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Cincinnati Preseason Underclass: Class of 2016 Complete Evaluations

February 20, 2015

Follow @PBR Ohio 

By JD Heilmann, Alex Schillig and Dylan Hefflinger
Ohio Scouting Director, Assistant Director of Scouting and Editor in Chief/NW Scout

Cincinnati Preseason Underclass Showcase


We would like to thank all who participated in PBR Ohio’s Cincinnati Preseason Underclass Showcase. This was a great opportunity for 2016, '17 and '18 prospects to be put on college radars. Many players impressed during their individual workouts at the showcase. Below we have the complete statistical results from the event as well as the top performers across various different categories. 

In the coming weeks, we will be adding and updating profiles for each of the players in attendance, including complete analysis and video.

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

For now, please take a look at the statistical results from the event by clicking here.

Cincinnati Preseason Underclass: Class of 2016 Evaluations


TOP PITCHER: Alex Decker, RHP/OF, Fairmont , 2016
TOP POSITION PLAYER: Jack Griffith, SS/2B, Bloom-Carroll, 2016

Aaron Greer, RHP/OF, Washington Courthouse, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot, 225-pound solid build. On the mound the righty shows some effort in his delivery with a strong lower-½. From over the top his fastball gets on you quick sitting 78-80 mph with some down angle and run to it. Throws a 12/6 breaking ball at 68-71 mph and uses a cutter with late movement at 71-74 mph. Showed good arm speed on his changeup at 68-69 mph.

Alex Decker, RHP/OF, Fairmont, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-2, 200-pound two-way prospect. On the mound the physical righty really opened eyes with his performance. He came out sitting with his fastball 86-88 mph topping out at 89 mph from a loose, high-¾ slot. His direction was online at foot strike and able to throw down hill. He uses two different breaking balls. His curveball with good 11/5 tilt sat 72-73 mph and the ability to throw for a strike. He also showed a hard, wipeout slider at 81-82 mph with tight spin. Showcased a changeup with good arm speed at 78-79 mph. From the outfield he showed a quick exchange and threw from a short, high-¾ slot with a showcase best 91 mph arm strength. Right-handed hitter that has quick hands and strength in his swing. Uses a leg kick to load and flat path with top exit velocity of 86 mph. Ran 4.25 home to first.

Andrew Juelg, LHP/OF, Moeller, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-1, 175-pound athletic build. On the mound the southpaw has fast tempo delivery with good direction at foot strike. Has a quick arm and throws from a high-¾ slot with his fastball sitting 79-82 mph with some late cut. Breaking ball has a sharp 1/7 break at 67-69 mph and showed a hard changeup at 75-77 mph with some cut.

Andrew Taylor Schuermann, RHP/OF, St. Xavier, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-1, 141-pound projectable frame. On the mound the right-hander has a quick tempo delivery that he is able to repeat. Throws from a high-¾ slot with his fastball sitting 71-76 mph with good command. Has a tendency to get on the side of his breaking ball at 64-68 mph with occasional 11/5 break. His best off speed was his changeup at 65-69 mph with good arm speed and sink to it.

Andrew Wodzisz, RHP/1B, Mason, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-5, 225-pound big, body projectable frame. On the mound the righty has a slow tempo delivery that stands tall. Lands slightly open which cause him to fall slightly to first base side. From a long, high-¾ slot his fastball sat 79-81 with some late run and occasional cut. His breaking ball has early 11/5 break at 71 mph and showcased a solid changeup at 69-73 with good arm-side run to it.

Austin McKee, C/1B, Ross, 2016
Scouting Report: 5-foot-11, 200-pound build. From behind the plate he shows a good transfer and good footwork. Throws from a long, high-¾ slot with pop times of 2.15-2.33 and 75 mph arm strength. Right-handed hitter that stands tall with a good load and good weight transfer. Short, compact swing with some quickness in his hands and 89 mph exit velocity. Ran a 4.27 home to first.

Ben Eisen, SS/RHP, St. Xavier, 2016
Scouting Report: 5-foot-11, 170-pound strong build. From the infield he fields the ball into his body with a clean exchange. He is able to throw from different arm slots with 78 mph arm strength across the diamond. Right-handed hitter that stands tall with a little toe tap to load. Flat bat path with power to his pull side and 83 mph arm strength. Ran 4.42 home to first.

