2016 Rawlings Select Classic #2 Event Page
Athens Golden Eagles (Athens, Ala.)
Top Prospects
• Benjamin Stewart (LHP, 2016)
• Dalton Pack (OF, 2017)
• Bryson Kirk (OF/LHP, 2018)
Pitching
On the mound, the Golden Eagles are looking to rely on Jack Garvin when he’s not patrolling the outfield. Senior Benjamin Stewart will also look to gain innings, as well as Bailey O’Dell and Jacob McNairy.
Offense
With a team primarily comprised of two-way players, they’ll rely on a mired of options at the plate as well. With a large roster of very versatile players, junior outfielder Dalton Pack, sophomore Bryson Kirk and the aforementioned Jacob McNairy look to lead their offense.
Summary
The Golden Eagles under first year head coach Chuck Smith look to improve over last season’s .500 finish. He returns a large number of starters as well as several talented underclassmen. They’ll be taking on the Edwardsville Tigers and the Mountain Vista Golden Eagles in pool play.
Edwardsville Tigers (Edwardsville, Ill.)
Top Prospects
• Trey Riley (RHP/3B, 2016, Top 500)
• Collin Clayton (OF/SS, 2016, Top 1000)
• Mark Smith (RHP, 2017, 184)
Pitching
Trey Riley is the name to watch for the Tigers as the talented senior right-hander is committed to Oklahoma State and has a fastball that hits the low-90s. They look to see big things out of junior right-hander Mark Smith who is committed to Missouri as well. Junior Austin Ruesch and senior Jake Garella should make appearances as well.
Offense
Offensively, Head Coach Tim Funkhouser will rely on both Riley and Smith at the plate as well as on the mound as both have shown promising power potential so far this season. Outfielder Dylan Burris should hit near the top of the order with plus speed and Collin Clayton should contribute as well.
Summary
The Tigers are as well positioned as any team with their depth on the mound to compete in this tournament. They had a very strong 2015 season with a final record of 35-2 and look to improve with an impressive crop of juniors and seniors.
Enterprise Wildcats (Enterprise, Ala.)
Top Prospects
• Parker Warren (RHP/1B/3B, 2016, Top 500)
• Kevin Donovan (RHP/3B, 2016, High Follow)
• Kyle Dennis (RHP, 2016, High Follow)
Pitching
The pitching for the Wildcats should be stout top to bottom, receiving innings from the trio of ranked players listed above. Top starter, Parker Warren, a Chipola JC commit, looks to repeat a strong junior season where he struck out 43 batters in just under 30 innings. The coaches are also excited about what sophomore right-hander Koty Fulton will bring to the team.
Offense
Offensively, Parker Warren will also be relied on as he should hit in the middle of the order regardless of weather he’s in the field or on the mound. Junior outfielder Trey Simmons will also be relied on heavily, as well as sophomore Chance Warren who will play up the middle.
Summary
With a trio of strong, senior arms as well as a young one to follow, the Wildcats may have more quality arms than anyone in the event. That should help them navigate their three pool games and still have extra through the playoffs.
Hargrave Tigers (Chatham, Va.)
Top Prospects
• Riggs Jordan (OF/RHP, 2017)
• Darrell Smith (OF/RHP, 2017)
• Logan Barker (C/3B, 2017)
Pitching
Pitching for the Tigers is a younger group headlined by several juniors including right-hander Landis Gee. Head Coach Brett Thomas is also looking to have sophomores Shelby Wheeler and Mark Loving fill important rotation spots. Primary outfielders Riggs Jordan and Darrell Smith will also see time on the mound.
Offense
As noted above, the Tigers’ top two prospects are outfielders Riggs Jordan and Darrell Smith, both of whom should be a key cog in their lineups. Fellow juniors Logan Barker and Michael Laforgia will be relied on heavily as well.
Summary
The Tigers are an incredibly young team with only one senior listed on their roster coming down for the event. They look to build off of a quarterfinals visit last season with a talented roster of young players.
Hersey Huskies (Arlington Heights, Ill.)
