helps induce solid power and consistent hard contact, keeping his head on the baseball extremely well. At the six position, his solid arm strength and quick hands make most plays look routine. The 6-2, 185-pounder is committed to Davidson.

Shifting to the hot corner, Graham Pauley (2019, Milton Ga.) showed his skillset both defensively and at the plate. The lefthanded hitter ripped two RBI singles, one to the opposite field, and showed his ability to work the count while squaring up the ball consistently. Pauley brings a balanced approach to the plate with quick hands and good instincts, both at the plate and at third base. It’s also easy to imagine more power potential as Graham fills out his 6-2, 180-pound frame. The Duke Blue Devil commit is a great example of a true dynamic all-around player.

In a start abbreviated by a lightning delay, Andrew Tillery (2018, Midland, Ga.) nonetheless put on a show. The 6-4, 200-pound right-hander dominated opposing hitters with a low-90s fastball while also snapping off a sharp slider sitting mid- to high-70s. He pounds the zone with his fastball and can put his slider both inside and outside of the batter’s box leading to a ton of swings and misses and strikeouts. He mixes the two pitches well, keeping hitters off-balance with a simple delivery, low arm effort, and smooth mechanics. Tillery is athletic and because of that he fields his position well and gets on top of his pitches with ease leading to his great control. Tillery was able to throw five scoreless before the delay and there is no reason not to expect the same kind of dominance moving forward from the North Carolina State commit.

– Matthew Brothers



Ranked 33rd overall in his national class (eighth among outfielders), Andre Tarver (2019, Ringgold, Ga.) combines a big, athletic frame with an advanced plate approach and good control of the zone, making him an intriguing prospect to watch. The Mississippi State commit’s keen eye was on display all day as he laid off several close pitches off the plate and wasn’t enticed by breaking stuff out of the zone, an approach that led to two walks. The opposition simply could not find a way to pitch to Tarver, as he laced a hard-hit single to right when they gave him a pitch to hit. His tall, strong body type suggests he profiles as a power bat, even if it didn’t show on this today. While he didn’t get many opportunities defensively in centerfield, he showed good range cutting off a ball in the gap to hold the runner to a single.

Like his MLB counterpart of a similar name, Cole Hamel (2019, Alpharetta, Ga.) displayed filthiness on his way to an effective outing on the mound. His fastball, an 83-86 mph offering, showed good horizontal movement to his arm side, and was especially useful when he started it off the plate to the glove side, letting it tail back over the plate and freezing hitters. Hamel also showed good command of his curveball, which sat 72-74 mph and generated numerous swings-and-misses. He works ahead of batters and displays generally good control, despite hitting two batters, and at 6-foot-3, is a projectable arm who stands to gain some velocity in coming years. On the day, he twirled four innings of one-run ball, striking out five, walking none, and allowing just three hits while leaving in line for the win.

One of the most impressive arms on the day proved to be Kennesaw State commit Gage Vailes (2019, Marietta, Ga.). He simply dominated hitters left and right, lighting up the radar gun with an 87-89 mph fastball that touched 90 mph, without appearing to use max effort. Additionally, Vailes is a projectable player, with a tall 6-foot-3 frame, portending velocity gains in the future. While his velocity dipped a tick or two in the later innings, he did not suffer any for it, looking as unhittable as ever while relying more on his secondary stuff, which was just as electric as his fastball. His 79-80 mph changeup and 72-73 mph wipeout slider both showed great movement and he was able to locate both extremely well while inducing whiffs on both pitches. Vailes, the 29th-ranked righthanded pitcher in Georgia, clearly frustrated hitters with his wicked movement and methodical changing of speeds, punching out seven over five scoreless frames.

