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Tournaments  | Story  | 10/24/2023

WWBA Sophomore Prospect Breakdown

Vincent Cervino      Kyler Peterson      Troy Sutherland      Jake Cosart     
Sophomore WWBA Scout Notes: Days 1-2 | Day 3 | Days 4-5
 

The Next Wave
These are some of the names we've already come to know, through big time performances, high end commitments, or top of the class rankings, these guys continued to show what their hype was all about. 

Nathaneal Davis, OF, San Diego Padres Scout Team 16U
Davis swung the stick well and showed twitch and impressive athleticism. The outfielder possesses a smooth left-handed stroke with looseness and easy jump off the bat. Davis can really run and the overall profile is very intriguing, also showing arm strength off the bump, working in the upper-80s.



Keon Johnson, SS, Wow Factor National 16U
Johnson has some of the best for the barrel in the entire class and excellent tools across the board. The shortstop utilizes a mature approach, and the swing is quiet, producing effortless bat speed. The #3 ranked player in the class is also a talented glove and is a consistent performer every tournament.

Jaxson Wood, SS, Wow Factor National 16U
Per usual, Wood was all over the barrel all tournament, going 6-for-12 with a pair of doubles and a triple. The silky smooth defender has an innate knack for the barrel and plays the game hard. A 6.61 runner, the bat is fast and the whole process is well-timed and athletic. Wood had a great year with the stick, finishing batting .438 over 28 games.

Christian Doty, SS, San Diego Padres Scout Team 16U
Doty can do a little bit of everything, and it showed up in Fort Myers. The Mississippi native batted .429 during the tournament and displayed impressive athleticism from a strong 6-foot, 185-pound frame. The physicality plays and Doty has big pull side juice. The Ole Miss commit can run and he has several standout tools at his disposal.

Julian Pitts, RHP, Padres Prospects
Pitts blew absolute smoke in his outing, running it up to 95 and living comfortably at 90-92. The right-hander features big sink on the heater and garnered seven strikeouts over three one-hit frames. Pitts has big arm speed and pitches with a ton of intent, mixing in the breaking ball in the mid-70s.

Jaylen Walker, OF, Wow Factor National 16U
Walker showed some real thunder in the stick with all fields capability. The Select Festival alumni’s power upside really stands out and it showed up in game. The ball explodes off of Walker’s bat and there is heaviness to the barrel to go along with low effort strength.

-Kyler Peterson

Wilson Andersen (‘26 FL MBA Scout)
The operation is loose and athletic with big time arm speed. The stuff is super advanced for the age with an arsenal headlined by a big low 90’s heater that attacks the lower portion of the zone. Advanced fade changeup is executed versus the left-handed hitter, showing good feel to work it off the plate away. High ceiling arm that will have his choice of power 5 schools. 

Brayden Harris (‘26 FL MBA Scout) 
The body is loaded up with functional muscle mass and the swing mechanics are clean with sound rhythm at the plate. The load coils well into the back side with high level barrel accuracy and feel to hit. The power shows in a big way through the gaps and should only improve as he continues to mature. He registered 7 hits and an event high 8 walks. If there are two things that most easily translate to success in the collegiate and professional game, its plate discipline and high in-zone contact rate, promising traits for the future Seminole. 

Ethan Wheeler (‘26 FL MBA Scout) 
The operation on the mound is athletic, especially for the size and length he presents. He extended well with feel to throw it downhill to the glove. The fastball command was noteworthy throughout the outing and set up his two-plane breaker to play up in leverage counts. The development should be fun to watch over the next couple of years with already huge stuff. 

Beau Peterson (‘26 KS Canes National) 
The pure physicality of the left-handed hitting, Peterson is impressive, but he shows no shortage of pure hit.  The swing has rhythm with a strong lower half that works well in unison with a hands driven approach. As he continues to refine and add explosiveness the power could jump off the page in short order. He’s tabbed as a top 20 player in the 2026 class and is headed on an upward trajectory as he heads into his sophomore high school season. 

Alex Harrington (‘26 CA Canes National) 
The Stanford commit shows solid lateral range and coordination at a premium infield spot. The swing at the plate utilizes well the mechanical advantages his advanced size and length presents. Obvious strength and bat speed combination with top of the class level pure hit. Smooth runner that has the savvy and overall baseball IQ to hunt extra bases. Everything looks natural to him with big time Gamer qualities. 

-Troy Sutherland

Jacob Lombard, SS, San Diego Padres Scout Team
Lombard is currently ranked in the top 20 overall prospects for the class but it was once again a big time event for the slugging middle infielder. Lombard is big and athletic with good function and excellent overall tools. There’s massive projection here and he hit .462 on the weekend while showing power, speed, and very good defense at shortstop.

Brady Harris, OF, MBA Scout Team
Harris had a very long fall but still managed to hit over .400 during the week for the eventual champion MBA Scout Team. Harris is super twitchy and athletic, playing excellent defense and gliding in centerfield while he totaled four extra base hits including numerous exit velocities over 100 mph over the course of the event.

