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Tournaments  | Story  | 7/18/2018

15u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 5

Photo: Rawley Hector (Perfect Game)

15u WWBA National Championship: Event Page | Daily Leaders
Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

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There may not be a more interesting look this summer from an uncommitted arm from Georgia than that in Liam Sullivan (2020, Sandy Springs, Ga.) of Marist High School and 643 Montgomery. The 6-foot-6 lefty has a great frame that project well physically and velocity from his arm that is already intriguing the eyes of college coaches. Getting the start on Tuesday night in a continuation game from two nights prior, Sullivan worked his fastball early in the 85-86 mph range while from the windup and 82-84 mph from the stretch position. Sullivan had multiple college coaches looking on as he pitched against a loaded Cincinnati Spikes lineup. He continually worked down in the zone with a three pitch mix and good feel for his curveball. The curveball sat in the 68-72 mph range with lots of depth as he was able to land the pitch for strikes with confidence. Not yet given his verbal commitment, Sullivan will surely have options after his big strides on the mound both in this contest and throughout the summer as well as the ceiling he possesses on the bump.


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There are high level projecting tools for lefthanded outfielder Christian Smith (2021, Atlanta, Ga.). The swing, with some added strength, is going to produce big-time jump off of the barrel as well as a hit tool that already produces plenty of hard contact. There is plenty of bat speed to Smith’s stroke and it will only continue to improve as he gets stronger. The lean and very athletic cleanup hitter for 643 Montgomery has an ability at the plate to put the barrel to the baseball repeatedly. Smith is a top 100 ranked player in the 2021 class per Perfect Game and 54th overall. His tools really stand out at the plate and the lefty can run as well. It is impressive to watch Smith play and it will be nice to watch as he continues to fill out and develop as a player overall since he is just now going into his sophomore season.

In a very short look Tuesday morning Hayden Durke (2020, Abbeville, La.) did as he has done throughout the summer and pitched very well on the mound locating all three of his pitches and showed good velocity in doing so. Durke was going to likely throw for an extended amount of time, but after his team put a 14 spot on the scoreboard in the top half of the second half, he did not come out for a second inning to likely save his arm for the playoffs. In his one inning of work his fastball ranged from 87-89 mph and he mixed in a changeup that is a potential weapon of a pitch especially to lefthanded hitters. Durke has pitched at multiple WWBA events this summer starting with his big first impression at 17u continuing on to 16u and now at the 15u level. This one inning stint was this scout’s first look at the verbal commit to Louisiana-Lafayette and the look was certainly a good one.

A pair of US Elite hitters showed nice potential with the bat on Tuesday as Bobby Marsh (2021, Bellefonte, Pa.) and William Ray (2021, Mars, Penn.) are both lefthanded hitters that can swing with intent and possess good bat speed. Marsh has a pure swing that is loose. His hands work well into the swing and he squares the ball up frequently as he did in this game collecting a pair of hits including a line drive triple into his pull side gap. Ray is a physical lefthanded hitting corner infielder who has plenty of strength present on his frame and in his swing. Ray makes hard contact when squared and when able to lift the baseball into the air, the ball will jump.




Kurtis Reid (2021, Hamilton, Ohio) may have had one hit in the contest but the lone stroke was a big one. The hit was a long home run to left field that was a no-doubter. Reid got his hands inside well on the swing and got the head of the bat to the baseball quickly. Reid, a righthanded hitter committed to Louisville, surprisingly did not get all of the pitch either as he did not completely square it up as it left his bat at 88 mph and traveled 347 feet per TrackMan. The fact that the ball was no completely barreled and still went out to left as a no-doubt-about-it home run is very impressive. It shows the true strength to the middle infielder’s swing. He also played a clean shortstop showing off his range on one play in particular. On a ball hit up the middle, he took several steps to his left and made a strong throw to first to nab a runner and rob a base hit.

Another day, another Louisiana Knight player showing big-time tools at the plate this time in starting second baseman Ethan Alston (2021, Hammond, La.). Alston has already impressed during the summer at Jr. National and now he continuing to show his ability to run and hit at a high level. The righthanded hitter ripped a ball into the right-center field gap for a triple showing his quick hands as well as his speed around the bases. Alston made a turn around first base with a time of 4.36-seconds showing his quickness that will only continue to get better as well. Alston is a quick-twitch athlete and can already run a 6.80-second 60-yard dash at his young age.

