Greenup
County (Greenup, Ky.)
Top
Prospects:
•
Tristan Downing
(RHP/1B, 2017)
•
Brody Shoupe (C, 2016)
• Gage
Hughes (SS, 2018)
•
Christian Wireman
(RHP/3B, 2016)
• Kyle
Gammon (MIF, 2018)
•
Jarred Hunt (CF, 2016)
Pitching:
Greenup
County, the Musketeers, will head down to Georgia with a quality team
that returns several pieces from a Regional Semifinals finish in
2014. Leading the way on the mound is sophomore righty Tristan
Downing, a good-sized prospect with a loose arm who can work in the
low- to mid-80s at present with a lot more to come. He’s been
playing varsity baseball since he was in the seventh grade and just
continues to get better. Joining him on the mound is junior Christian
Wireman, a three-year starter who features an arsenal of four-plus
pitches, any of which he will throw at any time for a strike.
Offense:
Downing
and Wireman are legitimate two-way talents, as Downing will play
first base when not pitching and Wireman will see time at third base
when not toeing the slab. Junior catcher Brody Shoupe will do most of
the catching for Greenup County, and his 1.9 or below pop times will
do a great job of encouraging opposing teams not to run on him. He’s
a multi-year starter as well, and will do an excellent job in a
leadership role. Freshman Gage Hughes will handle shortstop, and
fellow freshman Kyle Gammon will play second base, forming a young
but formidable keystone combination. Junior Jerred Hunt will play
center field and hit at the top of the lineup.
Synopsis:
This
is a very young team—amongst the youngest in the entire event—but
don't be fooled, they are experienced and talented. Most of their
players are multi-year starters, regardless of actual grade level.
That may lead to them to be underestimated by others, which would be
a huge mistake.
Harvard
Westlake Wolverines (Studio City, Calif.)
Top
Prospects:
• Ezra
Steinberg (SS/OF, 2015, Top 500)
•
Chase Aldridge (MIF/OF,
2015, High Follow)
• Matt
Beyer (LHP, 2015, High Follow)
• Tom
Fuller (C, 2015, High Follow)
• Jake
Suddleson (RHP/OF, 2016, Top 1,000)
•
Cameron Deere (3B,
2016, High Follow)
• Gabe
Golob (RHP/C, 2016, High Follow)
Pitching:
The
Wolverines of the prestigious Harvard Westlake High School will be
led on the mound by senior High Follow prospect Matt Beyer, a
lefthander who is committed to Brown. He’s a good-sized prospect
who can throw in the low-80s with quality command. Junior righty Jake
Suddleson, a Top 1,000 prospect and primary outfielder, can also
pitch and be an excellent prospect there, running his fastball up
into the mid-80s with strike-throwing abilitity. Junior Gabe Golob
will also throw, and the 6-foot-3 prospect can work with a fastball
in the 80s as well.
Offense:
The
Wolverines’ offense is led by their best prospect, senior Ezra
Steinberg. An Oregon commit, Steinberg can play all over the field,
but is primarily a shortstop. He’s an excellent runner with quality
offensive tools, hitting at the top of the lineup, and projects to
play a premium position at the next level. Senior Chase Aldridge will
play the outfield where the 7.2 runner and switch hitter will
definitely be solid defensively. Senior Tom Fuller will handle the
load behind the plate, but could be helped out there by Golob when
he's not on the mound. Suddleson will hit in the No. 3 spot and play
center field, and the toolsy prospect may end up leading the team in
several offensive categories.
Synopsis:
Harvard Westlake always
produces a quality team, and this season is no exception for the
Wolverines, who will bring a loaded team with several high-end
prospects to Georgia. They will be led by their offense, but they are
deep throughout and loaded with talent at nearly every position.
Johnson
Central Golden Eagles (Paintsville, Ky.)
