San Diego Swing: 14 Teams. 40 Players. One County.

 2/22/2020

Despite a rainstorm washing out the majority of San Diego county's unofficial opening day slate of games, the turf field at Santa Fe Christian wasn’t phased and the show went on. The game was very efficient with both starting pitchers working fast and garnering quick outs. Despite the lack of offense the game was tight throughout and showcased early season defensive highlights and competitiveness between the two teams. Santa Fe Christian catcher and captain Jack Hartung delivered the game winning hit in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded and the count full to give the Eagles the victory.

Kian Hogan 

The 6-foot-1 180 pound 2020 uncommitted OF/LHP started in center-field and hit leadoff for the Eagles. Lead off the bottom of the first with a bang as he hammered a fastball to right-field for a home run. Early season timing was on point and the sound off the bat is exactly what you want to hear, with the apparent angle off the bat showing ideal launch angle. Showed off his arm with a stellar 8-3 putout on a hard line-drive to center field. Wasted no time charging the ball, fielded cleanly and threw a bullet to first. Pure athleticism and tools were on display and showings like this will find him committed sooner rather than later. 

Carson Olsen

The 2021 uncommitted right-hander is listed at 6-foot-4 225 pounds possessing a strong lower half and overall starters build. Settled down after yielding a leadoff home run, finishing with a stat line of 6 ⅔ innings 5 hits 1 run 2 walks and 8 strikeouts. Consistent mechanics with quality lower half drive helped him command the zone and pitch deep into the game. Fastball sat comfortably at 83-85 mph throughout his start and had a lot of success when elevating the pitch up in the zone garnering multiple swings and misses. Relied heavily on a 12/6 curveball at 68-71 mph which he was able to command and keep the offense guessing, however the pitch lacks the ideal next level swing and miss spin action. Big and strong build combined with quality feel for pitching show some projection down the line with a likely velocity jump making him an arm to watch this year and next. 

QUICK HITS

Santa Fe Christian SS Luke Haux showed athleticism and lateral range in a 6-foot-2 170 pound frame. Collected two hits on the day and played with confidence. Starting shooting guard on Santa Fe Christian’s playoff basketball team. Murrieta Valley CF Ryan Kay covered the vast outfield with ease and showed a great first step on his reads. Crushed a line-drive opposite-field ground rule double. Home to first at 4.45. Santa Fe Christian RHP Jack Sawyer filled up the zone and competed throughout his start. Fastball sat at 80 mph, curveball 71 mph and change-up 73 mph. Heavy mix and confidence on the mound will equal success for him this season. 

SAN MARCOS 23 - MISSION BAY 1 

2/24/2020

San Marcos came into this season with a lot of hype and they did not disappoint with a dismantling of the Mission Bay Buccaneers in their first game of the season. Early season San Diego County top pro prospect Kyle Carr started for the San Marcos Knights and delivered in front of a handful of professional scouts. The offensive showing by the Knights proves that they are an experienced and balanced team that has a legitimate shot at winning the Avocado West and making a run in the CIF playoffs. 

Kyle Carr

Making his first start of the 2020 season, Carr did not disappoint. In front of a handful of professional scouts at the friendly confines of Mission Bay high school Carr carved through the Buccaneers lineup with ease. Through five innings of work, he struck out twelve batters (7 swinging, 5 looking) and allowed one base runner on a single up the middle. What stood out the most about Carr’s outing in comparison to other showings was his pitchability. 

His fastball worked up and down and to both sides of the plate, sitting comfortably at 88 mph, touching 92 mph and as low as 84 mph. At times it showed natural cutting action that gave right-handed hitters fits. His overall pre-release actions were a bit slower than previously seen but under more control and created better command of his pitches. However, some are concerned that this could contribute to a velocity loss. His best off-speed offering was his slider at 80-81 mph, showing swing and miss action with room for more. Mixed in his curveball at 74-76 mph that had 11/5 breaking action and helped keep hitters off balance. The development of the pitch will be crucial to his sliders success as it differentiates in speed and will create timing issues for the offenses. Flashed a change-up at 79 mph but was a non-factor throughout his start. 

Carr’s first showing was very productive with the highlight being that he threw 5 efficient innings despite the long breaks (20-30 minutes) between innings thanks to the Knight offense and a lot of time on the base paths as Carr went 2-2 with 3 walks. The command and control of his three-pitch mix was impressive and a step in the right direction. The desired professional jump in velocity is wanted now but early season success and command of his pitches shows me that the velocity will come in time. 

Zack Farrell

The biggest surprise in the San Marcos Knights lineup was the emergence of 2022 Zack Farrell as the first year varsity member hit third in a potent lineup. The right-hander made his presence known and put his name on the map with a home run to left-field into the offshore mission bay winds. Displaying a relaxed load and quick hands he jumped on a fastball up and collected his first home run of the year. Listed as a catcher primarily but did not start behind the dish. With so much attention on the Knights this season, Farrell is an ideal position to put himself on the college recruiting radar. 