Brayden Lybarger (2021, Lima, Ohio) caught the eyes of many college coaches and scouts on Tuesday afternoon as his fastball continually ranged from 80-84 mph with lots of strikes and has an ultra-projectable frame. Standing at 6-foot-5, 170-pounds, Lybarger has a build that pitching coaches can dream on. His arm works as well and he throws with very low effort. Lybarger flashed a curveball that showed big potential as well. The pitched had sharpness when thrown with conviction. The uncommitted righthander has a compact arm action and an online delivery that he repeats well for his size. There is a high ceiling for Lybarger on the mound and it will be interesting to follow him throughout his maturation both on the mound and physically.

– Gregory Gerard



Casey Saucke (2021, Rochester, N.Y.) may be listed as a primary shortstop on his Perfect Game profile, but there’s no denying the upside of what he brings to the mound. Making his PG tournament debut, Saucke impressed as he was given the ball and faced off against a talented Dulin’s Dodgers Prime (TX) club, going the distance in a complete game shutout effort.

Saucke didn’t get to show his athleticism off up the middle as he was on the mound for the entirety of the game but that doesn’t mean you can’t see it in the way he pitches. Standing at a wide shouldered, high waisted 6-foot-2, 170-pounds, Suacke shows a loose and clean arm stroke, staying on line through the backside while driving to the mound well with his lower half. Throughout the game he lived in the 82-85 mph range, peaking 86 mph in the third inning though given the ease of operation and his current physical build, there’s plenty more in the tank. He did get to flash his defensive acumen though on a bunt hit back to him on which he showed quick footwork on the turn and soft hands out front to complete the play at third base to get the lead runner.

While he didn’t go to his slider often, when he did it proved to be a valuable pitch for the New York native. Tunneled well with similar arm speed and release point, Saucke spun the pitch up to 74 mph with short and tight bite, producing swings-and-misses often. The pitch played nicely off his fastball which offered late running life down in the zone, inducing plenty of weak, ground ball type contact.

Coming in out of the bullpen for Dulin’s Dodgers, 2021 righthander Rawley Hector (2021, Van Alstyne, Texas) has already establish himself as one of the top players in the class as evidenced by his current No. 13 standing in the rankings and he showed why he’s worthy of that lofty position Tuesday morning. Looking the part of a middle infielder with his long and loose 6-foot-2, 170-pound frame, the future Texas A&M Aggie came out firing and pounded the strike zone with a fastball/slider combo which yielded zero hits in 2 2/3 innings of work.

Working with a full and quick arm action and an up-tempo delivery, Hector does a nice job of staying compact with his arm stroke which allowed him to repeat and fill the strike zone, pitching mostly off his fastball early on. The heater lived in the 87-89 mph range for Hector and while that’s mightily impressive for a player coming off his freshman year of high school, the late sinking life is even more intriguing. He attacked hitters with the fastball and showed one of the better sliders I’ve seen this tournament which proved to be a true swing-and-miss type offering. A 76-79 mph offering, Hector showed comfort spinning the pitch, landing it for strikes with the same quick arm stroke and had hitters off balance all morning with the pitch.

Reese Smith (2021, Denham Springs, La.) is a high energy type player and it’s something you notice from the moment he sprints out of the dugout and to his position up the middle. Already committed to the Ragin Cajuns of Louisiana Lafayette, Smith brings that energy to shortstop with quick feet whether on the charge on a chopper or ranging to either side. He also shows a handle for the barrel and provided the game winning hit this tournament in the Louisiana Knights seventh inning comeback earlier in pool play with a double that split that gap in right-center field. His ability to find the barrel and get on base was on display again as he tripled down the opposite line and plated two after squaring the ball up earlier in the game for a sharply hit line drive right at the shortstop.

