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Ventura, Calif.- This past weekend Prep Baseball California completed their fall schedule of gameplay events with a trip up the coast to Ventura County for the Ventura County Uncommitted Game. With athletes from the '25-'28 class coming together to participate in a showcase workout and then live game action on the campus of Ventura College along the start of the Central Coast in California. 

The day got started with a Pro-Style showcase workout for all position players/two-way players in attendance. Players received athletic testing on the Swift platforms including 10-30-60 yard sprint times and RSI/Vertical Jump testing. Blast Motion sensors were in use for all batting practice swings to collect swing metric data while Trackman technologies provided the Prep Baseball California staff with batted ball data on each player throughout the batting practice portion. As well, players worked out at their positions during the defensive portion of the workout to collect arm strength velocities while evaluating actions of each player defensively. At the conclusion of the workout the 10 pitchers in attendance stepped on the mound to face 5 hitters each in simulated live game play which gave our staff a look at the in game hitting, defense, pitching and base-running abilities of the players in performance.

Today, we will be taking a look at a few of the top performers from Ventura County Uncommitted Game event. For all information on all players attending the Ventura County Uncommitted Game event please click here to view the data gathered throughout the event.

VENTURA COUNTY UNCOMMITTED GAME TOP PERFORMERS:

Devon Wilkes 1B / Pacifica, CA / 2025 Wilkes was a vital piece of the Pacifica High School run to the CIF-SS D5 semifinals and in claiming the CIF-South Regional Title in 2024 as an impact LH bat who also was an important arm on the mound for the Tritons. Coming into the event Wilkes had tweaked his hamstring slightly which limited him to hitting and defensive work, but no athletic testing and that was plenty for the 6' 230 lbs. Wilkes to earn a spot on this list. He showed good actions with a soft glove moving around at 1B even with a tender hamstring that projects as at least a solid defender who can be even better when fully healthy. But, what Wilkes did at the plate in batting practice and in game was uber impressive. During BP he crushed 4 balls over the 100 MPH mark on Trackman including a peak exit velocity of 107.2 MPH on a missile line drive which he topped with a 103.5 MPH 412 foot home run over the scoreboard and 100 foot high tree into the road behind it on campus which was a majestic drive. Wilkes showed bat speed over 83 MPH, hand speed over 28 MPH, 16.6 Gs of rotational acceleration and an 86% hard hit rate while averaging 95.9 MPH on his exit velocity. During game play he drew a walk facing a LH arm on the mound and then turned around a letter high FB for a double to the RCF gap. His offensive impact is easily noticeable and as an uncommitted '25 can be a valuable addition to a college programs lineup.

Jackson Alex RHP / OF / HARVARD-WESTLAKE, CA / 2025 Alex has been a steady consistent performer over a variety of different looks for our staff over his high school/travel ball career. From Prep Baseball California event to Harvard Westlake HS games and travel ball tournaments Alex has thrown strikes with a quality pitch mix showing tempo in his delivery and feel how to pitch/execute pitch by pitch during games. One noticeable change for Alex was the strength he has added to his frame both in the lower half and his upper body which presents an intriguing addition to his profile as a collegiate recruit. His outing at the Ventura County Uncommitted Game was another stellar look at the 6'1 185 lbs. Alex who ran his FB up to 85 MPH with a peak spin rate above 2300 RPMs while mixing in his 69-70 MPH breaking ball with 2400+ RPM spin rates that generates 21" of horizontal break on average. He recorded 2 Ks during his outing while picking up a soft rollover 3-1 grounder from a LH hitter. Alex figures to be a key piece of the Harvard Westlake pitching staff again in his SR. campaign for the Wolverines and is a quality addition to a college programs staff once his High School career is complete.

Mason Berlinger LHP / OF / Westlake , CA / 2025 Berlinger was one of 6 2-way players in attendance and the talented lefthanded pitcher and outfielder figures to be a prominent piece for Westlake High School in 2025 as they look to defend their Marmonte League title. A 6'2 180 lbs. wiry built athlete Berlinger showed a solid foundation of tools across the board as an OF moving well during the defensive workout/game play including an 83 MPH OF arm with accuracy. At the plate during batting practice he consistently pulled the ball with authority showing a 96.3 MPH max EV and 88.6 MPH avg EV from a swing that generates 75.1 MPH bat speed, 24 MPH hand speed and 16.2 Gs of rotational acceleration. Berlinger translated his offensive performance into game play as he laced a hard triple to the RCF gap in one of his plate appearances. As well, he toed the mound for a 5 batter look which produced 2 punchouts to start, a pair of groundouts and allowing just 1 baserunner on a 3-2 count walk. Berlinger pitched off a low 80s FB which peaked at 18" of horizontal run out of the hand which tunnels well with his 70-72 MPH SLD which gets over 16" of horizontal break in the opposite direction of his FB giving him an east/west attack profile that lives down in the zone with effectiveness. Keep your eyes on Berlinger over the course of the winter/spring season as he can be an intriguing addition to a college program.

