16u WWBA National Championship: Event Page | Daily Leaders
Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2
The Louisiana Knights Black are off to a hot start in the tournament with a 3-0 record, and there have been a good number of contributions up and down the lineup. Michael Latulas (2020, New Iberia, La.) has been off to a blistering start in particular, with a .714 batting average already including a home run, one to the opposite field in game one. Latulas has the ideal size and frame that most coaches and scouts look for at this age, with a long-limbed, and very projectable 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame. The Southern Miss commit is a strong lefthanded stick with looseness to the hands and present bat speed and loft to the swing. Latulas doesn’t create a ton of present separation with his hands, and thus the jump off the barrel is created from the whip in his hands and the strength through the point of impact. The swing and frame all seem indicative of a future power-oriented approach and certainly has the juice and present bat speed to create serious pull pop with additional tweaks to the swing.
Tyler Vermillion (2019, Minneola, Fla.) and Brock Barthelemy (2020, Gonzalez, La.) faced off against each other during the game, and both pitchers showed off interesting tools on the mound in front of a good number of college coaches in attendance.
Vermillion, a young uncommitted prospect for the 2019 class, has some present physicality and size through the 6-foot-3, 196-pound frame. There is tempo and balance to the delivery and he fires from a long and loose arm stroke that creates some whip through the release. Vermillion bumped 87 mph early on in the game while sitting mostly in the 83-86 mph range with some sinking life and plane when working low in the zone. The breaking ball was a difference maker early on for Vermillion as he could land the 11-to-5 sweeping curveball for strikes and have it drive very far away to the glove side. Vermillion competed well out during the game and showed glimpses of the swing-and-miss stuff throughout the performance. Barthelemy had himself one of the most efficient outings thus far in the event as he allowed just two hits over 5.2 innings pitched. The delivery is fairly simple for the uncommitted rising junior as the ball comes out of the hand cleanly and he pounded the zone in the 83-86 mph range early on. He pounded the zone all game and mixed his pitches effectively and ultimately grinded out the victory for the Knights.
The Indiana Bulls Black squared off against the Georgia Bombers and that featured a very interesting starting pitching matchup between Purdue commit Brandon Dodson (2020, Martinsville, Ind.) and uncommitted lefthander Anthony DiMola (2020, Cumming, Ga.).
Dodson has an extremely quick arm, and did a good job at stifling the Bombers potent offense for most of the game. The delivery is pretty straight forward with a slight gather and drive toward the plate, but the arm speed allowing him to bump his fastball up to 89 mph and held that velocity in the 86-89 mph range for most of his start. Dodson isn’t just a thrower either, he mixes his pitches well and showed both a changeup and curveball. The breaking ball was a traditional 11-to-5 shaped pitch that he could land for strikes, though the changeup was also a very good pitch. He slows slightly on the arm but the pitch has a lot of sinking life and he can locate it to either side. Dodson has a very high ceiling, especially when considering the projection and arm speed, and should be followed closely.
DiMola has a lot of polish for an uncommitted lefthander, and he worked up to 85 mph while sitting primarily in the 80-83 mph range throughout the start. The delivery and arm stroke immediately stand out, with fluidity and looseness to his motion and arm circle through the point of release. There is a slight head whack to the delivery, though there isn’t a significant amount of effort there. DiMola has advanced command of all three of his pitches, especially the fastball which he could locate to either side and tunneled all three of his pitches effectively. The breaking ball had some sweep to it and worked best when spiked low in the zone and he went to the changeup very often. He threw the pitch with very similar conviction and effort while getting a numerous amount of ground balls on the pitch, especially of the weak variety. DiMola has a lot of polish and feel on the mound and this was a terrific start for him as he went six shutout frames.
Carson Swilling (2020, Smiths Station, Ala.) has some intriguing two-way potential for the Georgia Bombers with a physical 6-foot, 180-pound frame and legit tools both on the mound and at the dish. He only lasted two batters on the mound, he walked both, but showed a quick arm with significant arm strength as every pitch was between 89-90 mph range with some plane as he got on top well. The bat speed and swing path stand out offensively with a very fast stroke and can impact the ball with significant exit force.
