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By Dylan Hefflinger
Editor in Chief/Scout 

Interested in attending a PBR Ohio event? Check out our schedule by clicking here.

2016 Team Ohio Future Game Spotlight: Meet The Team

From August 4th through August 6th, PBR Ohio will take a select team of players in the Classes of 2018 and 2019 to represent Ohio at the PBR Future Games in Westfield Indiana at Grand Park.

Players receive exposure unlike any other event for underclassmen. Last year, 100+ colleges from all over the country were in attendance, including coaches from every Division I power conference in the country. Only players who have a legitimate shot at being a Division I recruit and who have an interest in the possibility of making a verbal commitment during their sophomore or junior seasons have been considered.

To view the History of Team Ohio and the PBR Future Games, click here.

Cole Ayers, RHP

Name: Cole Ayers
Position: RHP
Class: 2018
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 175 pounds
High School: Loveland
Summer Team(s): Cincinnati Baseball Club

Past Showcase Comments:
6/6/16
6-foot-1, 175-pound athletic, projectable frame. An ambush type hitter that starts tall before taking an aggressive stride forward. Relies on weight shift for timing. Hands move back and barrel gets flat early which causes it to lag through the zone at times. Works better to his pull side at this stage. Registered an exit velocity of 85 mph and ran a 7.80 60-yard dash. His arm profiles for the infield with exceptional touch and release. Top velocity of 79 mph across the infield. He fields with his hands separated from his body causing some defensive issues. Needs to clean that up to improve consistency and fluidity in his actions. A two-way prospect that offers a three pitch mix off the mound. Has some quickness to his arm with good direction to home plate. Fastball sat 80-84 mph with slight run. Curveball was sharp when down in the zone at 65-70 mph. Decent feel for his 73-75 mph changeup.

Nolan Clegg, 1B/OF

Name: Nolan Clegg
Position: 1B/OF
Class: 2018
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 185 pounds
High School: Toronto
Summer Team(s): Ohio Elite

Past Showcase Comments:
6/7/16
6-foot-2, 185-pound athletic, projectable frame. A physically impressive athlete with a ton of tools to work with. Has some fluidity to his loading sequence where he uses a toe turn to incorporate his lower half before taking his hands slightly back. His strength and athleticism show up in his swing as he gets the bat through the zone with impressive batspeed on a level path. Drove balls with authority to the outfield in batting practice. Had a top exit velocity of 94 mph and ran a 6.7 60-yard dash. Worked out in the outfield and at first base. At this stage he is more advance at first base where he brings an unusual amount of athleticism to the position. Moves off the bag extremely well with the ability to play low. Above average glove. Should only get better as he develops feel for the position. An adequate defender in the outfield with fluid footwork and the ability to play through the baseball. Threw to home plate with 83 mph arm strength. Bottom line is the bat plays so his versatility will give the lineup he is in at the next level flexibility.

Zach Dezenzo, SS/3B

Name: Zach Dezenzo
Position: SS/3B
Class: 2018
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 185 pounds
High School: Marlington
Summer Team(s): Ohio Elite

Past Showcase Comments:
6/6/16
6-foot-3, 180-pound athletic, projectable frame. A toolsy player that is starting to make a name for himself as one of the top prospects in the 2018 class. Took an impressive batting practice and drove balls to the gap with authority. Has a swing with fluid, well timed movements that include a bat tip and leg kick. Has all the tools to be a middle of lineup hitter at the next level. Registered an exit velocity of 92 mph and ran a 6.84 60-yard dash. Might be a tick to big to play middle. Has a 3B profile with good, quick hands and a big arm. He will need to improve footwork to stick at SS. Top velocity of 79 mph.

