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2019 NPI: 14U Notebook

June 25, 2019
PBR Staff

The National Program Invitational is taking place at LakePoint in Georgia, hosting travel teams in four age groups: 17U, 16U, 15U and 14U. Prep Baseball Report will have quick notes for each level from each day during the event.

Sunday

+RHP/SS Cade Kurland (Kangaroo Court)
Recent Florida commit, is an all-around athlete, Kurland got the start on the mound for Kangaroo Court in the quarterfinals.  Arm works long with a full swing on the back-side to a ¾ slot, quick arm speed, athletic. Fastball up to 84 sat mostly 82-83. Mixed in an 11/5 breaking ball at 70-73, manipulated at-times, showed a harder, sharper version with late sweep to it. Offensively, Kurland generates easy line drive contact to all field with the ability to turn on the ball for pull-side power.

+C Colton Wombles (Kangaroo Court)
+3B/RHP Aidan Miller (Kangaroo Court)
The 6-foot, 170-pound two-way prospect is one of the top talents in the 2023 class. Offensively,  he takes an open setup with an athletic bend to his knees, hands start high dropping down on load, short stride, remains balanced throughout. Barrel path is short to the ball, long through the zone. Generates easy bat speed with high level hand speed. Has the ability to drive the ball to all fields, can hit for power middle/pull. 
+3B Everett Ford (Top Tier 14u)
+Brooks Barofsky (Top Tier 14U)
A solid player who brought his game to the semi-final match-up. Calm, confident hitter with a level swing. Handled velocity very well with a hard-hit single up the middle on an 84mph fastball.

+OF Keilon Parnell (Louisiana Knights)
One of the best left-handed bats at the 14U NPI. The 5-foot-9, 170-pounder has an athletic frame with a muscular build, physically advanced. At the plate takes a balanced approach, short hand load back, short stride, has excellent balance. Simple approach at the plate, looks to square the ball up and drive it where it is pitched. Has present pull-side pop.

+OF Porter Hollis (Louisiana Knights)

+C, Stone Lawless (Knights Platinum 14U)
Lawless does a great job receiving the baseball.  Helping get his pitching staff a lot of borderline calls. Soft hands and the ability to work beneath the baseball and keep a pitch at the bottom of the zone give him advanced receiving skills.  Flashed an above average arm for his age with solid footwork and awareness throwing out would be base stealers and picking off a runner at first base.  His physical frame produces a swing that projects power and he showed he has plenty of feel for the head of the bat.

+OF, Jaron Elkins (Knights Platinum 14U)
Jaron is an above average runner with a good swing that produces plenty of bat speed.  He has an advanced approach in the box. He takes good angles running the bases and appears very athletic with a strong combo of quick twitch, fluid actions.

+UTL, Caleb Anderson (Knights Platinum 14U)
Sweet lefty swing with gap power.  The bat head stays through the zone for a long time and releases through the baseball.  Swing is handsy and he is an above average runner with plenty of projectability. HIs glove works and he has good range to both sides with an arm that can make the throw while moving to his right.



+INF, Thomas Cooper (Knights Platinum 14U)
Had a great weekend, including a strong semi-final game, where he had an RBI single in the 6th inning. Solid defender at 3B with a very athletic, projectable frame. Arm is strong across the INF.

+LHP, Tanner Lane (Knights Platinum 14U)
An athletic arm with plus feel of the strike zone. From an OH slot, sat 81-83,T84 in his outing. 12/6 curveball fell in the zone at 68. Will continue to polish arsenal, but very advanced for age.

+1B Miller Green (Knights Platinum 14U) 


+INF Jayden Davis (Knights Platinum 14U)
+C/INF, Trenton Wright (Top Gun 14U)
Trenton has a frame built for power.  He has a short swing and showed he can be on time for a FB and meet the ball out front to drive it with backspin.  He hit a ground rule double against Top Tier.

 

+John Michael Shmitz (VBA 14U)
John Michael hit a bases clearing double in the gap against MGBA.  His bat head stayed through the ball driving it to the gap with backspin and force.

+SS  Zander Winkle (Texas Twelve 14U)


Saturday

+RHP/C Jeffrey Heuer (643 Cougars 14u)


+OF Zeb Allen (Arkansas Prospects 14u)


+RHP Clay Smith (Arkansas Prospects 14u)
Smith was up to 78 on the gun this afternoon but showed a predominant usage in his CB that had 11/5 shape to it.


