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Top Performers in the State Recognized

April 25, 2013

By Greg Williams
PA Director of Scouting

Today marks the first installment of the Prep Baseball Report Players and Pitchers of the Week. This feature will run on Thursdays for the remainder of the high school season and will include eight players recognized for their performance over the past week. Players will be recognized by geographic location and will be voted on by the PBR staff of scouts.

Independent Schools Player of the Week: Hayden Gruber, Friends Central, Class of 2014

  • Gruber is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound OF who swung a red-hot stick over the past week. In three league games Gruber, ranked No. 54 in the PA Class of 2014, was 8-for-14 with a home run, three doubles, a triple, six runs scored, six RBI and five walks. He had an on base percentage of .684 and a slugging percentage of 1.143 in a week that his team went 3-0 in league games. 

Independent Schools Pitcher of the Week: Pat Valentine, Haverford School, Class of 2013

  • Valentine, a Holy Cross recruit, carried a perfect game into the 7th inning of an important Inter-AC League game with Episcopal Academy on Monday. He lost the perfect game with two outs on an error, but completed the no-hitter one batter later. Valentine used a fastball that sat 83-85 with some arm side run to compliment his 11/5 curveball (66-68 mph) and a devastating slider that showed hard snap and late break at 74-77 mph. Valentine recorded five strikeouts via the slider and induced 22 swings and misses on the day.

Eastern PA Player of the Week: Willie Burger, Lancaster Catholic HS, Class of 2015 

  • Burger is a 6-foot-1, 205-pound C/3B/RHP that is ranked No. 12 in PA and No. 62 in the PBR combined rankings for the Class of 2015. In four games over the last week, Burger went 9-for-15 with six runs scored, five doubles, two home runs and six RBI.

Eastern PA Pitcher of the Week: Dan Furman, Bonner-Prendergast HS, Class of 2013

  • Furman, a Pitt recruit, is a 6-foot, 185-pound RHP that threw a complete game four-hitter with eight strikeouts to beat Archbishop Wood 3-2 in a league game last Tuesday. He then came in on Sunday to throw a scoreless inning against St. Joseph's Prep in a game Bonner won 11-7. He followed that up yesterday by getting the win against Conwell Egan, going 5 innings, allowing two singles and striking out eight. Over the week he threw 13 innings, giving up six hits, struck out 17 and allowed just 2 earned runs.

GruberPat ValentineBurgerFurman

Central PA Player of the Week: Nathan Neiderhiser, Bishop McCort HS, Class of 2014

  • Neiderhiser is a 6-foot-1, 175-pound LHP/OF that is ranked No. 94 in the PA Class of 2014. He picked up two wins on the mound over the past week including a mercy-rule win no-hitter. For the week he tossed nine innings, struck out 19 and gave up just five hits. Offensively he went 5-for-13 with a double, a triple, four runs scored and two RBI. His versatility as a two-way player earned him this week's recognition.

Central PA Pitcher of the Week: Andy Crum, Hollidaysburg HS, Class of 2014

  • Crum is a 6-foot, 170-pound 1B/LHP that threw a no-hitter in an 8-0 victory Tuesday over Class AAAA Altoona, walking four and striking out eight. Crum showed his versatility on Saturday going 3-for-4 at the plate with a triple and two RBI.

Western PA Player of the Week: P.J. DeMeo, Central Catholic HS, Class of 2013

  • DeMeo, a Pitt recruit, is a 5-foot-10, 190-pound 2B that is ranked No. 57 in the PA Class of 2013. In three games over the past week, DeMeo went 5-for-10 at the plate with six runs scored, a triple, two home runs and nine RBI.

Western PA Pitcher of the Week: J.J. Bleday, Titusville HS, Class of 2016

  • Bleday is a 6-foot-2, 165-pound LHP/OF that is ranked No. 2 in PA and No. 9 in the PBR combined Class of 2016 rankings. He broke onto the high school pitching scene by spinning a no-hitter in his first ever varsity start last week. For good measure, the talented freshman went 4-for-4 at the plate with three runs scored and a double.

NeiderhiserAndy CrumDeMeoJJ Bleday

additional PA NEWS:

Valentine (Holy Cross) had command of all three of his pitches (FB, CB, SL) today. The 6-foot-2 righty throws from a high 3/4 arm slot with a loose and long arm action with extension. Valentine used a fastball that sat 83-85 with some armside run to compliment his 11/5 curveball (66-68 mph) and a devastating slider that showed hard snap and late break at 74-77 mph. Valentine recorded five strikeouts via the slider and induced 22 swings and misses on the day.