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Tournaments  | Story  | 7/15/2018

15u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 2

Photo: Irving Carter (Perfect Game)

15u WWBA National Championship: Event Page | Daily Leaders | Day 1 Scout Notes

The opening game on day two of the 15u WWBA National Championship got started with a pitcher’s duel over at Allatoona High School as Team Elite’s Carter Holton (2021, Guyton, Ga.) matched up against Jay Woolfolk (2021, Midlothian, Va.) of the Virginia Cardinals.




Holton got the ball to start out day two and immediately made his presence known with a 1-2-3 first inning where he sat 86-88 mph. The lefthander is listed at a shorter 5-foot-10, 155-pound frame though there is a ton of present room to build and add strength to the frame. Holton held his velocity fairly well through the outing, settling in mostly into an 84-87 mph range for the majority of the performance. Holton has a compact arm stroke but hides the ball very well which creates good deception and allows his otherwise straight fastball to play up some. Holton ran into some trouble early on with a couple of walks in the second inning, but eventually settled in with glove side command of the fastball and a solid breaking ball as well. The curveball worked in the low-70s with good shape and feel for the pitch as he could land it effectively to either side. Holton exited the game after the fifth inning and tossed five shutout innings while striking out six batters in front of numerous college coaches.




College coaches were excited to not only see Holton throw today, but a fellow high-ceiling uncommitted arm in Woolfolk. The Virginia native dazzled over a complete game performance, though he allowed only one run and was dealt the tough-luck loss. From the first pitch to his last one, Woolfolk was in total control of the game and attacked hitters head on showing pretty solid raw stuff and the ability to miss bats as well. Listed at 6-foot, 175-pounds, Woolfolk is a pretty good athlete on the mound and the physical projection is intriguing moving forward. Projection is obviously a factor when evaluating young prospects, however, Woolfolk’s stuff right now is wildly impressive. The righthander has very solid arm speed, from a full path that is consistently on time through release, with a fastball that touched 89 mph early on and a very good breaking ball. Woolfolk worked quickly and efficiently, needing only 66 pitches to cruise through the opposition, while throwing over 70% strikes. He maintained his velocity well still bumping 86s and 87s in the final frame, and the breaking ball is a real separator. Woolfolk has very advanced feel for spin with a tight breaking ball up to 77 mph that he could land, spin out of the zone, and get some ugly swings on.




Closing out the win for Team Elite, in a 1-0 game that was dominated by pitching, was Wake Forest commit and No. 33 overall prospect Josh Hartle (2021, King, N.C.). The lefthander has made strides since Perfect Game has last had eyes on him, as Hartle now averaged his previous top peak velocity of 84 mph and worked consistently in the 83-86 mph range. The projection was always a big play with Hartle, back when he was carving hitters up in the upper-70s, and the stuff has continued to tick up while the surface of his potential is just being scratched. The arm stroke is fluid and easy through an extended release and though he didn’t have his usual pinpoint command, he was still able to locate low in the zone and garner numerous amounts of ground balls. Hartle mixed in a slurvy breaking ball with clean 10-to-4 shape and releases from a similar arm slot as his fastball while flashing the ability to land the pitch for strikes. Hartle will almost assuredly see a start later in the tournament, but in a must-win game Team Elite American turned the ball to their ace and he earned the two-inning save while surrendering zero hits.

Earning the win in dominant fashion for the North East Baseball Pirates was lefthanded starter Asa Runge (2021, Chester, N.H.) as the uncommitted southpaw dazzled in a well-attended afternoon game. Runge was in control early and had strikeout stuff working as the young prospect carved through the opposing lineup successfully. Runge has a durable present frame, with a strong present lower half, and that allows him to hold his stuff and velocity late into games, though he needed just 58 pitches to get through four shutout innings during his performance on Saturday. Runge worked his fastball effectively to both sides with plane in the 83-86 mph range and the delivery itself is fairly clean and efficient. He loads well on through his lower half and drives down the mound as he clears his lower half and hides the ball from a loose, online arm stroke. The over the top slot creates plane on the fastball and the breaking ball was a very good pitch for Runge. The curveball had tight rotation, up to 2300 rpm, in the mid-70s and he tunneled, manipulated, and landed the pitch effectively, especially so when backdooring righthanded hitters as the pitch broke over the outer edge of the plate to steal strikes. This was a strong look for Runge, who has been on the radar for evaluators of the 2021 class for a period now, and he should only continue to improve.