+C Stone Lawless (Knights Baseball Platinum 14u)


+RHP/SS Cooper Milford (Team Georgia 14u)


+3B/RHP Cole Edwards (Top Gun 14u)


+C/INF Trenton Wright (Top Gun 14u)
The 2023 grad put a couple nice swings on balls in his game on Saturday. Wright used an advanced approach paired with above average bat speed to spray balls in the air. Wright got into a ball for a SAC fly to right field while showing off some power.

+SS Peyton Watts (Top Gun 14u)
Watts has impressed in the couple weeks we have seen him, especially on the defensive-end. A sure-handed MIF, he used good reads and athletic feet to make plays. Plays with good energy; solid player.

+Edwin Rowe (Top Tier 14u)
The matured Rowe competed well, coming out of the bullpen for Top Tier. Used a heavy 77-78mph fastball to get ahead of hitters, while mixing in a 68mph CB to mix speeds.

+Tommy Townsend (Top Tier 14u)
Townsend showed off a powerful swing this weekend. A free swing that does not get cheated. Went double over an outfielder’s head on a high fastball. Heavy barrel that will get quicker as he physically develops. Member of last year's Illinois Junior Future Games team. 

+Brenden Stressler (Top Tier 14u)


+LHP Jakob Schulz (Texas Twelve 14u)


RHP Ryan Strachan (Team Elite 14u) 


Friday

+RHP Jeffrey Heuer (643 Cougars 14u)
Impressed yesterday behind the plate helping his pitchers out with excellent blocking skills; he followed that up today, this time on the mound flashing 82-84. Creates downward angle providing late life on the ball, making it play up a little more. 

+3B/RHP Aidan Miller (Kangaroo Court 14u) +RHP/SS Cade Kurland (Kangaroo Court 14u)

 


+C Kodi Deskins (Kangaroo Court 14U)
Deskins impressed with his defensive skill set. A solid catch-and-throw with probably the best receiving in the age group, on the weekend. 

+OF/C Colton Wombles (Kangaroo Court 14U)
It was a good day for Wombles as he produced on both sides of the ball, while showcasing his athletic ability. He started the day with an opposite-field single, seen below, and played a stellar CF and catcher on the day.

+Travis Sykora, SS, Round Rock (TX), 2023 +LHP David Edwards(Legends Sun Devils 14u)
Edwards got up to 80mph from the left-side. Had a 12/6 breaker at 67mph paired with a SL at 64 with 2/7 shape. Works out of a ¾ slot with short arm action. Quick to home with a slide step when out of the stretch. 

+RHP Cameron Collier(MGBA 14u)
+LHP Khamari Bush (MGBA 14u)
Bush showed 75-77 from the left side, getting 78 on numerous occasions; with ease. Another large and physical frame out of the 2023 class, Bush has a large and physical frame that bring more velo out of him once it fully fills out.
 
+SS Connor Pressnall (Ninth Inning Royals 14U)
Pressnall was a tough out to get at the leadoff role. Showed quick hands and patience at the plate that allowed him to sit on a pitch he could drive as he ripped a pair of hard hit balls up the middle. 

+RHP Brandon Levy (Performance Baseball 14u)
+LHP Hayes Harrison (Top Gun 14U)
Harrison begins day two going the distance for Top Gun, and delivering a shutout. The LHP was 68-71, T72 with a CB that showed 1/7 shape with a lot of depth. He liked going to the CB often late in counts to induce weak contact.

+1B Maks Pierga (Top Tier 14U)
Pierga is an athletic, physical frame at 6’0 165 pounds. He turned on an inside FB in his lone AB of day two for a 1B in the 5/6 hole.

+LHP Tanner Lane (Knights Baseball Platinum 14U)
Lane got the start on day 2 for the Knights. Battled through the first inning and settled in as the game progressed. Advanced young arm to watch.


+1B Miller Green (Knights Baseball Platinum 14U)
The big-bodied LHH had a great day at the plate hitting a homerun that travelled 365 feet and had an exit speed of 94mph. Has put good swings on balls all weekend.

