Contributing:
Jordan Stroschein
It
comes as little surprise when saying Cole Turney (2017,
Richmond, Texas) knows how to hit and the combination of speed speed
and strength in his lefthanded swing ranks amongst the best in the
country regardless of age. Strongly built at a listed 6-foot-1,
195-pounds and already committed to the University of Arkansas,
Turney connected for one of the harder hit balls of the tournament on
opening night that put his prowess for hitting on full display. With
a rather simple approach in the box Turney was able to work the count
full in his first at-bat of the tournament before he saw an outer
half fastball before and squared it up for a line drive double down
the left field line.
Trevis
Sundgren (2017, Silsbee, Texas) came into the game in a relief
role for the Beaumont Gladiators and impressed with the ease and low
effort in which he was able to create his velocity. Committed to the
University of Houston, Sundgren worked comfortably in the 86-88 mph
range with his fastball from a compact arm action while generating
steady downhill plane and short running life to his arm side. He did
a nice job of filling up the strike zone and as he continues to fill
out his 6-foot frame and incorporate additional lower half into his
drive Sundgren should see another tick or two on his fastball. While
working steadily off his fastball the righthanded Sundgren also mixed
in an 11-to-5 curveball that flashed late and tight bite away from
righthanded hitters.
He
may just be entering his sophomore year of high school but Mason
Englert (2018, Forney, Texas) already has his commitment to Texas
A&M secured and has continued to makes strides each time he’s
taken the mound out a Perfect Game event. Englert stands with a long
and loose 6-foot-4, 185-pound frame on the mound and will surely
continue to gain strength over the next three years which in turn
will add to his already impressive repertoire on the mound.
The
future Aggie worked the first 4 1/3 innings for the Houston Banditos
before giving way to another young and highly talented arm and showed
the ability to pound the lower quadrants of the strike zone while
missing several bats en route to nine strikeouts. With a rather short
stride down the mound, Englert did an excellent job of working over
his front side which in turn created consistent and hard sinking life
on his fastball that sat in the 85-88 mph range throughout, both out
of the stretch and windup. Englert remained in control from the start
to finish showing the ability to locate to either side of the plate
while living down in the zone.
Englert
began the afternoon by mixing in a 68-71 mph curveball that showed
12-to-6 shape and solid depth but slowly gave way to a slider in the
77-80 mph that proved to be a put away pitch for the remainder of the
game. With a bases loaded, no out situation in the fourth Englert
went to work and struck out the next three batters to thwart the
threat based off the strength and comfort of his short tilting
slider.
It
may have only been a 1 2/3 innings look but young righthander Matthew
Thompson (2019, Cypress, Texas) made a lasting impression on
those who were looking on. Listed a 6-foot-2, 173-pounds Thompson
projects very well physically as you’d expect for a player just
entering his freshman year, sporting broad and angular shoulders with
long, loose limbs and a high waist.
With
a full arm action through the back side working to a three-quarters
arm slot, Thompson sat comfortably in the 85-87 mph range, touching
an 88 with a relatively low effort release. More impressive than the
velocity – which is amongst the tops in a tournament with players
who are three years older – was Thompson’s ability to
consistently live down in the zone, rarely locating a pitch higher
than the knees. The ball comes out of his hand clean and loose and by
working on top of the ball Thompson was able to create steady sink on
his fastball. With added strength and continued incorporation of his
lower half it’s easy to envision more velocity on its way. He
worked primarily off his fastball throughout, once flashing a
changeup at 76 mph and followed that offering with a slider, also at
76 mph, that featured short and late tilt showing quality potential.
The
first pitch out of Shane Baz’s (2017, Cypress, Texas) hand
came across at 92 mph and set the tone for the rest of the outing as
the uncommitted 6-foot-3 righthander sat comfortably within the 88-92
mph, once touching a 93 in the third inning. With a plus-athletic and
projectable frame Baz works with a short and compact arm action,
showing good arm speed through the back before coming to a high
three-quarters release point.
Baz
is able to create his big fastball velocity rather easily and
projects to throw even harder moving forward. He showed the ability
to work to either side of the plate regardless a righthanded or
lefthanded hitter and showed rather consistent cutting life to his
heater. He also displayed a feel for his curveball as he showed the
ability to add and subtract to the pitch, showing a softer version
early in the count and a harder, late downward type in the 77-79 mph
with sharp depth.
Owen
Meaney (2018, Houston, Texas) will immediately catch your
attention with his long 6-foot-4, 200-pound build and he has the
upside on the mound that one won’t forget. Despite his age and
length of his levers Meaney showed coordination and was able to
create big extension out front at release which gave his 85-89 mph
fastball some extra late life and sink the last few feet towards the
plate. Though there were a couple of defensive miscues behind him
Meaney was able to create consistent ground ball contact due to that
previously mentioned sink while maintaining his velocity out of the
stretch. His low-70s breaking ball is still developing at this point
but his changeup is a quality offering at present and projects to be
a solid offering moving forward. He does a nice job of maintaining
his arm slot and arm action on his changeup, mimicking his fastball
with late life at 77-79 mph. It was a quick one inning look but
Meaney has all the makings of being a high-end arm.