It was a quick look at uncommitted righthander Samuel Dutton (2021, Rainbow City, Ala.) as he came in out of the bullpen and worked one inning but an impressive one. With a strong and proportioned 5-foot-11, 175-pound frame, Dutton came out attacking with his fastball, working to a high three-quarters release while utilizing some drop and drive mechanics through his lower half on the way down the mound. He worked in the 85-88 mph range with his fastball -a mark that continued to uptick throughout the frame- while showing the ability to work on top of the ball to generate plane and running life to his arm side. The fastball was the go-to pitch for Dutton as he worked almost exclusively off the pitch, once flashing a curveball at 74 mph while inducing ground ball contact off the barrel.

Already having his college commitment taken care of with a recent verbal to the in-state Virginia Cavaliers, lefthander Dean Kampschror (2021, Falls Church, Va.) oozes projectability and it’s easy to see why the coaching staff would want to lock up this young arm. Young for the grade having just turned 15 and already standing at a broad shouldered and long limbed 6-foot-3, 180-pounds, Kampschror was impressive over his four innings of work, allowing just a single hit while striking out six.

The fastball worked comfortably in the 80-84 mph for Kampschror who generated the velocity with a long and loose arm stroke through the back, utilizes little effort to generate the velocity and maintained it throughout. His arm stroke offers some whip through the backside while working to a high three-quarters slot from which he’s able to work on top to generate plane while showing subtle running life to his heater through the zone. The curveball was Kampschror’s primary secondary, tunneling the pitch well with a similar arm stroke and release point like that on his fastball, and landed the 71-74 mph pitch for strikes with 1-to-7 shape. There’s a very good chance that Kampschror is just scratching the surface of what he’ll develop into long term, though what is already shows is pretty impressive.

In a tournament as big as the 15u WWBA Championships players are always being discovered, and yesterday uncommitted outfielder Lonnie White (2021, Coatesville, Pa.) put together a nice day at the plate in my first viewing of him. A physical 6-foot-2, 195-pound righthanded bat who is also highly regarded for his abilities on the gridiron, already attracting the interest of collegiate programs throughout the country, White’s two-hit day bumped his average up to .500 on the tournament though he’s not putting up those numbers with a barrage of singles. His first knock in Tuesday’s action came on a deep drive to the left-center gap before once again showing the looseness to his hands and extension out front, driving the 83 mph fastball to the right-center field gap, leaving the barrel at 93 mph. White moves well for his size, as you may assume given he’s a duel-threat QB, and there are definite offensive tools that will make him more than alluring on the diamond as well.




Righthander Michael Morales (2021, Enola, Pa.) already has his commitment taken care of with a verbal to Vanderbilt and after a few pitches it’s clear why the Commodores pounced on the young Pennsylvania native. Already standing at 6-foot-2, 185-pounds with plenty of physical projection remaining, Morales proved to be lights out coming out of the bullpen for the All Out 15u Scout Team.

The athleticism is evident in his delivery staying simple throughout from getting tall on his backside to employing a compact and quick arm stroke through the backside. With a high three-quarters slot Morales was continuously on time with his release and pounded his glove side part of the plate particularly well for a 15-year-old arm. Add in the velocity which sat in the 84-86 mph range and bumped an 87 with steady two-seam life, Morales makes for an uncomfortable at-bat and induced consistent ground ball contact to the right side off the bats of righthanded hitters. He’s more than just a one pitch pitcher however as he flashed a fading changeup at 78 mph with maintained arm speed and landed an 11-to-5 shaped curveball for strikes. The bender doesn’t feature power on the pitch just yet as it came across in the 65-67 mph range but Morales already shows comfort in spinning the pitch and it’s only a matter of time before that pitch becomes a true weapon.

Josh Hartle (2021, King, N.C.) and Generoso Romano (2021, Roseland, N.J.) locked horns in what ultimately became a pitcher’s duel after the second resumption of play between Team Elite American 15u and FTB Tucci Northeast.

Despite just finishing his freshman year of high school, Hartle already checks plenty of boxes and shows tremendous upside as he progresses and continues to develop physically over the next three years. At a long and lean 6-foot-5, 175-pounds the future Wake Forest Demon Deacon has as much physical projection as any arm in the tournament, but also shows some of the better stuff we’ve seen overall through the first handful of days. Hartle shows plenty of present arm speed through the backside while working to a difficult extended three-quarters release, generating some hard and late running life to his fastball when down in the zone. There’s also angle to his release, all of which allows the 85-88 mph fastball to play up even more while eliciting weak ground ball contact off the barrel.

