2018 Scout Notes from PG Park at LakePoint

4/5/2018 12:00:00 AM

Catchers were the story of the day at PG Park as a pair of back stops put on strong performances and showed their skills.

Michael Trautwein (2018, Johns Creek, Ga.) of Northview High School showed easily the top defensive tools of the day behind the dish. Moving well laterally and blocking all dirt balls, Trautwein showed off an advanced all-around skill set on Thursday afternoon. His arm strength is impressive as well. On one play in particular the signee to Northwestern blocked a ball as the runner from first tried to scamper to second. Trautwein showed off his quickness getting to the ball and displaying the aforementioned arm strength to nab the runner trying to advance on a dirt ball read. He also finished with three hits on the day that included three hard hit singles. The third single concluded the contest as he drove in the winning run with a walkoff hit.

Justin Pelletreau (2018, Crofton, Md.) showed more from a performance standpoint with the bat in Thursday’s double header for Archbishop Spalding, but did still show elements at the catching position to keep an eye on. In Pelletreau’s first two at-bats the righthanded hitter roped a single and the followed that up with a double to his pull side. The barrel skills were a strength of the Lebanon Valley commit’s swing as he put the barrel to the baseball early and often in Archbishop Spalding’s first game of the day. Behind the plate the 6-foot-3 210-pound catcher has good receiving skills that are worth noting.

Tyler McDonough (2018, Liberty Township, Ohio) was the third catcher to display big-time tools. In his second game of the day behind the plate McDonough showed his catch and throw ability often with multiple pop times in the 2.00-2.10 range with those times coming all while throwing from his knees. The uncommitted catcher was the hero in game two as Moeller came back from a deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning. McDonough connected on a 1-1 fastball and did not miss it as he sent the ball over the fence in left field for a walkoff home run. The switch hitting catcher showed all day in both games his ability to play high level baseball.

Nick Staudigel (2018, Loveland, Ohio) helped himself out on the mound with a towering bomb to tie the game late in Moeller’s second game of a double header. The uncommitted righthanded hitter put a good swing on an 0-0 fastball to tie the game at one before Moeller came back to win the second game of their double header by a score of 7-4.

Mark McLaughlin (2019, Johns Creek, Ga.) started the game against a talented Archbishop Spalding team on Thursday night showing good velocity and an effortless delivery. His fastball showed occasional life and sat in the range of 83-87 mph consistently while bumping an 88 mph pitch on one occurrence. Standing at a very lean 6-foot-2 190-pounds and possibly taller than that listing, McLaughlin gets plenty of angle on his pitches and projects for much more moving forward. The junior righthander showed a three pitch mix with feel for each. The changeup showed good deception while being mostly straight in the mid-80s. His curveball showed lots of depth in the low-70s. McLaughlin is committed to Tennessee and his incredibly projectable frame along with his full and easy arm action give good indications that his velocity could make a jump as he continues to fill out physically. 

3/21/2018 9:00:27 AM

David Smith (2018, Acworth, Ga.) ripped a double to the pull side gap early in Allatoona High School's rout of South Cobb. He then followed that up with a bomb over the right field fence that left the park in a hurry. The lefthanded hitting catcher and Georgia State commit makes loud contact and showed his consistent barrel skills in this contest.

Georgia Southern commit Blake Evans (2018, Acworth, Ga.) jumped on the first pitch he saw in the top of the third and sent it into the right-center field gap for a triple. Evans turned around the first base bag on his way to third with a 4.51-second time from the lefthanded batter's box. The primary middle infielder was the designated hitter in this contest, but showed good actions in the infield during warmups.

Georgia Highlands College outfielder Zachary Miller (2018 elig, Lawrenceville, Ga.) and catcher Parker Orr (2018 elig, Marietta, Ga.) each belted towering pull side home runs in the Chargers matchup against Gordon State. Miller, with his exaggerated closed stance connected on his home run that resulted in a 6.31-second hang time. The bomb came on the first pitch he saw to begin the bottom of the first inning. Orr's came later in the game in the bottom of the third inning. 