QUICK HITS

2021 San Marcos SS Kyle Harvey showed off his overall game and feel with an impressive showing offensively and defensively. Vast improvement on both sides of the ball as he hit clean-up and made every play defensively. Lacking plus-athleticism but checks the boxes for average tools. 2020 Washington State commit Luca Martinez might be the best base runner in San Diego county. Wrecked havoc on the base paths and showed college level base running skills. Collected two hits and showed good lateral movement at second base. Ideal leadoff hitter on a strong offensive team. 2021 Mission Bay 3B/1B Declan Lynch has ideal size at 6-foot-3 200 pounds and looks the part. Struggled against Kyle Carr and his firm cutting fastball but the swing shows some projection along with his physical build make him the name to watch in the Buccaneers lineup this year and next. 

La Costa Canyon 2 - Bonita Vista 1

2/25/2020

Closely contested and well pitched early season game between La Costa Canyon and Bonita Vista. Definitely a game that the Bonita Vista coaching staff will look back on and reconsider their early season decision to deploy two fake bunt steals with no outs. La Costa Canyon has always been a tough place to play and the Mavericks held firm despite a talented Bonita Vista team making the trip north. Another early season matchup well attended by professional scouts as Bonita Vista outfielder Nate Nankil made his first start of the year. 

Nate Nankil

The toolsy 6-foot-4 210 pound outfielder looks the part and shows physical maturity heading into the 2020 season. After showcasing well during the summer circuit the Fullerton commit finds himself on the professional scouting radar thanks to a pro build, toolsy actions and long term projection. Showed off his arm with crisp throws on a line with either no hop or long hop from centerfield during pregame infield and outfield. Projects more as a right-fielder but could see time in centerfield with first step improvement as he lacks the initial burst. 

Ripped a double in his first at-bat of the season down the left-field line. Showed more pre-pitch bat wiggle than before but it seems more as a way for him to keep his elbows and hands relaxed than for show. Barrel followed the knob through the zone and kept his bat level to contact point with a hard hit ball down the line. Came up with the bases loaded in his second at-bat with one one and grounded into a 6-4-3 double play hustling to first a 4.44 seconds. Opposing pitcher made adjustments and stayed away causing Nankil to lunge at consecutive pitches away and forced a ground ball which killed the potential rally. In his third at-bat, Nankil struck-out on a breaking ball down after swinging and missing at a fastball up in the zone. Nankil seemed aggressive throughout the game and needs to be patient and let his natural ability and talent wreck havoc on hittable pitches. 

The physical build, tools and talent are there but adjustments at the plate will need to be made to put up the numbers that scouts want to see to make him a legitimate 2020 MLB draft pick. 

Jack Maes

The 2021 La Costa Canyon uncommitted right-handed pitcher stands tall and lanky with plenty of room to grow at 6-foot-3 170 pounds. The staff ace put in a very good first start of the season completing 6 innings of work allowing only 1 run and keeping a potent lineup at bay. Maes releases at a high ¾ arm slot with a bit of slinging action that creates a tough angle for right-handed batters. His ability to locate away to right-handers is his best asset. Fastball shows some sinking action at 82-85 mph. Curveball breaks more like a slurve at 70-72 mph with good downward bite. His ability to locate and play off his pitching coaches strategy make him an effective high school arm that is a velocity jump away from finding himself on the division one radar. 

QUICK HITS

La Costa Canyon 2021 DH/1B Jake Woltman crushed a double to deep left-field showing off his pull pop. Strong build at 6-foot-2 210 pounds with some sneaky quickness. Impact hitter that will get plenty of chances this year and next. Bonita Vista 2021 RHP Lucas Marrujo put in a quality start for the Barons and showed off plus-command of his breaking ball. It would be hard pressed to find a high school pitcher who throws that many breaking balls for strikes behind in the count. La Costa Canyon 2020 C Austin Machado showed vast improvement in his pop-time as he hovered around 2.0 throughout the game, which is about .25 seconds faster than his average last season. 2021 Cooper Dulich started at SS and closed the game out for the Mavericks sitting at 85 mph during his one inning of work. Made all the necessary plays at short and showed off his arm strength on the mound. 

EASTLAKE 7 - HELIX 4

2/28/2020

Early season heavyweight bout between the Eastlake Titans and Helix Highlanders at the home of the Highlanders. During the 2019 season we were provided with a similar early season highly touted match-up between the two teams that yielded offensive fireworks and really kicked off the Keoni Cavaco hype. MLB prospect Jordan Thompson was scratched from his scheduled start and Helix was forced to staff the game with bullpen arms. Despite an early lead for the Titans the Highlanders clawed their way back and kept the game close. In the end, Eastlake won the game 7-4. 