Perhaps the surprise performance of the day came from righthanded starter Ben Bybee (2022, Overland Park, Kan.) who was downright spectacular over four strong and efficient innings. The size immediately jumps out for Bybee as the frame checks all the indicators for a young prospect with a long, lean, and immensely projectable 6-foot-5, 175-pound build. The delivery is one of the most advanced for his age, with clean and simple movements through the motion as he gets downhill consistently and effectively to work his fastball to both sides with impressive command. The arm stroke is clean through the back as it is online with speed and whip through the point of release. The Kansas native worked his fastball up to 84 mph and maintained 80-84 mph throughout the entirety of the performance. The fastball velocity is certainly noteworthy, however the changeup was the most impressive. Rarely do young prospects have advanced secondary pitches, much less a changeup as Bybee threw the pitch with similar arm speed and lots of sinking life. He sells the pitch extraordinarily well and shows incredible confidence in the pitch as he went right-on-right often with the pitch. Bybee also mixed in a short, tight slider in the upper-60s and has all the makings of a strong pitching prospect with a clean delivery, projection, present offspeed, and strikes which puts him strongly near the top of the class.

Kyler Kirkpatrick (2021, Round Rock, Tex.) showed impressive two-way ability during Action Kent’s victory on Saturday evening as he started, and won, the game while driving in two runs to help his own effort. The righthanded pitcher is extremely physical for the age at 6-foot-2, 210-pounds with well-proportioned strength throughout. The delivery is fairly fluid and he pounded the zone effectively with a loose arm stroke though there was some effort at release. Kirkpatrick ran his fastball up to 87 mph early on and settled in the mid-80s consistently. The breaking ball was a solid pitch for Kirkpatrick as it got lots of sweeping action and induced some ugly swings and misses. The bat is a very intriguing tool as well with present bat speed and impact strength as he laced a pull side double that was 90 mph off the bat and was later thrown out on a hard hit single trying to extend the ball into a double. Kirkpatrick’s two-way abilities posit a very intriguing profile and he looks to be a solid uncommitted prospect at this point In the juncture.

Physical advanced first baseman stole much of the offensive show for the late games over at Lakepoint and one such prospect was JT Mutchner (2021, Fishers, Ind.) of the Indiana Prospects. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound righthanded hitter looks like a linebacker at first glance with tons of present strength and surprising athleticism and grace on his feet for his size. The physicality and strength play well towards a power profile as when he gets his wrists extended and drives the ball the power is loud to pull. The hardest hit ball of the game came off Mutchner’s bat for a run-scoring double that was 92 mph off the bat down the pull side line. The swing has a very easy trigger to start with some looseness as he gets the barrel head out in front nicely. He swung through a couple breaking balls early, but the power and jump off the barrel are rare for an ever rarer physicality on such a young prospect.

KBC prime earned themselves a 8-0 victory during the final slot of the day to go 2-0 on Saturday and both Grant Hussey (2021, Washington, W.V.) and Santiago Peralta (2020, Lexington, Ky.) impressed throughout.




Hussey, another physical first base prospect, is listed at 6-foot-3, 200-pounds with a pretty good swing through the hitting zone. The physicality and strength play well with the length of the path and loft at the end of the finish as it gives Hussey a very intriguing power ceiling. The power played to dead centerfield during the evening game as he launched a fastball over the head of the centerfielder for a well-struck triple. The looseness and present bat speed all allow for significant offensive projection, though he fits the profile of a middle-of-the-order presence who will be able to rack up a lot of runs with the bat. Hussey is also a fairly good athlete with fluid actions over at first as he is athletic off the bag and reads balls well too.