– Vincent Cervino
MWE 16u moved to 3-0 in pool play via a very close 8-7 win over the Canes South club at the Kennesaw State-Marietta Campus ballpark on Sunday morning. Jordan Brewer (2020, Choctaw, Okla.) got the start and while he didn’t factor into the decision, and didn’t have his best outing either, still showed a lot to like from an upside perspective. He’s got good size and likewise good projection, and mechanically somewhat compares to University of Houston lefthander Aaron Fletcher, who was a 14th round draft choice last month.
There is some deception in the deep backside drop while also swinging the arm through the back, creating angle to the plate from a three quarters arm slot, and Fletcher worked up to 85 mph with his fastball, showing the occasional ability to work to both sides with the pitch. There is good feel to spin a breaking ball there as well, with a low-70s curveball with 1-to-7 shape and good sharpness. There is certainly some refinement needed to the whole of Brewer’s profile, but at the same time there are a lot of things to like there.
It should come as no surprise that Jace Bohrofen (2020, Oklahoma City, Okla.) and Daxton Fulton (2020, Oklahoma City, Okla.) continue to hit, and both were big in the close win on Sunday morning. Bohrofen has done nothing but show high-level hit-ability to go along with extremely projectable power, and while Fulton is more of a pitcher at this juncture (and an extremely high-upside one at that), he’s still got some serious strength and juice from the left side of the plate, and warrants monitoring going forward as a potential two-way player.
Down on the campus of Georgia State, Team GA Baseball Gold/MBA 16u took an easy win to move to 3-0 in pool play in a run-rule shortened 3 inning game, but plenty of college coaches were on hand to see Michael Fowler (2020, Trussville, Ala.) throw. Fowler went the full three, allowing no hits, walks, or runs while striking out four. He’s a highly-projectable, athletically-built righthander who is a bit young when compared to his grad year—all of the above working well in his favor as far as prospect stock goes. He has excellent arm speed and when combined with his physical projection, give him a significant velocity ceiling in general. He worked 87-90 mph through his three innings, extending well through his three quarters slot release and creating very good angle to the plate along with some downhill plane, and really pounded the zone, coming right after hitters. The fastball has some sink and run to it when located down, and he had no trouble working north-south with the pitch either. The slider worked in the 80-82 mph range, thrown firmly with sharp, late tilt; tunneled extremely well out of the hand and working very well off of his fastball. He has all the makings of a high-octane, high-upside young arm and will be monitored closely over the next couple years as we work towards the 2020 MLB Draft.
– Brian Sakowski
While the final line probably wasn’t what southpaw Jose Valadez-Acuña (2021, Corpus Christi, Texas) envisioned, the potential was clearly apparent. Pitching with a clean and low-effort delivery, the Texas Tech commit was hitting 85-88 with the fastball and generating plenty of weak ground balls. Unfortunately for Valadez-Acuña, he was beset by some suspect defense and poor fortune on balls finding holes. This led to some long innings, which ultimately cut his outing short.
But he was for the most part mechanically sound and showed good feel for an 11-to-5 curveball that he dropped in for called strikes repeatedly and even got some swings and misses in the dirt. He did have a tendency to leave his arm lagging behind and rush the delivery with runners on, leading to wildness up and to the arm side. This is nothing some mechanical tweaks can’t fix easily and the second-ranked lefty in the Texas 2021 class has some nice upside that was evident even on a down day.
Lucas Carmichael (2020, Chester, Va.) is another player who may not have stuffed the box score today but showed tantalizing talent on the diamond. The 6-foot-3 center fielder is a rangy, uber-athletic type with present well-proportioned strength with room to build more. He recorded a 4.15-second home-to-first time and this speed plays when he is roaming the outfield, too, as he covers a ton of ground. The long-limbed Carmichael hits with an open stance from the left side and is able to cover the entire plate and uses his loose hands to execute an effortless swing. There is little reason to think that Carmichael, the fourth-ranked Virginia outfielder in the class, won’t hit for power in the future and his ceiling appears to be very high.