Brannon Francisco, OF/2B, Lancaster, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot, 170-pound athletic build. From the outfield he has tendency to play from his heels. Throws from a high-¾ slot that opens up early with 74 mph arm strength. Right-handed hitter that projects as a hitter. Starts open and gets to even. His path gets in and out of the hitting zone with 78 mph exit velocity and ran and impressive 4.12 home to first.

Brendan Alas, 3B/OF, St. Francis DeSales, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-1, 190-pound solid, athletic build. From the infield he projects as a corner guy. Fields the ball out in front of his body, has tendency to field the ball on his heels. Throw from a really high-¾ slot with 80 mph arm strength across the diamond. Right-handed hitter that shows real power in his swing. Starts slightly open and gets to even with a flat path with some strength in his swing. Registered top exit velocity of 81 mph and ran a 4.5 home to first.

Brogan Williams, C/SS, Anderson, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-1, 175-pound projectable frame. From behind the plate he shows good footwork with a slow exchange and needs to improve his accuracy. From a ¾ slot he recorded pop times between 2.14-2.26 and showed 77 mph arm strength. Left-handed hitter that starts slightly open and spread out. Showed easy fluid swing with 86 mph exit velocity and ran 4.52 home to first.

Casey Grimm, LHP, Colerain, 2016
Scouting Report: 5-foot-9, 195-pound build. On the mound the southpaw uses a compact delivery with a high leg kick and able to hide the baseball. Has good direction at foot strike and throws from a loose, high-¾ slot with his fastball sitting 68-70 mph with good down angle. His curveball has a big gradual 1/7 break at 60-62 mph with some depth. Showcases a solid changeup with good arm speed at 63-66 mph.

Casey Horch, OF/RHP, New Albany, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-2, 175-pound projectable frame, From the outfield he attacks the ball. Opens his front side on his throw from a short, high-¾ slot with 82 mph arm strength. Right-handed hitter that starts slightly closed with no stride. He cast his hands and rotates well on his back side with 83 mph exit velocity and ran 4.26 home to first. On the mound has good tempo to his delivery with good direction. Throws from a high-¾ slot with his fastball sitting 79-81 mph with down angle and gets on you quick. His curveball has tight spin with a good 11/5 break at 69-72 mph. Showcased good arm speed on his changeup at 70-71 mph. 

Chase Gingrich, C/OF, Edgewood, 2018
Scouting Report: 5-foot-11, 190-pound solid build. From behind the plate he starts in a high crouch with a long exchange and very accurate with his throws. Recorded pop times between 2.32-2.46 and 66 mph arm strength. Right-handed hitter that starts slightly closed with his weight on his back leg. His hands start high and has a short swing that he has a tendency to cut off. Registered top exit velocity of 79 mph and ran 4.6 down the line.

Conor Crotty, RHP/3B, St. Francis DeSales, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-1, 180-pound strong two-way prospect. From the infield he moves well and shows decent range. Hands work with a good transfer and throws from a ¾ slot with 82 mph arm strength across the diamond. Right-handed hitter that starts open and gets to even. Shows a flat path and some strength in his swing with occasional power to his pull side. Registered top exit velocity of 82 mph and ran a 4.22 down the line. On the mound the right-hander has a quick arm from a long, high-¾ slot with his fastball sitting 81-83 mph. Throws a hard breaking ball that he tends to get on the side of at 77 mph and showcased a hard changeup at 75 mph.

Dom Massa, SS/2B, Avon, 2016
Scouting Report: 5-foot-11, 148-pound athletic build. From the infield has tendency to field the ball flat footed and into his body. Throws from a loose, high-¾ slot with 69 mph arm strength across the diamond. Right-handed hitter that stands tall. Collapse on his back side and the barrel gets in and out of the zone. Registered top exit velocity of 70 mph and ran 4.33 down the line.

Ethan Cormany, RHP, Grove City, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-3, 175-pound solid, projectable frame. On the mound the right-hander has a good tempo delivery that stands tall on his lift. Shows good direction coming down the mound and at foot strike. Throws from a real high-¾ slot with fastball sitting 80-81 mph with some run and sink. Showcased a 12/6 breaking ball with good sharp break at 67-70 mph. He has tendency to slow his arm down on his changeup at 72-73 mph with some arm-side run.

