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Scouting Notes: #6 Bonner-Prendergast at #15 Neumann-Goretti

March 28, 2013

By Jacob Gill
Philadelphia Region Director of Scouting

#6 Bonner-prendergast @ #15 neumann-goretti (march 27)

In the Catholic League opener for both schools, B-P's Pat Vanderslice (Temple) and N-G's Joe Kinee (Maine) were able to take advantage of two hyper-aggressive offenses in a pitcher's duel won 2-0 by the visitors.

The big-bodied Vanderslice worked downhill most of the day, inducing 13 ground ball outs against only four fly ball outs. Early in the game he pitched mainly with a heavy, sinking fastball that the N-G hitters had trouble squaring up. Vanderslice showed some savvy in the fifth inning after he left a few fastballs up in the zone that the Saints got the barrel to, changing his established pattern the third time through the order to include more of his slurvy breaking ball. His final line was: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

Kinee also pitched mainly with his fastball, retiring five of the first seven hitters he faced on the first pitch of the at-bat. Kinee elevated his fastball more often than his counterpart, getting swing-throughs on pitches above the strikezone, but leaving a few too many elevated in the zone during the Friars two-run fourth inning. His final line was: 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 HBP, 7 K.

Jim HaleyB-P's Jim Haley (Penn State) was the offensive standout on the day, hitting a laser back up the middle his first at-bat (95 mph exit velo) and, despite being out front a bit, keeping his bat in the hitting zone a long time on a line drive single to left his second trip to the plate. Haley runs well (4.56 home-to-1B on a turn) and is a plus defender at shortstop.

Haley's double-play partner, 2015 Richie Tecco, is one to watch over the course of his career. A plus runner (3.97 home-to-1B on a push bunt), Tecco has a wiry, athletic frame and good actions on the infield.  He has solid bat speed, but will need to refine his approach and tighten up his strikezone, as he took himself out of many of his at-bats today by chasing pitches out of the zone.

N-G has its own underclass infielder on whom to keep tabs in 2016 SS Nicky D'Amore. He has a developed frame for a freshman and solid feel for playing defense.

N-G's big bat, 2014 Josh Ockimey (verbal commitment to Arkansas), was held in check on the day, with two groundouts and a walk. He smoked a grounder to Haley in the fourth inning, a ball that might have eaten up a lesser defender. The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder also posted respectable 4.53 and 4.57 home-to-1B times. His hands work well and it's only a matter of time before his prodigious power comes to the fore.

Ockimey DH'd in today's game, giving way to 2015 Pat Doudican at first base. Hitting from a wide base and a good launch point, Doudican picked up a hit-and-run single his second at-bat. He has a bit of length in his swing, but does a nice job staying on top of the ball.

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