3/20/2015 11:08:00 AM
-Ponca City High School (OK) came down to Arizona and absolutely destroyed their competition, going 4-0 in their division and outscoring their opponents by nearly 50 runs. 

-On Thursday, they threw senior Austin Emmer, a 6'1" 165 pound lefty who showed some quality stuff. He worked in the 81-83 range early on with his fastball, settling in for the remainder of his start around 78-81. He's a solid-sized kid with good physical projection, who also projects to add some velocity as he fills out his frame. He worked from an overtop slot, generating solid plane to the plate, and showing slight life to the arm side on his fastball. He showed a slider and change as well, but truth be told he didn't really need them. The slider showed tight spin and more vertical break than horizontal; and he flashed some feel for a fading change as well. 

-Ponca City shortstop Blake Shepherd was very impressive in every facet of the game. He has good size and build (6'0" 185), and showed the ability to do just about everything on the baseball field. He showed off good range at SS, ranging far back to his right and left to snare pop ups, though he wasn't really challenged defensively. All of his at bats were impressive in different ways, as the senior was very disciplined, stayed within the zone, used the entire field with hard contact, and showed off good bursts of speed. He turned in 2 "dig" times, one of them at 4.37 and one of them at 4.42, which are quality times for a high school right-handed hitter. He stole 2B in 3.40 seconds, and established himself as a truly excellent baserunner as far as instincts and knowledge of the game are concerned. 

-Junior Ponca City catcher Brian Wicker also stood out, and may have the highest upside of anyone on the team. He's a very strong kid with a strong, sturdy build while retaining solid athleticism. He wasn't challenged behind the plate, as Ponca City kept the Desert Edge hitters off the bases for the most part, but still looked good during his warmup pops. The mechanics work, and he was consistently in the 2.10 second range down to 2nd base. He has the most raw power of anyone on the team, and he certainly tries to use it, employing a big swing that is definitely built more for power than contact. It's an aggressive approach as well, but he still understands the zone and has some recognition skills. 

-Brian Sakowski

-Mesa Mountain View senior righty Seth Nordin started on Thursday, and had a good day. Worked his fastball in the 82-86/87 range for the entirety of his start. Strong build, throws easy, broad shoulders, rotational delivery, works fastball down in zone with consistency and effectiveness. Will slow his arm down some and drag a bit when throwing his curveball, which still showed quality shape and depth. Arm action is short in the back to a lower slot, did a good job filling up the zone, showed really easy arm action. 

-Senior outfielder Canon Anderson showed quality hitting tools across several at bats. He employs a smaller load and shorter stride, but his hands are excellent and when combined with natural strength and some leverage, he showed the ability to do damage offensively. He took several excellent swings, making hard contact on nearly all of them, including a triple to the wall in the opposite-field gap. 

-Mullen (CO) catcher Maverick Handley has a strong, mature build and looks good both at the plate and behind it. Employs a very short, quick swing that is direct to the baseball, drilled a hard single through the 5-6 hole, shows quality receiving skills behind the plate with solid mechanics and a strong arm. 

-Mullen senior Jimmy Dobrash made his first start of the season on Thursday, and showed flashes of being a legitimate talent. He hasn't really done much pitching in his high school career, as he's primarily been an outfielder, but he definitely projects on the mound to the next level. Was up to 87 MPH several times early in his start, settled in around 82-85 for the majority of his outing, flashing quality, although inconsistent, life on the fastball when down in the zone. Works with an uptempo delivery, has some effort at release, gets some downhill plane from 6'0" frame, and showed flashes of a quality CB/CH combo, though he couldn't really get a feel for either offering in this outing. As the season moves forward and he stretches out, he could be one to watch. 

-Jheremy Brown