Garrett Hogan, SS/2B, Badin, 2016
Scouting Report: 5-foot-10, 145-pound projectable frame. From the infield he shows good actions and clean exchange. Throws from a low-¾ slot with 75 mph arm strength across the diamond. Right-handed hitter that starts slightly open. Stands tall with hands back. Has quick hands and flat path that has a tendency to get a little long. Registered top exit velocity of 77 mph and ran a 4.76 home to first.

Grant Hall, 2B/SS, St. John’s Jesuit, 2016
Scouting Report: 5-foot-11, 160-pound athletic build. From the infield he projects as a middle guy. His strength is his glove and the ability to defend. Shows soft hands and able to throw from different arm angles with 72 mph arm strength across the diamond. Right-handed hitter that has no stride  with a good load. Swing is good and flat that stay in the hitting zone. Registered top exit velocity of 77 mph and ran 4.35 home to first.

Griffin Kain, OF/LHP, Oak Hills, 2018
Scouting Report: 6-foot-1, 170-pound projectable frame. On the mound the southpaw stands tall with a repeatable delivery that has good direction at foot strike. Throws from a long-¾ slot with fastball sitting 73-77 mph with some late run. Breaking ball has good late 1/7 tilt at 66-68 mph and shows a hard changeup at 65-70 mph with some arm-side run. 

Ian DePew, RHP/3B, Lakota East, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot, 175-pound solid build. On the mound the righty stops at the top of his balance point and lands on line with a shorter stride. Throws from a short, high-¾ slot with fastball sitting 77-81 mph topping out at 82 mph. His breaking ball has good 11/5 late break at 69-71 mph. Showcased a solid changeup at 70-72 mph with good arm speed and some fade to it.

Jack Griffith, SS/2B, Bloom Carroll, 2016
Scouting Report: 5-foot-11, 160-pound athletic build. From the infield he shows good, soft hands, with a quick exchange. Shows accuracy on his throws from a short high-¾ arm slot with 79 mph arm strength across the diamond. Right-handed hitter that starts slightly open and uses a leg kick to load. Has quick hands and a flat path that stays in the zone. Has some surprising power for his size and top exit velocity of 89 mph and ran a 4.20 down the line.

John Lehman, RHP/OF, Kings, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-2, 170-pound projectable build. From the outfield he projects as a corner guy. Throw from a short, high-¾ slot with an impressive 83 mph arm strength. Right-handed hitter that uses a toe tap with quick hands and short swing with occasional power. Registered top exit velocity of 83 mph and flew down the line at 4.08. On the mound the skinny right-hander has a quick tempo delivery that lands slightly closed. From over the top his fastball sits 77-80 mph with down angle and some run. Shows a slider with good 10/4 tilt and tight spin at 70-71 mph. Showed a hard changeup at 75 mph with sink to it.

Joseph Goedde, SS/2B, Colerain, 2016
Scouting Report: 5-foot-10, 163-pound athletic build. From the infield he shows good range and fields the ball into his body. Has tendency to open up on his throw from a high-¾ slot with 77 mph arm strength. Left-handed hitter that starts open and gets to even. Has quick hands and does a good job keeping his hands inside the baseball. Short compact swing with top exit velocity of 78 mph and ran a 4.26 down the line.

Justin Keeling, 2B/OF, Celina, 2016
Scouting Report: 5-foot-11, 155-pound average build. From the infield he projects as a second base type. Shows some quickness in his exchange, but sometimes fields the ball flat footed. Showed 75 mph arm strength across the diamond. Right-handed hitter that starts open and gets to even. High hands with quickness in his swing and solid good finish. Registered 77 mph top exit velocity and ran a 4.2 home to first.

Justin Woycke, LHP/OF, Oak Hills, 2016
5-foot-11, 140-pound lanky, projectable frame. On the mound the southpaw has a repeatable compact delivery with good direction and lands slightly closed at foot strike. Throws from a loose-¾ slot with fastball sitting 70-71 mph with some sink. Breaking ball has depth with 1/7 break at 57-63 mph. Tendency to slow his arm down on his changeup at 63-64 with some cut on it.

Kyle Buchanan, SS/OF, Lakota West, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-1,150-pound average build. From the outfield need to play thru the ball to create momentum. Throws from a stiff, high-¾ slot with 80 mph arm strength. From the infield he shows decent range and needs to create more rhythm in fielding the ball. Throws from high-¾ slot with 77 mph arm strength across the diamond. Right-handed hitter that stands tall. Good rhythm with long stride with a high finish on his swing. Registered top exit velocity of 84 mph and ran a 4.22 home to first.