While he went about it in a different fashion, southpaw Noah Phillips (2019, Highland Home, Ala.) also put forth an admirable showing on the hill. His primary weapon, a well-located 72-73 mph changeup, was used to stifle hitters all day. Phillips was able to disguise it extremely well with the same arm action and release point as his fastball, an offering that sat 78-82 mph while touching 83 mph. Despite a pitching motion that proves he throws with intent, especially evident when his hat came flying off multiple times, he is able to keep his mechanics fairly consistent and didn’t show any issues with control, surrendering only one walk in his four innings of work. In fact, the energetic delivery appeared to make Phillips difficult to pick up, as hitters rarely barreled him up. He ended up totaling five strikeouts and yielding a single unearned run.

Keaton Hughes (2021, Atlanta, Ga.) flirted with a perfect game, cruising through his first 3 2/3 innings without allowing a baserunner before finally yielding a soft single to right. He attacked the zone and pitched to contact and trusted his team’s stingy defense to make plays behind him. Hughes himself made several plays, looking athletic as he fielded his position capably. He frequently induced weak contact on the ground, and one really must wrack their brains to remember anything hit hard or out of the infield. The rising sophomore pitched with an easy, smooth motion and featured a high leg kick, touching 70 mph on the fastball, while occasionally shuffling in a handy 61 mph curveball. He didn’t need to strike anyone out on the way to spinning a gem, going the distance for seven innings of one-run ball and allowing just three hits and walk in his team’s 2-1 victory.

Offense was in short supply as Grayson Cole (2020, Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) was locked into an old-fashioned pitchers duel with the combined efforts of Ryder Willard (2020, Newnan, Ga.) and Sam Stratton (2020, Alpharetta, Ga.). Tennessee commit Cole, who stands as the fifth-ranked 2020 righthanded pitcher in the state of Tennessee, relied heavily on his trusty 84-86 mph fastball throughout the day, not needing to mix in anything else with regularity on his way to eight punchouts over six frames. He used relatively little effort to reach this velocity and was accurate all day as he painted the corners. Cole is also extremely projectable, and it isn’t hard to imagine him gaining significant pace on the fastball over time.

On the other side of the diamond, Willard, ranked 11th in his class among Georgia right-handers, struck out five over three innings, freezing hitters with an effective 81-83 mph fastball that started off the plate and tailed back over. He also kept hitters off balance with a sharp 67-69 mph curveball. Teammate Stratton, also ranked (sixth in his class among Georgia 2020 lefthanders) kept the good times rolling with a solid relief outing, offering hitters a different look from the left side and retiring three via strikeout. This pitching tandem proved to be the winning combination in a tightly contested game. A key hit in the victory came off the bat of Corey Collins (2020, Suwanee, Ga.), who blasted an opposite-field home run to left. There was no-doubt-about-it, as his 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame suggests a lot of raw power. The opposition clearly took note, pitching around Collins and walking him the next two plate appearances. Collins, currently uncommitted, is the second-ranked catcher in his class and showed polished defensive skills in addition to his offensive prowess.

Wasting no time, Brady Schwickerath (2020, Kennesaw, Ga.) roped the very first pitch of the game to center for a single and served as a catalyst for his team’s 16-0 blowout victory. Schwickerath hits with an open stance and employs a slight leg kick, all while showing patience at the plate and making consistent hard contact, despite a modest frame at the current time. He rounded out his day with a walk and a hard hit RBI single, scoring in all three of his plate appearances, and wreaked havoc on the basepaths, stealing third base and later tagging on a shallow sac fly.

Not even a lightning delay could dampen the dominance of Ryan Hagenow (2020, Knoxville, Tenn.), who is currently ranked sixth in his class among Tennessee righthanders. With about an effortless delivery as one can imagine, his easy 83-86 mph heater and tight 72-74 mph curveball were enough to shut out his opponent in a mercy rule-shortened affair. He was economical, with 47 pitches over four frames, and worked extremely quickly, pounding the zone with 76 percent of his pitches going for strikes. Hagenow, a rising sophomore and Kentucky commit, already has the look of a next-level pitcher at 6-foot-5 inches and will surely add juice to his already sizzling fastball as he progresses through high school.

– Cameron Hines
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