+OF Keilon Parnell (Louisiana Knights)


Thursday

+RHP Fisher Cantrell, 2024 (5 Star West 15U)
Cantrell impressed out of the bullpen today. FB had late sink to it and got as high as 76 while sitting 72-75 (2031rpm). Also showed a SL at 61 (2267rpm) and CH at 65 in his arsenal. Was impressed the most by his maturity on the mound, being able to make adjustments on a pitch by pitch basis.

+ OF, Kameron Douglas, (643 DP Cougars 14U)
6’2 165 pounds. Douglas showed the ability to not only turn on an inside pitch, but see the ball deep and go opposite field with it. Equally impressive defensively with an above average arm and good lateral movements.

+ RHP, Jake Tucker (643 DP Cougars 14U)
6’1 160 pounds. Working from the left side, Tucker gave hitters fits with his FB/SL/CH mix. Topping out at 77, he used his FB sparingly, but up in the zone late in counts. Liked to get ahead with his 65mph sweeping SL that he had tremendous feel for. CH was equally effective, throwing it more against right handed hitters as he let the arm side run on the ball induce a handful of swing and misses at 67mph.

+RHP, Alex Sterling (DBAT Middle TN 14U)
Sterling brought some heat early on getting up to 81 (2100rpm) and sat between 79-80 all day. Did a great job pounding the lower third of the zone with arm side run. Mixed in a SL with late break at 70mph and 10/4 shape to it. Mechanics looked clean, specifically a strong glove side pull.

+3B, Ryan Bland (Easley 14U)
Athletic player that impressed with the bat today. Used a short, level swing that produced hard contact in the first game of the day. Also showed off above average speed on the bases. Quick twitch player with fast hands to watch.

+ SS Jud Files (Easley 14U)
High-waisted with lean, athletic 5-foot-9, 140-pound frame. Impressive bat speed for the class with quick hands. Starts square from the right side with an athletic base, and utilizes a toe-tap stride to separate the hands down and back. Gets more aggressive use of the hips, and shows some spray power with more likely.

+ RHP Gage Haley (Easley 14U)
Big, 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame that still shows signs of maturing and getting stronger. Strides open down the mound with a quick arm that allows the ball to jump out of the hand some. Noticeable effort out front, and struggled, some, to find the zone, but the velocity will likely continue to rise in the near future. Breaking ball showed some shape, but is still more of a developing pitch. Intriguing pitcher to follow given his size and the quickness of the arm.

+RHP Thomas Cooper (Knights Baseball Platinum 14U)
Overpowered hitters and was dominant most of the afternoon behind a FB that touched 84mph (2000rpm). 

+SS Cole Cranford (Louisiana Knights 14U)
Showed a strong, active lower half at the plate. Had a hard hit RBI single and will be a player to follow throughout the weekend.

+OF Keilon Parnell (Louisiana Knights 14U)
Big-bodied LHH that showed off a powerful, aggressive swing. Had an RBI triple in first game of the weekend.

+INF Andre Poirrier (Louisiana Knights 14U)
Very athletic player that defends and hits well. Showed solid barrel awareness and flashed plus speed on the bases.

+LHP Joseph Blakeney (Louisiana Knights 14U)
The LHP had a solid start for the Knights as he kept hitters off balance with a 3-pitch mix. Athletic arm that produced a fastball that sat 76-78 with a loopy CB at 69-71 while mixing in a changeup for consistent strikes at 71. Challenged hitters all game.

+RHP Nolan Hood (Legends Sun Devils 14U)
5’10 170 pounds. Hood stood out keeping batters guessing throughout the outing. 3-pitch arsenal with a FB/CB/SL. FB was 78-80, T81, SL 68-69, and CB 66-67. Favored his SL the most between his two breaking balls, used it to get ahead in counts and set up a FB up in the zone. Tight 10/4 spin at 2144 rpm.

 
+RHP Kijani Clarington (MGBA 14U)


+C Ryan Pfeifer (Ninth Inning Royals 14U)
Had a solid game behind the plate. Showed good lateral movement on blocks and managed the game well. Good carry on throws with pops ranging 2.09-2.12


+SS Trenton Lape (Performance TX 14U)
Lean and athletic, 6-foot, 160-pounds with some natural strength, Lape barreled multiple balls on the day including a double and big RBI-single. Loads with a slight leg hang to get the hands back before working the barrel quickly through the zone on a direct path. Arm showed carry across the diamond from third base, and likely carries over to the mound given its whippiness.