3/3/2018 3:05:52 AM

Jacob Gilliland (2018, Ocean Springs, Miss.) helped Next Level Academy earn an 8-1 victory Friday night in what turned out to be an excellent starting pitching matchup. Similar to the summer circuit at Lakepoint, Gilliland lived in the upper-80s reaching 90 mph multiple times as well. It is still early in the season, but Gilliland has even reached the 93 mph mark with his fastball in the past. The verbal commitment to Junior College powerhouse Chattahoochee Valley Community College was very impressive. Overpowering hitters with fastballs and missing barrels with his curveball, Gilliland was practically unhittable on this night. His arm whips through the circle with a full arm action as he stays tall on his backside. He throws with some effort, but the velocity is maintained in that 88-90 mph range.

 

The opposing pitcher to Gilliland was young righthanded pitcher Treyton Rank (2021, Acworth, Ga.) of Dominion Christian. An advanced pitching prospect, still just a freshman, held his own on the mound against a talented lineup from Next Level Academy. Rank has a really projectable frame and delivery that is fluid and repeatable. What is most impressive about Rank’s pitching is how well his arm works and the little effort in which he throws with which makes it likely that there is more velocity still to come. He has a full arm action and the arm is quick. He made hitters repeatedly swing and miss especially with the curveball. His fastball sat 83-86 with some cutting action at times. The command was not always there for the uncommitted freshman righthander, but that will likely improve as he matures and continues to get more repetitions on the mound. 

3/2/2018 9:07:48 AM

Another day, another arm making a velocity jump in the early part of this spring. This time in Carrollton High School righthander Rhett Daniel (2018, Carrollton, Ga.). The Coastal Carolina opened up on a rainy night at Lakepoint 88-92 mph with his fastball and bumped a 93 mph pitch in his second inning. Daniel, an extremely projectable 6-foot-5 178-pound prospect, mixed in three pitches during his outing showcasing command of all three. His fastball has plenty of life coming from a long wrapped arm action up to a high three-quarters arm slot. His fastball was his best located pitch showing ability to command to both sides of the plate consistently. His next best pitch was his changeup with some sink. The curveball is still average at this time. Daniel, unfortunately, took the loss in Carrollton's matchup with Hillgrove, but the future Chanticleer should be monitored over the course of this spring as this velocity jump since July may not be the first for the projectable pitcher.

Jake Gooch (2019, Cartersville, Ga.) showed off the pop in his barrel Thursday night as he pulled a pitch and deposited over the left field fence for a two run home run. Gooch has strength in his 6-foot-1 195-pound frame and it shows in his righthanded swing generating plenty of bat speed and exit velocities. Gooch also shows tools behind the plate as he is committed to further his playing career at Georgia Tech. He moves well behind the plate with a strong arm that runners did not test in this contest.

2/20/2018 9:05:25 PM

Jackson Phipps (2020, Dallas, Ga.) started on the mound for the East Paulding Raiders on a very comfortable Tuesday night at Lakepoint and ran his fastball up to 91 mph. Over the span of his outing, his fastball worked from 86-90 mph. Phipps settled in nicely on the mound after the leadoff hitter tripled. He would go on to strikeout the next four batters he faced with his fastball and curveball. The ball comes from a low arm angle and a crossfire delivery. Phipps' arm works well with plenty of looseness to it and his delivery overall. The front side gets a bit tight at times and rushes through the delivery causing balls to spike, but overall the delivery is clean and he commands the strike zone well. 