Dante Schmid

Eastlake high school uncommitted 2020 RHP Dante Schmid got the ball in an important early season match-up against perennial foe and possible postseason opponent in Helix high school. Possessing a lean and athletic build with long limbs, showing an overall projectable pitchers build down the line. Mechanically unique as he sets up on the first base side of the rubber and steps across his body, landing on the 3rd base side of the mound. Body movement allows him to keep his upper body closed and torso as long as possible. He throws out of the high ¾ slot and really rides down the mound hard with his legs but is able to finish with a soft and firm front side. His final stat line was 5 innings giving up 3 runs (0 earned) on 7 hits with 3 strikeouts. 

Early in his outing, he struggled a bit establishing command of his fastball, working behind in most counts. As the game progressed he was able to locate consistently in the bottom half of the zone with his fastball at the knees and locate his curveball early in the count. Flashed his change-up with some success but mainly worked off his two-pitch fastball and curveball mix. Fastball velocity reading was 82-87 mph and showed life and ride through the zone. Curveball was 64-68 mph and moved in two different ways, at times looking like a 12/6 and at times moved more like a two-plane slurve. 

Nico Vallarelli

The 2021 Eastlake 1B/C paced the offense with 2 hits including a home run and 3 RBI. Listed at 5-foot-11 200 pounds presenting a strong stocky build. Short powerful swing thanks to a swing path that leads with the knob of the bat. Compact load and light leg kick give him the ability to generate power without relying too much on his ability to time pitches. Positive offensive showing against below-average high school pitching with the present ability to translate that against better pitching. Limited defensively but the power in his bat makes him a name to watch on a talented and deep team. 

James Whitman

Listed at 6-foot-4 210 pounds, the  long and lanky 2022 Helix C collected three hits and handled himself well behind the plate. Showed signs that he is still growing into his body but you can’t teach height behind the dish. Long swing with good plate coverage that projects well in the future. Strength needed to generate better bat speed and power. Defensively received and blocked at an average clip and showed good composure in a big game where he handled a rocky pitching staff. Foot speed improvement will drastically help his 2.12-2.25 pop-time. Raw talent, size and swing path make him a 2022 name to write down on a very talented team.

QUICK HITS 

Helix RHP Jordan Thompson was scratched from his start with a lower-body injury. 2020 Helix SS Alonzo Richardson showed next level arm strength with little effort and hit a towering home run to left field. One of the top 2021 players in the country, Eastlake short-stop Marcelo Mayer went 0-4 and made an error. Perennial powerhouse San Diego section programs are set to face each other again on March 9th. 

DEL NORTE 7 - SAN DIEGUITO ACADEMY 0

2/29/2020

At arguably the most scenic field in the county under sunny skies and 180 degree views of the Pacific ocean the Del Norte Nighthawks blanked the San Dieguito Mustangs thanks to a combined shut-out and home runs from two of the counties best 2020 uncommitted players in Garrett Ostrander and Tanner Lappin. San Dieguito picked to first and second more than any team I have seen during the 2020 season and deployed various small-ball techniques but to no avail. 

Garret Ostrander

One of the top 2020 uncommitted players in the county started out with a bang as he hit an opposite-field home run in the top of the first. It would be hard pressed to find a player that wants it more than Ostrander as his hustle, desire, determination and leadership are present from start to finish. His willingness to hit the ball the other way with power and make the necessary plays including a highlight barehanded play at short-stop grade him out as a division one caliber player. He may lack the 6-foot plus size and plus-tools but makes up for it between the ears. 

Tanner Lappin

Listed at 6-foot-2 180 pounds, the 2020 catcher is one of San Diego counties most physically gifted and athletic catchers. Passes the eye test on the field and has vastly improved since he was last seen. Early struggles in the game were quickly washed away when he caught a runner stealing with a pop-time of 2.07 and blasted a towering home run to left field. There is swing and miss to his swing but the physical tools and ability to stay behind the plate make him a coveted uncommitted player. 

QUICK HITS

San Dieguito 2023 2B Brenden Alvarez started and hit at the top of the Mustang line-up. Showed good baseball IQ on the field and the ability to play at the varsity level. Important piece to the future success for the Mustangs. Recent San Diego State commit 2022 Del Norte OF DJ Cardinal had a quiet day at the plate and in the field but his eye at the plate was impressive for a young hitter. 

TORREY PINES 13 - PATRICK HENRY 1

3/3/2020

Coming off his first start of the year in which he threw a no-hitter and struck out 17 batters, Patrick Henry right-handed pitcher Max Jones faced his biggest challenge yet as the visiting Torrey Pines Falcons and their five division one bats came calling. In a significant plot twist, crafty left-hander Brian Kraft no-hit Patrick Henry with the help of his teammates offense and defense. 