Deion Cole, OF, SmarTense The Show
Cole is another top ten prospect in the class who absolutely showed out offensively, finishing as runner-ups while hitting .417 with six extra base hits. The offensive hitting tools are very real here for Cole who’s turned in an all-star effort all year long with consistent big performances at big events.

Cole "CJ" Weinstein, IF, SmarTense The Show
Weinstein was another massive contributor to his team to the tune of an average over .400 on the weekend including a homer. Weinstein has a super polished hit tool with a very pretty swing from the left side of the plate and he was all over the barrel all weekend.

Brady Marshall, 3B, South Charlotte Panthers
A Tennessee commit, Marshall has become known for his quality hit tool throughout his young career and that’s exactly what he continued to show during the sophomore world: hitting .462 with a homer and five extra base hits. There’s very good bat speed with a solid blend of hit and power tools to make one of the most dangerous hitters in the class.

Lucas Cannady, 3B, MBA Scout Team
Cannady, a Clemson commit, mashed all weekend and earned the MVP award from this tournament, hitting .500 with ten RBI and eleven total hits. Cannady is a very physical hitter who takes good at-bats and really doesn’t expand the zone or swing-and-miss very often. This creates a high upside hitter and one that was on fire all weekend.

Parker Loew, IF, Canes National
Loew put up video game numbers over the course of five games for the Canes, finishing an absurd 11-for-13 with numerous barrels all over the field. He’s got explosive bat speed with twitchy hands in the box and the power he possesses in the bat truly plays to all fields with consistency and efficiency.
 
-Vinnie Cervino

Tyler Ellis, LHP/1B, MBA 2026 Scout Team
Ellis shined on both sides of the ball with dynamic play on the bump and in the box. Ellis struck out 8 against a tough opponent and sat in the 89-92 mph range with late life to the fastball from the left side. He blasted a towering homerun and showed off good discipline with 5 walks, a 1.241 OPS, and tons of loud contact gap to gap all tournament long.

Luke Manderson, OF/RHP, Smartense 16u The Show National
Manderson flashed some premium stuff in his 6 inning start for Smartense. The physical right hander sat 87-90 mph with running life and ripped off some tight, high spin curveballs that caused opposing hitters fits. Manderson also showed off some juice with the stick, hitting a loud home run and triple in the middle of the order for his team’s lineup.

Codey Gauff, C/3B, San Diego Padres Scout Team 16u
Gauff’s advanced bat to ball skills were on display yet again with a .471 average at tourneys end. The switch-hitting backs stop is super short to the ball and rarely swings and misses in zone. Gauff doesn’t sell out for just any contact and is routinely on the barrel when he makes it.

Cody Boshell, 1B/LHP, 5 Star National 16u Black
Boshell was a whiff machine recording all but one of his outs via the strikeout. His two innings were as impressive as they come as he flashed arm strength and two secondary offerings that have massive potential. The southpaw grabbed a couple 88 mph and ripped off a few trap door action changeups and two plane sliders.

Brandon Lorenzo, SS/2B, CBU 2026 Scout Team
Lorenzo finished with an OPS of 1.029 and walked more than he struck out. The Florida commit is uber loose and athletic in the box with consistent timing and quick hands through the zone. He was on the center of the barrel often with loud contact and, as evidenced by his stats, routinely made good swing decisions.

-Jake Cosart


Breakout Stars
What better place to break out than one of the top fall events in the country for the sophomore class? The names below are ones you took full advantage of their time in Florida and will continue to garner attention moving forward. 

Gunnar Garrison, RHP, Slammers Anderson 2026’s
Garrison was about as good as it gets in his outing. The physical 6-foot-4, 210-pound righty went seven one-hit innings, striking out as 13 and walking one. He filled up the zone and sat 85-88, grabbing an 89 in the final frame. The curveball was a consistent pitch and there is plenty more to come for Garrison.

Aidan Kastensmidt, RHP, Gatorball 16U
Kastensmidt put on an absolute pitching clinic, showing a nice blend of polish and projectablity. The fastball worked mostly 82-85, topping out at 86 early on. The velocity comes super easy from a smooth operation. He mixed in the low-70s breaking ball effectively and dotted the corners the whole outing.

-Kyler Peterson

Robert Mahoney (‘26 CA Padres Scout Team) 
The lean projectable right-hander works with a delivery that is loose and fluid with good tempo. The clean arm stroke creates big jump out of the hand. The fastball shows excellent life and carries through the glove, frequently into the upper-80's. Breaking stuff is up to snuff with the quality of the fastball, excellent early command of both. Great body with a plus delivery and stand out arsenal, a ton to like here from the SoCal native. Almost certainly a future power 5 arm that could draw draft type interest if he maintains the current trajectory. 

Lawson McLeod (‘26 VA Canes National) 
The frame is long and lean with loose athletic actions down the slope through release. He shows quality arm speed with feel to leverage his size into negative attack on his lively low 90’s fastball. Flashed a short tight breaking slider that has high swing and miss potential. The native Virginian has the stuff/body blend that will be sought after come next summer. 

