METAIRIE, LA  ̶  The Prep Baseball Report Louisiana scouting staff traveled to Mike Miley stadium on Monday, March 12^th, as the No. 3 ranked John Curtis Patriots hosted ED White HS. The high-powered Patriot offense exploded for seven runs in the first two innings, ultimately defeating the Cardinals by a score of 8-2.

Mississippi Gulf Coast CC recruit, 2018 Ian Landreneau (John Curtis HS, LA) would pick up the win for the Patriots, striking out six batters in six innings of work.

The Patriots’ explosive offense, with talent from top to bottom, has been well documented. Especially the dangerous combo in the middle-of-the-order of Louisiana State recruit, 2018 1B Cade Beloso (John Curtis HS, LA) and 2018 C/3B Jay Curtis (John Curtis HS, LA). Monday was another productive day for the two, as Beloso finished 2-for-3 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI, while Curtis finished 1-for-3 with a double, 1 run scored, and scorched another ball to straight away center.

Also having a big day for the Patriots was 2018 2B Jordin LaBruzza (John Curtis HS, LA), who finished 2-for-3 with a double, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored, as well as, Tulane recruit, 2018 OF/RHP Logan Stevens (John Curtis HS, LA), who finished the day 1-for-1 with 2 RBI.

The Cardinals were led offensively by Louisiana State recruit, 2019 OF Wes Toups (ED White HS, LA), who finished 2-for-3 with a run scored, and 2018 1B Cameron Folse (ED White HS, LA), who finished 1-for-3 with a double, and 2 RBI.

Below are brief scouting notes from Monday’s action:

+ Cade Beloso, 1B, John Curtis HS (LA), 2018
Louisiana State recruit. Medium 5-foot-11, 215-pound frame with strong, developed build, clear strength in wrists, and short, powerful arms. One of the premier left-handed hitters in Louisiana’s 2018 class, with track record of high-level performance. Advanced hit tool with present power that plays. Hits from balanced, athletic setup with smooth load, and simple, controlled leg lift. Takes simple, direct path to the baseball with bat speed and strength at contact. Exceptional bat path, gets the barrel on-plane early and stays in the zone a long time. Comfort and strength is more to his pull side, but the polished swing, advanced approach, and strength allow him to drive the ball to all fields when needed. Extremely difficult out, patient hitter that rarely chases out of zone, and punishes mistakes in the zone.

+ Ian Landreneau, RHP, John Curtis HS (LA), 2018
Mississippi Gulf Coast recruit. Medium 5-foot-11, 160-pound frame with lean, athletic build and room to add strength. Consistent performer with lengthy track record of success at the high school level. Long arm action, stabs out of glove, into over-the-top release with solid arm speed and effort. Athletic delivery with smooth rhythm, and in-line direction. Three-pitch guy, showing feel to pitch, mixing pitches well throughout. More control than command, can throw all three pitches for strikes. At times, the higher slot causes issues repeating the release point, affecting fastball command. Makes adjustments well, showing athleticism and feel for his delivery. Pitched 81-84 mph, touching 85 mph once, with his fastball. Mostly straight, flashing quality angle and tilt when down in the zone. Manipulates the breaking ball well, throwing for strikes, as well as burying when needed. Best pitch that gets swing-and-misses, showing 12/6 shape, quality depth, spins well with deception, and fastball arm speed at 72-73 mph. Showed a firm, mostly straight changeup, that flashed slight depth at times, with fastball arm speed at 76-78 mph. Final line: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 K, and 1 BB.

+ Devin Desandro, RHP, ED White HS (LA), 2020
Medium 5-foot-9, 160-frame with strong, developed build. Long, clean arm action into high-3/4 release with lightning quick arm speed and effort. Athletic delivery with smooth rhythm, and in-line direction. Struggled in the outing, coming off of short rest, and only lasted 1.2 innings. Showed his good fastball velocity though, pitching 86-89 mph with life and carry in the zone. Still searching for an out pitch, as the secondary stuff is still developing. Mainly used a changeup with fading action, depth, and near fastball arm speed at 75-77 mph, but tends to show early, dropping arm angle at times. Flashed breaking ball with solid spin, depth and 11/5 shape at 70-71 mph during warmups, but was strictly fastball/changeup in-game.

+ Wes Toups, OF, ED White HS (LA), 2019
Louisiana State recruit. Medium 6-foot, 170-pound frame with lean, athletic build, quick-twitch actions, wiry strength, and room to add size. Premium defender in centerfield, tracking balls with ease, showing fluid athleticism, quick first step, and instincts. Run tool plays in-game, giving a 4.11-second home-to-1^st time on single to right. Left-handed hitter that hits from athletic, balanced setup, simple, smooth load, and short stride. Leadoff type, with line-drive approach, fluid rhythm, and short, compact stroke. Stays within himself, uses the entire field, showing quick hands, and quality bat speed. Plays with a high-motor, and grinds out at-bats. Finished the day 2-for-3 with a run scored, and stolen base.

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