Prep Baseball Report of North Carolina held a scout day with the CBA Copperheads on Saturday August 25^th at Pfeiffer University.  Thirty-one players, ranging in graduation years 2019 – 2022, worked out for PBR.  The CBA Copperheads are based out of Concord and Lake Norman, just north of Charlotte.  They run multiple teams ranging from high school showcase teams down to the youth level.  Players and teams workout out of multiple fields and two indoor facilities.

Through the course of the workout, position players had the opportunity to run a laser timed 60, workout offensively in a cage setting and live on field, and then workout at their defensive position.  Pitchers were able to throw controlled bullpens.  The PBR staff was on hand to execute the day and record the stats on the players.  Each player in attendance will receive an evaluation from the PBR staff, verified statistics, and a prospect video added to their PBR profile. 

Six outfielders worked out on the day, including three that also threw bullpens.  Christian Thomas (OF, Central Cabarrus, 2020) turned in a blazing 6.62 sixty on the laser timer.  Thomas is still working to transfer his speed into game play consistently, but the tool is real and all signs point to him continuing to elevate his game.  Rudd Ulrich (OF/LHP, Lake Norman HS, 2020) turned some heads with his athleticism.  A left handed hitter, he ran a 6.89 and touched 86 from the outfield.  Each outfielder below has their evaluation and stats and their video can be seen by using the link in their name.

 

PBR Scout Day: CBA Copperheads By The Numbers
+ 31 Players took part in the scout day
+ 28 Players went through the position player workout
+ 18 Players threw controlled bullpens as part of the scout day
+ 2 players ran sub 7.00 sixties… 4 ran sub 7.10
+ Median sixty time on the laser timer was 7.57
+ 16 Players worked out on the infield with the top arm velocity of 81 mph
+ 9 Players threw from the outfield with 3 above 80 mph
+ 5 Catchers.  Top Pop time of 2.22
+ 5 arms above 76 with a high of 81… Most arms were still working back into condition after shutting down for a few weeks after the summer.

               CLICK HERE for the full roster from the CBA Copperhead Scout Day

               CLICK HERE for the full statistical breakdown of each player in attendance

 

Outfielder Analysis

 

Nicolas Curtis OF / 1B / Fort Mill, SC / 2020 Athletic build with length present.  Stands 6-foot-2, 175 pounds.  Quickness is present in the swing from the left side.  Open stance, working back to even with a short stride.  Active lower half and quick bat.  Works for extension with some pull tendency.  Uphill leverage through contact.  Good rhythm, but thin through the ball at times.  Exit velocity peaked at 82 mph.  In the outfield, plays through the ball.  Clean exchanges with long feet and a cautious exchange.  Long arm swing to an over-the-top slot shows some carry, but lacking directional feel.  Positional velocity of 77 mph out of the hand.  At first base, tends to catch the ball deep as he moves through the catch.  Narrow base.  Caught the ball well.  Exchanges to a shorter arm arc and high-3/4 slot.  Some carry at 78 mph from the infield.  Ran a 7.57 sixty.

 

 

 

Harris Dowdy OF / RHP / Lake Norman, NC / 2021 Average frame, still maturing, at 5-foot-10, 160 pounds.  Quickness is present.  Ran a 7.41 sixty but will improve the time with maturity as he carries top end speed longer.  Left handed hitter works from an open stance with good rhythm throughout his swing.  Short stride works back to even.  Slight weight shift back and a strong load with the hands to a strong launch position.  Good approach, works level through the zone with a slight pull emphasis.  Average bat speed and feel for the barrel.  Exit velocity of 81 mph off the barrel.  Active feet and working to be aggressive through the baseball in the outfield.  Plays through the catch, working off the outside of the left foot.  Clean exchanges to a long arm swing and high-3/4 slot.  Some effort in the arm swing as it works behind the body line slightly.  Average carry and accuracy at 79 mph out of the hand.  On the mound, the righty worked his fastball at 67-69.  As the bullpen extended he occasionally cut the fastball to the glove side.  Breaking ball and change-up both worked to the strike zone.  Early, gradual tilt to the curveball at 58-61.  Change-up has some sink, working with solid arm speed at 61-63.  Level and on-line, works with an average leg kick and some rhythm.  Long arm action tends to be late at times, working slightly behind the body line to a high-3/4 slot.  Front side can pull early, hurting extension.

