3/24/2016 4:23:05 PM
The Rawlings Select Classic #2 kicked off on Thursday at LakePoint with 11 teams from seven different states traveling to play. With an adjusted bracket, the first round of games played Thursday morning started off round one of the event.
The O'Fallon Panthers were one of the six teams to play a round one game, they sent out Southern Illinois commit, Bradley Harrison to start. The left-handed Harrison took the mound with a lean, lanky build at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds with plenty of room to continue to fill out. He worked from a three-quarter arm slot and created good angle towards the plate. His fastball was an average offering sitting between 82-85 mph and touching 86 mph a handful of times with slight arm-side wiggle. He used an upbeat delivery and filled the zone, attacking hitters. What Harrison did exceptionally well was throw a hard slider up to 79 mph with good two-plane break and tight spin. The pitch was clocked by TrackMan with a 2700 spin rate consistently throughout his start. He kept hitters off balance and did well to pitch backwards using his slider to set up his fastball. He also mixed in a looser breaking 12-6 curveball with some depth, but it was inconsistent. Harrison tossed a complete game, earning the win and recording 10 strikeouts over his seven innings.
For video of Harrison, please follow this link.
On the opposite side of the north tower was the Poplar Bluff Mules and they sent out Missouri commit, Kameron Misner. Misner is listed at a physically impressive 6-foot-4, 210 pounds with room to continue to physically develop and add strength. He started the Mules' first game on the mound, but is regarded significantly higher at the plate and showed out in both. Riddled with raw strength throughout, Misner showcased plus bat speed and smooth, easy swing plane. He showed good feel for the barrel, but his long limbs occasionally lead to his swing becoming too long. He also has trouble recognizing and laying off of bad spin, but he feasts on fastballs. He delivered four balls on the day that left the bat at 97+ mph off the bat, including a double that was 101 mph in game one. His bat speed and line drive plane allow him to drive balls, mostly pull side, in the air. In game two he roped the HR in the video below showing off his raw power. Misner also showed average speed in the game, consistently clocked between 4.25-4.27 on ground balls from the right side. In game two, Misner was not tested in the outfield, but I'll hopefully have the opportunity to see him in the games tomorrow.
A pair of University of Florida underclass commits took the field for Merrit Island as they won their quarterfinal game over the aforementioned Poplar Bluff. Shortstop Brady McConnell led off for the Mustangs and showed a really quick, easy swing through the zone. He showed plus feel for the barrel and timing of its release at the plate with an approach that worked the whole field. At shortstop, he showed really smooth actions to both sides as well as a strong arm across the infield. McConnell showed his athleticism in just about every facet of the game. He possess average speed from the right-side, but uses it well in games, taking the extra base and challenging defenders. His teammate and fellow Gator commit, Mason Denaburg, hit behind him in the order. The very physically mature sophomore catcher stands at 6-foot-3, 180 pounds with lots of projectability left in his frame. He has very athletic actions as well with developing receiving and blocking skills. What really stood out for Denaburg was his arm strength behind the plate with plus carry to the bag. At the plate, he collected three hits with a super easy swing. He uses the California glide with no hitch in his swing and showed good bat speed.
In one of the other quarterfinal games, South Dade HS from Florida took the field after a first round bye and used highly touted right-hander Alek Manoah in relief to secure the win. The West Virginia commit has a very large, physical frame on the mound and is listed at 6-foot-6, 245 pounds and looks every bit of it. He works from a low three-quarter arm slot on the mound with heavy crossfire action. He landed closed with a heel turn finish on the mound and was severely cutting off his extension downhill. The same impressive arm speed was still there for Manoah as his fastball worked between 88-90 mph and touched 91 a handful of times with slight arm-side wiggle. The high of 91 was the top velocity of the day, but Manoah was consistently sitting in the mid-90's with a high of 95 this past summer. Manoah's curveball is still easily his best pitch, with a high of 73 mph it showed sharp, two plane break when kept low in the zone. He appeared to be trying to work on his control in his outing, rather than the dominance he's known for. Even with the emphasis on control, he still struggled to hit glove-side in the outing, either leaving the ball over the plate or way outside. On the day, he earned the save for the Buccaneers with three innings and a pair of strikeouts.
For video of Manoah, please follow this link.