Jack Frank, OF

Name: Jack Frank
Position: OF
Class: 2019
Height/Weight: 6-foot, 165 pounds
High School: Strongsville
Summer Team(s): Northern Ohio Premier Team Mizuno

Emilio Gonzalez, RHP/OF

Name: Emilio Gonzalez
Position: RHP/OF
Class: 2018
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 170 pounds
High School: Defiance
Summer Team(s): Ohio Thunder/Defiance ACME

Past Showcase Comments:
7/6/16
6-foot-1, 170-pound strong build. At the plate he shows a balanced stance. Separates the hands back on the load to generate power. Showed the ability to drive the ball to all fields with power to his pull side. Registered a top exit velocity of 89 mph. From the outfield he shows good footwork and a strong arm. Threw out of a high ¾ slot with 85 mph arm strength. On the mound, he was very impressive and solidified himself as a great 2018 pitching prospect. He throws with some rhythm in his delivery that requires regular effort. Good direction to the plate, landing on line at foot strike. Throws with a short back arm action into a high-¾ slot with quick arm speed. Fastball sat 84-87 mph while topping out at 88 mph. Showed a sharp breaking ball on an 11/5 plane at 72-75 mph.

Tyler Hays, RHP

Name: Tyler Hays
Position: RHP
Class: 2018
Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 175 pounds
High School: Copley
Summer Team(s):

Past Showcase Comments:
6/7/16
6-foot-4, 175-pound very projectable frame. A talented pitching prospect in the 2018 class. Has some rawness to his mechanics but stuff is there. Working through a high ¾ slot he sat 82-86 mph with his fastball, showing above average armspeed. Breaking ball was sharp when down in the zone with an 11/5 shape at 68-69 mph. Also mixed in a changeup near fastball armspeed at 72-73 mph.

Spencer Kiehl, RHP

Name: Spencer Kiehl
Position: RHP
Class: 2018
Height/Weight: 5-foot-9, 175 pounds
High School: Thomas Worthington
Summer Team(s): Ohio Elite

Past Showcase Comments:
6/6/16
5-foot-9, 170-pound average build. One of the top right-handed pitchers in the 2018 class. Has good tempo to a delivery that requires some effort. Working through a near over the top slot he sat 84-88 mph. His breaking ball is a plus pitch with sharp break and good depth. Has swing and miss to it while coming in anywhere between 73-76 mph. Still developing feel for his 76-77 mph changeup. Struggled with command at times but was near unhittable when in the zone.

Casey Maniglia, RHP/OF

Name: Casey Maniglia
Position: RHP/OF
Class: 2018
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 200 pounds
High School: Solon
Summer Team(s): Force Ohio

Ryan McCurry, OF

Name: Ryan McCurry
Position: OF
Class: 2018
Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 175 pounds
High School: Solon
Summer Team(s): Force Ohio

Past Showcase Comments:
6/7/16
6-foot, 190-pound, athletic frame. Few players stock rose more than his after his performance at the event. Ran a very impressive 6.47 60-yard dash and his in game home to first time was 4.06 from the right side. At the plate he showed he had more than just elite speed. Using fluid movements he created excellent energy into contact with his lower half. Hands move slightly back during his stride before getting through the zone quickly on a level path. Recorded two hits on the day including a line drive, triple that rolled to the wall after almost being caught by the second baseman. Exit velocity was 88 mph. A solid defender in the outfield with fluid actions and the ability to play through the ball. Arm strength is adequate as he topped out at 83 mph to home plate. Project as a centerfielder at the next level.

Tyler mcDonough, C/SS

Name: Tyler McDonough
Position: C/SS
Class: 2018
Height/Weight: 5-foot-8, 155 pounds
High School: Archbishop Moeller
Summer Team(s): Texas Phenom

Past Showcase Comments:
6/6/16
5-foot-9, 155-pound athletic frame. Starting to solidify himself as one of the more talented offensive players in the 2018 class. His measurables won’t jump off the page but he is a true switch hitter that can flat out hit. Is very similar mechanically from both sides using a leg kick to initiate his lower half with a controlled stride before weight shifting into contact. Remains fluid with his hands through a bat tip load. All signs point to him hitting from both sides at the next level with him maybe being slightly more advanced from the left side. Produced line drive after line drive in batting practice. Has an advanced approach at the plate with excellent pitch recognition skills. His advanced mechanics allow him to adjust and attack offspeed pitches. Registered an exit velocity of 84 mph from the left side and 80 mph from the right. Prototypical second baseman mold, but has the arm strength to play shortstop. One of the top players in attendance. Good feet and hands. Creates momentum through the ball. Has a very good an accurate arm. Top velocity of 84 mph. Behind the plate, he has elite skill set. Quick transfer and release. Receives the ball well. But, smaller frame likely has him destined as an infielder. Pop times ranged between 1.94-1.96 with a top velocity of 79 mph from the crouch.