Riley
King (2016, Bedford, Texas) is one of several athletic and
versatile players in the Dallas Patriots Stout lineup and showed well
at both middle infield positions during my looks throughout the
weekend. Listed at 5-foot-9, 150-pound King turned a very athletic
double play with double play partner Brayden Cook early in the
tournament, each showing soft and quick hands with sound footwork to
turn two for the Patriots. King again showed off those quick hands
during their Sunday morning game while playing second base with the
ball coming out of his glove as quickly as he received it. He also
showed a nice feel for the barrel from the right side, first lining a
single into the opposite field before pulling a double down the left
field line.
The
power in Ronald Washington’s (2017, Houston, Texas)
righthanded swing is far from a mystery as his exploits have been
well documented over the last couple of summers. With a strong and
physical 6-foot-1, 210-pound frame the University of Texas commit
showed a solid contact approach throughout the weekend, picking up a
couple of line drive singles to all parts of the field with hard jump
off the barrel.
Beau
Orlando (2016, Houston, Texas) and Robert Bullard (2016,
Missouri City, Texas) are two uncommitted seniors who impressed
throughout the weekend on both sides of the ball. Orlando, a strong
5-foot-10, 190-pound broad shouldered catcher was able to find the
head of the barrel throughout the weekend, steadily connecting for
hard line drive contact to the middle and pull side parts of the
field. He does a nice job of receiving behind the plate and delivered
consistent pop times in the low-2.0s in between innings.
Bullard
is a quick-twitch center fielder who moves well on his feet
defensively, showing a sound first step which helps him to cover
ground to either side. Along with the range he shows solid arm
strength from a short and quick arm action with good carry out of his
hand. A lefthanded hitter who’s situated at the top of the lineup,
Bullard put some strength on display as he turned on a lefthanded
fastball and put it over the right field fence for a solo home run.
Phillip
Ahern (2016, Austin, Texas) proved to be in complete control
throughout his five innings on the mound for the Texas Drillers, a
team who has done nothing but hit the ball hard throughout the
weekend. An uncommitted 6-foot-1 lefthander, Ahern worked comfortably
in the 79-84 mph range throughout while consistently pounding the
strike zone to either side of the plate. His arm action is quick
through the back side and he’ll occasionally drop down a tick lower
to give hitters a different look while still showing a feel for the
strike zone. The Texas native consistently mixed in a low-70s
breaking ball and exhibited a strong feel, serving as his out pitch
that he used to pick up several of his ten strikeouts. Though he
wasn’t able to cap off his perfect game in the last inning, Ahern
was able to complete the no-hitter and appeared to be in complete
control throughout.
Committed
to Louisiana Tech, righthander Tyler Folis (2016, Sulphur
Springs, Texas) showed a quick arm that helped produce a fastball up
to 88 mph while working steadily in the mid-80s with heavy life down
in the zone. With a slight pause at the top of his delivery Folis was
able to create consistent downhill plane to his fastball which
created steady ground ball contact early on. The ball comes out of
his hand cleanly and showed the ability to fill up the strike zone
while showing a feel for his low-70s breaking ball that continued to
develop throughout his outing.
Jaxon
Williams (2016, Rosenberg, Texas) is another University of
Arkansas on the South Texas Sliders and has performed well throughout
the tournament, both defensively and with his righthanded stick. He
may not be the biggest listed at 5-foot-9, 160-pounds but he’s full
of twitch and athleticism, both of which allow him to make every play
up the middle smooth and easy with plenty of arm strength across.
Williams has displayed a sound approach in the box throughout the
weekend as well as he’s showed a willingness to take his walks but
was also looking to get the barrel to the ball. He did just that as
he turned on a 90 mph inner half fastball which he drove into the
left-center field gap for a two base hit.
Jordan
Westburg (2017, New Branunfels, Texas) also impressed with his
righthanded swing for the Sliders and projects well as he continues
to fill out his 6-foot-1 frame. He already shows nice bat speed
coming through the zone and twice ended games with due to run rules
with well struck balls, the first a double to deep center field that
hopped up against the wall and a hard line drive single that he
pulled through the left side.
Jordan
Powell (2017, Montgomery, Texas) is a young, projectable
righthander who’s listed at 5-foot-11, 170-pounds and will continue
to add onto an already impressive repertoire with continued strength
gains. During his few innings on the mound the uncommitted Powell
came out attacking with a fastball that sat in the 84-88 mph range,
peaking at 89 mph from a short and fast arm action. Beginning his
delivery with a high leg lift, Powell does a nice job of staying
online with his lower half and showed the ability to work both sides
of the plate with relative ease on his arm action at release.
Powell’s heater featured riding life when up in zone and in on
righthanded hitter’s hands and he did a nice job of mixing in a
short and tight 11-to-5 curveball in the 69-72 mph range.