Peralta is a younger rising junior with impressive defensive chops and smoothness over at shortstop. The hitting has been the story thus far for Peralta as he is hitting a scorching .667 that included four RBI against the Austin Banditos and two hits earlier on Saturday against the East Cobb Astros. The defensive actions are smooth and true of a prototypical shortstop. He’s incredibly light on his feet with a quick first step in either direction and showed off the very seamless transfers to the throwing hand during a number of plays. One such play allowed Peralta to move up the middle with grace, transfer, and fire a strike over to first base to nail the runner. The swing itself is short with some barrel whip and works best when he’s working to hit line drives to all fields.

Traction Elite came out with a tough-luck loss against Team Steel but still showed off some players with impressive tools and projectable skill sets, two such examples being Mason Zambo (2021, Baton Rouge, La.) and Noah Duplantis (2021, Baton Rouge, La.).




Zambo is another young prospect with advanced physicality at 6-foot-2, 185-pounds to go along with real and attractive hitting tools from the left side of the plate. The frame is strong presently with broad shoulders and the build to be a very impressive physical prospect at maturation. The swing and start itself remind this scout of 2017 PG All-American, and Red Sox second-rounder, Nick Decker as there are similarities to the set up and swing. Zambo starts out quietly through the load with a very high hand load and a quick, loose, and easy trigger to start the swing that produces positive barrel acceleration and bat speed. He lofts the ball exceptionally well and got the game started with an early 1-0 lead as he smoked a double over the head of the centerfielder that left the bat at 90 mph with an estimated distance traveled of 334 feet. He found the tendency to swing at high, out-of-the-zone fastballs later on but the raw bat speed and potential power make him a very intriguing follow.

Duplantis didn’t show up very loudly in the box score, he recorded no hits on the game, but the defensive skills were impeccable for the young prospect. The center fielder is a modestly sized prospect, listed only at 5-foot-6 and 150-pounds, but you wouldn’t know that by the way he swings the stick. Duplantis swings with intent to impact the baseball aggressively and, in the truest sense of the phrase, is looking to do considerable damage in the box. He swings very hard, and has quickness to his hands and whips the barrel out in front in an effort to get extended and drive the ball. The swing path is fairly flat too and keeps the barrel in the zone for a long time with loose, direct hands throughout. The speed, defensive instincts, and first step quickness all took center stage throughout the game. Duplantis tried to bunt for a hit in his second at-bat and recorded a time to first on said bunt at 4.04 seconds. The speed allowed him to chase down nearly everything hit in his general vicinity as he was almost a vacuum out there. The first step quickness and accuracy of routes all make him a very strong defender and he put a cap on his defensive performance with an extra-base saving, all-or-nothing, diving grab back and to his right in the bottom of the sixth to rob a hard hit fly ball.

Eventually earning the win for Team Steel was righthander Declan Quinn (2020, Deer Park, N.Y.) and the New York native had downright filthy stuff during his gutsy, impressive performance. The 6-foot-1, 185-ound righthander has good size for that of a pitching prospect with long limbs and room to fill out. Quinn tossed seven innings while allowing only three hits, one unearned run, and striking out twelve batters. Quinn repeats his delivery well with a loose arm stroke and the intent behind his pitches stood out on the evening. He set up hitters effectively and attacked hitter weaknesses when he realized them, such as elevating fastballs against aggressive hitters and painting the lower third very well. Quinn also mixed in a breaking ball that he could land for strikes and put forth one of the more impressive statistical performances of the day.

– Vincent Cervino



Like other young talents in this tournament, righthander Irving Carter (2021, Boynton Beach, Fla.) has already has his college commitment wrapped up for over a year as he plans to attend the University of Miami following his high school career. He’s a well-known commodity on the national scene as he’s already pitched in some big games for Elite Squad throughout his young career, several times rising to the occasion while seeing a gradual uptick in his arsenal.