Kyle Music, RHP

Name: Kyle Music
Position: RHP
Class: 2018
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 195 pounds
High School: Milford
Summer Team(s): Midland Tomahawks

Past Showcase Comments:
6/7/16
6-foot-3, 195-pound tall projectable build on the mound. Shows smooth rhythm in his delivery that requires easy effort. Has a tendency to fall off toward the first base side in his follow through. Long and loose back arm action into a high ¾ slot. Fastball sat 82-86 mph on this day but have seen him up to 88 mph as recent as this spring. Curveball sat 73-75 mph with sharp 11/5 break and good depth. One of the better breakers we saw all day. Changeup sat 76-77 mph.

Devan Nail, SS

Name: Devan Nail
Position: SS
Class: 2018
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 175 pounds
High School: Elyria
Summer Team(s): Lake Erie Warhawks

Past Showcase Comments:
6/6/16
A smooth athlete with a very projectable build at 6-foot-3, 175-pounds. Huge upside and earned a Future Games spot with his performance. Advanced abilities in the infield. It’s rare to see an infielder with that size be that fluid in the infield. Excellent glove skills with above average range and the quickest transfer at the event. Showed the ability to throw from multiple arm angles. Arm strength isn’t elite at 81 mph across the infield but he makes up for it with his ability to get rid of the ball quickly. Projects to be an elite defender at the next level with the tools to play shortstop and the body to play third base. At this stage all signs point to him staying at shortstop. At the plate he starts in an open setup and uses an aggressive stride into contact. Has fluidity to his loading sequence. Hands are simple before getting through the zone on a level path. Has some power potential as he matures physically. Registered an exit velocity of 89 mph and ran a 7.25 60-yard dash.

Cole Niekamp, RHP

Name: Cole Niekamp
Position: RHP
Class: 2018
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 185 pounds
High School: Versailles
Summer Team(s): Ohio Elite

Past Showcase Comments:
6/7/16
6-foot-2, 185-pound, athletic, projectable frame. A strong, athletic kid with a fast bat. Starts in an athletic position before taking a short stride forward. Bat gets through the zone on a level path. Would like to see him loosen up as he tends to gets stiff at times which hinders some of the strength and batspeed. Registered an exit velocity of 85 mph with much more in the tank and ran a 6.85 60-yard dash. Has efficient footwork in the infield. Average hands at this stage. With 83 mph arm strength across the infield he has the arm to stay on the left side but projects more as a third baseman at this stage. On the mound the righty works through a high ¾ slot with loose, quick arm action. Fastball had natural run to it while sitting between 82-85 mph. Spun a tight, 11/5 shaped curveball that had sharpness to it when it was down in the zone. Throws a changeup with fastball armspeed at 79-80 mph.

Alec Sayre, RHP/3B

Name: Alec Sayre
Position: RHP/3B
Class: 2019
Height/Weight: 6-foot, 185 pounds
High School: Dover

Past Showcase Comments:
6/7/16
5-foot-11, 180-pound athletic frame. Strong right handed pitching prospect on the mound. Good direction to the plate, landing on line at foot strike and finishing square to the plate. Delivery requires some effort. Long, loose back arm action into a high ¾ slot. Fastball sat 83-85 mph. Great breaking ball at 68-73 mph with sharp break on a 10/4 plane. Struck out seven of the ten hitters he faced. Earned a Future Games invitation with his performance.

Yianni Skeriotis, RHP

Name: Yianni Skeriotis
Position: RHP
Class: 2019
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 168 pounds
High School: Massillon Jackson
Summer Team(s): Lake Erie Warhawks

Past Showcase Comments:
6/6/16
6-foot-2, 168-pound projectable frame. Emerging as one of the top right-handed pitching prospects in the 2019 class. He has a quick tempo to a delivery that requires little effort. His frame and short arm action make it very hard for hitters to pick up the ball until it is out of his hand. This makes his 81-85 mph fastball appear even quicker. Has feel for both of his offspeed pitches with his curveball being slightly ahead of his changeup at this stage. Curveball has sharpness to it with some depth and an 11/5 shape at 71-73 mph. He is able to maintain fastball armspeed on his 76-77 mph changeup. Earned a Future Games invitation with his performance.

