North AL Preseason All-State: Event Preview

January 4, 2024
Austin Sharp
Alabama Scouting Director

With the high school season quickly approaching, it is time for our two Preseason All-State events to help kick off the year. Just like 2023, the North AL Preseason All-State will be held this Saturday, January 6th at Hartselle High School in Hartselle, AL, and the South AL Preseason All-State will take place this Sunday, January 7th at Saraland High School in Saraland, AL. There are some huge names registered for these events and our staff is pumped to get to both venues and check out all these players.

This Saturday, January 6th, many of the state's top players from the Class of 2024-2027 graduation classes will assemble in Hartselle, AL for this marquee event. The past four events of this kind have been nothing but spectacular, with 35 commitments coming from the event in 2019, 54 commitments coming from 2020, 76 commitments coming from 2021, 88 combined commitments coming from 2022, and 69 combined commitments coming from 2023. It's easy to see that this event has continued to get better over the course of five years, which is why we continue to have two in 2024. This event provides the opportunity for players to show the PBR scouts the progress that they have made over the past few months in a showcase setting. It is also the last event for players to attend before they begin their respective high school seasons.

Below, you will find important information pertaining to this event, including players in attendance, itinerary, history of the event, and much more.

HEADLINE NAMES COMING TO HARTSELLE

Taking a glance at this roster, it's not hard to see some of the big names signed up for this event. The Preseason All-State provides a chance for these players to come and show our staff some of the physical gains they've made during the offseason and update their profiles with hopefully improved metrics, statistics, etc. There's no better way to get the year of 2024 started with a tune-up for the high school season that is slated to start in just over a month.

The Preseason All-State has always attracted some of the best talent this state has to offer in all classes, and this year looks to be no different, if not better. This year's roster for the North AL Preseason All-State already features 20 players who have already pledged their commitment to college programs, 9 of which are to Division 1 schools. 3B/RHP Caleb Barnett (Alabama, 2025), 3B/RHP Braden Booth (Mississippi State, 2024), and RHP Jackson Hunter (Alabama, 2024) are all ranked inside the top-10 in their respective classes and have pledged their commitments to SEC programs. Barnett and Booth both return for their second-consecutive Preseason All-State event after bursting onto the scene a few years ago. A few other notable prospects that will be in attendance who are ranked inside the top-25 in their respective graduating classes are LHP Chase Cartron (Huntsville, 2024), 1B Steven Cavaco (Huntsville, 2025), SS Mayson Elam (Northridge, 2026), SS/RHP Xander Hughes (Oak Mountain, 2026), SS Cade Miles (Hartselle, 2024), OF Cole Miles (Hartselle, 2026), SS Baylor Morrison (Etowah, 2027), INF Andrew Petrock (Pelham, 2026) RHP/1B Caleb Simpson (Hoover, 2027), and OF Cross Tonsmeire (Vestavia Hills, 2026).

UNCOMMITTED JUNIORS TO WATCH

Outside of the names mentioned in the section above, the roster for this event also has some names who may not be committed yet, but are sure to be playing at the next level when it's all said and done. The class of 2025 in Alabama has plenty of talent still on the market and will be well-represented in Hartselle on Saturday. RHP William Andre (Hoover, 2025), 1B/RHP Garrett Blacklock (Grissom, 2025), SS Joshua Burrell, Jr. (Grissom, 2025), SS/RHP Charlie Cassingham (Grissom, 2025), OF Will Clark (Briarwood Christian, 2025), RHP Jack Doyle (Madison Academy, 2025), RHP Colby Durden (Hewitt-Trussville, 2025), RHP Colman Gann (Priceville, 2025), RHP/3B Tanner Hermesch (Bob Jones, 2025), 3B/RHP Luke Holbrook (Whitesburg Christian, 2025), LHP Payton Hunsaker (Chelsea, 2025), C Will Langston (Vestavia Hills, 2025), C James Lucas (Vestavia Hills, 2025), OF Carson Mann (Vestavia Hills, 2025), and SS Easton Nelms (Florence, 2025) are all uncommitted prospects ranked inside the top-100 in the junior class that are looking to boost their stock with a strong performance on Saturday.