Zachary Maxwell (2019, Acworth, Ga.) made a very strong relief appearance for North Paulding High School in their game at Lakepoint Tuesday night. Maxwell worked multiple innings that included a dominant third inning in which he struck out the side on with an overpowering fastball/curveball combination. Although Maxwell throws with some effort, his 88-91 velocity range was maintained throughout. In his first inning, Maxwell even notched a pair of 92 mph fastballs as well. Maxwell creates lots of angle on his pitches due in large part to his big 6-foot-5 225-pound frame. The Georgia Tech commit has a full arm action and a very good secondary pitch in his curveball that sat 75-78 mph with tight spin and good downward tilt. Maxwell's command is what stood out most in Tuesday's outing. The big righthander seemed to be able to locate the fastball and curveball to whichever part of the strike zone he pleased.

2/19/2018 3:55:15 PM

Cooper Stinson

Right handed pitcher (2018) Cooper Stinson took the mound this afternoon at Lakepoint for Norcross High School (GA). The Duke commit had his fastball working 90-93 mph. With a big frame and a long ¾ arm slot Stinson works down hill with great arm side run on his fastball. Throws off speed 86-87 slider with a quick arm action. Cooper also worked in a 86 mph change up that flashed downward sink in the zone.



Ali LaPread 

Ali LaPread (2018) Uncommitted shortstop from Norcross High School showed some barrel skills with hard contact in his first three at bats. Ali with an athletic slender 6’1 185 build has a quick first step on defense and excellent ability to read hops off the bat. At the plate LaPread showed great discipline and comfort in the box letting the ball travel and getting off smooth loose swings. Ali can drive the baseball and put pressure on the defense with above average speed showcasing a 6.7 60 yard dash.

2/18/2018 6:23:43 PM

Keyshawn Askew

McEachern starter 2018 LHP Keyshawn Askew took the hill Saturday afternoon at Lakepoint. The Clemson commit challenged hitters with all fastballs early in the count. His fastball staying around 88-89 mph down in the zone. Askew then would throw the curve at 69 mph to put hitters away and it was very effective. Out of the stretch in typical lefty fashion Keyshawn mixed times and holds using different variations of leg lifts to keep hitters off balance. Askew has ton of projectability with a 6’3 slender frame.

2/18/2018 6:19:35 PM

Kelvin Smith Jr.

  The senior 6’0 185 pound shortstop at Redan High Kelvin Smith Jr. had an impressive Saturday afternoon at Lakepoint. The Mizzou commit plays defense with confidence and makes playing shortstop look easy, starting his day flashing some leather making a diving stop up the middle behind the bag and easily throwing the runner out. On offense Kelvin went 2 for 2 at the dish with a single, sac fly, and recording a double ending the game putting his team up by 10. At the plate Kelvin relies a lot on timing and getting his front foot down with a semi high leg kick. Smith Jr. can also put a lot of pressure on the defense showcases above average speed on the bases.

 Zack Smith

  The 11^th rank catcher in the 2018 Georgia class rankings Zach Smith took the mound on Saturday against Redan. Smith giving the raiders trouble in his two innings of work. The Alexander High starter working a 72 mph wipeout breaking ball with Fastball sitting 87-90 mph. The Morehead State commit showing very good command of his breaking ball while changing the hitters eye level with the fastball.  

2/18/2018 12:00:00 AM

Connor Pavolony

River Ridge High’s backstop Connor Pavolony simply doesn’t look like a senior in High School, physically or the way he plays. The Tennessee Volunteer commit had an outstanding evening at Lakepoint. A strong base and a pure stroke at the plate allows Connor to use all parts of the field. His first at bat of the evening Connor drove a first pitch outside fastball for a line drive oppo single. After a brief power outage around the area, Pavolony provided some power on his own hitting a no doubter opposite field homerun that quickly left the park. Connor loves to talk the game behind the dish often an underestimated quality of a catcher. Whether he was buttering up the umpire for extra inch or two off or keeping his defense aware of their surroundings, Pavolony was talking the game the whole night.

Ethan Anderson

2019 Utility player Ethan Anderson has the skill set to do a lot of things at multiple positions for River Ridge and at the next level. The Georgia Southern commit is 6’3 185 and has a tall stance and a simple stroke at the plate. Ethan’s minimal movement level bat path gives his barrel a lot of opportunity to find the baseball, which is exactly what he did Saturday night. Anderson hit a rocket through the left side of the infield. With more power coming and his versatility makes Ethan a very intriguing prospect.

