Future Games Preview: Indiana's Infielders

6/13/17:  Big, stocky corner infielder has a tall, open setup in the box.  Standing 6-foot-3, 210 pounds the first basemen showed legitimate power in his rounds of batting practice.  Uphill path, creates lift.  Good barrell awareness.  Defensively, hands are sure with fluid footwork.  Handles first base well.  Ran a 7.38 60 yard dash.

6/13/17:  5-foot-10, 140 pound infielder displayed soft hands with a quick release up the middle.  Plays through the ball with athleticism.  Short, quick arm action.  Throws topped at 82 across infield.  Offensively, left-handed hitter has open setup with leg kick as hands load back.  Smooth rhythm.  Uphill path with consistent hard contact.  Average bat speed with room to increase as he fills in.  High exit velocity of 84.  Elbow ran a 7.32 laser-timed 60yd dash.

2017 Spring Scout Blog:  Young, athletic shortstop played with good instincts and had an advanced approach at the plate. The 5'10", 145 pound freshman was solid defensively, displaying above average arm strength for his age across the diamond, delivering accurate throws with carry. Hands work out in front of body to field, exchange is clean and fluid. Stands a little tall and upright to throw. Game sped up on him a couple times, got caught flat footed and on heels, and will need to continue working on getting rid of the baseball quicker. Good range laterally to backhand and up the middle. Athletic setup in the batters box, slightly open to start with hands raised up slightly off the shoulder. Front leg lift to load with the hands working up and slightly back to gain separation. Front foot lands slightly open to allow lower half and barrel work. Average bat speed through the zone, more to be gained in the future, but gets the barrel to the baseball consistently. Finished swings with good extension. Middle to oppo, line drive approach at the plate. Strength and size still to gain but is a good prospect to follow in 2020 class. 

4/1/17 Game Notes: Athletic 5-foot-10, 140 pound shortstop shows advanced range and soft hands on grounders to either side. Very active in the hole with soft hands and clean exchange. Played the ball well in front of the bag with a quick release. Projectable arm speed for a 2020. Very accurate across the diamond. At the plate sets up open and balanced with slight load and taps on the stride. Average bat speed with a good approach and level path that gets to extension. Works line drives away to left-center gap. Displayed advanced baseball IQ in the field and on the bases. Interesting 2020 follow. 

2/25/17:
5-foot-10, 140 pound infielder has soft hands quick a quick transfer and release.  Athletic actions up the middle with good feel for the position.  Accurate throws topped out at 77mph.  Offensively, hits from the left side with an open setup and a high back elbow.  Leg kick and hands load back.  Pivots on the front foot with partial usage of backside.  Bat path is slightly long and gets into extension well post contact.  Line drive approach.  Exit velocity topped at 81mph.

6/13/17:  6-foot-2, 185 pound corner infielder displayed pull side power from the left side.  Long, quick barrel.  Aggressive swing.  Good use of lower half.  Lot of head movement.  High exit velocity of 84.  Defensively, above average glove work with flat feet.  Loose, short arm action.  Plays through the ball well.  Will need to continue to improve arm strength and foot speed.

2017 Spring Scout Blog:  Indiana class of 2019 Top-20 player and top ranked 3B. Has improved defensively with more fluid feet and an arm that will allow him to stay at third. At the plate starts tall and quiet with a slight load and linear stride. Hands go back and trigger a more level swing path that gets to extension. Showed an ability to handle velocity and location. Toe tap not as present as last time we saw him. Gets down the line fine for the size. Projectable pullside power with ability to drive out and up depending on the pitch. 

6/21/16: The 6 foot 1 185 showcased fluid actions at the plate.  Jack hits from a slightly open, balanced setup.  He has a toe tap into a long stride with a smooth, back hand load.  Bat speed is fast with a slightly uphill path.  Showcased gap to gap power with potential to be a true left handed power bat in the 2019 class.  Defensively, hands are above average with a clean exchange.  Arm action is short and loose.  Throws were accurate and topped at 82.  Jack ran a 7.55 60yd dash.