Mitchell Smith, C/SS

Name: Mitchell Smith
Position: C/SS
Class: 2018
Height/Weight: 6-foot, 180 pounds
High School: Pickerington North
Summer Team(s): Ohio Elite

Past Showcase Comments:
6/6/16
6-foot, 180-pound athletic frame. The righty has a swing full of well timed, fluid movements. Starting tall he uses a leg kick to initiate his loading sequence before a controlled stride forward and a well timed weight shift into contact. Hands stay fluid throughout his load and he is able to create excellent whip through the zone with above average batspeed. Took one of the more impressive batting practices of the day by consistently backspinning line drives into the gaps. Registred an exit velocity of 88 mph and ran a 7.42 60-yard dash. Present catcher skills with potential infield upside. Elite pop times. Release and snap is great. Ideal catcher candidate. Pop times ranged between 1.90 to 1.97 with top velocity of 78 mph from the crouch. Athleticism also transfers to the infield. Looks very comfortable from shortstop. He can field and move around well. He has a great arm with top velocity of 82 mph across the infield.

Cameron Swanger, 3B

Name: Cameron Swanger
Position: 3B
Class: 2018
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 210 pounds
High School: Archbishop Moeller
Summer Team(s): Release Baseball

Past Showcase Comments:
6/6/16
6-foot-5, 205-pound strong, projectable frame. Very fluid at the plate with more strength to his bat than quickness. He uses a leg kick load and controlled stride to create efficient energy with his lower half. Bat gets through the zone on a slightly uphill path giving him natural lift on the ball. Has power potential as bat speeds up with maturity. Reached a top exit velocity of 90 mph and ran a 7.36 60-yard dash. Worked out at both corner positions in the infield and has an ideal frame for both. At third base he looks the part of a solid defender and if you slide him first base he becomes an elite defender. Has fluidity to his actions with confidence in his glove at either position. Should be able to play both at the next level based on needs.

Josh Thompson, OF/1B

Name: Josh Thompson
Position: OF/1B
Class: 2018
Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 185 pounds
High School: Springboro

Past Showcase Comments:
6/7/16
5-foot-11, 185-pound athletic frame.  A very functionally athletic kid. Has the look of a middle of the order bat at the next level from the left side. Is simple yet efficient mechanically incorporating his lower half through a toe turn load. Hands remain fluid during his bat tip before getting through the zone on an excellent path with above average strength and batspeed. Took a very impressive round of batting practice showing power potential to his pull side. Was able to keep his fluidity in game play and made hard contact on multiple occasions. Very good hitter. Registered an exit velocity of 91 mph and ran a 7.27 60-yard dash. With his foot speed he profiles as a corner outfielder. His best tool is his arm as he threw with 88 mph arm strength to home plate. Throws show good carry. Left handed pitching prospect that shows choppy rhythm in his delivery. Slow leg kick into a balance point, before speeding up down the mound. Long back arm action into a high ¾ slot with quick arm speed. Fastball sat 80-83 mph. Curveball sat 71-75 mph. Changeup sat 70-73 mph.

Grant Vera, SS

Name: Grant Vera
Position: SS
Class: 2018
Height/Weight: 5-foot-10, 165 pounds
High School: Tiffin Calvert
Summer Team(s): Premier Athletics

Past Showcase Comments:
2/13/16
A very talented middle infielder with an athletic frame at 5-foot-10, 165-pounds. In the infield he showed why he is considered one of the top defensive infielders in the 2018 class. Has advance actions for his age and is able to remain fluid an athletic on the move. Has obvious confidence in his glove with the ability to attack the right hop. Is able to maintain momentum through fielding position and with loose arm action he showed off 84 mph arm strength across the infield. At the plate he the right-hander has fluid movements to efficiently create energy and transfer that energy into contact. Barrel flashes through the zone on a level path allowing him to consistently produce line drives and create backspin. Exit velocity was 93 mph and he ran a 7.16 60-yard dash.