Top
Prospects (Position, Class, PG Rank):
• Seth
Blanton (RHP, 2015)
• Josh
Hitchcock (RHP, 2016)
• Zach
Slone (OF, 2015)
• Tate
Meade (RHP, 2018, High Follow)
•
Geordan Blanton (SS,
2017)
•
Braxton Kelly (RHP/2B,
2018)
Pitching:
The
Golden Eagles are led by a full stable of righthanded arms, spanning
across nearly every grade of player. Upperclassmen Seth Blanton and
Josh Hitchcock bring veteran experience and leadership the staff, but
it’s freshman Tate Meade who might have the highest upside on the
staff. Already standing around 6-feet tall and built well with
strength and athleticism, Meade was up to as high as 84 mph at the PG
Pitcher/Catcher Indoor Showcase recently, showing the type of arm
strength that could make him a high-level college prospect in a few
years. Johnson Central has started the season off well, holding a 3-1
record heading into this event. Perhaps most impressive, however, is
that they have only allowed six total runs so far in 2015 (in four
games). They’ll look for that impressive pitching to continue at
the Louisville Slugger Classic this coming week.
Offense:
The
Golden Eagle offense has been led so far in 2015 by senior outfielder
Zach Slone, who will anchor the everyday lineup from his center field
spot and usually hits at the top of the lineup for Johnson Central.
Sophomore shortstop Geordan Blanton will play the middle infield and
hit in the middle of the lineup as well, as his overall feel for the
game both defensively and offensively makes him a valuable asset for
the Golden Eagles. Freshman Braxton Kelly is a valuable arm on the
mound for Johnson Central, but can also team with Blanton up the
middle to form a formidable keystone combination as well as provide
legitimate on-base skills at the plate.
Synopsis:
The
Golden Eagles have had a quality start to the 2015 season, especially
within their pitching staff and defensively as a team. They’ll need
to get their offense rolling as we head towards April, but they could
very easily come alive at the Louisville Slugger Classic. Watch out
for Johnson Central.
Kaneland
Knights (Maple Park, Ill.)
Top
Prospects:
• Joe
Laudont (C, 2016)
• Nick
Stratman (OF/P, 2015)
• Matt
Rosko (OF, 2016)
• Matt
O’Sullivan (LHP/1B, 2016)
• Joe
Panico (SS/2B, 2015)
•
Austin Wheatley (2B/SS,
2015)
Pitching:
The
Knights are led by a host of two-way players, several of whom will
start in the everyday lineup for head coach Brian Aversa. Leading the
way in the rotation will be junior lefthander Matt O’Sullivan, a
strike thrower with command of three pitches and the ability to
change speeds and vary the movement on his pitches. Joining him on
the mound will be senior Nick Stratman, a righthander who will
primarily play the outfield but also will get some time on the mound.
He brings good size and senior leadership to the pitching staff,
which helped the Knights make it all the way to the Sectional
Semifinals in 2014.
Offense:
The
Knights shouldn't have any issues scoring runs, as they return a good
amount of their starting lineup from 2015. Seniors Joe Panico and
Austin Wheatley will presumably form the keystone combination at
shortstop and second base, respectively. They should both hit towards
the top of the lineup for Kaneland as well. Junior catcher Joe
Laudont is back after leading the team in hitting last season as a
sophomore, and he’ll look to continue that trend hitting from the
middle of the lineup. Senior Nick Stratman will be the everyday
center fielder and probable No. 3 hitter, and the heart of the lineup
should be filled out by junior Matt Rosko, who hit .439 last year.
Synopsis:
This
is a well-balanced team, with plenty of experience throughout the
everyday lineup as well as some quality pitching in the rotation.
Coming from a cold weather state, they will look to start strong in
this event, hopefully not taking too long to hit their stride.
Lawrence
County Bulldogs (Louisa, Ky.)
Top
Prospects:
• Eric
Salyers (RHP/OF, 2015)
• Josh
Cantrell (RHP/OF, 2015)
• Noah
Lambert (CF, 2015)
•
Warren Price (1B, 2015)
•
Brock Turner (3B/RHP,
2016)
• Zach
Keesee (SS/RHP, 2016)
•
Chase Coverdale
(1B/RHP, 2016)
•
Morgan Miller (C, 2016)
Pitching:
The
Bulldogs of Lawrence County High School are a veteran team, as they
return eight starters from 2014’s team, which ended up 23-13 and
runner-up in the region. They return several of their pitchers, all
of whom play a second or third position, and will contribute in the
everyday lineup as well. Senior righthanders Eric Salyers and Josh
Cantrell will toe the slab with regularity for the Bulldogs, and they
will be joined by juniors Brock Turner and Zach Keesee. Junior righty
Chase Coverdale will also help provide some innings out of the 'pen
for Head Coach Travis Feltner.