Mark Rader, RHP/3B, Grove City, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-1, 175-pound solid build. On the mound the righty has slow tempo delivery and does a good job staying over his back leg. His lower-½ is a little stiff, but lands on line at foot strike. Throws from a high-¾ slot with his fastball sitting 81-83 mph with good down angle. Shows a breaking ball with 11/5 gradual break at 64-68 mph. I think his changeup is his second best pitch with good arm speed. It showed good life and some sink at 73-75 mph.

Matthew Jeffers, 3B/RHP, Upper Arlington, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot, 165-pound projectable frame. On the mound the righty has a herky, jerky delivery that creates deception for the hitter. From overt top his fastball sits 71-74 mph with good down angle to it. Shows a 12/6 breaking ball with tight spin at 67-70 mph that need to be more consistent. Also, had a solid changeup at 65-69 mph with good arm speed and some fade.

Mitchell Kelley, RHP/2B, Marysville, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-2, 190-pound athletic build. From the infield he projects as a 3B type. His hands are soft and has a clean exchange with good range. Throws from a loose ¾ slot with 81 mph arm strength across the diamond. Right-handed hitter with a spread out stance. Has some strength in his swing and the path gets in and out of the hitting zone. Registered top exit velocity of 79 mph and ran 4.64 home to first. On the mound the righty has a slow tempo delivery that lands slightly open with a good scape load. Throws from short, high-¾ slot with fastball sitting 79-83 mph. Showed a 12/6 breaking ball with late break at 67-69 mph and showcased a hard changeup at 71-74 mph with arm-side run.

Nicholas Whetnall, OF/RHP, Pickerington North, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-1, 165-pound athletic build. From the outfield he plays through the ball well. Has a live arm from a ¾ slot with 83 mph arm strength. Right-handed hitter that has a long stride with flat bat path that produces line drive. Has good rotation on his back side with 85 mph exit velocity and ran a 4.47 home to first. On the mound the righty has a tendency to open up early and doesn’t utilize his lower-½. He throws from a ¾ slot with fastball sitting 74-78 mph with occasional run. Shows a breaking ball at 66-67 mph with 11/5 tilt. His second best pitch was his changeup at 73-76, but occasionally throws it too hard.

Nicklaus Smith, C/OF, St. Francis DeSales, 2016
Scouting Report: 5-foot-11, 185-pound athletic build. From behind the plate he shows good footwork to get his feet in line and a quick exchange. Throws from a high-¾ slot with pop times of 2.02-2.15 and 74 mph arm strength down to second. Right-handed hitter that stands tall with a good load. Swing is good, but has tendency to get a little long. Registered top exit velocity of 82 mph and ran a solid 4.32 home to first.

Nick Harker, 1B/RHP, CHCA, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-4, 212-pound strong build. From first base he shows good range coming off the base and a good target. Throws from an easy, high-¾ slot with 74 mph arm strength across the diamond. Right-handed hitter that starts open and get to even. Shows some strength in his swing and power to all fields. Registered an impressive top exit velocity of 90 mph and ran 4.52 down the line.

Noah Stockman, SS/RHP, St. Xavier, 2016
Scouting Report: 5-foot-9, 150-pound average build. His biggest strength is in the field. He shows soft hands, and fields the ball into his body. Throws from a high-¾ slot with 81 mph arm strength across the diamond. Right-handed hitter with a spread out stance which keeps him balance. Quick hands, flat swing with some power to the pull side. Registered top exit velocity of an impressive 89 mph and ran a 4.2 home to first. On the mound the righty has an easy delivery with good direction that he is able to repeat. Throws from a short, loose ¾ slot with fastball sitting 79-82 mph with some sink. Shows a hard breaking ball with late 10/4 break at 71-73 mph. Also, threw a hard changeup at 74-76 mph with some arm side run.

Paris Hill Jr, OF/2B, Clark Montessori, 2016
Scouting Report: 5-foot-7, 170-pound athletic build. From the outfield he uses a good crow hop with a long exchange. Throws from a short arm action with good accuracy at 68 mph. Right-handed hitter that starts open and lands closed. Has good load with good rotation and swings down. Registered top exit velocity of 69 mph and ran a solid 4.25 down the line.