Primary third baseman Garrison Rice (2020, Plano, Texas) showed some versatility in getting the start in right field and showed up in a big way by ranging out to deep right-center to make a highly impressive sprinting catch. Rice has a lean, muscular, athletic build with strong hands that allow him to get the barrel through the zone quickly. The cleanup hitter hits with a low hand-set and was very selective at the plate today, walking in his first two trips. However, he may have perhaps been too selective in a looking strikeout his third time up. He did not offer a look at any contact in this viewing but definitely warrants more attention in future as he is a visibly strong plate presence with a good-looking, fundamental approach. Rice is currently ranked as the third-best Texas third baseman in the class.
Playing up an age level, Dylan Pasta (2021, Delmar, Md.) was able to hold his own and then some against older players. He burst onto the scene early Sunday morning with a leadoff triple and followed with walks in each of his next two at bats. His patience, ability to grind out at bats, and aggressive, instinctual base running make him an ideal leadoff hitter. Pasta bats with a slightly open stance while keeping his hands high, and he has a direct path to the baseball with some bat speed. While he didn’t get many opportunities in centerfield during this viewing, he did show an ability to get good reads with good first-step quickness. Pasta, compactly built with broad shoulders, is the fourth-ranked Maryland player in his class and has three years left in high school to develop and add intrigue.
– Cameron Hines
Madison Williams (2021, Saluda, S.C.) started Day 3 of the 16u WWBA National Championship strong with an impressive start for Lexington Baseball Club. Williams tossed four solid innings on Sunday morning, striking out four and allowing just two hits. Williams is a 6-foot-1, 165-pound righty that works primarily off a fastball that was up to 89. He settled in around 84-86 and also showed feel for a curveball and changeup. Williams works well over his front side to generate some plane from his over-the-top release, and he was able to show flashes of natural run when working to the arm side. Expect Williams to continue to improve as he gains strength and size during his high school career. He is definitely an interesting arm to follow in the 2021 class.
Over on Field 10, Owen Kincaid (2020, Jamestown, N.C.) turned in a gem on Sunday morning, tossing a complete game shutout. Striking out five and allowing just three hits, Kincaid was able to throw three pitches for strikes, and he was able to put his low-80s fastball wherever he wanted for a majority of the day. He has a smooth and repeatable arm stroke, and at 6-foot-4, 158-pounds, he projects well as he adds strength. With such a clean arm action and a projectable frame, don’t be surprised to see a major velocity jump for Kincaid by this time next summer.
In the day’s next tine slot, Jackson Ritchey (2020, Huntingdon, Pa.) turned in a solid start in Flood City Elite – Gold’s win. Ritchey tossed 5 1/3 solid innings, allowing just six hits and striking out nine. Ritchey has a big and athletic 6-foot-4, 180-pound frame, and he uses it well to get down the mound and create plane with a good fastball. Ritchey’s mid- 80s heat comes out of the hand with little effort, and while his fastball was up to 87 on Sunday, he was able to spot it up well to both sides of the plate. Ritchey also mixed in a good mid-70s curveball for strikes to keep hitters off balance. Ritchey is a top 1000 player in the 2020 class, and he will continue to get more looks as he continues to add size and velocity.
Gene Kolarik (2020, Crown Point, Ind.) turned in a quality start in his return to LakePoint on Sunday. Kolarik, who attended the Jr. National Showcase last month, was up to 86 with a fastball he could command on Sunday. Kolarik, settled in in the mid-80s and he was able to keep hitters off balance with a good mix of fastballs and curveballs. Kolarik was able to spin his curveball in any count Sunday, and the pitch was anywhere between 68-71 mph. Kolarik has a big 6-foot-7, 235-pound frame, and it is plenty projectable to add velocity as his career goes on.
In the other dugout Gabriel Larry (2021, Bossier City, La.) had a strong night at the plate and in the field. Larry went 1-for-2 with a sharply hit run-scoring single to left field. Larry is a good runner, and he was also able to steal a base in the contest. Larry has an athletic and solid build for a member of the 2021 class, as the swing, speed and defensive skills are there for Larry to be a coveted prospect in the class.
– Nate Schweers
It’s not uncommon for a player to develop physically from his 14u summer to his 15u campaign, but righthander Christian Little (2021, St. Louis, Mo.) has taken his physical transformation to the next level with a noticeable increase in physical strength. Little, who just turned 15 the other day and is still eligible for 14u events, took the hill for Team Elite and went five innings, battling through some lapses in command, though his misses were often low in the zone.