2/16/2018 12:00:00 AM

Ryland Goede is a 6’7 240-pound (2019) first baseman for Kennesaw Mountain High School. The University of Georgia commit is looking to compete in football and baseball for the Bulldogs. As you would expect Ryland is extremely athletic and can move around to ever corner position infield and outfield and has even seen some time behind the dish. Tonight, at Lakepoint he put his team up early by hitting one over the left fielder’s head stretching a double into a triple while driving in a run. Ryland shows real upside with effortless power.

2/15/2018 8:48:06 PM

Jack Friedman (2018, Decatur, Ga.) earned the start on the mound for Paideia Thursday night and did not disappoint. The righthander gets outstanding use of his lower half and it helps with his velocity sitting in the 88-91 mph range. His arm works well too hiding the ball well the back with good arm speed. That arm speed is maintained on his breaking ball that showed hard biting action and sharpness. Friedman's fastball is mostly straight and thrown from an over the top angle, but the ball gets on hitters quickly and made for lots of soft contact in Thursday's outing. 

2/15/2018 12:00:00 AM

Luke Bartnicki (2018, Marietta, Ga.) is well known already and as the season started for the Walton Raiders, the Georgia Tech signee got the nod on the bump against a talented South Forsyth team. Bartnicki threw four innings in front of a number of professional scouts looking on. The first inning showed the most impressive stuff in terms of velocity and projection as the fastball sat 89-92 touching 93 mph. He threw that fastball along with a pair of offspeed pitches. His slider was short breaking at 81 mph and his changeup was 82 mph with some deception. There is likely more velocity in the tank for Bartnicki and it would not be surprising if the senior from Marietta, Georgia made that jump over the course of this spring. 



Landon Sims (2019, Cumming, Ga.) was the counterpart to Bartnicki and showed big-time pitching prospect type stuff on the mound. The righthander sat 90-93 mph with his fastball and did pump out a 95 mph pitch on the last pitch of the first inning that concluded an inning in which he struck out the side. Sims may throw with some effort, but the delivery is repeated and it shows with his great control. The Mississippi State commit commanded three pitches for strikes and the changeup was the offspeed pitch of choice. His changeup showed good deception and had hitters continually leaking out onto their front foots for soft contact. The righthander is a top arm to keep an eye on in the 2019 class. 

2/13/2018 12:00:00 AM

Noah Bryant (2018 eligible, Covington, Ga.) tossed a pair of innings for the Chargers and pitched really well showing good velocity and a developing slider. His fastball sat 90-92 mph with lots of angle. Although there is effort at release, Bryant maintained his velocity for the duration of his outing. He mixed in a slider that flashed good bite, but was mostly still developing. 

Zachary Miller (2018 eligible, Lawrenceville, Ga.) of Georgia Highlands picked up a pair of hits and showcased top notch speed. The speedy outfielder beat out an infield single deep in the hole at shortstop and ran a 4.06 home to first base time in doing so. He also squared up an opposite field single later in the day as well.

2/13/2018 12:00:00 AM

Taj Bradley (2018, Stone Mountain, Ga.) started the game on the mound for Redan High School and was electric in his two innings of work. Bradley has a clean take back to a loose and easy arm action that is effortless at release. He showcased the ability to command three pitches for strikes including a 90-93 mph fastball with angle, a sharp 77 mph slider, and an 85-86 mph straight changeup. 

Kelvin Smith Jr. (2018, College Park, Ga.) drove a triple to deep right field for an opposite field triple in his third at-bat. Smith has good speed around the bases as well as big pop when on time. 

Lawrence Butler (2018, Atlanta, Ga.) may not have garnered a hit, the West Virginia commit did square up multiple balls on Tuesday night. Butler hit a towering deep fly ball to pull side that seemed to be a home run off the bat, but did fall just short for a long F-9 putout. Butler has power potential in his extremely fluid swing.

