A total of 58 high school baseball teams from across the South converged on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and are set to take part in the 2019 Battle at the Beach on March 10-16. There will be 130 games played on 11 different fields across South Mississippi over the six-day tournament. Teams have traveled from as far as away as Waco, Texas, and Oklahoma to participate in the event. Today we look at several quality players we have been able to catch in action over the first three days of the tournament.

Trevor McDonald, RHP, George County, 2019
South Alabama signee. Approximately 6-foot-2, 180-pounds, with a long-limbed, athletic frame. The right-hander works from a high-¾ slot with a loose, clean arm swing, his fastball flashed life at 90-93 in the first. Settled in later in the outing working mostly 89-91 mph. He spun his curveball for strikes with at 76-78 mph, and a slider that had lateral sweeping action at 80-83 mph. Efficient in the zone with his fastball, locating to both sides of the plate to setup his breaking ball. Pitched five innings allowing one walk and one hit will striking out 12.

 

Colton Keith, 3B/RHP, Biloxi, 2020
Arizona State recruit. The right-hander works from a high-¾ slot with a slightly cross-fire delivery and athletic finish. Fastball has good life coming across the zone at 86-88 mph, topping at 89 mph, maintained velocity through 3.2 inninging of work. Mixed up delivery at times at pauses and speeding it up to disrupt timing of hitters. Threw a slider at 72-73 that flashed late action. A two-way player, Keith is a left-handed hitter in the middle of the Biloxi order. Did not have a hit on the night but nearly hit an opposite field home run in his first at bat that cut through 20 mph plus wind. Had a patient approach at the plate taking several marginal pitches.

 

 

Trip Wilson, OF/RHP, Tupelo, 2020
Wilson is an intriguing two-way prospect because of the batspeed and also has a swing and miss slider on the mound that on Thursday, came in at 73-75 with 10/4 shape and depth to finish. Trip's fastball jumps out of his hand at 88-89 mph topping at 90 mph, after throwing 30 pitches in relief on Tuesday. Working from a high-¾ slot with a short, quick arm swing and good energy down the mound. Just as impressive was his ability to hit in the middle of the Tupelo lineup. From the right side, he tattooed a fastball in his first at-bat that went out foul. Using a simple shift of weight loading with control and balance, Wilson took aggressive hacks to pitches in the zone, flashing solid bat speed with strength at contact.