Anytime Carter takes the mound there’s never a lack of emotion when he pitches as he’s as fiery and competitive a pitcher as you’ll find at this level. It also helps that he has the arsenal to back it up, going out and attacking the opposing hitters with a fastball that peaked at 90 mph and continued to show upper-80s in the fourth inning when he needed to make a big pitch. Throughout his four innings work the future Miami Hurricane managed to punch out nine and maintained 85-89 mph, showing the ability to ramp it up whenever needed.

With his delivery Carter is able to generate some deception, coming down the mound with a high front lever, hiding the ball some through the back while generating plane and occasional sink with a quick right arm. The velocity alone would be enough to execute at the 15u level but he's much more than just a one-pitch pitcher. In fact, Carter now shows four pitches as he has begun to implement an 80-81 mph slider into his arsenal which already included a big 68-72 mph curveball with depth and a changeup in the mid-70s which he has shown an advanced feel for in the past.

Marcus Franco (2021, Miramar, Fla.) certainly looks the part of a middle-of-the-order type slugger and he proved to be just that for Elite Squad yesterday afternoon as he went 3-for-3 with three singles to help his team to a run rule victory. A physical presence in the righthanded batter’s box at 6-foot-3, 220-pounds, Franco still has a young look in the face and should only continue to grow stronger over the next few years. That said, the young Florida International commit did a nice job of staying on time with his leg lift trigger while creating some separation between his halves at the point of contact along with extension out front, living in the middle of the field with a loose and easy swing. As he continues to incorporate additional leverage into his path, look for Franco (currently ranked No. 96 in the 2021 class) to start launching balls deep out of the park.

Both Giovanny Cueto (2021, Miami, Fla.) and Dawson Ball (2021, Wellington, Fla.) were hitting down in the lineup for Elite Squad but that doesn’t mean they don’t have intriguing skills at the dish. Cueto enjoyed himself a nice two-hit day, both times lining the pitch back up the middle for a couple of singles, employing a simple and easy swing with quick hands. Ball, who like Cueto, is a primary catcher but hits from the left side and shows some of the looser hands on the team. Not as physical Franco or some of the other bats hitting in front of him at 5-foot-11, 170-pounds, Ball certainly has offensive tools to follow and has shown well behind the plate as well.




Brandon Neely (2021, Seville, Fla.) just turned 15 years old the other day and while his lean, loose, and highly projectable 6-foot, 165-pound frame may suggest his age, what comes out of his right hand certainly doesn’t. Already committed to the University of Florida, Neely is listed as a primary shortstop which lines up with the athleticism he shows on the mound though if Saturday’s performance is any indication, the mound just may be his future home.

Getting tall on his backside before driving down the mound, Neely offers a very quick right arm which in turned produced some of the easier velocity you may find this tournament. He lands slightly closed with his strike foot and works across his body some, but he still shows the ability to work over his front side, allowing for some angle to his fastball when working to his glove side. The future Gator opened up sitting in the 86-89 mph range, a velocity band he continued to work in through and even bumped it a tick higher in the third showing a 90 and a 91 on the radar gun though there’s plenty more in the tank as he continues to develop physically and refine his delivery.

Over his three innings of work Neely punched out four, walked three, surrendered four hits and showed on of the better sliders I saw over the first two days. When he was on time and stayed on top of the pitch it showed some late biting depth tilt to it up to 74 mph, though at times would show more like a curveball with depth and 11-to-5 shape. All the ingredients are there for Neely to become a big time arm, especially when you consider the jump he made from this past fall when he topped out at 83 mph.