2/12/2018 10:24:27 PM

A number of professional scouts were in attendance for one of the few games scheduled to go off on Monday night, thanks to a large amount of rain over the weekend, and righthander Cooper Stinson (2018, Peachtree Corners, Ga.) toed the opening game of the season for Norcross and Dunwoody high schools. The righthander stands at a stout and extremely physical 6-foot-6, 240-pounds with long limbs and an extremely low-effort level through the point of release. Stinson attacked hitters with a primarily two-pitch mix, a fastball-slider combination. The extended release combined with the length of the frame allowed the Duke commit to create easy, downhill plane to both sides of the plate, while the velocity of the fastball was in the 90-92 mph range for the first few innings, he touched a 93 and a 94, and dipped as the outing went on. The slider showed average at times with tight break and downward bite, with the velocity up to 87 mph and in the mid-80s consistently, however he would drop slot and get under the pitch at times. All in all, this was a strong showing for Stinson in the first game of the season and the slider was downright filthy at times. 

A yet uncommitted senior took the ball for Dunwoody as righthander Dylan Kovitch (2018, Dunwoody, Ga.) was the victim of some poor luck, however showed off good raw stuff. Kovitch has a lot of things you look for when projecting on a pitcher: a large frame with room left for physical projection and impressive raw arm speed. The arm stroke gets through the circle well and he can create some run on his fastball that worked in the upper-80s and topped out at 89 mph on the evening. Kovitch showed a breaking ball in the mid-70s that he could get around the strike zone and showed some shape and break to the pitch as well. Kovitch didn't turn in the greatest of performances, however he battled on the mound and certainly showed that his ability can translate to the next level at Division I college baseball. 

Having one of the better days offensively was shortstop, and co-captain, for Norcross Ali LaPread (2018, Peachtree Corners, Ga.) who took strong at-bats and made some hard hit contact. The shortstop showed pretty clean and athletic actions during in-and-out, and the swings were some of the best of the game. There's lots of strength and quickness to his hands as he gets the barrel through the zone well that included a fly out that was in the air for 6.1 seconds and a roped double to the pull side and down the line. LaPread, who has run a 6.7 60-yard dash at a PG showcase in the past, got to first base in 4.52 seconds showing good twitch and burst out the box. LaPread is another senior prospect in the state of Georgia who is yet uncommitted but certainly has the skill set and tools to play at the next level. 

2/9/2018 12:00:00 AM

The #3 team in the JUCO rankings made their way to PG Park South at Lakepoint as the Walters State Senators played a double header against Georgia Highlands. The Senators ran away with game one and the Chargers were able to hold on for a one-run victory to split the doubleheader. 


Shortstop Hunter Wolfe (2018 Elig., Kingsport, Tenn.) is one of the most toolsy prospects in the junior college ranks and comes in ranked no. 5 in the JUCO Top 150 Draft Prospects . Wolfe is extremely athletic and has very natural, athletic actions over at shortstop. He reads the ball well and can work through throws with his footwork showing soft hands and making a number of impressive plays. Wolfe is an excellent runner, timed at 4.07 and 4.12 seconds to first base from the right side, and would grade out as a plus-plus tool that is likely his carrying tool. Wolfe hits in the middle of the order for the Senators and shows a very compact swing and does a good job at getting the bat head out in front. He has more power than one would gather from first glance as his second swing of the game he launched a no-doubt, three-run shot deep to the pull side. The approach is more of a line drive one but he showed that he can get into a mistake pitch. Wolfe's carrying tool is his 70 run tool, however he has a good collection of skills, bat-to-ball and defensive prowess, to be worthy of a high draft selection. He is certainly athletic enough to even move to centerfield in pro ball if he can't stick at shortstop. 



