Commitment Spotlight: '20 Mitchel Casperson, SS/RHP, LeSueur Henderson

January 7, 2020
Andy Judkins
Prep Baseball Report Minnesota

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Scouting Report

6/17/19- 5-foot-9, 155-pound left-handed hitting 2-way player. #17 ranked player in MN 2020 class. 6.82 runner. Square stance, simple swing, short to contact, works up and through baseball, fly ball and line drive hitter, shows ability to work both gaps, 85 mph exit velocity. Active and light on his feet, sure hands, fields deep under body occasionally, has solid overall actions, long arm action with carry and accuracy to bag, 85 mph arm across infield. On mound; turns into crouched athletic balance point, long arm swing, ball jumps out of hand, higher percentage of strikes. Fastball was 84-86 mph with above avg. life; late running action to arm-side of plate. Breaking ball has tight spin with late sharp 11/5 break. Has feel for changeup with late arm-side fade for strikes.

3/17/19- 5-foot-9, 155-pound left-handed hitting 2-way player. 7.00 runner. Smaller athletic body. Balanced and slightly open stance with pre-loaded hands. Strides to square with small body load. Comfortable at plate. Good swing and hands. Middle approach with line drive contact. Consistent barrel contact and flashed pop for size. 86 mph exit velocity. IF- Athletic. Works around baseball to field. Smooth glove and sure hands. 88 mph arm strength with above average carry and good accuracy. On mound- Good tempo in delivery. Some drop to drive. Good direction down mound. Clean and quick arm from a ¾ arm slot. Fastball has late varying action at 85-86 mph topping at 88 mph. Curveball has sharper 12/6 break with good depth at 71-72 mph. Change-up is thrown with good arm speed at 79-81 mph. Solid 2-way player in 2020 class.

6/17/18- 5-foot-9, 155-pound left-handed hitting 2-way player. 6.88 runner. Square stance, easy body load, clean bat path, slight lift through contact, routinely squares baseball, 84 mph exit velocity. Works low to ground, plays through ball, sure hands, soft glove, long arm action, accurate to bag, overall above avg. actions in field, 86 mph arm across infield. On mound, strike thrower, compact arm action, some quickness out front, solid extension and finish. Fastball was 81-82 mph showing straight action and occasional run to arm-side. 11/5 shape on breaking ball with larger break to plate. Shows athleticism on mound and repeats delivery well.

3/17/18- 5-foot-9, 150-pound left-handed hitting 2-way player. Casperson was in control of his athleticism in all facets of the workout, and was one of, if not the, top position player on the weekend. The 5-foot-9, 150-pounder began the day by running a 6.9 60-yard dash, and then showcased his balanced swing at the plate. The left-handed hitter utilizes a short stride to rock his hands easily down and back before working uphill through the zone. He showcased quickness to the ball on a direct path, and had some lag through the zone. I was impressed by how mature his round was. He was never rushed and didn’t try to do too much although the ball came off his bat well, and he projects for gap power in the future. In the field, he showed off natural hand play and a quick, strong arm across the diamond. His footwork was clean and he should only get better with more repetitions. Also utilizing his quick, whippy arm on the mound, Casperson worked his fastball up to 82 mph, and had feel for both his breaking ball (67-68) and changeup (75-76). Most intriguing about the young infielder is the fact that he is still growing, and the added strength that will come could vault him as a prospect moving forward.

3/18/17- 5-foot-8, 140-pound left-handed hitting 2-way player. 7.57 runner. Solid swing for 2020, stays connected, easy load and stride, consistent solid contact to mid/pull side of field, 79 mph exit velocity. Creates angles, solid actions, soft glove, clean exchanges, long clean arm action on throws, 74 mph arm strength across infield. On mound; athletic delivery, long arm action, has extension out front, dlean delivery and repeats well. Fastball was 76-77 mph a slight downhill plane. Solid shape and break on 11/5 curveball. Changeup is firm; with flashes of above avg. fade.

PBR: Why did you choose the school you did?

Casperson: I chose Augustana because it seemed to be a great fit and academically it was a great school on top of everything the baseball program is phenomenal.

PBR: What other schools were you considering?

Casperson: I was considering some schools near home but I was open to pretty much anyone who put their interest in me.

PBR: Where did the coaching staff first see you? How did your relationship develop with him?

Casperson: They first saw me at the Legion State tournament in 2018.

PBR: Do you feel relieved now that the process is over and you can just focus on baseball and not deal with everything that goes into picking a school?

Casperson: Yes, everything seemed to slow down and was able to focus on the little things now.

PBR: Was there one deciding factor that put your choice over the top?

Casperson: No, just felt right and the best decision for me.

PBR: Who has helped you the most to get to where you are today?

Casperson: Obviously, my parents are the number one supporter through everything but also with the help of my club coaches they formed me into the player I am today.

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? Was it easy/difficult?

Casperson: It was easy I’d say. I didn’t stress on it too much, I let it play itself out and other people helped put my name out there to make things a lot easier.

PBR: What plans does the coaching staff have in store for you in your freshman season?

Casperson: A big thing is going to be working and just getting bigger and fill out.

PBR: What is your most memorable baseball moment to date?

Casperson: Winning the Legion State Championship because of all the memories that were made during that week overall.

PBR: Who is the best player that you have competed against?

Casperson: There’s been many of great players I’ve played against It’s hard to pick one because every single one of them were better at one thing then someone else.