Mountain Ridge junior shortstop Cameron Cannon was featured in this blog a year ago for his performance in the 2014 edition of the tournament and has continued to elevate his level of play. Physically he’s what you want a junior in college to look like, let alone one in high school. He has a strong, physical 5-foot-11 build with broad shoulders and a filled out frame, though it doesn’t inhibit his footwork or quickness defensively. His overall athleticism should allow him to stay up the middle as he shows both the tools and instincts with soft hands, plenty of range, and a loose and easy arm across.

The fluidity follows Cannon into the batter’s box where he starts with a very simple and balanced set up before attacking the ball. He put the ball in play in each of the first three at-bats I saw and showed he wasn’t afraid to take pitches, working himself into favorable counts. His first at-bat was a ground ball to the left side but he got a clean start out of the box, making it down to first in 4.28 seconds and looks as though he may be capable of an even lower time. The uncommitted Cannon’s second at-bat was one of the more impressive swings I’ve seen throughout the first two days of the tournament. On a fastball thrown to the outer half, Cannon did a nice job of extending his arms and going with the pitch to right field, generating big jump off the barrel for what ended up being a triple after the ball bounced by the right fielder.

Take a look at sophomore right-hander Matt Schroer’s Perfect Game profile and you’ll notice how the velocity continues to add another tick, almost in subsequent events. In true fashion, Schroer bumped his fastball up to 87 mph last night, another tick high than his previous high of 86 mph at a Perfect Game event. With the ultra-long, projectable build and the way the arm works, there’s a very strong chance the upward trend of velocity is going to continue.

With a very projectable frame, listed 6-foot-3 but looks taller on the mound, Schroer has plenty of room to put on additional muscle and as he does, his stuff is only going to get that much better. As it is now, the Louisiana State commit sat comfortably in the 84-87 mph over the course of six innings but more impressive than that is the extension he is able to create out front, giving the pitch an extra hop at the end. Though there’s a head snap at release, his arm action works well and is relatively smooth with a higher three-quarter release and he does a nice job of creating downhill plane. When he stays on top of his fastball the pitch shows big running life and helps his changeup that much more.

Thrown in the mid-70s, Schroer’s changeup shows promising potential as he does a nice job of replicating his arm action and generates similar life to his arm side on the pitch, looking like a fastball coming out. He showed the comfort and feel to throw the pitch in any count, keeping hitters true and off balance. His release point on his curveball was inconsistent early but as the outing progressed, so did the pitch and his feel. Staying on top of the pitch was key and Schroer began to do so once he settled in, showing nice depth in the low-70s which gave him a solid three-pitch mix.

Listed as a high follow by Perfect Game, fellow Arcadia sophomore middle infielder Nick Dicarlo made a nice play up the middle in the sixth inning that not only stopped the threat, but prevented at least two runs from coming in and making it a one run ballgame. With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the sixth, Fossil Ridge was threatening and was a base hit or two away from taking the lead. On a harder hit, chopped ground ball to Dicarlo’s right (playing second base), he showed a quick first step and plenty of range to not only get to the ball, but get behind it, plant his feet, and throw a strike over to first. Most young players would let their momentum carry themselves away from the base, lessening the strength on the throw and ultimately allowing the runner to be safe which is why this particular play by Dicarlo was very impressive.

Junior catcher Sam Huff is a strongly built 6-foot-3, 175-pounds and showed solid defensively tools behind the plate, handling Schroer well while showcasing a strong arm to second in between innings. He uses his strength well in the batter’s box too and is able to generate the type of bat speed that you can hear on the on deck circle. In his first at-bat he narrowly missed putting the ball out to left field, showing plenty of loft but just got under the ball and flew out to the warning track. Later in the game though he made sure not to miss and sent a long fly ball to deep center field just to the left of the batter’s eye about 360 feet.

The state of Arizona seems to have a nice crop of young talent coming up and Boulder Creek’s sophomore shortstop Daniel Carrizosa looks like he belongs in that group. Listed at 5-foot-10, 160-pounds, Carrizosa projects well physically and already looks like he might be bigger and stronger than the listed measurables. Both defensively and on the bases he takes long, graceful strides, speaking to his athleticism while showing next level actions up the middle. In the box he shows a relaxed stance with balance and fluidity in his swing, lining a crisp single up the middle in his second at-bat. Later on in the game he got tied up with an inside fastball, hitting the ball off his hands and sending it the other way, getting past a diving right fielder, resulting in a three base hit.

To keep the underclass theme going, Boulder Creek sent sophomore right-hander Mason Millett to the mound to open the game and is an interesting arm that will need to be followed over the next two and a half years. Standing 6-foot-1, 155-pounds, it’s easy to envision the young righty throwing harder in the future, especially as he continues to fill out his long frame.

As the stuff stands now, Millett worked in the 83-85 mph range with his fastball early, showing a quick arm action with occasional running life on the pitch. He gets on top of the ball well for the most part and that’s something that will continue to develop as he become more consistent with his delivery. When Millett stayed on top of his fastball he was able to induced weak ground ball contact, hardly ever leaving the infield. To complement his heater, Millett threw both a changeup and a curveball, each showing nice potential. A mid-70s offering, his curveball showed 12-6 shape with short break and depth while his changeup had nice fade down in the zone at 76-77 mph. Looking at his profile, Millett has already begun to take the next step in terms of velocity, working a comfortable 80-83 in January, the last time Perfect Game saw him throw.

Though only a sophomore, Nick Hamilton had a nice showing with the bat for Liberty, making his presence felt early and often. Listed 6-foot, 190-pounds, Hamilton helped Liberty jump out to an early lead as he pulled his hands in on an inside fastball, getting the barrel to the ball and lining it into left field for a two run double. Hamilton one-upped himself in his second at-bat, further extending the lead as he connected with a mid-80s fastball, sending it over the left field fence for a no doubt three run home run. He looks to be a solid bat that will fit in nicely with the senior talent on the roster.