Doing the catching for the Scorpions Founders Club was Satchell Norman (2021, Sarasota, Fla.), an uncommitted prospect who should be followed throughout the week. Strongly built at 5-foot-10, 175-pounds, Norman showed intriguing tools on both sides of the ball and particularly stood out for his arm strength behind the dish, a true weapon at this level. While he wasn’t challenged in the game in regards to a pop time, he did make on throw from his knees on an inning ending called third strike which traveled to second base on a line, showing plenty of strength and carry out of the hand. Norman also shows upside at the dish with a balanced swing that packs plenty of strength and bat speed. While there’s length to the swing, the barrel stays in the zone well and he’s able to generate some whip and leverage, two components that only add intrigue moving forward.




What a difference a year can make, and the physical jumps players make from the 14u to 15u level. At this event one year ago Deric Fabian (2021, Ocala, Fla.) stood just 5-foot-10, 110-pounds, a far cry from his current 6-foot-2, 155-pound which is only going to grow stronger moving forward. The younger brother of 2019 outfielder Jud Fabian, Deric features a very similar set up in the box with a tall stance and a high hand set though even more of the same is the feel for the barrel and the fluidity to his overall path. The swing itself is one that you can dream easily dream on as he gets stronger and only adds bat speed though he already can handle the barrel, going 2-for-2 with a double that split the gap and a line drive single back up the middle. And unlike his older brother, Deric Fabian is throws righthanded, allowing for defensive versatility and got the start at second base though he wasn’t challenged in this look.

In a tournament where the players are as young as they are here, you’re certain to get first looks at players who hadn’t seen before and slowly build a profile for them throughout the course of the week. That’s just what has happened with my viewing of shortstop/righthanded pitcher Jonathan Vastine (2021, Bartow, Fla.) who I saw day one playing shortstop for Hit Pro Factory before seeing him take the mound the following day where he was able to put his arm strength on display. A lefthanded hitter who showed his athleticism up the middle with a nice barehanded, off balance play on opening day, Vastine got the start on the mound and comfortably sat in the 83-86 mph range, showing a quick arm with short running life to his arm side. There are still refinements to be made to his delivery though there’s no doubting the arm strength he put on display as a secondary, nor his ability to throw strikes as he needed just 16 pitches to navigate through his two innings of work.

Gage Ziehl (2021, Macedon, N.Y.) got the start for the Canes National team and went five innings, settling in nicely after his first inning and offers plenty of upside on the bump. Currently uncommitted, though he should garner some interest given the crowd of college coaches on hand, Ziehl impressed in his Perfect Game debut and should get another start later this tournament.

Standing at an already strongly built 5-foot-11, 190-pounds, Ziehl begins his delivery with a big side step, going from the third base side of the rubber to the first base side before breaking into a compact, up-tempo delivery with a tight leg lift up past his belt. His arm action is both short and compact, showing solid arm speed through the backside to produce a fastball that topped out at 87 mph and averaged 85 mph over the course of his start. When he was on time and in sync Ziehl was able to generate running life to his heater down in the zone, a pitch he attacked hitters with en route to striking out nine. The slider was his go-to secondary pitch, an offering that worked its way up to 75 mph and at its best showed two-plane action with bite down in the zone when he maintained his release point. And when the pitch was working he showed the ability to sequence with it just as he did in the top of the second going slider-slider-fastball (which he ran in on the inner half) for a called third strike.

Shane Huntsberger (2021, Coral Springs, Fla.) made quite the statement for the ELEV8 Banditos as he turned in a seven inning no-hit performance in which he struck out 11 and walked just two. Staying short and quick with his arm stroke through the back side, Huntsberger was able to fill up the strike zone with a fastball that topped out at 82 mph and lived in the upper-70s throughout, still showing 80 mph in his final inning of work. Staying under his pitch limited with 91 on the night, Huntsberger showed the ability to run his fastball in on the hands of the opposing hitters while mixing in a curveball in the upper-60s for strikes.