Wolfe's teammate Hayden Lehman (2018 Elig., Marietta, Ga.) got the start for the Senators and twirled himself a strong game. Lehman tossed six shutout innings while only allowing four hits on the afternoon and showed a deep repertoire as well. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound righthander is very physical and looks to be filled out with present strength. The arm action is compact and repeatable from a tight arm slot but he gets downhill very consistently and easily. The South Carolina commit attacked with fastballs early on and sat in the 89-92 mph range in the first couple of innings. The slider was his best offspeed offering on the day as the pitch sat in the 80-82 mph range early on and showed average more than a handful of times. He showed four pitches which included a hard, straight changeup in the mid-80s and a curveball that he could land for strikes and functioned best as a change of pace pitch. Lehman has a good frame and repertoire to be a starter at the next level with his slider projecting very well. 



Redshirt freshman Alex Haynes (2018 Elig., Knoxville, Tenn.) closed out the first game in the ninth inning and showed off a power fastball. The righthander starts from the stretch on the mound with a very simple leg lift above the belt as he drives toward the plate and fires his pitches in. Haynes attacked hitters with his fastball that was up to 94 mph and sat comfortably in the 92-94 mph range. The pitch was mostly straight but came out of the hand cleanly. He walked one batter and threw two curveballs, both at 73 mph, with 10/4 shape and both for strikes; Haynes also flashed a changeup in warm ups. 

Sophomore Dylan Harris (2018 Elig., Knoxville, Tenn.) had a very strong showing in all facets of the game during the doubleheader. Harris is committed to North Carolina and fits the profile of a speedy leadoff type of player. Harris was timed at 4.25 seconds to first from the left side and gets a good burst out of the box upon contact. The swing itself is more of a short, contact-oriented swing and can create line drive contact to all fields. What stands out about Harris' ability in the box are his bat-to-ball skills. He makes contact a lot and has a very patient approach as he walked 35 times a season ago and walked more than he struck out. The speed allows him to play centerfield and he plays the position excellently. There isn't a ton of arm strength to the profile, however he covers ground exceptionally well in the outfield with quick and correct reads on fly balls that show off his instincts. 



Lefthander Kevin Barham (2018 Elig., Conyers, Ga.) came in for a relief appearance during game two and showed off an intriguing tool set. The lefty is lean and lanky with still some room for strength on the frame with an element of funk to the overall delivery. Barham's arm action is very online and when combined with the multiple moving parts of the delivery allows him to hide the ball and for his stuff to play up. Barham didn't show any offspeed pitches during the game on Friday, however he worked his fastball, which sat 89-91 mph in the first before settling in the upper-80s, to both sides of the plate and threw a lot of strikes. 

Matthew Norton (2018 Elig., Peachtree City, Ga.) closed out the win for the Chargers and worked in the clutch for two strikeouts to seal the one-run victory. Norton is big and physical with a compact arm stroke and generates pretty solid downhill plane. Norton's best pitch of the evening was his power curveball which was up to 80 mph with biting downward life. The pitch was buried in the dirt for a couple of strikeouts to end the game and clinch the win. 

2/8/2018 12:00:00 AM

Lefthander Ben Harris (2018, Alpharetta, Ga.) got the nod for Milton High School and was pretty sharp in terms of fastball command early on. The southpaw looks noticeably stronger and more filled out than in previous viewings, and still works with an athletic and balanced delivery. Harris worked in the 86-89 mph range and bumped a 90 mph pitch or two on a few scout's guns and worked the pitch to both sides of the plate with ease. The breaking ball worked in the low-70s with shape but the command of the pitch wasn't as sharp, however he landed a few for strikes in his one inning of work. The command of the fastball is what stood out for the Virginia commit, especially this early in the season as he looks to get ready for the regular season to get underway. 



