2019 Future Games Day 2 - Team CA Notebook

CARTERSVILLE, GA. - For Team California Day Two of the Prep Baseball Report Future Games was an opportunity to wash the bad taste from their mouths resulting from a tough loss on Thursday. After scuffling with the bats a bit yesterday, Team California looked to take a more disciplined and patient approach at the plate on Friday and the plan paid off as they defeated Team Nevada 5-0 erupting for four runs in the 7th to seal the win. 

Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of the game. 

+ 2021 C/RHP Josh Randall, Capo Valley Christian

Six-foot-3, 205-pounds, extra-large frame with strength throughout, broad shoulders and strong wrists. Pitched in today’s and was lights out going four innings, allowing 1 hit, one walk, and striking out six. Working from a high 3/4 delivery Randall has no wasted motions in his delivery that sees him generate very good downhill plane with pitches. It’s a bit of a dip-and-drive delivery that allows him to use his strong lower half to explode down the mound. There’s little deception to his delivery, but he’s able to repeat the mechanics and arm slot consistently. Fastball worked comfortably 85-86 into the fourth while topping out at 88 mph. Slider was a wipeout pitch that he threw for strikes at 74-77 mph. 

+ 2021 3B Patrick Keighran, Serra HS

Six-foot-1, 190-pounds, large, strong, athletic frame with broad shoulders and strength throughout, particularly in the lower half. Had a ground rule double in the first game on Thursday and exploded with the bat on Friday. In his first at-bat he laced a ball into the right centerfield gap for an easy double that he tried to extend into a triple narrowly missing being safe. A slip out of the box may have cost him. In his second at-bat he pounded a ball to left field that was caught at the fence. In his final plate appearance Keighran laced another shot into the right centerfield gap and this time he was not denied his triple. Has been the most consistent hitter on the team through two games.

+ 2021 3B/RHP Evan Yates, King HS

Six-foot, 155-pounds, long, lean, wiry strong frame with plenty of room to fill out. Playing with a swollen middle finger on his throwing hand, Yates gutted out three strong innings on the mound that saw him keep hitters off balance with his command of the fastball (82-83 mph) and his sharp, biting slider at 73-75 mph. Yates works down in the zone and was able to get swing-and-miss results with both pitches throughout his three innings of work where he gave up one hit and had three strikeouts. Induced ground ball after ground ball - including a huge inning ending double play that killed a Team Nevada rally - registering only one fly-ball out on the afternoon. 

+ 2022 RHP/C Ryan Edwards, Chico HS

Five-foot-11, 170-pounds, long, lean, athletic frame with wiry strength that is developing on his broad shouldered frame. Edwards has put together quality at-bat after quality at-bat resulting in three hits over the two games so far. It’s a simple setup that is balanced before he uses his fast hands to whip the barrel through the zone. He’s shown a knack for finding the barrel consistently - even his foul balls are hit hard off the barrel. Excellent catch-and-throw skills with pop times between innings in the 1.95-2.08 range. Caught a would-be base stealer yesterday with a 2.01 pop that was right on the bag.