Lake Charles, LA - Our first event of the summer was held this past Saturday May 18, 2024 at Barbe High School with our Luccini Scout Day.  This event consisted of high school prospects in the 2024-2028 classes.  Today, we continue our post-event coverage of the event with another edition of Quick Hits, which focuses on some of the prospects that caught our eye.  Be sure to follow us, on all of our social media platforms, for continued coverage of the Luccini Scout Day!

* VIEW ALL OF THE LUCCINI SCOUT DAY STATISTICS HERE

2026 STANDOUTS

+ 2026 RHP Hayes Holton (Loranger HS)

6'3" 185 lbs. lean and wiry frame.  We last saw Holton at our State Games in October, and he showed that he's made some considerable strides since then.  An athletic mover down the slope with a quick arm, he sat 90-93 mph and topped out at 94 mph with his FB.  His heater flashed electric life through the zone with an avg. spin rate of 2489 RPM's and an avg. induced vertical break of 20.3".  Holton showed feel to land a 80-82 mph CB, as well as a sweeping 79-81 mph SL (2514-2720 RPM), and killed spin to LHH's with a 83-84 mph CH.  He's a MUST-SEE prospect for college recruiters this summer and has firmly cemented himself as one of the top prospects in the state's 2026 class.

+ 2026 UTIL/RHP Kross Gillen (Opelousas Catholic HS)

6'2" 185 lbs. frame with present physicality.  The Opelousas Catholic product was a big part of the Vikings run to a State Title this spring, and looked in prime form last Saturday to have a big summer.  Gillen is a versatile defender with a strong arm from both the OF (91 mph) and INF (89 mph).  He made himself even more intriguing when he put on the catching gear and recroded pop times of 1.86-1.99 with an 81 mph positional velocity.  Offensively is where we thought he really shined, as he dispalyed easy bat speed and strength to the big part of the field, while recording a 97.7 mph max exit velocity.  Gillen effortlessly drove one ball out to dead CF, half-way up the batter's eye.  Lastly, he also showed ability on the mound with a 86-88 mph FB and feel for a short & tight 78-80 mph SL.  He's another must-see guy this summer for college recruiters.

2025 STANDOUTS

+ 2025 SS/RHP Abel Thetford (Parkway HS)

Tall and lean 6'2" 170 lbs. frame with a lot of room to add strength.  The Parkway product had a big spring for the Panthers that earned him 1st Team All-District honors.  At the plate, he works from a somewhat "unorthodox" set-up with a narrow base and loose, rhythmic hands, but just like he showed all spring, he gets the barrel to the ball often.  Thetford posted a 96 mph max exit velocity in BP and then smoked a ball to dead CF with wood, for a homerun, during live AB's.  On the mound, he also offered plenty of intrigue and promise with a loose arm stroke, releasing the ball from a lower 3/4 slot that produced an 83-86 mph FB.  College programs in the market for a left-handed hitting infielder with some upside on the mound should give Thetford a look this summer.

+ 2025 Braylin Harris (Opelousas Catholic HS)

Athletic 5'9" 180 lbs. frame with a strong lower-half.  Harris produced each time that we saw him this spring and looks primed to have a breakout summer.  He's a good overall athlete who showed an increase in arm strenght last Saturday, as he posted an 87 mph positional velocity.  Offensively, it's a really simple set-up and he takes a short & direct path to contact, while staying flat through the zone for a long time.  He also has a really good understanding of the strike zone and rarely chases pitches out of the zone, and he stays through the middle of the field with a line drive/hard ground ball type of approach.  Harris is another good uncommitted 2025 left-handed hitting outfielder for schools to get out and see this summer.

2027 STANDOUTS

+ 2027 C Myles Collins (Opelousas Catholic HS)

Physical 6'2" 200 lbs. frame.  Collins broke into our 2027 State Rankings as the state's top backstop and he continued to show why we gave him that title last Saturday.  At the plate, he delivers a heavy barrel to contact, while driving balls from gap to gap with a 91 mph max exit velocity.  Defensively, however, is where we've seen the most growth from him.  From the start of the spring season until now, he's improved quite a bit as a receiver and blocker, and also showcased a strong arm from the crouch (79 mph) with pop times of 1.89-1.96.  Recruiting likely won't pick up for Collins until next year, but we're sure that colleges will be circling his name on the circuit this summer. 

+ 2027 LHP Layton Fogg (Northshore HS)

5'9" 165 lbs. durable frame.  The Northshore product turned in one of the best performances on the mound last Saturday.  Fogg worked through a simple and repeatable delivery, and used a longer arm stroke to release the ball from a higher 3/4 slot.  His FB showed good downward tilt at 81-83 mph, and he was able to command it to both sides of the plate.  He paired his FB well with a late-fading 75-76 mph CH and a developing low-70's CB.  Strike-throwing left-handers win a lot of games at the high school level and if Saturday was any indication, then Fogg should be one of those guys for Northshore, over the next three years.

UPCOMING EVENTS

North Louisiana Summer ID	LA	06/04	Louisiana Tech University - Ruston, LA
North Louisiana Rising Stars ID	LA	06/04	Louisiana Tech University - Ruston, LA
Louisiana Top Prospect Games (Invite-Only)	LA	06/11	University of Louisiana - Lafayette
New Orleans Summer ID	LA	07/02	Tulane University - New Orleans, LA

 

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