Now listed at 6-foot-2, 195-pounds, the future Vanderbilt Commodore ran his fastball up to 89 mph early in the contest, shows a fuller arm stroke through the backside and when everything was in sync and on time he showed solid plane to the lower third. The four walks were uncharacteristic of Little, though it was in part from his front side going early in his delivery down the mound. That said, he still threw plenty of strikes, punched out four, and induced a slew of weak ground ball contact, a majority of which went to the opposite field.
Little continued to work in the mid-80s throughout his five innings, working in the upper-80s early in the game and still finished the game with conviction on his fastball, a mark that will only continue to climb moving forward. It was the changeup that was the go-to secondary early in the game, a pitch that Little does a nice job of maintaining his arm speed on, creating subtle life on the 79-81 mph offering.
Working solely off the fastball-changeup combo over the first three frames, as soon as the former 14u PG Select Festival member began mixing in his curveball he started to rack up the strikeouts. Little showed comfort in the pitch, doubling up at times on the low-70s, 11-to-5 shaped pitch, both landing it for strikes while also using it to set up his fastball which he could effectively elevate up in the zone.
A recent commit to South Carolina, outfielder Brandon Fields (2020, Orlando, Fla.) has long been on the national scene thanks to his combo of advanced physicality and premier athleticism, two traits that will help come his days as a Gamecock where he plans to play both football and baseball. Fields, who’s listed at 5-foot-10, 195-pounds, can already impact the baseball as hard as anybody in this tournament and with a single swing Sunday afternoon he demonstrated just how strong he is in fact. Even in the count at 2-2, Fields got out front a bit on an outer half pitch which didn’t catch all of the barrel, yet he still managed to clear the center fielder’s head for a standup strike, gliding around the bases while yielding a 94 mph exit velocity.
Lefthander Ross Dunn (2020, Salt Lake City, Utah) may not come from a baseball hot bed but that hasn’t deterred him from making a name for himself on the national as he’s already done that and has secured his commitment to the University of Kentucky. A strong and physical 6-foot-3, 205-pounds, it’s difficult not to envision Dunn climbing into the low-90s in the near future while maintaining his sinking life and filling the strike zone.
As impressive as the arm strength and physical stature is for Dunn, his ability to control his long levers and work within the strike zone was just as noteworthy, locating to either side of the plate and showed intent in doing so. He ran his fastball up to 89 mph early in the contest and maintained 84-88 mph throughout his 3 2/3 innings of work, pitching more to contact rather than trying to blow it past every hitter. That said, the approach worked for Dunn as he induced plenty of weak groundball contact though he has shown the ability to miss bats both in the past and in this outing.
The fastball command and life were enough to work through Team Beast’s lineup but the Utah native did show both a breaking ball and changeup, the latter of which was used more frequently. His changeup worked in the upper and though he slows slightly with his arm action, there’s plenty of potential for the pitch with proper rotation to the pitch and some fading life down in the zone. There’s a reason Dunn is already ranked No. 44 in the country and there’s little doubt that he’s just scratching the surface of what he could ultimately become.
It will be no surprise to anybody who has seen Ricky Williams (2020, Lexington, S.C.) throw if reports come out having the slender righthander sitting in the low-90s in a calendar year. With a wiry and loose 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame, Williams generates easy arm speed through the back side and without too much effort was able to run his fastball up to 89 mph while living in the mid- to upper-80s. To open the game Williams came out and threw a couple of sliders consecutively, a pitch that he tunnels well at release with a mimicked arm action to that of his fastball. A 79-81 mph pitch, the future Clemson Tiger showed short tilting life to the pitch which only helped his fastball play up that much more as he could land it for strikes consistently. Williams is certainly an arm to monitor moving forward thanks in part to physical projection, loose right arm, and ability to already spin a quality slider.
One of the stronger players on a physical Canes National team, catcher Tomas Frick (2020, Greenville, S.C.) has swung it well throughout the tournament thus far, hitting .556 over the first three games. After doubling to his pull side in an earlier viewing, Frick again showed the strength in his hands but this time drove a ball over the left fielder’s head for a two-run triple in which he stayed short and direct to the ball while generating nice carry off the barrel.