Offense:
As
stated above, the Bulldogs return eight starters from the 2014 team,
nearly all of whom project to start everyday for Lawrence County in
2015. The outfield is well set with seniors, led by Noah Lambert, who
is back to patrol center field and hit at the top of the lineup.
Joining him in the outfield are seniors Eric Salyers and Josh
Cantrell, both of whom will pitch but will also play the corner
outfield. The left side of the infield is all set as well, as
returning juniors Brock Turner and Zach Keesee will handle third base
and shortstop, respectively. Like the pair of outfielders mentioned
above, both Turner and Keesee will pitch for the Bulldogs, but should
have no problem holding down their positions defensively in addition
to throwing. Back behind the plate is junior Morgan Miller, who will
do the bulk of the catching.
Synopsis:
It
may be hard to argue that Lawrence County isn’t bringing the most
experienced team to the Louisville Slugger Classic. As stated, they
return eight starters from a team that had a lot of success in 2014.
They are deep on the mound and throughout the lineup, and as a result
have gotten off to a hot start in 2015. They’ll look for that to
continue as they head south to Georgia.
McCallie
Blue Tornado (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
Top
Prospects:
•
Tyler Payne (SS/RHP,
2015, Top 500)
•
Quinn Smith (C/RHP,
2016, High Follow)
•
Ethan Cady (1B/LHP,
2016, Top 500)
•
Corbin Brooksbank
(OF/RHP, 2017, No. 217)
Pitching:
The
Blue Tornado will head south to Georgia with a host of quality arms,
most of whom are two-way prospects with legitimate upside in the
field as well. The 2014 Tennessee DII-AA Player of the Year Tyler
Payne leads the way on the mound and in the field, where the Lee
University signee anchors the staff and captains the defense at
shortstop, all while hitting in the middle of the lineup. He’ll
work in the mid- to upper-80s on the mound with a quality curveball
to complement his heater. Joining him on the mound are a pair of
juniors in Quinn Smith and Ethan Cady. Smith, who will also catch for
McCallie, is a big kid who can reach the upper-80s on the mound when
needed. Cady is the resident southpaw of the staff, and he’s also a
big prospect with a big fastball that can work in the mid- to
upper-80s as well. The wildcard of the staff is East Cobb Astro and
No. 217 player in the class of 2017, sophomore Corbin Brooksbank.
Brooksbank, a righthander, has already been clocked up to 89 mph at
PG events and projects to throw even harder as he develops.
Offense:
The
four prospects highlighted above will also lead the way offensively,
as they all offer collegiate upside in the lineup as well as on the
mound. Payne will play shortstop when not pitching, and he’ll hit
in the middle of the lineup as well. He’s a 6.7 second runner with
excellent hitting tools who projects to hit for some pop as he
continues to develop. Quinn Smith will do the majority of the
catching, where his 1.90 second pop time and strong arm should have
no trouble keeping opposing baserunners from being too greedy. He’s
a strong, physical player who projects for some legitimate power at
the plate down the road. Ethan Cady will play first base and can
slide right into the cleanup spot in the lineup, as his big
lefthanded power makes him a legitimate home run threat for the Blue
Tornado. Corbin Brooksbank can play more or less anywhere on the
diamond, though he’s most comfortable on the mound or in the
outfield. He’ll start everyday as well.
Synopsis:
This
Blue Tornado team has some legitimate upside, both on the mound and
with the bat. All four of their frontline pitchers can throw in the
upper-80s, and all four of them can be true offensive weapons as
well. This will undoubtedly be a fun team to watch.
Metamora
Redbirds (Metamora, Ill.)
