CA State Games: Day 1

Vanguard University, Costa Mesa, CA - Day One of the California State Games was a busy one with four games allowing us two looks at the Upperclass (2020/2021) and Underclass (2022/2023) players from all around the State. Below is the quick hits styled notebook on the players that stood out over Day 1:

Team SoCal Upperclass Players:

2021 C Maxwell Shor (Palm Desert) - San Diego commit. Shor has shown us the bat-to-ball skills are some of the best in the state at multiple events before keeping it going today. On a day when the wind was blowing in and knocking down well struck balls, Shor went deep over the LCF fence with a missile for a 2R HR; showing loose wrists and strength in the frame. His catch and throw skills were consistent between innings and his flexibility and framing skills were also on display (1.97-2.15 pop). 

2021 3B/OF Tobey Brown (Coronado) - Brown had a strong day at the plate working from an open stance with high hands. The bat was on plane during the games helping him pick up two hits with a single through the left side before a hard 2B into LCF to pick up two RBIs. At 5-10, 175 the lean frame still has some space and projects well with continued growth. 

2020 2B/OF Jake Naso (Trabuco Hills) - Naso showed off quick feet as he made plays around the infield and the OF in his two games today. At SS he made a nice play on a top ball before moving over to LF and 2nd base pushing his range to make plays there as well. At the plate, Naso put together quality AB’s consistently on pitches and squaring up pitches right at defenders using his quick hands. Consistent energy helps the tools play up. 

2021 SS/RHP Sebastian Pollo Flores (Cajon) - San Diego State commit. Flores put together consistent AB’s showing loose hands and a relaxed approach at the plate. With a high front knee the quick hands were on pitches as he picked up hits to CF and through the 4-hole while also stealing second. He showed off his two-way skills hoping on the hill to close out Game Two with a compact 3/4 arm that worked the FB 84-86 with heavy actions at the plate. Flores also showed a tight CB with slurvy 12-to-4 action having an idea on how to use the pitch flashing feel into and through the zone. 

2021 3B/RHP Evan Yates (Martin Luther King) - Yates is a lean 6-0, 150 with plenty of space to keep adding to his frame. During his AB’s today, Yates showed a quick bat that was long in the zone on his way to peppering the left side with multiple hits. All three hits were hard contact and Yates moved easy on the field; 2B into LCF, 1B LCF, 1B through the 6-hole (4.75T). At third he showed the arm strength to stay in the spot and ability to come in on the baseball. 

2020 1B/3B Malikai Wickley (Serra) - Tulane commit. At 6-3, 190, Wickley has current strength in his frame and showed it with multiple doubles during the games. At the dish Wickley was patient drawing multiple walks before finding his pitch and letting the quick bat attack the inner half of the baseball. 2B into RCFand another to LCF showed his ability to control the barrel and being ready, hunting his pitch and attacking it. 

2021 C/3B Makana Olaso (Murrieta Mesa) - Physical and strong at 6-2, 185 with space to keep improving his build, Olaso showed multiple tools including his catch and throw skills with a caught stealing at 2nd (2.12 pop). Behind the plate his blocking was consistent and smooth allowing him to prevent runners advancing and the arm strength to stick at the position. On offense Olaso stays tall and balanced with an upward path on the barrel; showed it with a hard double into CF and another well struck ball at the CF. 

Team NorCal Upperclass Players:

2021 RHP Nathaniel Brouse (Aptos) - The long limbed 5-8, 150 frame is loose and athletic and showed a live arm on the hill starting for Team NorCal in Game 1. From a whippy M-3/4 slot, Brouse carved up hitters on his way through three innings with only 1 hit and three K’s. The FB was 86-88 for the first two before being 83-86 during his third inning jumping on hitters with arm-side run that he controls on both sides of the plate; the high spin gets him swings and misses up through the zone. SLD 73-76 with lateral action flashing tilt at the plate. CHG 74 straight with ability to utilize in lower part of zone. Lots of late swings leading to weak contact during the outing. 

2020 C Landon Wallace (Roseville) - Nevada commit. Athletic and quick footed, Wallace showed his bat-to-ball skills and his catching skills behind the plate during his two games today. At the plate, the tall high-hand set up allows the barrel to be quick and direct to the ball. Wallace picked up two hits through the middle of the field battling tough pitches and looking to extend AB’s (4.48-4.87 H-1st). Behind the dish he flashed lateral blocking skills with the quick release in his sound mechanics to keep the ball on the bag (2.0-2.11 Pop). 