Mentioned in an earlier recap, Kyle Teel’s (2020, Upper Saddle River, N.J.) approach to the game bears repeating again as his instincts and overall feel for the game are advanced for a player his age. Projectable yet strong with wiry strength, Teel shows plenty of athleticism to his overall game which he brought with him behind the plate yesterday as he bounced around well side to side on balls in the dirt. His arm is another weapon with true throws down to second base and popped 1.9s in between innings. Teel, a University of Virginia commit, already shows the patient approach we’ve come to know UVA hitters to possesses, along with the barrel skills to execute on pitches in the zone. On the day Teel finished with a couple of knocks to left-center field, one of which went for a two bagger as he hustled out of the box and showed no hesitation coming out of the box.
It what has become a trend of talented players out of Poly Prep (N.Y.) making an impression in Georgia over the year, third baseman/righthanded Channing Austin (2020, Brooklyn, N.Y.) appears to be the next in line with true two-way talent and near limitless physical projection on his 6-foot-2, 175-pound build. Getting the start on the mound, Austin ran his fastball up to 87 mph early in the contest and lived in the 83-86 mph range while showing a quick arm and extension out front. There are still some things to clean up in his delivery as he can continue to implement additional lower half into his drive but despite working mostly with his arm he’s still able to generate leverage to the lower third of the strike zone. But given his frame and overall athleticism, there’s plenty of velocity left in the tank as he continues to refine on the mound.
To go with his heater Austin showed a feel for a curveball up to 74 mph with 11-to-5 shape and short depth through the zone, landing the pitch for strikes. He flashed a changeup in the mid-70s to give him the potential for three pitches moving forward. Offensively, Austin offers a loose swing and gave some of the better swings against Ross Dunn, showing good plate coverage from the right side with extension and present bat speed.
After impressing earlier this summer at the PG Junior National, lefthander John Miralia (2020, Charlotte, N.C.) took the mound for the On Deck O’s and ran his fastball up to 89 mph. The Duke commit didn’t have his best command on the day as he walked five, but given his 6-foot-6, 225-pound, long limbed build, there’s a lot of things to time up in his delivery. By throwing from a higher three-quarter slot Miralia is able to generate some severe plane to his heater when on time and in sync with his lower half. It’s also worth pointing out that his velocity continued to climb throughout his outing, opening up in the low-80s before pumping mid- to upper-80s towards the middle and back end of his start. Like his velocity, the feel for his curveball developed throughout 3 2/3 innings of work, landing the 67-70 mph offering for strikes from a similar high slot.
Countering Miralia was Arkansas commit Tyler Cacciatori (2020, Sheridan, Ark.), a righthander who has already built a reputation of filling the zone with a heavy sinking fastball. And true to form Cacciatori did just that, showing a short and compact with his arm stroke while working across his front side which allows for the life on his heater. Having worked upwards of 87 mph in the past, the 6-foot-5 righthander bumped as high as 89 mph in this look while living in the 85-87 mph range early on, including out of the stretch. Similar to Miralia above, the breaking ball developed nicely for Cacciatori as he begun spinning a slider into the upper-70s which proved effective in back dooring to lefthanded hitters and giving him a pitch that moves opposite his fastball.
Hitting 4-5-6 in the lineup for Hitters Baseball, Blake Carey (2020, Whitefish Bay, Wis.), Jonah Wronski (2020, Bayside, Wis.) and TJ Manteuful (2020, Franksville, Wis.) provided eight of the team’s 11 runs on the night with four extra base hits between the trio. Carey, an uncommitted lefthanded hitting catcher, put one of the better swings on the ball early in the first inning as he showed some natural lift to his swing path and drove a ball to the right-center field gap for a triple, impacting the ball at contact well while brining in two runs. Wronski offered strong hands with plenty of bat speed on his ground rule double which hopped the fence in the opposite field.