Top
Prospects:
•
Ethan Skender (SS/OF,
2015, No. 181)
•
Trent Johnson (RHP/1B,
2015, No. 458)
•
Geremy Guerrero (LHP,
2016, Top 1,000)
•
Brady Fairfield (SS/2B,
2015)
•
Caleb Brachbill
(3B/RHP, 2015)
•
Braden Mann (RHP/OF,
2015)
Pitching:
Arizona
signee and the 458th overall player in 2015 class, Trent Johnson,
would be the headliner of this pitching staff, but he is currently
rehabbing his way back from Tommy John surgery and is aiming towards
a late-2015 return to the mound. Making up the Redbird pitching staff
will be junior lefty Geremy Guerrero and senior righthanders Caleb
Brachbill and Braden Mann. Guerrero, an Indiana State commitment, can
work his fastball in the mid- to upper-80s and complements it with a
handful of off-speed pitches. Brachbill will log plenty of innings
for Metamora, but should also start at third base. Mann is an
Illinois Central College recruit and will be their No. 3 starter.
Offense:
The
offense is led by senior shortstop Ethan Skender, a Kansas State
signee and the 181st overall player in the class of 2015. Skender can
play all over the diamond but projects to the next level as a
left-side infielder or outfielder. He can absolutely mash with the
bat, hitting for average and power already and projecting to hit for
both at the next level as well. He’ll hit in the middle of the
lineup and be a force, regardless of who is pitching against the
Redbirds. Brady Fairfield will join Skender as the other half of the
keystone combination and play second base, and the Illinois Central
College signee should hit in the top of the lineup as well. Caleb
Brachbill was second on the team in hitting to Skender last season,
and he should man third base for the majority of the time in 2015.
Braden Mann will hold down an outfield spot when not pitching.
Synopsis:
It’s
undoubtedly a big blow to head to this event without a workhorse ace
like Trent Johnson, but the Metamora Redbirds have the type of talent
and depth to overcome such a setback. Skender is about as good of a
player as there is in this event, and he can take over games
offensively and defensively. The Redbirds will have plenty of depth
in the pitching staff and shouldn't have an issue scoring runs
either.
New
Trier Trevians (Winnetka, Ill.)
Top
Prospects:
• Matt
Boscow (1B, 2015)
• Ben
Brecht (LHP, 2016, Top 500)
•
Danny Katz (RHP, 2016)
• Will
Francke (3B, 2015)
•
Scott Hammes (LF, 2015)
• Clay
Czyzynski (SS, 2017)
Pitching:
The
headliner of the New Trier pitching staff is also probably the
tallest player in this event, junior lefthander Ben Brecht, an
UC-Santa Barbara commit. Besides being absolutely massive, Brecht can
really pitch as well, working in the mid- to upper-80s with his
fastball, generated by excellent arm speed from his long arms. He’ll
work with a breaking ball and changeup as well, both of which show
legitimate swing-and-miss potential at the next level. Joining Brecht
on the mound will be junior righthander Danny Katz, a good-sized
prospect whose acumen on the mound is highlighted by easy, repeatable
mechanics and solid command of three pitches.
Offense:
The
New Trier offense will be led by a host of returning starters and key
contributors from last season’s successful team, which ended up
losing in Sectionals to complete the season. Senior returning
starters will anchor the corners of the Trevians’ infield, as both
first baseman Matt Boscow and third baseman Will Francke return to
the lineup. Sophomore Clay Czyzynski will step into the lineup and
man the shortstop position right away as well as hitting at the top
of the lineup. Rounding out the middle of the order for Head Coach
Mike Napoleon will be senior Scott Hammes, who returns as the
everyday left fielder and should provide solid offensive production
as well.
Synopsis:
Any
time you have a true ace of your pitching staff you have a chance to
win. The Trevians certainly have that in Ben Brecht, but also provide
a quality second gun as well as a deep lineup full of returning
starters. They’ll certainly be challenged, seeing as they’re a
cold weather team heading to the south to play a deep pool of
opponents, but they should be up to the challenge.
O’Fallon
Panthers (O’Fallon, Ill.)