2020 RHP Cameron Walty (Cosumnes Oaks) - Nevada commit. With the frame to be a weekend starter at the next level, Walty showed his live arm during his two-inning outing and also showed the bat-to-ball skills on his way to a hit and another ball squared up to CF. On the hill, the M-3/4 arm is loose and long out of the glove working with an athletic delivery and showing a three pitch mix. FB 87-89 T90 with ability to locate on both sides of the plate and having life through the zone getting swings when going up through it. SLD 77-79 was firm with late bite in it’s 10-to-4 shape using it in any count and being able to throw it in and out of the zone. CHG 82-83 with late bottom at the plate; when he allow it to work, it’s a quality 3rd pitch. 

2021 OF Logan Johnstone (Los Gatos) - Johnstone has the space in his 5-11, 160 frame to keep adding strength and making jumps showing off a quick bat with aggressive hacks being right on the FB all day. From an open, high hands set-up Johnstone kept his head on the baseball allowing his quick bat to work on a slightly upward path. Picked up three doubles (2 hard contacts into each gap) busting out of the box and putting pressure on defenses (4.94-4.97T). In the OF he tracks the ball well showing the ability to read the baseball and to open his hips and make plays; the arm fits in RF showing looseness and the ability to put the ball to the bag. 

2020 3B/RHP Max Farfan (Salinas) - Strong wide and physical at 6-2, 220 Farfan showed he’s got lateral quickness and some juice in the bat during his games today. At 3rd he made a fantastic play, cutting in front of the SS, spinning and throwing a dart to 1st to get the runner. At the plate, Farfan is patient not willing to expand the zone and looking for pitches out over the plate that he can drive; stayed on a pitch up and away driving it into the RCF gap that kept carrying even with the wind trying to knock it down for a long Sac F9. The slightly opened, crouched stance allows Farfan to rotate as he keeps a still head. 

2021 OF JC Ng (Menlo School) - Wiry strength in the rangy frame, Ng continues to find barrels with his whippy bat as he had three hits during the games today with two of the singles to RF and all three being squared up. In the OF Ng moves well working to get behind the baseball and showing the ability to track the ball over his head. Arm is loose and makes accurate throws to all bases. 

Team SoCal Underclass Players:

2022 C/RHP Karson Bowen (Orange Lutheran) - Bowen showed he’s a legitimate two-way guy during the games today pitching well for two innings and then making plays on offense and defense behind the dish. On the hill, Bowen went three strong innings pitching around two hits and two walks on his way to 7 K’s. The loose M-3/4 slot found a consistent release with length out of the glove. FB 83-85 was firm with angled to glove side having pitch jump on hitters. SLD 69-73 could bend the RHH’s with late action at the plate in 10-to-4 shape with the feel to have the depth break late at the plate. CHG 79-80 showed arm side fade and shapings to be a third pitch. Behind the plate Bowen kept the ball on the bag blocking well and showing ability to manipulate the baseball (2.04-2.13 Pop). At the dish Bowen showed the bat is for real with two hard hit balls into LF for a single and double while also stealing a base; the quiet approach looks more advanced than the peers around him. 

2022 SS/C Noah Rodriguez (La Mirada) - The 5-8, 150 frame has some strength and the space to continue to grow and mature. Played with some bounce in his step moving easily around the infield and showing he can stick at the 6-spot as he matures. Made a nice play on the move working through a short hop and showing the arm strength to make all the throws. At the plate, Rodriguez shows loose hand speed picking up two hits and stealing two bases squaring up the baseball three times during the games. 

2023 3B Casey Borba (Orange Lutheran) - At 5-11, 190, the frame looks bigger than listed and has strength with some width in the shoulders. Borba put some good swings on the baseball driving one deep into LF that wasn’t caught allowing him to stand up for a double. He also squared up a ball towards the middle of the field, but the SS made a nice play as he started that way with a runner trying to steal. At 3rd, Borba has the arm strength to stay at the hot corner and make plays showing the ability to shuffle and make a throw online. 