Colin Sells, RHP

Name: Colin Sells
Position: RHP
Class: 2018
Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 175 pounds
High School: Bloom Carroll
Summer Team(s): Ohio Elite

Past Showcase Comments:
1/18/16
Colin has a projectable frame at 6-foot-1, 160-pounds. On the mound the righty has a smooth delivery that requires some effort and good direction towards home plate. Displayed quickness in his arm from a 3/4 slot. Sells consistently sat 82-84 mph with heavy run on his fastball. He showed good feel for his changeup and flashed a big breaking curveball at a 10/4 tilt. At the plate he used an athletic set up and did an excellent job of gather his weight and transferring it into contact through a leg kick with minimal hand movement. Consistently squared balls up in batting practice with decent pop. Exit velocity was 81 mph. At third base he showed decent footwork with a very quick exchange. Would like to see him play lower. Displayed 82 mph arm strength across the diamond through a low-3/4 slot. Ran a 7.59 60-yard dash.

Ethan McCarty, RHP

Name: Ethan McCarty
Position: RHP
Class: 2018
Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 170 pounds
High School: Edgewood
Summer Team(s): Cincinnati Baseball Club

Griffin MEritt, 1B/3B

Name: Griffin Meritt
Position: 1B/3B
Class: 2018
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 195 pounds
High School: La Salle
Summer Team(s): Cincinnati Flames

Past Showcase Comments:
6/2/15
6-foot, 165-pound athletic build. Over at first base he shows good footwork around the bag and gains ground coming off the bag. From a high-3/4 slot he shows 74 mph arm strength across the diamond. Right-handed hitter that uses a little leg kick to load. He is really short to the ball and the barrel gets in and out of the zone with 82 mph exit velocity. Ran a 4.5 down the line in the game. On the mound he has a slow tempo delivery and hides the ball well with his leg kick and quarter turn. Average effort and tends to fall off a bit. Throws from a high-3/4 slot with fastball sitting 74-75 mph. Breaking ball has decent break at 68-70 mph and showcased a knuckle ball at 58-59 mph with some tumble action.

Andrew Russell, RHP

Name: Andrew Russell
Position: RHP
Class: 2019
Height/Weight: 5-foot-10, 160 pounds
High School: Champion
Summer Team(s): Ohio Bombers

Past Showcase Comments:
1/24/16
5-foot-9, 160-pound athletic build. A left-handed swinger that starts slightly open and uses a leg kick to gather his weight while loading his hands. With a short, aggressive stride forward he transfers his weight and takes a level path to the ball. Exit velocity was 78 mph and he ran a 4.37 from home to first. In the infield he used efficient footwork and fielded the ball out in front of his body. Through a high-3/4 slot he showed 75 mph arm strength across the diamond. On the mound he has good tempo and lands slightly closed at foot strike. Using long arm action through a high 3/4 slot his fastball sat 77-81 with some sink to it. Flashed a 62-66 mph curveball that had signs of being sharp at an 11/5 tilt.

2016 PBR Future Games: Team Ohio

Name	High School	Class	Pri	Sec
Cole Ayers	Loveland	2018	RHP
Nolan Clegg	Toronto	2018	1B	OF
Zach Dezenzo	Marlington	2018	SS	RHP
Jack Frank	Strongsville	2019	OF
Emilio Gonzalez	Defiance	2018	RHP	OF
Tyler Hays	Copley	2018	RHP
Spencer Kiehl	Thomas Worthington	2018	RHP
Casey Maniglia	Solon	2018	OF	RHP
Ryan McCurry	Solon	2018	OF
Tyler McDonough	Moeller	2018	C	SS
Kyle Music	Milford	2018	RHP	1B
Devan Nail	Elyria	2018	SS
Cole Niekamp	Versailles	2018	RHP
Alex Sayre	Dover	2019	RHP	3B
Yianni Skeriotis	Massillon Jackson	2019	RHP
Mitchell Smith	Pickerington North	2019	C	SS
Cameron Swanger	Moeller	2018	1B	3B
Josh Thompson	Springboro	2018	OF	LHP
Grant Vera	Tiffin Calvert	2018	SS
Colin Sells	Bloom Carroll	2018	RHP
Ethan McCarty	Edgewood	2018	RHP
Griffin Meritt	La Salle	2018	1B	3B
Andrew Russell	Champion	2019	RHP