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Future Games: Team NC Game 1 Quick Hitters

August 6, 2024
Brandon Hall
NC / Mid-Atlantic Scouting Director

 

From Wednesday, July 24, through Sunday, July 28, Prep Baseball is hosting the next edition of its prestigious Future Games at LakePoint Sports Complex in Emerson, Ga., featuring the country's best uncommitted talent. And, for the first time ever, the Future Games is hosting not just its typical set of incoming juniors and freshmen, but also a 17U division of uncommitted Class of 2025 players who will participate in the inaugural Senior Future Games.

On the first day of the 2024 Future Games, all players representing grad classes 2025, 2026, and 2028 will be participating in a pro-style workout in front of a fleet of Division I coaches alongside fellow prospects representing nearly every state in the nation.

Today we take a look at some of the top performances from workout day, from within Team NC.  Several players put up eye popping numbers.  North Carolina was well represented atop the national leader boards with their day at LakePoint..

+ Click here to view all captured statistics from the 16U Workout Day.

TEAM NORTH CAROLINA vs. TEAM SOUTH CAROLINA

PITCHING NOTES

The 8 inning affair featured several of the top ranked and most followed arms in North Carolina.  Facing an extremely good South Carolina lineup, college coaches were treated to prospect after prospect on the bump and in the box.  Below are some notes on the North Carolina arms from day 1.

Cameron Tarkenton RHP / Cardinal Gibbons, NC / 2026

Rankings  StateRank: 22 / POS: 6

Tarkenton recently reappeared on the uncommitted list and the outing at the Future Games reminded anyone that has not been following his progress that he is an elite arm with a huge ceiling.  Tarkenton is an elite mover with quickness in the body.  He jumped 31in in testing his vertical.  On the mound, the arm is clean getting to an extremely quick hand with an over-the top slot.  The fastball sat 89-91, touching 92 with ride and run.  The change-up is a weapon that can, and will be utilized more as he continues his path.  Featuring a slider that worked from a similar window as the fastball, Tarkenton created several uncomfortable takes in the zone and chases out of the zone. Tarkenton punched 2 in his two innings of work, and except for a couple of misplayed balls in the field, the innings would have remained clean.

Greyson Jones RHP / 2B / West Forsyth High, NC / 2026

Rankings  StateRank: 24 / POS: 8

Jones has a physical nature on the bump with strength in the lower half.  An athlete that can spin the baseball, Jones featured a tenacity and showed he will continue to attack, not giving in to situations.  Jones features four pitches with an ability to manipulate the fastball at times.  Showing feel for both sides of the plate, Jones was able to attack in at times without fear.  The slider at 79-80 uses a similar window to the fastball.  The breaking ball at 71-72 features hard, downer action and we have seen spin in the 2500+ range.  The fastball worked up to 88 in this outing.

Cooper Summerlin LHP / OF / GASTON CHRISTIAN SCHOOL, NC / 2026

Rankings  StateRank: 112 / POS: 7

Summerlin is an undersized lefty with some interesting metrics.  While the fastball velocity may have been down a bit in this outing, we have seen sit 81-83  At LakePoint the fastball created swing and miss in and out of the zone, while working up 78-82 with 22in of Induced Vertical Break.  The velocity may not be eye popping but the fastball played up and hitters did not show much comfort.  Summerlin pairs a breaking ball and change-up with the fastball.  

Amos Rich OF / RHP / Tuscola High, NC / 2026

Rankings  StateRank: 37 / POS: 11

The final arm of the night created a ton of buzz as all of the foot traffic at LakePoint worked their way over to see this right-hander.  Working from his over-the-top slot, Rich featured an electric fastball with everything pointing to continued growth in the coming years.  Rich sat 91-92 throughout most of his first inning, settling 89-92 in his second inning of work.  Rich also featured a top to bottom breaking, thrown from a similar slot with a slightly higher release at 75-77, 2600rpm.  Rich struckout 2 in his 2 innings of work.

POSITION PLAYER NOTES

While the game play at the Future Games typically revolves around the pitching talent, there were several position players that stood out in game 1 for Team North Carolina.  Team NC plated 6 runs in their first game with 3 innings needing to be rolled as hitters worked to pile up good at-bats.

+ Preston Smith (INF, Hoggard HS, 2026) played 3B in the early part of game 1 and he was tested early and often.  Smith passed every test, showing an ability to make the charge play and throw with accuracy, off-platform.  He also ranged to his left on a double play ball with soft hands, active feet, and a quick release.  The big statement was a ball to his right on a "tweener" bounce where Smith drop stepped and got low, falling to the ground as he caught the ball cleanily, then stood and fired to first base with a sense of timing and accuracy.

+ Harrison Ailshie (OF, East Rowan HS, 2026) is one of the top bats in the country in his class, working from the left side.  Ailshie squared the ball up on his first at-bat, turning around an elevated fastball with a 90+mph exit to CF.  In his 2nd at-bat, Ailshie battled with 2 outs fighting off a good pitch away and getting a hit to left.

+ Brady Marconi (C, Ardrey Kell HS, 2026) has long been identified as one of the top defensive catchers in North Carolina.  An athletic 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Marconi has seen his bat take big steps forward.  His workout featured some of the top metrics from Team NC.  In game one, the workout power played in a live setting as Marconi crushed a ball to left center for a double.