An uncommitted righthander out of North Carolina, Danny Beal (2020, Winston-Salem, N.C.) offers a nice combination of present stuff on the mound as well as future projection with a lean, long limbed 6-foot-2, 176-pound frame. Facing off against uncommitted lefthander Camden Hill, there was a quite the gathering of college recruiters behind the backstop as one might imagine. Showing a quick arm through the back Beal topped out at 87 mph early in the contest, living in the mid-80s with some cross-fire components to his release and a short arm stroke in the back. It proved to be a quality PG debut for Beal as he went six innings of one-hit baseball in which he punched out five on just 77 pitches. Along with his fastball Beal showed nice potential with his slider, a pitch he spun up to 78 mph with some tilting life to it down in the zone.
Uncommitted and working out of the Viper Baseball Academy bullpen, righthander Logan Morris (2020, Madison, Ala.) offered one of the faster arm strokes of the night and as a result was able to run his fastball up to 89 mph. His delivery is an up-tempo one with some effort at release but the ball definitely jumps out of his hands, showing plane to the bottom of the zone. Over his two innings of work Morris did walk five but also struck out three without allowing a hit. Coming down the mound he tends to opens his front side, something that led to some of the walks , but can also be fixed by staying more directional to the plate. Morris stands at a projectable 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame and worked in the mid- to upper-80s throughout his time on the bump while flashing a curveball up to 78 mph.
– Jheremy Brown
Colby Halter (2020, Jacksonville, Fla.) continued where he left off from the Junior National Showcase, hitting baseballs hard and showing quick hands in doing so. Halter hit a pair of loud extra-base hits in the game that included three hits all together. Halter torques his hips and gets the barrel to the baseball quickly with a level barrel plane and the ability to extend through contact well. The Florida Gator commit showed plenty of feel for the barrel on this day including a double that just missed leaving the park to his pull side. There is good bat speed in his stroke and when he is on time to the point of contact, the ball jumps.
Ethan Wood (2021, Lebanon, Ky.) took the ball for the East Cobb Astros on Sunday and did not disappoint running his fastball up to 91 mph and living consistently in the upper-80s. The Louisville commit has a long arm action but gets it through the stroke on time and with some effort. The 6-foot-5 righthander varies his arm slot a bit but releases mainly from an extended three-quarters slot. The slot generated a fair amount of life to the pitch but does straighten out when up in the zone. He worked best when throwing his two differing breaking balls off of his fastball for swings and misses. Wood got plenty of swings and misses and tallied a total of seven strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings pitched. The curveball was the better of the two breaking pitches as it had sharp downward bite in the mid-70s. His slider was more sweeping with break out of hand up to 80 mph. Wood has thrown with advanced velocity for his age at PG events for an extended amount of time, but seems to have matured his frame since his previous viewing.
John Anderson (2020, Grayson, Ga.) has the tools to be a high-level player with a hit tool that already sets him apart from others at his age. The raw pop combined with the strength to impact the baseball is noticeable as he mans the cleanup spot for a talented East Cobb Astros lineup. The verbal commitment to Georgia Tech has a closed off stance and see the baseball very well. He lets the baseball travel and hits the ball where it is pitched with outstanding launch angles and lots of strength. Anderson stands at 5-foot-11, 185-pounds and creates plenty of leverage as well. Anderson did walk a pair of times in the contest but he found his pitch in one at-bat sending the ball a long ways to the opposite field gap that hit the right-center field wall in the air.
A pair of arms sent to the mound by Team Elite Prime Sunday afternoon showed good velocity and feel for breaking balls. Uncommitted righthander Ryan Spikes (2021, Covington, Ga.) was up to 88 mph with heavy life on his fastball and mixed in a curveball that was a swing and miss pitch when ahead in counts. Spikes has a full arm action and throws with minimal effort. The 5-foot-8 righty has some deception to his delivery and can throw both pitches for strikes consistently.
Grant Taylor (2021, Florence, Ala.) pitched in relief of Spikes and showed big-time velocity up to 94 mph and a 12-to-6 curveball that showed bite well beyond his years. Taylor creates plane when down in the zone and the baseball comes from an over the top slot. The LSU commit gets downhill and when the arm gets through, can locate pitches at the knees with ease. His command of both offerings were good on this day and the bite of the curveball was the most noteworthy.
