By Phil Wade
Director of Operations, PBR Indiana

2013 Preseason All-State Showcase Top 10 Middle Infielders: 

1. Ben Kocher, MIF, Zionsville HS, 2014:

6-foot-3, 193 pound junior runs a 6.81 60.  Possesses an athletic, projectable frame.  Showcased a strong arm across the diamond at 82 mph with some carry.  His feet work well, but can be choppy at times.  He projects more of a 3B at the next level.  At the plate uses a tall, athletic setup.  Starts with a bat waggle in his setup.  Very aggressive with his approach.  His hands are quick and uses a short path to the baseball.   Possesses gap to pap power. 

2. Angel Figueroa, 2B/C, Bishop Noll HS, 2014:

5-foot-8, 165 pound junior shows plus actions in the infield and can flat out pick it.  Possesses soft hands with quick feet and a clean exchange.   Takes good angles to the ball, and showcased good range. He’s athletic and plays through the ball with an accurate arm at 78 mph across the diamond.  Shows good body control.  At the plate starts with a slightly open stance with a smooth load.  Projects to be a 2-hole type hitter.  Displays above average bat speed, producing line drives.  

3. Evan Warden, SS/RHP, Western HS, 2014:

5-foot-11, 170 pound junior runs a 7.01 60.  He’s athletic and shows advanced actions in the field.  His hands are soft, showing the ability to pick it.  Displays quick feet with good range.  Plays through the ball with a quick, clean exchange.  Showcased a strong, accurate arm across the diamond at 84 mph.  At the plate uses a balanced set up with a short stride.  His hands are quick and gets the barrel through the zone producing barrel whip.  Swing plane is slightly uphill producing good pop. 

4. Jake McCarty, SS/RHP, Cathedral HS, 2014:

5-foot-11, 170 pound junior shows some athleticism while possessing soft hands and quick feet.  Possesses good arm strength with carry at 81 mph. Plays through the baseball and has a quick exchange.  His overall defensive actions project well at the next level.  At the plate uses a balanced setup with a smooth load.  His stride is very short and shows excellent balance throughout his swing.  Displays quick hands and bat speed with a short path to the baseball.  His swing plane is slightly uphill and has the ability to barrel up most balls.  Solid hitter all around. 

5. Pierce Hardacker, SS/RHP, Park Tudor HS, 2014:

5-foot-11, 165  pound junior runs a 7.19 60.  Solid MIF uses a short arm action and throws from a high ¾ arm slot at 82 mph with carry.  Displays soft hands with quick and fluid feet and plays through the ball.  At the plate showcases a balanced setup with a short stride.  Tends to wrap his bat during the load with an arm bar.  His hands work at the plate and shows good use of his lower half.  Possesses good eye-hand coordination with the ability to barrel up most balls. 

6. Matt Patton, SS/RHP, East Noble HS, 2014:

6-foot, 170 pound junior runs a 6.91 60.  Overall athletic infielder possesses fluid footwork with a quick exchange.  Across the diamond was 81 mph with carry and accuracy.  Plays through the baseball with soft hands.  Overall natural feel for the position.  At the plate displays a good approach.  His stride is long and dives towards the ball.  Swing path is long, but gets to extension barreling up most balls.  Projects to hit for average.

7. Nick DeFreese, SS/RHP, Concord HS, 2014:

6-foot-1, 190 pound junior runs a 6.93 60.  In the infield shows a solid arm across the diamond at 80 mph with accuracy.  Shows athleticism in his actions along with good hands.  His feet are heavy, but shows some range.  At the plate he hits from both sides.  From the right side displays a wide base with quick bat speed.  The swing path is a little long at times.  His overall mechanics at the plate are raw, but shows the ability to hit it hard producing line drives.  From the left side he’s more of a slap, contact type hitter. 

8. Taylor Douglas, SS/RHP, Decatur Central HS, 2014:

5-foot-11, 185 pound junior possesses an athletic body with a strong lower half.  In the field shows good hands with a clean exchange and slow feet.  At the plate hits from the crouch with a slight arm bar.  His stride is short and uses his lower half well.  Possesses good bat speed producing line drives.   

9. Caleb Milner, SS/3B, Martinsville HS, 2014:

6-foot, 185 pound junior projects as a 3B.  Throws from a high ¾ arm slot across the diamond at 77 mph with some life.  At the plate uses a balanced setup and loads back.  Tendency to wrap his bat.  Displays some bat speed with an overall good approach.  Needs to improve on the use of his lower half.  Showcased some pop. 

10. Parker Ronchetto, MIF, West Lafayette HS, 2014:

5-foot-9, 165 pound junior runs a 6.93 60.  Across the diamond is 74 mph.  His hands are too hard at times and fields the ball deep, but possesses a clean exchange.  At the plate uses a wide base and hits from a crouch with a short stride.  His swing path is long and uphill and showcases good pop.