Top
Prospects:
•
Chris Holba (RHP, 2015,
No. 249)
•
Bradley Harrison
(LHP/OF, 2016)
•
Camden Bauer (SS, 2016,
No. 335)
• Kyle
Van Bevern (3B/RHP, 2015)
•
Bradley Snyder (1B,
2016)
•
Jacob Holl (C, 2015)
•
Grant Robison (RHP,
2015)
Pitching:
The
Panthers are led by the No. 249 overall player in the class of 2015,
righthanded pitcher Chris Holba. Holba, who is signed with East
Carolina, is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound prospect who oozes projectability
and already works around 88-91 with his fastball, touching 92-93. He
complements his fastball with a potential plus slider and quality
changeup, and can go toe-to-toe with the ace of any opposing team.
Joining him in the rotation will be junior lefty Bradley Harrison, a
legitimate two-way talent who is committed to Southern Illinois.
Harrison can work in the low- to mid-80s on the mound, highlighted by
the looseness of his arm and his ability to throw strikes. Rounding
out the rotation will be seniors Kyle Van Bevern, Grant Robison, and
Chris Dye.
Offense:
O’Fallon
brings back a loaded offense from their 2014 season, which saw the
Panthers go an impressive 32-4, eventually losing to Bellville West
in the first round of the state playoffs. Bradley Harrison, in
addition to being the probable No. 2 starter, will likely hit leadoff
and play right field for Head Coach Jason Portz. Harrison logged 120
at-bats in 2014, hit .408 and only struck out six times. Joining him
in the lineup will be junior shortstop Camden Bauer, an Alabama
commit, and senior third baseman Kyle Van Bevern. Those two form an
excellent left side of the defense. Senior Jacob Holl returns to do
the majority of the catching, and junior Bradley Snyder should handle
the first base job and hit somewhere in the middle of the order.
Synopsis:
This
team has legitimate stars on it, but don't be fooled by the star
power, as they are a very deep, balanced team. They lost only four
games all of last season, and are hungry to prove that their loss in
the playoffs was a fluke.
Valdosta
Wildcats (Valdosta, Ga.)
Top
Prospects:
•
Brennan Goodson (C,
2015, High Follow)
•
David Posas (MIF/3B,
2015, Top 500)
•
Craig Barry (OF, 2015)
•
Kenyon Miller (OF,
2015)
•
Logan Stephens (2B/SS,
2016, High Follow)
• Seth
Shuman (RHP, 2016, High Follow)
• Luke
Ard (LHP, 2017)
Pitching:
Though
it may be younger than most rotations, the Valdosta pitching staff is
still very talented. Led by junior righthander Seth Shuman and
sophomore lefthander Luke Ard, they are very effective and very good.
Shuman, a legitimate two-way talent both on the mound and with the
bat, is the ace of the Wildcat staff. He has good size with
projection, and works in the 84-86 mph range, touching higher, and
complements the fastball with an excellent changeup. He’ll take the
ball in game one and you should see him hitting/playing the field for
the rest of the event after that as well. Sophomore Luke Ard
complements Shuman perfectly as the lefty “2” to Shuman’s “1.”
Ard is also a two-way player who will probably see time at first
base when not pitching.
Offense:
What
the Wildcats may lack in upperclassmen pitching they definitely make
up for in upperclassmen in the lineup. Led by a pair of seniors in
Brennan Goodson and David Posas, Valdosta seems poised to be one of
the more offensively prodigious teams in the nation. Goodson is
signed with Valdosta State, and has no problem handling the load
behind the plate in addition to providing some pop offensively. Posas
is signed with Mercer, and provides one of the steadier bats in this
entire event, with barrel control and high-end contact skills. Senior
outfielders Craig Barry and Kenyon Miller are both athletic marvels,
each routinely running the 60-yard dash in less than 6.8 seconds.
Barry plays right field where his arm strength plays, and Miller is
the center fielder where his 6.6-6.7 speed plays nicely.
Synopsis:
This
team is very talented, especially offensively. They have a legitimate
1-2 punch in the pitching rotation, but they will beat teams by
scoring a lot of runs and wearing them down with their firepower and
veteran offensive prowess.