Brian Kraft

The big left-hander is listed at 6-foot-4 200 pounds and committed to Pacific (OR) threw his first career varsity no-hitter on the road against Patrick Henry. Kraft commanded his tailing fastball at 77-82 mph from start to finish and had a lot of success locating the pitch in on right-handed hitters and elevating ahead in the count. Commanded both his off-speed pitches with low velocity causing major frustration from anxious opposing hitters.  Curveball broke on a 11/5 plane with slow breaking action at 65-67 mph and his change-up tailed away softly at 68-70 mph. Showed poise throughout his start and trust in his defense as they made tremendous plays to keep the no-hitter in tact. The lone run was scored on a dropped fly ball to right-field allowing the runner to advance to second, followed by a sacrifice bunt to advance the runner to third, followed by an RBI ground-out to short-stop. 

Max Jones 

Coming off a no-hitter where he struck out 17 batters, Max Jones had an up-and-down start against the potent Falcon offense. Listed at 5-foot-9 165 pounds the fiery right-hander showed a solid three-pitch mix that will play at the next level. Maximizes his small stature by firing his lower-half towards home, creating great force and drive. At times he showed that his mechanics are tough to repeat as his body is forced towards the first base side. Fastball sat at 85-86 mph and 87-88 mph when he got frustrated and put under pressure. Very confident in his ability to spin a 12/6 curveball at 74-76 mph as he threw the pitch in any count. Change-up showed above average fade and sink and plays very well off his fastball. Ran into trouble mentally as his defense made some early errors and gave up a swinging bunt. Projects well as a reliever at the University of San Francisco and has the ability to make it through the line-up more than once. 

QUICK HITS

2020 INF and UC-Riverside commit Nic Baum collected 4 hits and 6 RBI on the day. 2020 3B Kevin Sim and University of San Diego commit blasted the first hit of the game with an exit velocity of 94 mph. 2021 SS and Cal commit Carson Williams flashed next level defense and crisp throws to first. 2020 uncommitted C Max Isaacman collected two hits from the left-side and helped balance the right-handed dominant Falcon offense. 2022 Patrick Henry UTL Miguel Covarrubias flashed athleticism and speed, starting and hitting atop the lineup. 2021 Bryce Grudzielanek started at 1B making the entire Falcon infield division 1 recruits.  

CARLSBAD 9 - CLASSICAL ACADEMY 2

3/4/2020

An intriguing early season non-league matchup between North County teams that are coming off successful 2019 campaigns. Carlsbad flexed their muscle with an impressive team offensive showing and starting pitching. The real story here is the continued success of Carlsbad SS Thomas Saggese as he continues to punish high school pitching pushing his name higher up on the list as a player of the year candidate. The game also featured a slew of uncommitted players that are worth keeping track of. 

Thomas Saggese 

Saggese showed that his 2019 season was no fluke and put on an impressive performance as he singled, tripled, homered and walked in his four at-bats. Continuing his old school approach of no batting gloves and willingness to hit the ball the other way, Saggese is showing that his hit tool might be the best in San Diego county. His single was a rocket up the middle, the triple was a linedrive over the right-fielders head and the home run pulled to deep left. It is rare to see a hitter spray the ball around the field at any level like that in three at-bats and goes to show just how well Saggese’s feel for hitting is. Defensively made one error but shows a good first step and ability to stay at short. He may not look the flashiest but do not sleep on Saggese as he will hit at Pepperdine and beyond. 

Henry Miller

The big right-hander put in a good start and shows a solid pitchers build at 6-foot-3 210 pounds and quickly asserted himself as one of the better 2020 uncommitted pitchers in the county. Commanded the fastball well to both corners at 85-87 mph and showed the ability to elevate. Change-up was his best off-speed offering at 79-81 mph with heavy fade and tail, released from the same arm angle as his fastball. Flipped over a curveball at 74-75 mph with the ability to locate. Shows some projection and likely velocity gain making him an uncommitted 2020 arm to watch this season on a very talented team. 

Nate Mills

The uncommitted 2020 OF put in an impressive offensive performance as he crushed the ball to the left side, collecting a double and home run. Athletic and built at 6-foot-1 185 pounds, possessing desirable tools at the next level. Another potent bat in the Carlsbad lineup that has power potential thanks his extension and body control. Has the potential to play all three-outfield spots as there is speed to his game. 

QUICK HITS 

2022 Classical Academy Binyam Gebhardt showed his speed with 4.24 and 4.42 readings home-to-first. The bat shows potential but needs improvement, the physical tools and athleticism will find him on a division one roster down the line. 2020 Carlsbad catcher Jackson Skellet handled his pitchers well behind the plate and showed some pop in the bat. Standing at 6-foot-4 and has the ability to pitch and play the corner infield spots.