As you could imagine, Hartle’s slot and ability to spin a slider gives him yet another weapon against opposing hitters and it’s a pitch he went to often and executed regularly. He maintained his extended slot well on the 73-74 mph offering showing late tilt to the pitch while mixing in a late fading changeup at 77 mph. Regardless the pitch Hartle filled the strike zone, further checking boxes of what could become a special arm.

Romano, listed as a primary third baseman in the program, may not have Hartle’s size, but showed just as much arm quickness on the bump and a fiery competitiveness that would be hard to match. Opening up with a fastball that worked in the 84-87 mph range, Romano’s final pitch of the outing registered at 86 mph, continuing to show the same quick right arm and high three-quarters release which helped generate cutting action on the pitch. Having just turned 15 recently, Romano filled the strike zone over his 6 2/3 innings of work in which he punched out ten and walked just two without surrendering a hit.

While he would occasionally overthrow his curveball, the 74-75 mph was the go-to secondary for the young righthander, generating 11-to-5 shape with short depth through the zone. There are still things to his mechanics that he’ll continue to refine as he logs innings on the mound but it was an impressive outing none the less as he maintained his velocity and kept his team in the game which ultimately ended in a tie.

In a game dominated by pitching highlighted by the two arms above, it was FTB Tucci Northeast catcher Dillion Jennings (2021, Cedar Grove, N.J.) who delivered the biggest offensive knock of the night. A 6-foot, 185-pound backstop, Jennings came to the plate down 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth and dug in against Hartle, who to this point in the game had been cruising. On a 0-1 fastball Jennings did a nice job of getting the barrel in on the ball and connected for a solo shot, sending the pitch 336-feet down the left field line with an exit velocity of 90 mph off the barrel.

– Jheremy Brown



Occupying the cleanup spot for Team Elite Prime on Tuesday was Jeffery Waters (2020, Mableton, Ga.), and he played an integral part in a 20-0 shellacking of the opposition. The Maryland commit began his day by dropping the bat head on a low and inside fastball, taking it the other way for a long and high double over the right fielder’s head. He later came up in a bases-loaded situation and plated all three runners with another high fly to put the game further out of reach. His strong hands lead to a quick bat through the zone and the high launch angle swing path is tailored for long flies. While this approach will occasionally result in popouts, it should also lead to a fair share of extra-base hits for the stocky and strong outfielder, who has a nice feel for the barrel.

The toolsy Waters moves extremely well around the bases, flashing speed that can only be a boon in the outfield, although he got pulled early in the game with a comfortable lead in hand to prevent offering a glimpse of his defensive work. Waters is the third-ranked outfielder in the Georgia class and his tantalizingly well-rounded game makes him a very exciting prospect to keep watch on.

Lane Forsythe (2020, Humboldt, Tenn.), a medium, athletic shortstop probably won’t strike anyone as a big-time power threat at the present time, but smartly tailors the plate approach to the build. With great balance and a loose and fluid swing, the Mississippi State commit looks to take the ball up the middle or to the opposite field, which he did twice on Tuesday for singles. Good hand-eye coordination gives him a flair for contact, and he covers the plate well, flicking an outside pitch that he may have been fooled on to right for a single anyway. The penchant for giving pitchers tough at bats and making consistent line drive contact make Forsythe, the sixth-ranked shortstop in the Tennessee class, an ideal top-of-the-lineup sparkplug.

While primarily renowned for his prodigious power at the plate, top-ranked national player Blaze Jordan (2021, Southaven, Miss.) was summoned to close out an 8-0 lead for Dulin’s Dodgers Prime. He has plenty of arm strength and reached 91 mph with the fastball, although he struggled with control with a couple walks and a hit batsman. The delivery is a bit violent, and Jordan even had an injury scare as he took a tumble off the mound and favored his left ankle. He toughed it out to preserve the shutout, and there is no denying the physicality the Mississippi State commit exudes on the bump, despite some present rawness.

