2/12/2017 8:42:46 PM
University of the Cumberlands Patriots squared off against the Mount Mercy Mustangs for the opening game of NAIA play on Sunday. Cumberlands starter Zach Hurley (2017 Elig., East Bernstadt, Ky.) turned in an impressive effort on the mound and showed off some good tools in the process. Hurley stands on the mound with a strong lower half and has physicality present throughout his frame. He throws from a longer arm action with a slight wrist hook through the back of the delivery, though the arm circle is very full. Hurley started by working his fastball to both sides of the plate and showed good command of the pitch throughout his start. The fastball was his biggest weapon on Sunday as the pitch sat from 86-88 mph and topped out at 89 mph on the day. The pitch did not have much movement to it, but Hurley got on top of it often to create a tough angle for opposing hitters. He mixed in a slider that was a decent pitch, but he used it with confidence and effectiveness. Hurley showed impressive pitchability throughout the day: he pitched backwards, threw his breaking ball for both strikes and swings and misses, and hit his spots often. Hurley finished the day with a complete game shutout and three strikeouts.
There was a High School Spring Swing doubleheader going on at the same time between Next Level Academy and East Cobb Academy. Next Level was able to win both games and a couple of players who recently participated in the 2017 World Showcase stood out.
Catcher Paul McIntosh (2017, Miami Gardens, Fla.) showed that he has made a lot of progress and is better able to utilize his defensive tools behind the plate. McIntosh's most impressive tool behind the plate was his arm strength. He registered a number of in-game pop times in the 2.00 range and threw out at least two baserunners on the day, both of which were not particularly close. The Alabama State signee also showed good wrist strength and receiving skills to go along with quickness and athleticism to showcase his blocking ability. McIntosh's calling card as a prospect, however, is the bat. The offensive tools are as good as ever with the ability to drop the barrel head onto the baseball and to create natural leverage in his swing. He shifts his weight well into the point of contact and he still has very good bat speed. One of his offensive highlights on the day was a double rocketed down the left field line in the second game.
The other participant of the World Showcase who impressed today was righthanded pitcher Myles McKisic (2017, Delray Beach, Fla.). The 6-foot-2, 184-pound righthander is very slender and projectable on the mound with little effort throughout his delivery. He throws from an extended three-quarter arm slot with a long arm action and did a good job at getting downhill on Sunday. McKisic is extremely athletic in general, he is a rare player who can play shortstop or centerfield, and his athleticism shows on the mound. He worked using a two-pitch repertoire of fastball and curveball on Sunday. The fastball topped out at 88 mph on the day and sat between 84-87 mph. The pitch had some late life to it including some cutting action. The fastball was tough to get good contact off as he created a difficult entry angle into the strike zone. The breaking pitch had slurvy action to it and came in the mid-70s with some depth; he showed some feel to spin the pitch. McKisic's command was excellent in his final inning of work and made short work of opposing hitters in the seventh inning. The Pensacola State commit is an intriguing potential two-way prospect who has shown the ability to hit and play very good defense in the past.
Perfect Game Park was nearly filled to the brim with professional scouts leading up to the final game of a three-game set between junior colleges Georgia Highlands and Walters State. There was a lot of buzz surrounding the starting pitcher for Walters State Ricky Karcher (2017 Elig., Saline, Mich.). The former Michigan Wolverine showed a lot of potential on the mound Sunday and showed enough tools on the mound to be on teams radars come June. Karcher is listed at a lean 6-foot-4, 195-pounds and looked it as well. He has a very quick, clean arm with a bit of a soft stab throughout the back of his delivery. Karcher throws with very little effort on the mound and came out of the gate firing fastballs between 91-93 mph consistently. With the delivery being almost effortless it's not crazy to wonder how hard the velocity might be upon peak physical maturity. The pitch had some late life and because he threw with such little effort he could ramp up the velocity as needed. On a two-strike pitch early on, he threw with noticeably more effort and registered his fastest velo of the day at 95 mph. He extended well towards the plate and created some separation. The velocity dropped a bit in his second inning of work but he did labor through his two innings of work on the mound. The command was a bit shaky although he worked pretty well side-to-side. Karcher ran into some issues today but he showed a lot of promise and potential for the future on the mound Sunday.