3/20/2016 3:38:39 PM
The first of the four Rawlings Select Classic Tournaments took place this past weekend at LakePoint where five out of state teams took part in the round robin tournament.
The Episcopal Knights armed with a trio of division one commits as well as a division two arm finished the tournament with a perfect 4-0 record with 42 runs scored.
Their leadoff hitter, Kobi Owen (2016, TX), a Tulane commit, showed impressive range in centerfield and at the plate showed a confident approach with a line drive plane. He had impressive raw bat speed, but showed some inability to match plane. The senior should continue to improve and add strength to an already athletic frame moving forward.
Another standout from the Knights was junior shortstop, Trei Cruz (2017, TX). Cruz hit in the middle of the Knights lineup and was more known for his prowess in the field then at the plate currently. He was very smooth with lateral quickness and soft hands up the middle as well as good footwork around the bag. The Rice commit also showed a strong arm from the left side of the infield, allowing him to project to be able to stay there moving forward. His projectable 6-foot-1, 175 pound frame should allow him to handle additional strength. At the plate, he showed raw bat speed with a whole field approach utilizing a short, compact swing.
The runner-ups in the event finishing with a 3-1 record with their only loss coming to the eventual champs was the Hardin Valley Academy Hawks. The Hawks were led by sophomore Kentucky commit Ryder Green. Green stands has a very physically mature 6-foot, 200 pound frame with very clear present strength throughout. He already possess plus bat speed and has a swing that generates tons of natural lift and backspin. His insonsistences at the plate are a result of his present troubles with barrel timing and matching a swing plane through the zone. With his age, some of those issues are common and he has tons of time and the tools to correct them moving forward.