Top Prospects
• Brett Harris (SS, 2016)
• Paul Tokar (3B, 2016)
Pitching
On the mound, the Huskies will turn to senior left-hander Brandon Stonequiest as the team’s returning ace. They’ll also look to Luke Lasalvia and the tall, 6-foot-6 Patrick Dempsey to step up and eat innings this season.
Offense
Offensively the Huskies are fortunate enough to return their starting pair on the left side of the infield in Houston commit, shortstop Brett Harris, and third basemen Paul Tokar. Both seniors put together impressive seasons a year ago and look to make more strides together.
Summary
Led behind Harris and Tokar as well as several returning arms, the Huskies are in a good position to bounce back from a tough 2015 season. They’ll rely on their defense and sound pitching to keep them in games and hope their bats can give them an edge.
Merritt Island Mustangs (Merritt Island, Fla.)
Top Prospects
• Jackson Muldowney (OF/SS, 2016, Top 1000)
• Trent Taylor (SS/OF, 2016, High Follow)
• Brady McConnell (SS/2B, 2017, 28)
• Jake Barrett (SS/RHP, 2017, Top 1000)
• Mason Denaburg (C/RHP, 2018, 42)
Pitching
The Mustangs will rely in a myriad of pitching options, including senior left-hander Jason Childers and junior Justin Salvi. The interesting name to watch on this list is two-way sophomore Mason Denaburg who is already hitting 89 mph and is a Florida commit.
Offense
Offensively, junior shortstop Brady McConnell should be a standout both in the field and at the plate. The future Florida Gator has shown plus bat speed and impressive speed at PG events in the past. Seniors Jackson Muldowney and Trent Taylor should also be near the top of the order with Denaburg getting at-bats as well when not on the mound.
Summary
Few teams in attendance this weekend have the kind of underclass talent present on Merritt Island’s roster. With a pair of Florida commits on hand they should be a competitive team while playing the likes of the Hersey Huskies and the Punxsutawney Chucks in pool play.
Mountain Vista Golden Eagles (Highlands Ranch, Colo.)
Top Prospects
• Grant Magill (C, 2019, Follow List)
Pitching
The pitching for Mountain Vista will most likely be a step behind the offense, but they are led by junior right-hander Jalen Saiz, who makes the jump from the bullpen a year ago. Following Saiz in the rotation should be seniors Tryston Bewley and Matt Thompson.
Offense
For the Golden Eagles at the plate, seniors Cooper Shearon and Tanner Gillis look to fill the middle of the order with loud bats. Freshman catcher Grant Magill also stood out at last year’s showcase and should be given an opportunity to get behind the plate for most of the Golden Eagles’ games. The coaches are also excited for Cole Blatchford who returns from injury last season and should work up the middle in the infield.
Summary
With a very young team highlighted by lots of juniors and sophomores, Mountain Vista will look to jell together as a team early on this season. Their defense should be a strong attribute and with a deep lineup, they'll never be out of any game. They look to improve on their third place finish from a year ago with a strong 2016 campaign.
O’Fallon Township Panthers (O’Fallon, Ill.)
Top Prospects
• Camden Bauer (SS, 2016, Top 500)
• Bradley Harrison (1B/LHP, 2016, Top 500)
• Bradley Snyder (3B, 2016, Top 500)
• Jordan Richardson (1B/OF. 2017, Top 500)
Pitching
The pitching for Head Coach Jason Portz will be headlined by Bradley Harrison, who when he isn’t manning first base will be on the mound for the Panthers. Harrison works a fastball into the upper 80’s with feel for a curveball, slider and changeup.
Offense
The offense is a step ahead of the pitching for the Panthers as they return an up the middle talent in Alabama commit Camden Bauer who should take over the middle of the order. They also look to get contributions from centerfielder Dillon Weiss who should act as the table setter for their offense from the top of the order. Senior Bradley Snyder and junior Jordan Richardson will also be relied on to round out their lineups.