Jacob
Wyeth (2017, Austin, Texas) and Brad Demco (2016, Austin,
Texas) are two well known players in the state of Texas and both are
ranked within the top 300 of their respective classes and each put
their righthanded strength on display in the tournament. Wyeth, an
uncommitted catcher, wasted little time showing off his abilities
with the bat as he kept his weight back well on a breaking ball and
drove it deep over the left field wall for a home run in one of his
first at-bats of the tournament. Demco waited a little longer to hit
his as the Sam Houston State commit connected for his during the
Prospect National Team’s Sunday morning game a couple of pitches
are just hooking one foul over the left field fence. He did a nice jo
fob staying short and direct to he ball and exhibited solid bat speed
through the zone.
The
Tomball Tornados sent two projectable arms to the mound during the
opening day who showed interesting potential with 6-foot-7
righthander Christopher Patterson (2016, Houston, Texas) and
lefthanded Dominic Robinson (2016, Tomball, Texas).
Patterson
quickly stands out for his height and long levers and shows a sound
fastball that worked in the 83-86 mph range, peaking at 87 mph from a
full and loose arm action. He remains quick through the back and
comes out of his hand cleanly and should project for continued
velocity with better use of his lower half in his delivery. He does a
nice job of getting on top of his fastball for a player of his height
and showed both a breaking ball in the low-70s and a changeup in the
75-78 mph range. A strongly built 6-foot-1, 184-pound lefthander,
Robinson is also uncommitted and like Patterson he ran his fastball
up to 87 mph. Sitting in the low- to mid-80s with his heater,
Robinson showed the ability to create extension out front on his
fastball. His arm action is relatively short through the back and
though his front side opens early at times he was able to throw
strikes while mixing in a breaking ball in the low-70s.
A
6-foot-3, 180-pound righthander for the North Texas Longhorns, Troy
Watson (2016, Gunter, Texas) impressed with some of the best
velocity of the tournament. With a loose and whippy arm action and a
low three-quarters arm slot Watson worked in the 87-90 mph range
early on, topping 91 mph with sound running life to his arm side.
Striking out five in his 4.2 innings of work the Northern Colorado
commit also featured a breaking ball in the 71-74 mph range.
The
Texas Drillers have been able to outscore their opponents en route to
a 5-0 record and a championship birth, allowing just a single run
which came in their semifinal 10-1 victory. Two of the bats that have
helped pace the offense are situated in the middle of their order in
third baseman Mitchell Caskey (2016, Houston, Texas) and
center fielder Christian Long (2016, Houston, Texas).
Listed
at 6-foot-1, 190-pounds Caskey is able to use his strength to create
solid bat speed through the zone while showing a strong approach in
the box. A righthanded hitter, Caskey is one of several Driller bats
hitting over .400 in the tournament and leads the team with eight
RBI, three of which came on an impressive two-strike swing where he
drove an outer half fastball to the opposite field gap for a three
base hit.
Long
is full of athleticism and moves well on his feet, listed at
6-foot-1, 198-pounds with present strength throughout his frame. Like
Caskey above, Long showed an advanced approach in the box and creates
noteworthy bat speed with a simple and repeatable swing. He moves
well in center field and from base to base and displayed solid arm
strength on with a short and quick arm action.
Marcelo
Perez (2018, Laredo, Texas) might not be the biggest listed at
5-foot-9, 165-pounds but he’s full of twitch and athleticism,
something that bodes well to his all around game. A righthanded
hitter, Perez showed a consistent feel for the barrel which resulted
in hard contact with sound balance through his swing. Defensively his
actions are loose in center field and is able to track balls with
ease and a sound first step.
Uncommitted
lefthanded pitcher Myles A. Campbell (2016, Houston, Texas)
did a nice job of keeping hitters off balance in his five innings of
work, striking out nine Houston Banditos hitters. Although he
ultimately took the loss, Campbell showed a lot of projectablity. The
6’-foot-1, 185-pound lefty showed a loose and quick arm coming from
a three quarters arm slot with good running life on his fastball.
Campbell’s fastball sat in the 82-85 mph range, topping 86 mph, and
should continue to add velocity as he fills out and adds more
strength. Just like his fastball, Campbell’s breaking ball had good
life out of his hand. Good depth combined with sharpness, Campbell
was able to backdoor righthanded hitters for strikes on a consistent
basis. His control was as good as his stuff, surrendering just a sole
walk in his entire outing.
University of Texas commit Richard Gilbert (2017, San Antonio, Texas) allowed just one hit in his 6 1/3 innings of work. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound lefthander throws from a three-quarters arm slot with late running life on his fastball that sat in the 84-86 mph range in the first inning. Gilbert’s ability to spot up both his fastball and breaking ball made sitting down seven batters a fairly easy task. Gilbert showed a quick arm and very good extension in his easy delivery. He also has a very projectable frame with long limbs, broad shoulders, and a strong lower half that should lead to more velocity as he continues to fill out.