Elijah Garcia C / RHP / Buena, CA / 2025 Garcia was previously a UCSB commit, but with the rule changes found himself back on the recruiting market and the 5'11 175 lbs. backstop from Buena High School displayed his strong defensive profile with rising offensive toolset that made it easy to see why he had previously been a D1 commit and is going to be a very good land for a college program. He previously worked out for our staff at the SoCal Preseason All State Upperclass in January and then at the Ventura County event he increased personal bests in nearly every metric category tracked. During the defensive workout he showed a 78 MPH C arm velocity with a lightning quick transfer and impressive accuracy to the bag living right at the middle infielders hip/knees with his throws including pop times as low at 1.94 seconds. As talented as his arm is Garcia is just as good of a receiver with a smooth glove, mobility/strength in his lower half that helps him to be an adept blocker. He showcased an improved swing which is now showing more present bat speed up to 71.1 MPH, hand speed up to 22.3 MPH, more torque in the turn with 18.3 Gs of rotational acceleration. The improvement to his swing metrics produced quality batted ball data with a 95.3 max EV while averaging 83.7 and a max distance of 344' on a missile line drive to LCF from a swing that produced a 50% line drive rate. With an impact potential profile at a premium spot like catcher and making strong developments to his offensive profile Garcia is going to be a good land for a college program.

Justin Gaisford LHP / 1B / Valencia High, CA / 2026 Gaisford is a well rounded two-way player who has consistently performed well across a variety of looks for the Prep Baseball California staff since December of 2023. The lefthanded hitting 1B is a polished defender who moves with smooth easy actions at 1B both in fielding/throwing, but also how he receives throws from infielders. A 5'10 175 lbs. frame Gaisford is another performer who showed increases to all nearly all of his personal bests including max exit velocity where he was up to 91 MPH from a line drive based swing which wears out the field from line to line while averaging 82.1 MPH with a 344' max distance on a pull side barrel. His swing features torque with 16.6 Gs of rotational acceleration while adding fast hands 24.1 MPH hand speed that plays to his high contact approach. As good as Gaisford is as a position player he may have been the most polished arm in attendance. With a 4-pitch mix that the southpaw out of Valencia has control/feel for each pitch he can mix/match and attack hitters in a variety of ways. He pitches of a FB at 80-81 MPH which he can throw to both sides of the plate while also flashing the ability to work north/south on the pitch. Gaisford's FB control/command sets up his variety of offspeed offerings each which has a different movement profile. He has softer 67-69 MPH CB which he can use to slow hitters down, then drop in a shorter tighter mid 70's SLD which can almost function like a cutter with the movement profile, but his best pitch is his deceptive CHG. Gaisford throws the pitch at 75-76 MPH with ability to kill spin as he turns it over with over 20" of horizontal fade to the arm side. While his tools individually don't jump off the page what Gaisford can do when he combines all of them makes him a very interesting recruit for college programs and after a year which saw him be an important piece of the Valencia Vikings varsity roster as a Soph. it should be expected for him to be a prominent piece of their success again in 2025.

Brayden Goldstein OF / 3B / Sierra Canyon, CA / 2027 In an event with plenty of uncommitted talent across the board from a variety of diffferent graduating classes with different ceilings the LH hitting OF from the emerging Sierra Canyon program Goldstein may have one of the most interesting ceilings of any player in attention. Standing 6'3 175 lbs. with some wiry present strength to him Goldstein has the frame one can dream on as he continues adding strength with maturity. Then add in an intriguing toolset both in the OF and at the plate and what he showed at the Ventura County Uncommitted event makes him a name that college programs are going to want to be keeping close tabs on. During the OF portion he moved with body control and clean actions while showcasing a 87 MPH OF arm which showed carry with accuracy on throws to 3B and home plate. During batting practice his swing jumped out with the metrics he can produce on Blast motion including 78.5 MPH bat speed while featuring 24 MPH hand speed with 15 Gs of present rotational acceleration. A swing in and of itself does not make a great hitter, but Goldstein displayed a feel for rhythm/timing to his uphill swing path to get the ball in the air. Goldstein peaked at 92.4 MPH on his exit velocity, but averaged 87.1 MPH with a 61% Fly ball rate and 349' max distance on a pull side HR. He translated the tool set into the game well playing clean defense moving around the OF while picking up a single to LF in one plate appearance and stinging a hard one hop ground ball at the 2B in another plate appearance.

AJ Mai SS / OF / Moorpark High, CA / 2026 Mai has been a starter on the varsity level at Moorpark High since he was a FR. and his profile has continually trended upwards over the course of the past two years in Ventura County and the middle of the diamond defender with offensive upside showed very well during the event. Strongly built at 5'10 180 lbs. with present strength to his lower and upper body, but with room to polish and improve as he matures Mai fits the profile of at least a solid infield defender, but his footwork/hands/transfers and feel to throw from a variety of slots give him a chance to be an impact defender should he improve his athleticism/arm strength to stick at SS. He has made a chance to his swing mechanics to stay behind the baseball with his body while producing more leverage in the path to drive the ball through the middle of the field with carry which was on display during batting practice. He reaches 88.6 MPH on his max exit velocity with an average of 83.8 MPH of exit velocity. As he gets more comfortable with the new swing it should be expected to see those solid numbers to rise and he was able to show how the new swing plays in game when he drilled a ball to RCF which split the outfielders for an easy stand up triple for Mai. He has quickness in his swing with 20 MPH hand speed and 67.9 MPH bat speed. Keep your eyes on Mai as he looks poised to take the next step in his steady rise as a college prospect.