2023 OF Owen Egan (Yucaipa) - Staying tall with high hands, Egan put together strong AB’s being on base twice with a hard double down the LF line and walking. The bat is quick from a quiet stance allowing the barrel to stay in the zone and attack pitches out front. In the OF Egan has a good first step ranging in to make plays. At 5-11, 175 the frame has the shape to be a productive outfielder with some lean strength and space for more projection. 

2022 SS/2B Andrew Walters (Corona) - 6-0, 170 with some strength already on the frame and the build to be a prototypical Southern California SS in due time. With low hands and a crouched stance, Walters uses loose hands to create easy bat speed as he squared up the baseball during games picking up a hit and stolen base. In the infield the hands work easily out in front of him with the arm to keep it firm across the diamond. 

2022 C Andrew Pyle (La Mirada) - Pile has a young, strong frame at 6-0, 180 with strength in the shoulders and the arm strength to be an asset behind the plate. Pile’s catching skills were consistently solid with the ability to stick the baseball and the blocking to help his pitchers expand the zone. The arm is live (2.06-2.19 pop) and showed an aggressive transfer. From a high-hands, narrow set up Pile showed a quick bat with some whip through the zone as kept his hands inside the baseball on two deep flys to RF.  

2023 RHP Jeramiah Sotelo (La Mirada) - Sotelo worked two quick innings showing a compact 3/4 release that struck out two and can keep improving as he strengthens. Using a slight rock over his back hip, the arm shows a shallow swing allowing the late arm speed to play up. FB 74-77 using through the bottom third of the zone with late jump out of the hand. CB 62-67 with length in the loose slurvy shape; it’s a projectable shape with ability to blend between 11-to-4 and 11-to-6. At the plate he showed an open stance and high hands setup staying oppo with his focus as he picked up an RBI on a deep Sac F8 before sneaking a 1B through the 4-hole. 

Team NorCal Underclass Players:

2022 RHP/C Isaac Zaldivar (Vanden) - At 5-7, 145, Zaldivar has the build for a future pitcher with the high waist and length in the legs. On the hill Zaldivar overpower hitters with a late, quick arm working out of a compact H-3/4 release on his way to 5K’s in 2IP. FB 83-87 spotting glove side and consistently getting swings up through the zone. SLD 69-72 was tight and flashing sharp cut late at the plate; the shape was strong and as he keeps growing could be a fantastic second pitch for him. CHG 76-77 with armside run; solid 3rd pitch. Behind the dish Zaldivar showed the easy arm strength catching a runner (2.20) at second; the fundamentals behind the plate are easy to project. Zaldivar also showed the power in his bat with a 2B into LCF picking up an RBI and showing the ability to turn the barrel.

2022 LHP/OF Jaron Nevarez (San Ramon Valley) - Nevarez looks like a guy who is going to push to be a two-way player showing quick feet out of the box and a strong three pitch mix. During his three inning outing, Nevarez located his pitches and attacked hitters on his way to 7K’s, a hit and walk while maintaining his release point from a compact 3/4 arm. FB 78-81 moved to all spots and able to work the velo up/down as needed. CB 66-70 being a swing and miss pitch with 1-to-7 shape controlling the depth and being able to feel the pitch into the zone. CHG showed two different versions, a straight version at 65-70 MPH and a SPLIT version at 62-64 MPH with more bottom and arm side run. At the dish, Nevarez was aggressive with his swing getting out in front a bit yet having the ability to get out of the box to beat out two infield singles (4.3 H-1st) while also stealing a base. Nevarez can track the ball well in the OF and with his arm strength will fit in any of the positions. 

2022 SS/2B Justin Walker (De La Salle) - Walker plays with first step burst and showed it extending his range to both sides and moving easily with his long and lanky frame. The glove can make plays in the INF working up under control; the skills are raw but the fundamentals are there for him to make jumps. On offense, his aggressive approach saw him square up a baseball at the RF and SS with neither falling for a hit. Walker should be a big jumper in the next years as he keeps maturing. 

2023 1B/3B Jarren Ford (Will C Wood) - Ford is a big bodied corner INF and he showed there's strength in the young frame having the ball jump off the bat with a double deep into RCF and a clean single through the middle. Ford showed good bag awareness at 1st and enough arm strength to make throws. More jumps can come as his body continues to grow and tighten.