SIGHTS ON THE 2024 PBR FUTURE GAMES

We've talked about how players can use this event to springboard into the spring season with their high school clubs, and this can be the case with the current sophomore class. These players have a chance to slide up into bigger roles as underclassmen this spring and become impact players. In addition to making an impact this spring, each uncommitted prospect in the 2026 class is being evaluated for the 2024 PBR Future Games, the premier uncommitted event of the year at the end of July. The class of 2026 is well-represented at this event with many players ranked inside the top-50 signed up. Some of these sophomores to keep an eye on this Saturday are RHP Andrew Beaverson (Hazel Green, 2026), C Jaylen Crocker (American Christian, 2026), SS Mayson Elam (Northridge, 2026), SS/RHP Xander Hughes (Oak Mountain, 2026), OF Cole Miles (Harstelle, 2026), INF Andrew Petrock (Pelham, 2026), OF Clayton Rice (American Christian, 2026), 3B Gavin Smith (Vestavia Hills, 2026), and OF Cross Tonsmeire (Vestavia Hills, 2026). All of which are ranked inside the top-50 in the sophomore class.

There are also some prospects from the class of 2027 who will look to have standout performances this weekend in Hartselle. Although this class is still very young, it's got a chance to be one of the best we've seen in years. Multiple prospects ranked inside the top-35 will be in attendance in Hartselle on Saturday, including OF/LHP Jace Duckett (Madison County, 2027), SS Baylor Morrison (Etowah, 2027), and RHP/1B Caleb Simpson (Hoover, 2027).

In addition to these players, there are going to be many more players that are sure to make their names known at the North Alabama Preseason All-State. If you want to see the full roster for this event, CLICK HERE.

THE HISTORY OF THE PRESEASON ALL-STATE IN ALABAMA

The Preseason All-State Showcase is an invitation-only event that features the top players across the state. Every year the Preseason All-State Showcase highlights the Who’s Who of the state. This event is limited and exclusive to the top prospects in Alabama and serves as a springboard as players enter the high school season. The first-ever Preseason All-State in Alabama was held in 2019 and the event has continued to gain popularity ever since. All events have been held indoors due to the uncertainty of weather this time of year.

This event has certainly been no stranger for college commitments, as the first five years have a combined 322 players committed to college programs. This year should be no different, as there are some extremely talented uncommitted players still on the board. Let's take a look back and check out some of notable committed players that have attended from this event from year to year.

2019 Preseason All-State

OF Trey Burrell (Grambling State)
RHP Luke Davis (Samford)
C Stone Lawless (Tennessee)
RHP Matt Manley (Samford)
RHP Reese Morrison (Jacksonville State)
RHP/OF Will Passeau (Pearl River CC)

2020 Preseason All-State

INF William Burgreen (Jacksonville State)
RHP/3B Walter Ford (Alabama)
3B Davis Gillespie (Southern Miss)
C Stone Lawless (Tennessee)
RHP Matt Manley (Samford)
RHP Javi Marrero (Troy)
RHP George Meyers (Auburn)
C Lawson Stricklin (Tennessee Tech)
RHP Brendan Wall (Alabama-Birmingham)
SS Peyton Watts (Troy)
RHP Tyler Wilson (Auburn)
C/OF Walker Zapp (Air Force)

2021 Preseason All-State

3B Henry Allen (Mississippi State)
SS Drey Barrett (Southern Miss)
C/3B Cade Carr (Samford)
RHP Christian Chatterton (Auburn)
RHP Jake DeValk (South Alabama)
3B Cole Edwards (Auburn)
SS Cason Eubanks (Georgia Southern)
OF Seth Farni (Mississippi)
RHP/3B Walter Ford (Alabama)
OF Christopher Johnston (Auburn)
RHP Matt Manley (Samford)
RHP Austin Morris (Alabama)
SS Jace Norton (Mississippi State)
SS Sam Robertson (Auburn)
OF Jake Smith (Troy)
RHP Zach Stevens (South Alabama)
RHP Matthew Thompson (Troy)
3B Mac Turner (Southeastern Louisiana)
OF Alex Wade (Auburn)
RHP Brendan Wall (Alabama-Birmingham)
OF JD Wilkins (Jacksonville State)
RHP Tyler Wilson (Auburn)
C/OF Walker Zapp (Air Force)

2022 North AL Preseason All-State

SS Paul Andrzejewski, Jr. (Army)
C Cade Carr (Samford)
LHP Chase Cartron (Troy)
INF Matthew Cash (Jacksonville State)
RHP Christian Chatterton (Auburn)
RHP Luke Davenport (Auburn)
RHP Joseph Garrison (Troy)
INF RJ Hamilton (Vanderbilt)
SS Andrew Lawrence (East Tennessee State)
SS Cade Miles (Jacksonville State)
RHP Colin Patterson (Alabama-Birmingham)
OF John Robicheaux (Samford)
INF Evan Smallwood (Jacksonville State)
3B Peyton Steele (Alabama)
OF Alex Wade (Auburn)
INF Josey Williamson (Alabama)