 

 

Benjamin Gorman OF / RHP / Hough, NC / 2021 Average 5-foot-9, 145 pound frame.  Quickness exist and should improve with continued maturation.  Ran a 7.31 sixty with a good burst off the line.  Loose and fluid in the outfield, playing through the ball with some athleticism.  Clean exchanges to an average arm swing and high-3/4 slot.  Some feel for direction on the throws, registering 77 mph out of the hand with average carry.  Right handed hitter works from an opens stance, striding back to even.  Early timing with the foot strike.  Swing path can get long and sweep through the zone.  Average bat speed and barrel awareness.  Pull side emphasis as the hands can cast around the ball at times.  A better lower half and bat speed should come with added strength.  Exit velocity of 80 mph off the barrel.  On the mound repeats the delivery with a stable head and good position.  Around the zone with three pitches.  Works level and on-line, landing square, slightly across his body, producing solid rhythm throughout.  Long arm swing to an over-the-top slot.  Quick hand.  Fastball runs to the arm side late at 72-74.  Change-up pounded the down zone with average hand speed, occasionally slowing vs. the fastball.  Early arm side run at times, ranging 63-64.  Breaking ball sat 63-64 tunneling with the fastball at its best.  An occasional hump out of the hand with 11/5 tilt.

 

 

Richie Hunter OF / C / Central Cabarrus, NC / 2022 Young 5-foot-5, 132 pound build.  Right handed hitter has a lot of maturation ahead of him.  Open stance working back to even with a short stride.  Good approach and short path through the ball.  Fights through some stiffness that should improve as he continues to add strength.  Exit velocity peaked at 75 mph off the barrel.  Cautious through the ball in the outfield with clean exchanges.  Short arm swing to a high-3/4 slot showing some feel for accuracy.  Positional velocity of 72 mph from the outfield.  Behind the dish pop times ranged 2.54 – 2.58.  66 mph out of the crouch.   Carry and accuracy will improve with maturation process.  Ran a 7.75 sixty.

 

 

Christian Thomas OF / OF / Central Cabarrus, NC / 2020 Rankings  StateRank: 92 / POS: 12 Athletic frame with length, standing 6-foot, 150 pounds.  Still room to continue to add strength.  Plus tool exists, running a 6.62.  Powerful runner creating force into the ground.  Seems to be better in his second 20 yards than the first, holding and maintaining his top end speed.  Some effort in the outfield, still raw with his routes and transition.  Works to play through the ball with fluid feet and clean exchanges.  Long arm action, setting him to an uphill posture with an over-the-top release.  Average carry, lacking some direction at times as the head can be violent through release.  Positional velocity of 81 mph out of the hand.  Right handed hitter works through some waggle and movement from a crouched setup and vertical bat.  Front arm can bar at times in the load.  Inconsistent timing in his weight shift prior to a short stride.  Quick bat through the zone, occasionally long, with average barrel awareness.  Quickness and strength exist and the swing should be able to become more direct.  Exit velocity of 80 mph off the barrel.

 

 

Rudd Ulrich OF / LHP / Lake Norman, NC / 2020 Athletic with some length in a 6-foot-1, 170 pound frame.  Quickness and strength are present, running a 6.89 sixty and producing an exit velocity of 87 mph.  From the outfield, plays through the ball with easy athleticism.  Quick, clean transitions with fluid feet.  Soft hands.  Long arm swing and a high-3/4 slot produced advanced accuracy with easy carry at 86 mph out of the hand.  Left handed hitter is open using a short stride.  Hands load up and back, creating a slight wrap in the bat head.  Tall at launch and through contact.  Rotational approach working on the back side with ha pull tendency.  High, one handed finish.  Good rhythm with some barrel awareness and average bat speed.  Left hander produces angle on the mound when the fastball is down in the zone.  Fastball ranged 74-76.  Change-up uses similar hand speed to the fastball.  Straight, the change is in the zone at 66-68.  Breaking ball has a hump out of the hand, sitting 58-59 with gradual 1/7 tilt.  Slow rhythm.  Stretch only.  Long arm swing works to an exaggerated over-the-top slot with the head clearing the line early to create room.  Short strider is on-line, finishing to the 3B side.  Stuff may tick up as the rhythm matches his effort in the outfield allowing the arm more freedom to be athletic.