Trejyn Fletcher (2020, Portland, Maine) hit a bomb in Team Elite Prime’s win that got out of the park in a big hurry. The extremely high exit velocity home run caught the attention of several scouts in attendance. Fletcher has such a relaxed set position as he loads to hit the baseball. His hand quickness is among the top in the class and that helps generate the maximum barrel speed through the hitting zone. Fletcher, a verbal commitment to Vanderbilt, has hit the ball very well since bursting onto the scene at Perfect Game events and Sunday was no different as his upside continues to climb off the charts.
On the mound for the Indiana Bulls Black Sunday morning at Kell High School was 6-foot-7 lefthander Colin Diehm (2020, Fort Wayne, Ind.). Diehm had some command issues early but showed good overall projection and the ability to continue to make strides as a pitcher. Diehm takes a shorter stride down the mound and does struggle to repeat his mechanics. The arm action is mostly clean and when on time with his arm his pitches are well located and flashed sink with the fastball. The projectable lefthander sat 82-85 mph with a developing curveball in the upper-60s.
Lots of heat was in attendance as one of the top 2020 uncommitted pitchers in Camden Hill (2020, Madison, Ala.), who faced off with the Dirtbags. Hill opened up the game at 86-88 mph with his fastball that showed outstanding life diving away from righthanded hitters. He opens his front hip early leading to the arm being late at times coming through the arm stroke. He hides it well through the back and the arm action is clean. Hill flashed a curveball with some feel in the mid-70s and a changeup that had similar dive to the fastball at 79 mph. The uncommitted lefthander has a great pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-3, 200-pounds and has shown at recent events that he can swing the bat with strong impact as well.
In a packed 9:30 p.m. time slot at LakePoint, Ryan Pettys (2019, Panama City Beach, Fla.) continued to show promise on the mound at PG events where he set a new personal best velocity on the mound of 92 mph. The lefthander from the Panhandle of Florida has done nothing but impress since first arriving at PG events where he was an All-Tournament All American last year, a PG National invitee this year, and being invited to East Coast Pro this August as well. The velocity comes so easy with Pettys as he can vary speeds in the mid- to upper-80s and pump out even harder when needed. He leads smoothly down the mound with his front hip with lots of balance letting the arm loosely rip through the arm circle quickly.
The command is what really impresses about the Florida State commit. He repeats his deliberate delivery so well and it allows him to repeat it over and over again. The command of all three pitches is outstanding and he has enough feel to throw all three in any count. Sunday night Pettys threw multiple upper-70s changeups in hitter’s counts and missed bats because of it. The pitch is straight for most of the ride to the plate before diving late. His curveball is sweeping with break out of hand, and like his fastball and changeup, it can be thrown in virtually any count. Pettys’ velocity has climbed steadily over the last year as expected and there still may very well be more in the tank with some added strength to his projectable 6-foot-2, 155-pound frame.
The north quad at LakePoint during the 9:30 time slot was similar to a playoff atmosphere as a trio of next level arms pitched on Field 10 as Garrett Gainous (2020, Cairo, Ga.) made an appearance out of the bullpen for Northwest Florida Aces while uncommitted righthander Brady Chappell (2020, Watertown, Tenn.) and Indiana commit Holden Groher (2021, Sellersburg, Ind.) each appeared on the mound for Ironmen Prep.
Gainous is a highly projectable righthander from south Georgia standing at 6-foot-3, 185-pounds. He has a loose arm and can run his fastball up to 90 mph. The uncommitted prospect has a slight crossfire delivery and a lot of potential on the mound moving forward.
Chappell sat 84-87 mph while topping out at 88 mph as well on one occasion. His arm is loose with some effort to his delivery and plane when down in the zone. His curveball has depth with 12-to-6 shape. With some proper development and minor adjustments to his mechanics, Chappell could very well be a force on the mound.
Groher is a young righthander who can run his fastball up to 85 mph. His arm action is clean and his frame is projectable as he is still progressing as an arm on the mound. Groher, a verbal commitment to Indiana shows promising stuff on the mound as well with a nice curveball at 73-74 mph with 11-to-5 shape. The ceiling for the 5-foot-11 righthander is very high and as he continues to mature will likely continue to climb rapidly in velocity and size.
– Greg Gerard