3/14/2012 2:15:30 AM
Notes and Observations from Cleats Day 2
-There are games going on all around the valley this weekend as HS and colleges are on spring break. Basha HS from Chandler was in action taking on Westview HS.
-Basha RHP Gavin Hall (2012) was the storyline of the game, coming within a strike of a no-hitter before giving up a hit and eventually two runs as Westview tied the game.
-Basha IF Jaime Westbrook (2013) had the day off but pinch hit in the bottom of the 7th, drilling at RBI double of the base of the right center field wall to drive in the winning run. Westbrook is currently a shortstop with good athleticism. The bat is his best tool as he shows bat speed and strength to all fields. His swing has a line drive plane but he can backspin a ball and showed gap to gap power. He is a similar in build and athletically to 2012 draft prospect Timmy Lopes.
-Gary Sheffield Jr. (2012) son of the All-Star OF of the same name is another good athlete who showed the ability to run and good defensive actions. He has a pull approach with some bat speed at the plate.
-Another Basha OF to watch is LF Devon Reed (2012), a medium build athlete with strength and quick twitch athleticism.
Chaparral Comes Back to Beat Marcos de Niza
-Marcos de Niza jumped out to an early lead, but Chaparral came back late for a 6-5 win.
-Chapparal starter LHP Alec Zeidler (2012) is a long lefty with loose arm action. Fastball sat 82-84, big breaking slurve at 66-67. His slot varied a bit with low ¾ being the most common.
-RHP Michael Diamond (2013) came in and picked up the win, sitting 82-83.
-The standout athlete for Chaparral is RF Dylan Cozens, a hulking 6’5, 240 pound athlete who will play football at Arizona State next fall. Tim Esmay probably wouldn’t mind if Cozens swung the bat before spring practice gets going. He is crude as a baseball player but his strength and bat speed are some of the best in the area. Guys who can hit the ball a country mile are highly sought and Cozens can do just that.
-Dillon Bigcrane Jackson is as solid as they come as a defensive 1B and has a smooth stroke with bat speed. He is very rarely fooled and is very consistent with his swing mechanics. He also excels as a 84-87 mph lefty on the mound with movement and feel for three pitches. One would assume he will throw in the coming days.
-Jeremy Wolf (2012) put a very solid swing on a ball in the bottom of the 6th, driving it to the LCF wall, Nick Diamond (2012) had one of the hardest hit balls of the day, muscling a fastball to the wall 390 feet away in dead CF.
-Marcos de Niza offense was highlighted by a Daniel Zepeda (2012) who muscled a homerun over the LF fence. Strong kid, all pull approach, gets thru ball well, power is calling card.
-Ben Ayala (2013) has some growing into his body to do but has loose arm action and easy arm strength. A good defensive SS with deceptive athleticism he excels around the 2B bag and making plays on the move.
-OF Nick Fatica (2012) stood out again with his aggressive approach to the game and athleticism. He is very aggressive and runs the bases very hard. Smooth stroke at the plate and good OF defense.
Houston Christian (TX) sweeps doubleheader with Seton Cathloic (AZ) & Redlands East Valley (CA)
-SS Jon Bravo (2012) earns the best makeup of the day award for his high energy, aggressive style of play. Bravo shows a solid well rounded tool set and does just about everything on the diamond well. But his approach to the game allows him to play beyond his tools, he plays at 100% at all times and his attitude is infectious. He went 3-for-3 at the plate in the Mustangs win over Redlands East Valley.
-RHP Brian Trieglaff (2012) nailed down a five out Save for Houston Christian against Redlands East Valley. The TCU commit retired all five hitters in order and was very efficient with his pitches. He topped out at 92 mph.
-The Treu brothers, 2012 LHP Hayden and 2014 RHP Hudson combined to go 2-0 on the day. Hudson made his first start of the season and threw a complete game shutout, while his older brother threw well in the second game while also hitting third in the order.
-OF Gavin Vanderhider (2013) ended the first game with a walk-off run-rule inducing two run Home Run in the first game and showed interesting hitting tools and athleticism throughout the day.
-OF Cullen Cosco (2013) showed a fluid swing and doubled home a run against Redlands Valley East and is an interesting underclassmen to follow.
-RHP/CIF Kevin Stephens (2012) showed two-way ability for Redlands East Valley, sitting 84-87 on the mound in spite of inconsistent lower half mechanics, and showed promise with the bat as well.
-CF Brian Chaparro (2012) had what should have been a pair of RBI doubles, though the lead runner stumbled coming around third on the second one, but his big day at the plate and good reads and routs in CF stood out.
-LF Casey Sheehan (2014) continues to flash very interesting future potential. His quick bat and smooth athletic actions suggest that he could develop into a high level player over the next few years. His progress bares watching.
Desert Mountain fends off Fort Collins 3-2
-SS JD Hammer (2012) showed good all around ability today. He not only doubled home a run and showed projectable hitting tools, but he also made a very impressive defensive play ranging far to his right and making a long off-balanced throw to nail the runner at first.
-C Austin Orth (2012) squared the ball up hard every time at the plate, he only went 1-for-3 but the big physical catcher showed a live bat with the ability to drive the ball with authority.
-2B Ryan Schmidtbauer (2013) homered to RF to tie the game at 2-2 to lead off the 6th inning by pulling a hard line drive that cleared the fence.
-3B Tyler Nesby (2012) showed a compact swing path with efficient mechanics and good carry on his throws.
-SS Cody Erickson (2013) continued to open eyes, his defensive play at SS was equally impressive to his showing on the mound last night. But his offensive ability is what stood out most, Erickson does everything on the diamond well and should draw interest from Division I schools.
-1B Ben Rodriguez (2013) didn't produce much at the plate today for Desert Mountain, but he sure looked good. The physically built junior showed plus bat speed and good raw power, though he was unable to make good contact against high 70s/low 80s pitching today.