2022 South AL Preseason All-State

RHP Eli Driskell (Auburn)
RHP Connor Gatwood (South Alabama)
RHP Carson Joyner (Louisiana-Monroe)
RHP George Meyers (Auburn)
INF Gatlin Pitts (Samford)
SS/RHP Brady Richardson (Troy)
RHP Jonathan Stevens (Alabama)
OF Gabe Young (Jacksonville State)

2023 North AL Preseason All-State

RHP Andrew Allen (Arkansas State)
3B/RHP Caleb Barnett (Alabama)
3B/RHP Braden Booth (Mississippi State)
LHP Chase Cartron (Troy)
1B Steven Cavaco (Ohio State)
RHP Christian Chatterton (Auburn)
RHP/3B Brendan Conner (Alabama-Birmingham)
RHP Jackson Hunter (Alabama)
SS Cade Miles (Jacksonville State)
3B Peyton Steele (Alabama)
INF Josey Williamson (Alabama)
SS Jaxson Wood (Tennessee)

2023 South AL Preseason All-State

SS/RHP Drey Barrett (Southern Miss)
RHP Connor Gatwood (Auburn)
SS Tate Johnston (Auburn)
1B Edward McLeod, Jr. (Samford)
SS/RHP Brady Richardson (Troy)
RHP Zach Stevens (South Alabama)
3B/RHP Tanner Waldrop (Auburn)

EVENT SCHEDULE & ITINERARY

+ Check-in Times:

All Position Players: 8:15 AM - 8:45 AM
All Pitchers-only: 12:45 PM
Catchers will stay for both sessions.

*Times subject to change

Registered Infielders, Outfielders, and/or Catchers

Pre-Event Meeting
Stretch
Running Times (laser-timed 60-yard dash if outside; laser-timed 10-30 splits if forced inside due to weather)
Offensive Evaluations
- Mechanical evaluation
- Live batting practice
- TrackMan ball flight analysis
- Blast Motion swing analysis
Defensive Evaluations
- Arm strength
- Agility/range
- Positional analysis/profile

Registered Pitchers & Catchers

Pitching Evaluations
- 15-20 pitch bullpen (fastball and secondary pitches from both windup and stretch)
- Mechanical evaluation
- ProPlayAI’s ‘PitchAI’ biomechanical analysis
- TrackMan pitch velocity, movement, spin analysis
Catcher Evaluations (while receiving bullpen)
- Receiving/pitch presentation
- Blocking/mobility

TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE

SCOUTING, TECHNOLOGY, AND DATA ANALYSIS IN ONE EVENT


Prep Baseball Player Profile
+ Expand to learn more Each prospect's recruiting process starts and ends with the Player Profile, and our showcases revolve around building up that profile, maximizing its content and reach. For first-time attendees, a new player profile will be created, hosting all of your information, videos, head shot, metrics and more, making it one of the most important tools in a prospect's recruiting process. Repeat showcase performances will continue to update your player profile, creating a history of prospect progress and ensuring the most up-to-date information is easily accessible throughout the fast-paced scouting community. These profiles are also searchable by a range of data points and metrics through our advanced search engine, making it a one-stop shop for recruiters and scouts.
Player Data
+ Expand to learn more Prep Baseball stats captured at its showcases, published inside its player profiles, are the industry standard in the scouting community, carrying the highest level of credibility in actionable data. Prep Baseball profiles are the most reliable resources for prospect information due to this reason alone. Stats are collected using only the highest of standard equipment including Swift laser timers, TrackMan ball tracking technology, Blast Motion swing sensors, and Stalker radars. All stats are hosted in player profiles accompanied by Performance Tiers that show where a prospect ranks among his peers.
Performance Video
+ Expand to learn more All prospect performances will be professionally video taped, edited and uploaded into their Prep Baseball Profile. Videos will consist of multiple angles and record all aspects of the showcase including 60s, live batting practice, bullpen sessions, and defensive performances. Videos are hosted in Prep Baseball Profiles and used for video spotlights, content, social media and more. Videos are accessible to all PBR+ subscribers.
Scouting Reports
+ Expand to learn more Prep Baseball is built at the hands of some of the most tenured and respected scouts in the industry. We pride ourselves on our level of prospect knowledge, most of which is gained through our events. Showcases are designed and engineered by state Scouting Directors with the goal of collecting as much information about a prospect as possible and relaying our findings to the public through data collection and scouting reports.
Post-Event Content
+ Expand to learn more One of the many results of a Prep Baseball showcase is getting all the information collected to the public in a timely and digestible manner. Every showcase will be featured on the Prep Baseball website and social channels through various forms of post-event content, leaderboards, video spotlights and more.
Account Dashboard
+ Expand to learn more In an effort to elevate the post-event experience for players who attend a showcase, the Account Dashboard is now the prospect's one-stop shop to view all of his post-event deliverables, including showcase video, data, Vizual Edge Score, and more. The Account Dashboard also gives players a window into upcoming events, calendar management, among other organizational tools.
Mizuno Apparel
+ Expand to learn more All showcase participants will receive a numbered Prep Baseball showcase shirt sponsored by our partners at Mizuno. The Mizuno Tee is the all-around t-shirt for every activity, made from lightweight textured fabric, and used to identify prospects throughout the showcase process.