Cartersville's Anthony Seigler (2018, Cartersville, Ga.) also got himself a full day's work in as he did almost everything on the baseball field. Seigler caught two innings and had a number of opportunities to show off his above average arm strength behind the dish. He popped a 2.07 in-game time later in the game and the arm strength was a real weapon to keep runners tight at first or even to back pick a runner at second base. The flexibility and athleticism behind the plate obviously stand out and the receiving continues to improve. The Florida commit launched a grand slam during his final at-bat and showed off some pop while also demonstrating that he has some of, if not, the best feel to hit in the entire Georgia draft class. Although his professional career is likely behind the plate, Seigler is a downright wizard on a baseball field and tossed an inning lefthanded. The fastball came out of the hand with good sink and run while the pitch sat in the 86-88 mph range. He showed three pitches, a tight slider up to 77 mph and feel for a changeup at 79 mph, and showed again his versatility on a baseball field. 

Leading the offensive charge for Milton tonight was catcher Danny Grillo (2018, Milton, Ga.) as he showed off some righthanded power with a long, no-doubt shot to deep left field. The righthanded hitter is very physical and works well to the pull side where he can turn well and utilize his lower half through the baseball. Grillo factors to be one of a number of seniors who will have big roles to play on what should be a very strong Milton team. 

Righthander Dylan Matela (2019, Alpharetta, Ga.) got an inning and showed off some interesting tools during the scrimmage. Matela worked in the 85-88 mph range with a very loose and whippy arm. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound righthander is very physically projectable and there's a lot of velocity left in his frame. He gets downhill very easily and there's lots of plane to his fastball. He showed three pitches on Thursday night including a curveball that had pretty tight rotation and consistent shape to it, he had some trouble landing the pitch for strikes but there's clearly potential there. The best secondary offering he showed was his changeup which showed good fading action to the arm side and was thrown with conviction similar to his fastball. 

Mason Barnett (2018, White, Georgia) also got an inning for the Hurricanes and the righthander was impressive despite the cold at PG Park. The Auburn commit showed off his fastball which worked in the 87-90 mph range with his traditional low effort delivery. The feel for the breaking ball was a bit off as he spiked a couple, but again it is very early in the season and it was very cold. Barnett still twirled a couple of breakers with good depth and tight shape. The most interesting development for Barnett was the development of his changeup. This scout had not seen Barnett utilize a changeup previously and he threw about five or six that were very impressive. The arm speed replication was very close to the fastball and the change faded away from lefthanded hitters and made some of them look foolish. Barnett even had enough confidence to triple up on the pitch for a strikeout. 

2/2/2018 12:00:00 AM

Jaree Pledger (2018 elig, Monroe, Ga.) began his career at Georgia Highlands with a bang as the freshman from Walnut Grove High School belted a 2-2 pitch out to pull side for a home run. The 5-foot-9 190-pound outfielder showed quick hands and line drive plane to the barrel as it travels through the hitting zone. The home run came on the first batter of the bottom of the first inning as Pledger led off the game with a solo shot. He later followed that hard hit ball up with a square up line drive right to the shortstop for an L6 in the book. Pledger showed all game long a knack for finding the barrel for hard contact. 

Parker Orr (2018 elig, Marietta, Ga.) is as physical of a kid as they come. With noticeable strength on his 6-foot-2 frame, the catcher put that strength on display as he lifted a towering home run to pull side in his first at-bat of the day. Orr moves well behind the plate and shows the ability to frame well and steal strikes for his pitchers.

Zachery Teem (2018 elig, Acworth, Ga.), the opposing catcher to Highlands and starter for Chattanooga State, showed good bat speed on a double down the line that one hopped the left field wall. Similarly to Orr, Teem moves well behind the plate with good lateral agility. 

Noah Bryant (2018 elig, Bainbridge, Ga.) came in to work on the mound for the Georgia Highlands Chargers. Although the command was slightly off on this day, the fastball Bryant displayed was electric with lots of two-seam life. His fastball sat consistently in the 89-91 mph range. Bryant has a projectable build at 6-foot-3 200-pounds and looks slightly slimmer to the eye than the 200-pound listing. Bryant flashed a tight slider at 84 mph as well that showed good potential to be a wipe out pitch. The University of North Georgia transfer has a longer arm action with a slightly early arm through the circle.