+C Elliot Foreman (Performance TX 14U)
The long-limbed backstop had a great defensive day for Performance. Flashed pop times in the 2.08-2.15 range. Did a good job of blocking balls in the dirt and keeping balls close to his body. Also flashed some line drive power. 

+LHP Quentin Moon (Performance TX 14U)
Moon showed off a projectable arm in game one. FB sat 75-77 with a full arm motion. Battled with command, but showed the stuff and mechanics are worth a follow in the future.

+3B Jayden Boyd (Performance TX 14U)
Boyd put his physicality and approach on display on day one. Showed the ability to go the other way by sitting back on an offspeed pitch for a single. Boyd used a strong lower half and advanced hands while not getting cheated at the plate.

+OF/RHP Sherman Johnson (Rawlings Southeast 14U)
Advanced athlete that got up to 78 on the mound. Most intriguing at the plate. Loose hands with an athletic swing. Good runner. Sure to follow this weekend.

+1B/OF Trevor Toth, 1B/OF (Rawlings Southeast 14U)
Showed a level, line-drive swing. Good approach, connected on hard-hit balls all night.

+C Cale Stricklin (Team Elite - Nation 14U)
Solid hitter with good tempo at the plate. Showed some pop and a whippy bat. Follow as the weekend progresses.

+SS Justin Best (Team Elite - Nation 14U)
Showed well on both sides of the ball. At short, has athletic actions; quick hands, feet work well. At the plate, showed an uphill plane with gap-to-gap power. Lined a triple in the gap.

+RHP Brooks House (Team Elite - Prime 14U)
House was up to 82mph today, and we saw it play up through 7ft worth of extension. Had a sweeping SL at 63 to go alongside with it. At 6’0 140 pounds, there’s a projectable frame here with a lot of filling out left to be done. Gets great use out of his lower half.

+OF, Cooper Milford (Team Georgia 14U)
Milford did a good job hitting the ball where it was pitched today. Took an outside pitch to the opposite field wall. Gets down the line quick at 4.45 seconds, on the turn. Quick hands, high leg kick, gets the foot down early, and puts an aggressive swing on the ball. Athletic build with a lot of room to fill down the road. 

+RHP Ben Oosterbaan (Top Tier 14U)


+OF Lucas Smith (Top Tier 14U)

+SS Alex Winkle (Texas Twelve 14U)
Winkle had one of the more standout performances of the day. He started his solid day with a straight steal of home plate. Followed that up putting on a display of sound defense. Created havoc on the base paths and showed a high level of baseball IQ in all facets.

+C Landon West (Texas Twelve 14U)
6’1 165 pounds. West was a solid defender behind the plate, holding the run game to a minimum. 2.00 - 2.15 pop time behind the plate. Quick feet with a strong and accurate arm. 


+OF Sam Myers (Texas Twelve 14U)

+RHP/SS Blake Hall (VBA Black 14U)
5’8 117 pounds. Hall was dominant throughout his entire outing with a FB/CB mix. Up to 74mph with arm side run on his FB. CB was his most effective, and most thrown pitch on the day. At 62 mph and having 12/6 shape with a lot of depth, Hall was able to keep opposing hitters on their toes all evening long. 

+SS Paul Andrzejewski (VBA Red 14U)
Andrzejewski was an offensive threat at the leadoff role in game one. Showed a gap-to-gap approach at the plate. Ripped a 3B to the right-center gap and showed off his wheels turning a double into a triple. Sound defender at SS making a pair of tough plays look easy.

+RHP Andrew Lawrence (VBA Red 14U)
6’3 150 pounds; FB was up to 70mph with above average spin at 2000rpm’s making for his FB to play up. Was really successful working up in the zone most of his outing. Has a very long frame that will fill out over time showing there’s a lot of velo left in the tank.

+RHP/OF Matt Manley (VBA Red 14U)
Manley had a 3-pitch mix working well for him. Along with the 3-pitch mix, he mixed up hold times well getting a lot of hitters off-balance. FB was up to 75, sat at 71-73.

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