– Jheremy Brown



In the early morning time slot at LakePoint, Jake Plummer (2021, Wernersville, Pa.) had a nice day at the plate collecting a pair of hits in his three at-bats on the day while walking in the other. Plummer’s first at-bat of the day resulted in a long home run to left field as the physical righthanded hitter did not miss a first pitch fastball. Plummer was not done at the plate as he gets the barrel extended well through the hitting zone and the ball leaves his bat quickly when connected. His third at-bat of the day the starting right fielder for the Holman Hurricanes ripped a line drive single to left field for his second exit velocity of 90 mph on the day. Each of Plummer’s hits left his barrel at an even 90 mph as the 6-foot-4, 200-pound has obvious strength to his swing.

Hunter Selzer (2020, Berlin, Md.) is a young 2020 graduate eligible to play in the 2021 class WWBA event and his velocity is overpowering to opposing hitters of this age. Standing at 5-foot-11, 180-pounds, Selzer projects for more as he continues to mature. His fastball ranges from 80-85 mph while it did reach a peak velocity of 87 mph once early in the contest as well. From a compact arm action and a high three-quarters arm slot, Selzer generates some angle to his pitches especially when located down in the strike zone. He works quickly and was successful in this contest as he tallied a lot of swings and misses with a fastball, slider combination while totaling up two strikeouts per inning. His slider is still developing spin but was effective in getting hitters out in front.




Christian Little (2021, St. Louis, Mo.) had a lot of help from his offense on Saturday as he only needed 49 pitches and four innings to pitch a complete game three-hitter. Little, a 2017 PG Select Festival pitcher, was dominant from start to finish filling the zone up with a three pitch mix and varying speeds to keep hitters off balance. His fastball ranged from 85-88 mph from his low effort delivery. Little’s arm action is loose, quick and full through the circle as he sits on his back leg and drives down the mound well. The Vanderbilt commit has a clean delivery all-around and will likely continue to gain velocity as he matures. The righthander was brilliant on this day commanding his secondary pitches at will as well. First showing his changeup in game, the pitch showed late diving action while producing plenty of swings and misses. His 12-to-6 curveball is a potential serious weapon in his arsenal as it has hard bite downward already and will only continue to get better. There is plenty of upside to Christian Little on the mound and it will be fun to continue to follow him as he continues to blossom as a pitcher.

As mentioned above, Team Elite had the bats out in full force in their 13-0 win Saturday as Brady House (2021, Winder, Ga.) and Luke Leto (2021, Portage, Mich.) each took pitches deep in the rout.

House, a two-way talent committed to Tennessee, opened the game up early with a bomb of his own in the first inning of the contest. The two-hole hitter found a pitch he liked on the inner half of the plate and struck the ball with force. The baseball jumped off of his bat quickly as it got out of the park in a hurry. Leto, a two-way talent of his own that can run his fastball up to 91 mph, took a ball way out to right field.

Leto is a special talent in the 2021 class and ranked second nationally. The LSU commit creates leverage in his swing and, when squared, the baseball really launches off of his barrel at a high rate.

When a team surges for so many hits in such a short viewing, it is hard to leave out mentioning each of them. Team Elite’s Carson McKinney (2021, Temecula, Calif.) and Max Soliz (2021, Houston, Texas) both collected hits that showed their potential hit tools in the contest as well.

McKinney, a verbal commitment to Alabama, is a physical and athletic player who connected on a double to his pull side gap in the contest showing his powerful swing and giving a glimpse of the juice in his stroke.

Soliz has been noted in the past with his raw hit tool and unique stance that generates a lot of pop off of the barrel. The Arkansas commit got his front foot down on time for a fastball over the middle of the plate and hit the ball with a very high exit velocity back up the middle for a single.

