BY:  Brandon Hall
Director of Scouting, PBR NC 

Follow us on Twitter: @PrepBaseballNC

In late June, at the National Team Training Complex in Cary, NC, 108 of the best high school players from across the country were invited to attend the USA Baseball Tournament of Stars.  Heavily populated with players from California, Texas, and Florida, North Carolina was well represented.  The purpose of the Tournament of Stars is to allow the 18U Team USA Staff a week to interact and evaluate the best talent as a 40-man roster is built. 

Four players from North Carolina made it to the 40-man Trials Roster.  That roster is in Houston, TX beginning on September 17^th, and Team USA will begin to build their final 20-man roster for the COPABE18U Pan American Games in Monterrey, Mexico, Sept. 23-Oct. 2. 

The four players competing in Houston this week are Patrick Bailey (2017 Catcher, Wesleyan Christian Academy), Kyle Blendinger (2017 RHP, Southwest Guilford HS), Sam Hall (2017 IF/OF, Topsail HS), Kier Meredith (2017 OF, Glenn HS).  Today we will learn a little bit more about Kyle Blendinger. 

Player:  Kyle Blendinger
High School:  Southwest Guilford
Position:  RHP
Summer/Fall Team:  Dirtbags
College Commitment:  North Carolina
PBR Rank in 2017 Class: #124 Overall | #9 in NC 

Scouting Report:  A 6-foot-2, 180-pound North Carolina recruit packs high-energy effort into an electric arm from his thin frame. The fastball ranged from 88-90 from both a high-3/4 slot and a low-3/4 slot. His slider is a separator pitch—ranging from 77-80 with late tight action that misses bats consistently. Blendinger sits on his backside as he gathers and allows the energy to explode forward as his arm works. The action will take him offline and create some head movement at times. As he worked through the outing, the movement became less and his command improved. 

PBR Interview with Kyle Blendinger: 

PBR: Tell us a little bit about the type of player/pitcher you are -- What are your strengths as a player?

KB:  I am definitely a go-get-it type of player. I love bonding with the guys in the dugout and having a good time but once I am on the mound I take it very serious. I work fast and find outs from two different arm slots with an advanced change up and a good slider and curveball.

PBR:  USA Baseball's Tournament of Stars was a successful step for you. Can you talk a little about your experience in Cary?

KB:  Playing in Cary was definitely an eye opening experience for me. Playing with the most talented kids in the country really puts you in a different mindset on the mound. You know who you are facing and what kind of talent they have and you just want to shut them down. I loved staying with my host family in Cary because they were really good people. They gave me everything I asked for and more, making the whole experience even more enjoyable.

PBR:  What have you been doing to prepare for the Team USA Trials in Houston?

KB:  In order to get ready for the USA Trials, I have been on a throwing program and staying consistent to my plan and workout routine. Every time I throw a bullpen I work on different things to fine tune everything so I am in the best shape for Houston.

PBR:  When did the possibility of wearing "USA" across your chest become a legitimate goal -- something you strived for?

KB:  At some of my high school games this year I saw some guys from the USA recruiting program but I was never sure who they were looking at. When I found out they had been scouting me, I was really excited and wanted to wear that USA across my chest as soon as possible. It really hit home when I was selected to the 40-man roster in Cary and I knew there were 68 guys that were going home, that were highly ranked.

PBR:  For younger players reading this, any advice that could help them reach their goals?

KB:   I would say stay faithful to your workout routines and throwing programs. Do something every day to get better and your work will pay off. If you are starting out young and you know you can compete in your area, continue to challenge yourself at a higher level by doing showcases and getting on a good travel team that competes nationally.


The Team USA Trials begin on September 17th in Houston Texas.  Rosters and recaps of the Trial action can be found at USABaseball.com.