Mentioned in the space yesterday more for his pitching, Liberty senior and Grand Canyon commit Tyler Wyatt impressed once again, this time with the bat. A true two-way talent, Wyatt looks the part out at shortstop and though he wasn’t challenged in game, the actions and arm certainly play pre-game and in between innings. With the bat though he seems to consistently getting the barrel to the ball and getting on base. In an early at-bat yesterday, Wyatt drilled a ball hard to the right-centerfield gap and accelerated well around the bases going from first to third. Later in the game he got jammed with an inside pitch but showed enough strength to muscle the ball through the middle of the field for his second base hit of the game. 

-Jheremy Brown

Ada (OK) @ Goldwater (AZ)

-After my second viewing of the Ada team, I came away impressed by a few things/players. Notably, junior center fielders Gabe Simons made an impression. He’s a good athlete with excellent size, and projects to fill out even more as he matures. Tracks the ball well in CF, takes good routes, and shows off a solid throwing arm. Has a good approach at the plate, understands the strike zone, does a solid job of recognizing off speed, and shows a good bat path while making contact to all fields. He’s a solid player.

-Goldwater starting pitcher Tyrece Hudson, primarily an outfielder, showed some solid skill on the mound. Worked in the mid-upper 70’s with solid life from a high ¾ slot and slight cross-body delivery. Showed a CB/CH mix. Mixed his pitches well and kept the Ada hitters off balance for the most part. Threw a high percentage of strikes.

Chandler (AZ) @ O’Connor (AZ)

-Chandler’s starting pitcher, senior lefty Hayden Durkiewicz made an impression both on the mound and at bat. Hitting leadoff for Chandler, he hit two doubles in his first two at bats, one to the RCF gap and one to the LCF gap, both hit a long ways. Excellent approach at the plate: recognizes well, understands the zone, and takes good, consistent swings. On the mound, he’s got a funky delivery that works cross-body from a lower slot (between ¾ and low ¾). Absolutely pounded the zone with all of his pitches, highlighted by a FB that worked 81-84 with excellent life. He probably showcased the best overall command of his arsenal that I’ve seen thus far in this event. Showed a quality breaking ball that was a bit slurvy due to the arm slot, but still had good shape and bite; as well as a fading changeup in the low 70’s.

-3rd baseman Colin Ludwig, a junior, has good potential with the bat. A left-handed hitter, Ludwig showcases really quality hands when hitting. They are quick and strong and take a direct path to the ball without any wasted motion. He employs an up the middle approach and is capable of extra-base power at present, with more power on the way as he develops physically.

-O’Connor starting pitcher Colby Wyatt threw well for the most part, working in the 83-86 range with his fastball, topping at 88. The pitch is a little flat due to Wyatt’s delivery not generating much plane, but it still showed solid arm side life and was effective when commanded down in the zone. Wyatt’s arsenal is rounded out by a breaking ball that is somewhere in between a slider and curve; as well as a changeup that he is still developing feel for. When on, the breaker shows quality 2 plane break with some depth; though he got on the side of it a little too often and struggled to command it down.

-Sophomore shortstop Nico Burgarello has some pretty serious upside both in the field and with the bat, especially when one considers his age. A left-handed hitter, Burgarello hits from an upright stance with a high hand set, then drops the hands into his load and comes through with a line drive swing plane that is built for contact. He has solid size and physical projection, and will grow into some power as well. He took a very good infield in the pregame and put that talent on display in the game as well. Highlighted by quick feet and range to both sides, he projects well defensively and should have no issue sticking at shortstop for now.

Muskogee (OK) @ Valley Vista (AZ)

-Muskogee right-hander Tony Horn Jr. showed pretty well in his start, working in the 83-85 range, touching 86, all of it from an easy delivery with an arm that works. Throwing from a near overtop slot, Horn generates good downhill plane to the plate, which makes the excellent life on his fastball that much more effective. He throws strikes consistently, but struggled at times to consistently work down in the zone. He has an advanced changeup that works 76-77 with excellent fade, thrown with the same arm speed and from the same keyhole as his fastball. He showed a curveball that was inconsistent but flashed legitimate potential with 11/5 break in the 71-73 velo band.

-Senior shortstop Bryson Bell played a quality game in his own right. He has a good build in his lower half, strong throughout really, and his at bats were highlighted by really solid bat control. He can bunt when needed, and controls the bat in such a way that he can really almost hit the ball wherever he wants to. A spray hitter with a line drive plane, he uses the entire field and just wants to get on base and make contact.

-Valley Vista’s centerfielder Terrance Robertson really impressed, with arguably the best performance of anyone I saw on Tuesday. A plus athlete, Robertson is a burner, turning in a 4.11 time down the line (from the left side) while pulling up on the final few steps, then smashing a triple over the center fielder’s head and showing a 4.3 time on the turn. He is quick out of the box with excellent acceleration, and that is put on display both on the bases and in the outfield where he covers lots of ground and looks very comfortable. Several pro scouts were in attendance to see Robertson play, as well. At bat he’s very upright, with a minimal load and minimal stride, highlighting his contact ability. His hands are lightning-quick, and he has no issues catching up to solid velocity and waiting back as long as possible before uncoiling and whipping the bat through the zone. He tripled after a 10 pitch battle with Horn, where he fouled off several quality two-strike pitches, let some borderline pitches go, and then drilled the 10th pitch to dead center. He has surprising pop, and it will only continue to develop as he gets stronger.