Prep Baseball Report

Scouting Notes: Florida Panhandle Conference Showcase


Tad Slowik
Special Assistant, Scouting Operations

PBR Florida’s Panhandle Conference Showcase on Sept. 28 at Northwest Florida College featured some of the top Junior College players in the country. Here are some of the top position players and pitchers for each team. 

Northwest Florida College

+Northwest Florida College looks ready this year to make a run at a championship, and expectations understandably are high. The Raiders should have a strong pitching staff, led by talented RHP Jake Madden. The 6-foot-6 Madden has a loose, live body and good arm speed that produces a 93-97 mph fastball with late tail and sink. He complements his heater with a tight, sharp, late-breaking slider with diving action. Madden also has a good feel for throwing a changeup with deception and sink and throws plenty of strikes thanks to a delivery that he repeats well. Major League scouts will be keeping an eye on him.

+The Raiders have depth after Madden in 6-foot-2, 205-pound RHP Brandon Smith. A Georgia transfer, Smith runs his heavy heater up to 93 with plus life in the zone. His 80-82 slider showed plus action with a hard, downer bite. He has a good feel for a changeup, throwing it with deception and sink, and Smith generally pounds the zone with all three pitches while evading barrels.

+RHPs Joel Sarver and Dante Chirico and LHP Daniel Walter are all capable of reaching the low 90s with good secondary stuff. All three hurlers should be big contributors to Northwest Florida’s success on the mound this spring. 

+Handling the pitching staff will be left-handed hitting catcher Brett Rowell, who has solid defensive skills including good...

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