For the second fall in a row, the PBR staff headed to GCS Credit Union Ballpark for an event. The St. Louis Open took place on Saturday, October 12th. The open event featured close to 50 prospects from 2020-2024 high school graduates. 

Today, we continue the analysis with our positional roll-out starting with the nine catchers who were in attendance. 

2023 Cole Lemons (Notre Dame Regional, MO), a two-way prospect, looks to be a high-follow on the mound but he also impressed with his projectable frame, loose hands and aggressive swing at the plate.

Another young catcher to follow moving forward is Seth Impson, a 2024 from Springfield Southeast HS. Impson has feel on both sides of the ball and has the tools defensively to stick behind the plate. 

Unsigned senior Nicholas Hemken (Edwardsville) is athletic for his size and has a short, strong swing with lift. 

Below is all of the scouting reports from the day:

CATCHER ANALYSIS (Listed alphabetically)

Austin Almany, St. Pius X - Festus (MO), 2022
Positional Profile: C
Body: 6-foot-1, 195-pounds. Solid, strong frame.
Hit: RHH. Balanced setup, minimal loading action and short stride. Quiet, simple swing, strong hands, short to the ball and level through the zone.
Power: 79 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 72 mph. Long arm action, high 3/4 window.
Defense: 2.25-2.36 pop times. Reliable hands, clean transfer.
Run: 8.19 runner in the 60. 

Lucas Ash, California (MO), 2021
Positional Profile: C
Body: 5-foot-9, 185-pounds. Strong build, durable lower half.
Hit: RHH. Balanced setup, minimal load, short stride and maintains balance through contact. Strong hands, stays short to the ball, level through the zone and consistent, hard gap-to-gap contact.
Power: 93 mph exit velocity from the tee. Advanced bat strength.
Arm: RH. C - 71 mph. Loose arm action, works short and from a high 3/4 slot.
Defense: 2.30-2.39 pop times. Reliable hands, clean release, easy effort.
Run: 7.98 runner in the 60. 

Ryan Cheatham, Heritage, 2021
Positional Profile: C
Body: 5-foot-7, 155-pounds. Strong, well-proportioned frame.
Hit: RHH. Open, balanced setup, smooth load, long toe-tap stride and hits off front foot at times. Long, level bat path, fluid rhythm and line-drive approach.
Power: 83 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 71 mph. Long arm action, high 3/4 slot and throws played accurate.
Defense: 2.33-2.44 pop times. Open setup, directional footwork out of the chute, agile, soft blocker.
Run: 7.98 runner in the 60. 

Nicholas Hemken, Edwardsville, 2020
Positional Profile: C
Body: 6-foot-2, 195-pounds. Highly-athletic, physical, strong frame.
Hit: RHH. Balanced setup, minimal loading action, short stride and stays balanced through contact. Fast bat, occasional quick-twitch, short, uphill path and works the middle of the field.
Power: 85 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 70 mph. Short arm action, over-the-top slot.
Defense: 2.32-2.40 pop times. Receptive hands, strong wrists, fluid out of the crouch and transfer works with rhythm.
Run: 7.37 runner in the 60. Above-average runner for size and position.

Seth Impson, Springfield Southeast, 2024
Positional Profile: C. Follow 2024 prospect.
Body: 5-foot-8, 136-pounds. High-waisted, well-proportioned frame.
Hit: RHH. Tall setup, confident look in the box, short leg-lift timing trigger. Loose hands, long through the zone, occasional pull-side tendencies.
Power: 73 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 64 mph. Short arm action, over-the-top slot and loose out front.
Defense: 2.39-2.51 pop times. Athletic setup, flexible hips, natural and fluid out of the crouch. Bounces behind the plate, agile block.
Run: 8.24 runner in the 60. 

Cole Lemons, Notre Dame Regional (MO), 2023
Positional Profile: C/RHP. Follow right-handed pitcher in Missouri's 2023 class.
Body: 6-foot-1, 160-pounds. Long, lean, projectable frame.
Hit: RHH. Balanced, open setup, exaggerated load and toe-tap stride. Loose hands, aggressive swing, natural lift in swing, creates leverage to the pull-side.
Power: 80 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 74 mph. Arm works short from an over-the-top slot.
Defense: 2.27-2.47 pop times. Flexible hips, clean and directional out of the crouch.
Run: 7.89 runner in the 60. 

Eli Marvin, East Carter (MO), 2022
Positional Profile: C
Body: 5-foot-9, 160-pounds. Well-proportioned frame.
Hit: RHH. Balanced setup and leg-kick timing trigger. Uphill bat path, looks to lift the baseball to both gaps.
Power: 87 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 72 mph. Short, firm arm action, over-the-top slot. Throws play true and accurate.
Defense: 2.19-2.26 pop times. Steady hands, out of the crouch early, quick release.
Run: 7.36 runner in the 60. 

Sammy Ritter, Belleville East, 2022
Positional Profile: C
Body: 5-foot-8, 156-pounds. Durable lower half.
Hit: SH. Balanced setup, loads into backside early and toe-tap stride. Simple swing, controls the barrel and path works on a more uphill plane from the right-side of the plate.
Power: 74 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 65 mph. Arm works short and over-the-top.
Defense: 2.47-2.57 pop times. Low, squared setup, directional exchange. Advanced block, agile and soft; deadens the baseball.
Run: 8.25 runner in the 60. 

Ayalew Sisay, Timberland (MO), 2022
Positional Profile: UTIL/RHP
Body: 5-foot-9, 160-pounds. Lean frame.
Hit: RHH. Balanced stance, smooth load, big leg kick stride. Level bat path, line-drive approach.
Power: 83 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 73 mph. INF - 80 mph. OF - 83 mph. Short arm action, an-over-the-top slot.
Defense: 2.22-2.33 pop times. Worked out all over the diamond. Arguably looked the most natural in the outfield. Quick footwork, plays through the baseball.
Run: 8.02 runner in the 60. 

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