2/21/16: 6-foot-1, 180 pounder ran a 7.62-60 and was 74 across the diamond.  Hands are a little hard, made plays.  Offensively, the LHH hits from an open setup, loads back.  Short stride/toe tap.  Average lower half with good balance.  Level swing plane, regularly got to extension.  Barreled up the baseball showing gap-to-gap type power.  High exit velocity of 81. 

6/13/17:  5-foot-9, 145 pound infielder has a quick, clean transfer and smooth hands.  Hop step before throwing across the infield, topping at 78mph.  Switch hitter, appears more comfortable from the left side.  Mirrored swing path, slightly bigger load from left side.  More compact, direct path from right side.  Line drive approach.  High exit velocity of 82.

2/25/17: 5-foot-9, 140 pound switch hitting infielder has sure hands with quick feet.  Moves well with a clean transfer and release.  Throws topped at 81mph.  At the plate, Estep has an open setup from both sides with a leg kick used as a trigger.  High barrel awareness with average bat speed.   Exit velocity topped at 79.  Ran a 7.4 60 yard dash.

12/3/16: The 5-foot-9, 140 pound infielder showcased a mirrored setup and swing from both sides of the plate. Showed a little more fluidity and hand speed from the left side.  Bat path is short, direct, producing line drives to all fields.  Possesses above average bat speed for age.  Defensively shows above average hands with quick, fluid footwork.  Plays through the ball well with some athleticism. Overall defensive actions are clean. Across the diamond topped out at 81mph.  Has some projectability, will need to continue to gain strength. 

Oct. 2016: 5-foot-10 155-pounds (Salem HS, IN) maturing middle infielder with additional strength to come to both upper and lower body.  Adequate fielder with some effort to a strengthening arm.  At the plate sets up with hands below shoulders and back elbow high.  Upright, slightly open stance. Utilizes a medium leg kick to initiate hand movement back.  Additional strength and maturity will aid his bath path that tended to get around balls as his hands drifted away from him.

2/21/16: 5-foot-10, 145 pounder ran a 7.51-60. IN the field showcased clean actions with soft hands, fluid feet and a clean exchange.  Short, high 3/4 arm action across the diamond with some carry. Offensively, hits from an athletic setup, smooth load, short stride. Closes himself off after stride. Partial rotation with the lower half.  Above average bat speed.  Good approach.  Possesses hand strength. 

9/20/15: Defensively displays a good feel for SS. Hands are soft, smooth actions.  Clean footwork. Short arm action across the field at 75 mph. Ran a 7.21-60. The 5-foot-10, 141 pound receiver displayed a short, quick arm action with good feet while popping a 2.08-2.12, velocity was 73 from the crouch.  He shows a relaxed, balanced stance and receives very well with soft hands.  Transfer is quick.  Will be a player to keep an eye on as he continues to develop.  Offensively, hits from a balanced setup with a smooth load back.  Leg kick for timing.  Shows average balance throughout the swing. Short path to the baseball, slightly uphill plane.  Line drive type hitter.  

6/13/17:  6-foot-2, 195 pound infielder has smooth actions defensively for a big body.  Hands work well with clean footwork.  Above average foot speed.  Arm strength is average, throws topping at 75 across infield.  Hits from a tall, open setup.  Short, simple load.  Lots of hard contact with lift during his rounds of batting practice.  Line drive approach with some physicality in box.  Follow in 2019 class.

2017 Spring Scout Blog:  Physical 6-foot-2, 195 pound sophomore SS with athleticism.  Moves well on the bases and in the field.  Solid defender at SS. Offensively, the RHH hits from a relaxed setup using a short stride, loads back.  Good balance throughout his swing.  Shows bat speed. Overall good approach. Hard hit groundball up the middle off a 91 mph fastball. 4.4 down the line.  Strong follow 2019.