Young-framed righthander Michael Ramos (2021, Rio Grande City, Texas) came into the game in relief for the Banditos Black after a trio of lightning delays halted the start of the contest. Ramos is a projectable righty and already has the velocity and command to be very successful at his age. The Texas native sits 80-83 mph with his fastball and really projects for more due to his frame and the quickness of his arm stroke. Ramos pounded the zone on Saturday night with a heavy diet of fastballs but also featured a curveball and changeup as well. He did slow his delivery down on each of the offspeed pitches but they still are effective in getting hitters out and project well with a minor adjustment. He showed more feel for the changeup at present while the pitch really got hitters out on their front side each time the offering was delivered. Ramos has a high ceiling on the mound and will be worth following closely as he matures.

In a game that started three hours after its scheduled start time, Ryan Cagle (2021, South Pittsburg, showed big-time projection on the mound running his fastball up to 84 and sitting 80-83 mph early. The 6-foot-5 righthander has outstanding projection remaining as he throws effortlessly with the ability to command the fastball to either side of the plate. He generates a ton of angle from his large frame and stays tall on his backside driving down the mound. The delivery is very clean and he repeats it extremely well for his size and age. He mixes in a curveball with 12-to-6 shape that he uses when ahead in counts to put hitters away. Cagle is worth a very close follow moving forward as he continues to develop.

– Greg Gerard



Already having impressed yesterday at the dish, two-way threat Hunter Elliott (2021, Tupelo, Miss.) was fantastic on the mound for the Louisiana Knights Black squad. The ball really jumps out his hand, as he was hitting 86-88 mph from the left side with ease. The Ole Miss commit pitches with a high leg kick that he balances well on and throws from a high three-quarters arm slot that gives him some natural tail, although he should continue to develop a feel for harnessing this fastball movement. When everything is on time, the final result is pretty, with hitters consistently taking late hacks.

The fastball, often elevated effectively for punchouts, was so dominant that Elliott didn’t feel the need to go to a secondary once in this outing. However, it showed high potential during his warmups, more of a slurve-type breaker with sharp 2-to-8 shape. The top lefty and third-ranked overall player in the Mississippi class finished the day with a 9-0 lead in tow, striking out four over three scoreless. He hit for himself and displayed a strong two-strike approach and a good eye, contributing a sac fly in the first before a hustle double in his next at bat. Ole Miss must be counting down the days until the exciting Elliott steps on campus.

Elliott’s teammate Joshua Stevenson (2021, Youngsville, La.) is one of the more mechanically sound hitters you will see at this level. He utilizes the lower half extremely well, featuring explosive hip rotation and quiet footwork with no unnecessary triggers or movement. The result is excellent timing at the plate and he displayed nice bat speed as well on his way to an RBI single. Stevenson, the top outfielder and fifth-ranked overall player in the Louisiana class, can run, too, recording a 4.17-second time getting down to first. Undoubtedly this speed plays in centerfield, but he didn’t get any defensive chances in this viewing. It’s easy to see what LSU likes about its young commit, and with an athletic, well-proportioned build, he has room to fill out and possibly profile as a true power threat.

Oren Abbott (2021, Short Hills, N.J.) got the start for the Tri-State Arsenal 2021 Scout team and came out firing early, hitting 86 mph with the fastball before settling in to the 82-83 range. While not having his best command today, being effectively wild worked in his favor, as he struck out five over 2 1/3 frames while giving up just one hit. He mixed in a curveball from the same arm slot that showed good vertical movement and was clocked around 70 mph. There is some projectability to the compact frame, and Abbott, uncommitted, is young for the class as he has yet to turn 15. The second-ranked lefty in the New Jersey class, and No. 10 player overall, hit for himself in this one and showed some serious bat speed and nice discipline that suggest potential at the plate as well.

With Tri-State trailing by a run late, teammate Troy McGirt (2021, Maxton, N.C.) took the wind out of Canes South’s sails with a clutch three-run shot to left that ultimately ended up being the decider. He displayed good extension through the point of contact and a clean, direct bat path straight to the ball in launching the towering blast. McGirt stayed cool in the moment, not fazed in the crucial at bat, and the power really shouldn’t surprise anyone given his strong 6-foot-1, 205-pound frame.

– Cameron Hines
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