Jay Woolfolk (2021, Midlothian, Va.) currently stands as the top righthander in the Virginia class, but also displayed interesting potential as a position player Tuesday. He has a keen eye and good awareness of the count but is ready to ambush with barrel whip through the zone when he gets a pitch he likes. He sprayed the ball around with a hard single through the 5-6 hole followed an absolute laser of a triple to right-center, a play in which he was able to put above average speed on display as well. He manned shortstop on the day and showed good defensive actions, comfortably shuffling laterally to field balls with soft hands and a smooth transfer. Woolfolk is uncommitted and shows little weakness in his game across the board, able to make an impact in a variety of ways.

– Cameron Hines



Brody Drost (2020, Sulphur, La.) had another strong day at the plate for Sheets Baseball. Drost was 2-for-2 with a triple and a home run, collecting five RBI in the process. The only time Drost was retired today was on a sacrifice fly that scored a run, and his speed on the bases is a problem for any opponent. Drost has a solid 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame, and the bat speed and quick hands is definitely apparent at the plate. A Louisiana State commit, Drost is also a very good outfielder with an ability to range to both his left and right to cover a lot of ground. The arm strength is there, and Drost has a lot of tools to be a great player in the 2020 class.

In the afternoon, Benjamin Tate (2021, Sunset, La.) was impressive in his ability to miss barrels. Tate ran his fastball up to 83 on Tuesday, and worked from 79-81 for a majority of his outing. Tate is able to get some late run and sink on the fastball, and it paired well with a changeup he could throw both for strikes and a put away pitch. Tate works efficiently and did a great job of commanding the zone. The 6-foot-2, 186-pound frame projects well to add velocity as he gains strength, and some adjustments to his lower half could create an even higher ceiling.

Jack Duncan (2021, Altadena, Calif.) showed flashes of things to come today for GBG Arizona. Duncan worked up to 82 with his fastball on Tuesday before settling in from 79-82. Duncan has a funky delivery and hides the ball. Duncan comes across his body some with a three-quarters arm slot, and he generates some run and sink on his fastball. As the game went on, Duncan was able to start throwing more quality strikes with a low-70s slider, and if that turns into more of a consistent pitch it can really give hitters fits at the back foot. Duncan has a frame that could grow over the next three years, and there is more velocity to gain as his strength increases.

Before rain hit, Carlos Rey (2020, Miami Springs, Fla.) was dominating on the mound with three pitches for strikes. Rey worked up to 83 with a running fastball before sitting 80-82. Rey was able to command both sides of the plate with his fastball, and got some late run and sink to the arm side. Rey has a very repeatable lower half, and the long and loose arm action projects well as he adds strength. He hides the ball well, allowing his fastball to really sneak up on hitters. While his slider was able to get a couple swings and misses during the first two innings, if he can develop both that and his changeup into more quality pitches, he will be able to get hitters out in a variety of ways. It will be interesting to see how the uncommitted lefty progresses over the next two years.

Dillon Jennings (2021, Cedar Grove, N.J.) delivered one of the more impressive swings of Tuesday’s action with a long home run over the wall in left field. The ball left Jennings’ bat at 90 mph, and traveled 336 feet. Jennings is a physical catcher, and the bat speed and raw strength are definitely apparent at the plate. On the defensive side, Jennings had good actions behind the plate, and he was clearly a captain of the infield. Jennings is a fierce competitor who plays with plenty of emotion, and it shows in the way he approaches each at-bat.

For eXposure Prime 15u, Chase Roberts (2021, Chattanooga, Tenn.) was impressive both on the mound and at the plate. Roberts turned in seven shutout innings in a complete game shutout. He struck out seven and allowed just one hit during the game. Roberts worked up to 87 during his outing Tuesday before sitting in the range of 82-85 for the rest of the night. Roberts has quick arm action and he creates good plane on his fastball that has late run to the arm side. Roberts’ curveball became a better pitch as the night went on, and he was able to get consistent swings and misses throughout.

A 6-foot-1, 165-pound athlete, Roberts has room to grow, and also provided power at the plate. Roberts was 2-for-4 on Tuesday with a pair of doubles and four RBI. His best swing came on a double off the top of the wall that left his bat at 89 mph. Roberts is a legit two-way prospect at the next level.

– Nate Schweers
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