PREP BASEBALL TECH PACKAGE

Following a Prep Baseball event, players will receive unrivaled access to their advanced ball-tracking and swing metrics through the TrackMan and BlastConnect apps as well as visual skills through Vizual Edge testing. Furthermore, key metrics will live inside the player's official Prep Baseball profile to help them in their recruitment process.


TrackMan
+ Expand to learn more TrackMan is the global leader in ball-tracking accuracy. Following a Prep Baseball event, all players will get unrivaled access to their performance data in the TrackMan interactive app. Players can create custom dashboards that unlock both hitting and pitching data. Pitching Features Include: Pitching data access includes: release speed, spin rate, spin axis, release height, extension, horizontal and vertical break, and location on each pitch See each pitch trajectory in 3D from multiple viewpoints Create defined tags to label and compare pitches Pin pitches together to create tunneling visualizations between different pitch types Visualize each pitch location Hitting Features Include: Hitting data access includes: Exit speed, distance traveled, launch angle, launch direction, spin rate, contact depth and contact side/height for each swing. Visualize plate coverage Pairing of all data points on each swing All key ball flight metrics will live inside player profiles at prepbaseballreport.com for the benefit of college coaches and recruiters, which will help prospects advance to the next level.
Blast Motion
+ Expand to learn more Blast is the global leader in swing analysis and used by nearly every MLB organization. Following a Prep Baseball event, players will receive access to BlastConnect in the Blast App, which unlocks critical insights and actionable data from their performance. Features include: Swing Analysis and Blast Motion hitting assessment Professional-level swing analytics to help players improve their hitting performance Free 30-day trial to Blast Premium Services subscription Key hitting metrics and Blast Motion Scores will also live inside player profiles at prepbaseballreport.com for the benefit of college coaches and recruiters, which will help prospects advance to the next level.
Vizual Edge
+ Expand to learn more Vizual Edge is a market leader in visual performance assessment and training that multiple MLB clubs use for its players. During Prep Baseball events, players will take the Vizual Edge 15-minute baseline evaluation. Following the event, players will receive an email PDF of your results – labeled as your EDGE Score – that will identify your visual strengths and weaknesses and how they directly impact your on-field performance. Visual skills are critical for pitch recognition, reaction speed, timing, seeing spin on the ball, defensive performance and much more. Your EDGE Score will also live inside your Prep Baseball profile.
Swift Performance
+ Expand to learn more Prep Baseball events will be equipped with Swift Performance’s industry-leading athletic testing technologies to capture pinpoint accurate, actionable data for all participants, ultimately delivering new insights into athletes’ speed, explosiveness and power for recruiters to evaluate. Through both systems, the Swift UNO timing gates and EZEJump mats, athletes will be evaluated on a multitude of metrics that goes beyond just the 60-yard dash. Participants will be put through a jump protocol as well as adding 10- and 30-yard splits to the 60. Athletic testing metrics include: 60-yard dash with 10- and 30-yard splits Top end speed (mph) Reactive Strength Index Vertical jump
Additional Athletic Testing
+ Expand to learn more Body Composition Players' body composition will be officially measured using state-of-the-art, medical-grade technology that will provide precise insights into height, weight, skeletal muscle mass, BMI and more. Players will step on scales using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), a method for measuring body composition, including muscle mass, body fat, and total body water. Our scales will then produce several metrics giving insight into the prospect’s body composition. Height will be measured using a digital stadiometer to get precise height measurements. Grip Strength Hitters' grip strength will be tested using a digital hydraulic dynamometer. Grip strength is an essential component to bat strength and controlling the barrel. Hitters will be put through a max strength test on both hands, shedding light on hand strength and potential power and bat control down the road.

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Upcoming Events

SHOWCASE	DATE	LOCATION
Huntsville Preseason ID	January 4th, 2024	Clutch Performance (Huntsville, AL)
North Alabama Preseason All-State	January 6th, 2024	Hartselle HS Indoor (Hartselle, AL)
South Alabama Preseason All-State	January 7th, 2024	Saraland HS (Saraland, AL)

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