Summary
For the Panthers, they’re looking to build off of last year’s success as they made the elite eight and lost to the eventual champions in their state tournament. Strong defensive prowess across the diamond as well as a deep, talented lineup have them in good striking position.
Poplar Bluff Mules (Poplar Bluff, Mo.)
Top Prospects
• Kameron Misner (OF, 2016)
Pitching
The Mules return a top senior arms on the mound in right-hander Kirby Coleman. Juniors Joe Darlin, Matthew Lambert, as well as sophomore Austin McIntosh all figure to get innings as well.
Offense
The offense for the Poplar Bluff should be led by Missouri commit, Kameron Misner who should be manning centerfield. Seniors Zachery Lawrence and outfielder Ross Rushin will also be relied on to play big roles for them at the plate.
Summary
Misner is the key to the Mules success, both offensively and defensively as he has the ability to impact both sides of the game. Their pitching is deep and has experience giving them confidence coming into this season.
Punxsutawney Chucks (Punxsutawney, Pa.)
Top Prospects
• Braxton Giavedoni (OF/2B, 2016, Top 500)
• Lance Pennington (LHP, 2016, NA)
• Joey Dipietro (C, 2017, NA)
Pitching
Head Coach Mike Dickey is excited about the contributions of senior left-hander Lance Pennington on the mound. He’s also looking to see big things out of sophomores Logan Johnson and Brandon Matthews.
Offense
Offensively, Penn State commit Braxton Giavedoni, who was recently named as a member of the Atlantic All Region 2nd team, should lead the way in centerfield and near the top of the order. Junior Joey Dipietro should impress behind the plate as well and has coaches excited for what he can do this year.
Summary
Following up on a dominant 2015 campaign where they won their district championship with a 19-2 record, the Chucks look for more of the same in 2016. Led by Giavedoni, they should have the necessary pieces to compete this weekend at a high level.
Ralston Valley Mustangs (Arvada, Colo.)
Top Prospects
• Peter Carlson (SS, 2016, NA)
• Drake Davis (RHP, 2017, Top 1000)
• Luke Leisenring (C/MIF, 2018, 264)
Pitching
The Mustangs rotation should be led by junior righthander Drake Davis. Davis comes armed with an upper 80’s mph fastball and a sweeping slider in his arsenal. Rounding out their other rotation spots are senior Reed Hutchin and junior Levi Leisenring.
Offense
The brother of Levi, sophomore Luke Leisenring is already an Arizona State commit from behind the plate. The switch hitting catcher has already shown power from behind the plate with an easy swing. Also contributing to their offense will be centerfielder Tommy Linton and shortstop Peter Carlson.
Summary
Coming off a winning record and successful 2015 campaign, the Mustangs should benefit from a very young roster moving forward with lots of room to improve. Davis and the Leisenring brothers should provide plenty of support both on the mound and at the plate.
South Dade Buccaneers (Homestead, Fla.)
Top Prospects
• Alek Manoah (RHP/1B, 2016, 81)
• Gabriel Cruz (C/1B, 2016, Top 1000)
• Christopher Gomez (RHP, 2016, Top 1000)
• Chris Allende (OF, 2016, High Follow)
• William D Escala (SS/OF, 2017, Top 1000)
Pitching
The pitching for the Buccaneers starts with very talented senior right-hander Alex Manoah. The West Virginia commit currently sees his fastball sit in the low-to-mid 90’s. Fellow senior Christopher Gomez also looks to keep up his dominate start to the year where he has a .54 ERA over 26 innings. Kendrick Pico will also earn a start for the Buccaneers as the number three man in the rotation.
Offense
The offense for South Dade is also talented top to bottom starting with senior catcher, and Bryant commit, Gabriel Cruz. Junior shortstop William Escala is also impressing coaches and should hit near the top of the lineup for them this weekend.
Summary
It’s hard to find a more loaded team in this weekend’s event than South Dade. They have a talented, veteran roster headlined by a trio of quality arms and a lineup that possesses a threat throughout. As a team, they’ll look to improve on their 19-7 record from last year and follow up on their 2014 finish when they won the state championship.