Mason Trigo 3B / SS / Buena High, CA / 2026 Trigo is another intriguing profile in the mold of Brayden Goldstein in which he shows a presently very solid set of tools, but the ceiling for his potential is very interesting. A wiry built 6'1 170 lbs. there is some strength to his frame, but looks to have plenty of room to add more across his lower/upper body to that can help take his strong baseball tool set to the next level by adding strength/explosion to them with increased muscle mass. During defensive work Trigo showcased his soft smooth hands with rhythm to his footwork being able to play quick at the hot corner with his hands while moving laterally/downhill at the spot that gives him an impact profile glove potential. He relies on quickness/accuracy to his arm which showed up in game as he played clean easy defense at 3B and should he add more arm strength with maturity again will help him reach his potential as a defender. During batting practice he produced one of the most consistent performances living in the 85-91 MPH range on the majority of his exit velocity readings with line drive contact through the middle to pull side of the field. Trigo peaked at 91.2 MPH and averaged 85.9 MPH on his exit velocity during batting practice. He produced a 58.2% line drive rate with a combined 69% Fly ball/Line drive rate while showing 69% sweet spot contact. During the game Trigo barreled a ball to RCF for an out and drew a walk at the plate. A very interesting name to know in the '26 class out of Ventura County and should he add the necessary strength to his frame one that has impact potential as a college prospect.

Davin Arth C / 3B / Foothill Technology, CA / 2027 Arth was another '27 who was playing up against a predominantly older group of players that put together an impressive day. A smaller build at present with a 5'9 160 lbs frame Arth shows interesting athleticism at present which helps him as both a receiver/blocker behind the plate and as a RH hitter with a middle of the fields approach. Arth showed well in the athletic testing portion of the day with a 7.2 60 / 3.98 30 / 1.72 10 yard splits and a present 18.7 MPH max run speed. As he continues to develop physically it's not hard to anticpate a sub 7.0 run time for him a catcher. The RH hitting Arth shows a compact line drive based swing with present 67.7 MPH bat speed, 20.5 MPH hand speed and 16 Gs of rotational acceleration at the Ventura County Uncommitted Game event that during batting practice produced a peak exit velocity of 93 MPH while averaging 82.5 MPH with a 51% Fly ball/Line drive rate which sticks to his high contact all fields approach at the plate. He showcased a quick arm behind the plate with online throws from a quick transfer which combined with how he received in game gives him the profile to stick at catcher with solid defensive potential. During game play he picked up a 2K knock in his first at bat staying on a breaking ball to shoot it back through the middle of the field for an RBI single. Still only a Soph. Arth has built a strong foundation of tools and with room for him to develop physically/athletically and as a player the ceiling for where he could be by the time he enters college is rather interesting.

Ryan Sheffer SS / 2B / Oaks Christian, CA / 2028 In an event featuring predominantly '25-'26 grads with a smattering of '27s having Sheffer joined as the lone '28 in attendance and the future Oaks Christian Lions middle infielder showed no problem competing with the older players in competition. While athletically built at 5'10 145 lbs. he is lean/wiry which is to be expected of a FR. in high school. But, don't let the lean frame fool you as Sheffer has quite the interesting set of tools on a baseball field. During the defensive workout he showed athletic footwork with body control, comfort playing laterally/downhill with present 83 MPH INF arm velocity which as he continues to mature will improve and gives him a long term SS potential even showing the foundation of athletic ability to stay there with a present 7.3 60 / 1.74 10 yard splits and 18.7 MPH max run speed. His swing data is intriguing for a '28 grad with present bat speed up to 67.3 MPH, quickness in his hands at 20.2 MPH while showing torque at 16.7 Gs of rotational acceleration with a flatter swing plane which tended to line drive/ground ball contact at present. He showed 91.8 MPH max exit velocity with an average at 81.2 MPH which gives you plenty to dream on as he matures physically and adds more leverage/lift to his swing to reach his offensive potential. During the game he picked up a hard line drive out to LCF early in the game and played solid defense and even jumped on the mound after a no-show on the pitching side opened up an opportunity to pitch. Sheffer showed a present FB up to 81.1 MPH with a peak spin rate above 2300 RPMs while dropping in a 71-72 MPH SLD and 70-72 MPH CHG. The pitching profile is a little raw, but the arm and athleticism gives it some intrigue as a potential option for the rising '28 in Sheffer.

Other Names of Note:

'26 C/OF Gabriel Alonzo Buena High School

'26 3B Brody Burnett Buena High School

'25 RHP Cody Burrow Royal High School

'26 OF/RHP Seamus Sipe St. Bonaventure High School

'26 RHP Luc Ross Camarillo High School

'27 OF/RHP Carson Caras Harvard Westlake High School

'26 C/OF Justin Torres La Mirada High School

'26 LHP/OF William Higginbotham Maranatha High School

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