-Troy Sutherland

Jakub Mudd, OF, Canes American
Mudd had a very good weekend at the dish, finishing hitting .364 with a ton to like and project on the 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame. There’s real whip to the hands with budding bat speed and power upside. He was on the barrel all weekend and the physical skill set coupled with the projection offers real upside.

Jake Carbaugh, RHP, SmarTense The Show
Carbaugh was ultra impressive during his start on the bump, striking out seven batters over five scoreless and earning the win. At 6-foot-3, 175-pounds, there’s substantial projection to be had here and he’s already a very fluid and easy mover down the bump. He was mostly mid-80s from a three-quarters slot with a full three pitch mix and clear upside long term.

Chase Kiker, RHP, Dirtbags National
Kiker was already ranked in the top 500 coming into this weekend but he was nothing short of dominant during his start, running the fastball up to 91 mph and punching out thirteen hitters. The breaker is real too with serious bite as is the two-way upside as Kiker finished hitting over .500 in four games including a bomb in his last game on the weekend.

Austin Knierim, IF, CBU Scout Team James
Knierim was the most consistent hitter on a very talented CBU team and finished the weekend hitting over .600. It’s a loose, easy swing from the left side of the plate that’s very easy to repeat and Knierim is a good athlete overall. He also showed some two-way upside running the fastball into the low-80s and tossing seven strong over the course of the weekend.

-Vinnie Cervino

Dominic Marino, RHP/IF, Northeast Pride 2026 National
Marino came out of the pen firing in his lone appearance for Pride. His fastball velocity peaked at 88 mph, a personal best, and continues to climb each time he toes the rubber. Marino also ripped off some wipeout sliders with late tilt and high spin. Both offerings showed real bat missing traits and caught the eyes of many in attendance.

Jake Brettschneider, RHP/1B, Spects National
The lanky 6-foot-3 right-hander sat comfortable in the mid to upper 80’s on two separate occasions in relief and as a starter. He flashed feel for both a changeup with fading action and a short breaking ball that kept hitters off balance. The size and low effort ease to the delivery showed that there is loads to project on in the near future.

Miller Sheets, RHP/IF, Sheets Baseball
Sheets was in complete control during his four-inning outing with six punchouts and no runs allowed. His 88-mph fastball had heavy sinking life with consistent finish to the bottom of the zone. Sheets held his velocity throughout and wasn’t afraid to spin a breaking ball for strikes in any count.

Cooper Riley, RHP/3B, Top Tier Roos 2026 American
Riley lowered his 2023 season ERA to an impressive .50 after a dominant five inning performance. He is an easy strike thrower with an efficient delivery that is well sequenced. Riley’s fastball has big carry and lift through the zone at 84 mph and hitters repeatedly swung underneath the offering.

-Jake Cosart


Top 2027 Talent
These guys are younger than a majority of those in attendance, but they're names you'll be hearing all about next summer as the Class of 2027 takes over at the 15u level. 

Bradley Lenz, RHP, 5 Star National 15U Black
Despite still being just 14 years old, Lenz pitched exceedingly well against older competition. The right-hander has a fast arm with tremendous projection, running it in at 80-83. The fastball has life and the slider was a swing-and-miss offering, showing impressive feel for it with tight bite. Lenz ended the tournament tossing five innings, allowing only one run.

Lucas Bruinsma, RHP, Thunderwolves Canada
Bruinsma was lights out over six shutout innings in Fort Myers and pounded the strike zone with 72% strikes. The fastball showed big bore and sink from a lower slot, topping out at 84. The slider was an effective offering, playing off of the heater well with tight spin.

-Kyler Peterson

Xavier Perez (‘27 IA Iowa Elite) 
The Iowa Hawkeyes commit had a really solid showing at the Sophomore Worlds. The defensive prowess behind the dish is noteworthy. Strong receiver with a well above average arm and instincts. Offensively, it is a smooth left-handed stroke that is well connected and strong at the point of contact.  Athleticism stands out and is very intriguing as a left-handed hitting catcher. The power is nowhere near its ceiling and could be a big separator as he gets into his upper-class year. 

-Troy Sutherland

Jacob Seamon, OF, South Charlotte Panthers
Seamon was one of the youngest players in the event, being not only a 2027 graduate but one that only just turned 14 years old a month prior. He’s got great size at 6-foot-4, 165-pounds with great coordination and the ability to control his levers well. Seamon hit .385 on the weekend and looks to be one of the top players in his class and one that performed playing up.

Samir Mohammed, RHP, MBA Scout Team
Mohammed was excellent during his time on the mound which, coincidentally, happened to come during the championship final where he went six strong allowing just one run. Mohammed ran the fastball up to 89 mph and has a ton to like about the 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame. There’s big upside here as he fills out but already showed that he has a championship pedigree and the big moments aren’t too big.

-Vinnie Cervino