Roger Helton III, 2B/RHP, Williamsburg, 2016
Scouting Report: 5-foot-8, 135-pound athletic build. From the infield he has soft hands and fields the ball into his body. Throws from an easy, high-¾ slot with 71 mph arm strength across the diamond. Right-handed hitter that stands tall with high hands. Has no load with good bat path with quick hands. Registered top exit velocity of 77 mph and ran 4.5 home to first. On the mound the righty has quick, tempo delivery that he is able to repeat. Good direction and throws from a high-¾ slot with fastball sitting 72-75 mph. Slows down a little on his curveball at 60-62 mph with 10/4 break and was consistent throwing it for a strike. Showed an inconsistent slider at 64 mph and throw a solid changeup at 67-70 with good arm speed and some arm-side run.

Ross Mulcare, OF/2B, Badin, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot, 175-pound projectable frame. From the outfield he has tendency to fly open on his throws, but still very accurate. From a short, over the top arm action he shows 75 mph arm strength. Right-handed hitter that starts with his front foot closed off and doesn’t really stride. Flat bat path that stays through the hitting zone with 79 mph exit velocity and ran 4.43 home to first.

Ryan Hans, C/1B, Newport Central Catholic, 2016
Scouting Report: 5-foot-10, 145-pound projectable frame. From behind the plate he starts with a wide base and long exchange. Showcased pop times ranging between 2.25-2.33 with 72 mph arm strength. Right-handed hitter that starts tall and way open. Gets to even with a long flat swing that stays in the hitting zone. Registered top exit velocity of 80 mph and ran an impressive 4.02 home to first.

Ryan Probst, SS/2B, Moeller, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-1, 165-pound athletic build. From the infield he shows good hands and good enough range to play up the middle. Throws from a loose, high-¾ slot with 75 mph arm strength across the diamond. Right-handed hitter with a spread out stance that keeps him balanced. Flat bat path that produced line drives during batting practice. Registered 82 mph exit velocity and was 4.4 home to first.

Ryun Rawlins, RHP/1B, Lebanon, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-2, 250-pound big body frame. From first base he fields the ball into his body with soft hands. Throws from a high-¾ slot with 70 mph arm strength across the diamond. Right-handed hitter with a good load and strength in his swing. Path gets in and out of the hitting zone and has tendency to stop his swing. Registered top exit velocity of 83 mph and ran 5.15 home to first. On the mound the righty has a slow tempo delivery and lands slightly closed. Throws from a high-¾ slot with his fastball sitting 72-74 mph with occasional run. Shows a breaking ball at 64-65 mph with 11/5 break. Was a little erratic on his changeup at 66-72 mph.

Sam Ankenbauer, 2B/SS, St. Xavier, 2016
Scouting Report: 5-foot-8, 160-pound athletic build. From the infield he shows quickness getting to the baseball. Good exchange and throw from a loose, high-¾ slot with 74 mph arm strength. Right-handed hitter that starts with is hands high and lower half spread out. Use a leg kick to load and showed the ability to use the whole field. Registered top exit velocity of 82 mph and ran a 4.44 down the line.

Spencer Berg, LHP, New Albany, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-1, 180-pound projectable frame. On the mound the southpaw has a slow tempo delivery with high leg kick and really lands closed at foot strike. Throw from a really high-¾ slot with some effort and his fastball sitting 77-80 mph with some late run. His curveball has some late 2/8 break with some depth at 67-70 mph, but tendency to overthrow it. He also showcased a changeup with good arm speed and some cut at 73-74 mph.

Trent Spikes, RHP/SS, Loveland, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-1, 180-pound solid possible two-way prospect. From the infield his hands and feet work well. Has a long exchange and throws from a long arm action with 81 mph arm strength across the diamond. Right-handed hitter that has a good load and strength in his swing. Showed occasional power and top exit velocity of 86 mph and ran 4.51 home to first. On the mound the athletic righty throws from a long, high-¾ slot  with his fastball sitting 80-83 mph with occasional run. Showed two different breaking balls. His curveball has good spin and 11/5 break at 65-67 mph and his slider is more advanced at 69-70 mph with a later break. He throws a hard changeup with good arm speed and some fade to it.

Zach Mann, RHP/3B, Scott, 2016
Scouting Report: 6-foot-6, 220-pound projectable frame. On the mound the right-hander has a slow tempo, compact delivery that has good direction at foot strike. Throws from a ¾ slot with his fastball sitting 76-79 mph with some occasional run. His breaking ball has a slurvy 11/5 break at 68-70 mph and showed a hard changeup at 74-76 mph with some fade to it.

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