2/4/2017 7:34:15 PM
The first game of the day between the #1 Keiser Seahawks and the #8 UNOH Racers did not disappoint. The pitcher's duel started with the physical Kyle Thomas (2017 Elig. Mississauga, ON) taking the mound for UNOH with a durable 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame. Thomas used a short, compact arm action that was hooked through the back with quality arm strength through release. His fastball worked 90-92 mph with good arm side life. He had trouble keeping his fastball low in the zone and should have challenged hitters up and out of the zone. He landed open down the mound slightly on a stiff front leg and repeated well enough. He threw four innings on the mound and mixed in a pair of breaking balls early on. He threw a harder slider at 79 mph with shorter depth and bite that he really pulled across his body. Thomas looked far more comfortable with his curveball that sat in the mid 80's with 10-to-4 shape and quality spin. The pitch was thrown in the correct count and helped supplement his fastball when it was not as effective. 

For the #1 Seahawks, Kyle Keatts (2017 Elig. Jupiter, FL) was dominant on the mound with seven strong shutout innings, allowing just three hits. Keatts did exceptionally well to repeat his long, fluid arm action on the mound and pound his fastball to the lower third. Keatts has a smaller, more physical frame, but uses it well to get his momentum down the mound with solid extension. His fastball worked in the upper 80's and touched 90 mph with short arm side life. Keatts showed a quality swing and miss pitch with his slider in the upper 70's that showed above average spin and helped him rack up a handful of his eight strikeouts. Keatts impressively got 16 of his 21 outs via either strikeout or groundout, limiting the potential damage leaving his fastball up in the air. 

Though he has did not collect a game in either game, Tivon Faneyte (2017 Elig. Christchurch, VA) showed some of the best raw bat speed of anyone playing in either game going on. Fanyete has good strength in his frame with a short, leveraged swing and routinely turned in exit velocities over 95 mph. Most of what he hit happened to be lined right at fielders, but with his current approach and ability to drive the ball that should not last long. 

Georgia Highlands shortstop Grant Bodison (2017 Elig, Simpsonville, SC) delivered yet again at the plate for the Chargers. For the second day in a row he launched a towering home run to left field. Bodison has a longer hand path to the ball when he looks to tap into some of his raw power with higher end bat speed. He needs to find consistency with his timing mechanisms and his path to the ball as he faces better pitching throughout the year. He did show well defensively today, showing arm strength back to his high school days with the same first step quickness.



Andy Rivera (2017 Elig. Miami, FL) turned in perhaps the most impressive outing of the day for any pitcher. He helped Chattanooga State salvage the series, picking up the final game with a dominant start and helped quiet the very loud Highlands offense. Rivera used a loose, full arm action on the mound from an extended three quarter slot. Rivera maintained good directionality to the plate and attacked hitters right away with a fastball that worked 90-93 mph with good arm side life. He worked over his front side quite a bit and landed on a stiff front leg. Rivera generated good deception with a deeper hip turn and the extended slot, but managed to work both sides of the plate efficiently. He worked almost exclusively off of his fastball in the outing, but did show a changeup in the low 80's that showed late depth and drop out of the zone. He replicated his arm speed well for the changeup, which caused it to play up, but the development of a third pitch, and one that could work away from righthanders would give him a quality three pitch arsenal.