New England Catching Duo Sparkles At Super 60

February 16, 2024
Bruce Hefflinger
PBR New England Senior Writer

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New England Catching Duo Sparkles At Super 60

MCCOOK, Ill. - Matthew Conte made Shooter Hunt’s Impact 11 list at the Super 60 while Connor Lane was one of the “picks to click” by the vice president of scouting for Prep Baseball prior to the prestigious event and didn’t disappoint.

All in all it was a stellar weekend for the two high school senior catchers from the New England area that participated along with 66 others across the country.

“Conte was the top catcher at the event where he turned in a flawless day,” explained Hunt about the Dexter Southfield standout. “Posting a 6.94 60-yard dash time with 30.8 peak jump height, the athleticism on the 6-0, 205-pound backstop only showed up more in both the offensive and defensive portions. The first hitter of the day, the right-handed hitter was on the barrel from pitch one thanks to an accurate barrel that flew through the zone with some lag.”

The Wake Forest commit had the highest Sweet Spot Percentage (88 percent), was third in average exit velocity at 99.5, fifth in Max Batted Distance at 393 feet and 10th in Blast Motion with 76.6 feet.

“Conte was the very first hitter of the Super 60 and he still managed to leave a lasting impression, showing maybe the best barrel feel of the event, and ultimately hitting one of the event’s farthest balls,” Hunt noted.

It was not unexpected in the eyes of Hunt, who before the event called the 19th-rated 2024 catcher in the nation “a stout backstop with a physical right-handed stick. Conte has been a mainstay on the national circuit for three years and has always produced. Bringing the toughness of New England to the diamond, he looks the part of an impact backstop.”

The 210th-ranked senior in the nation was pleased with his performance at the event.

“I enjoyed the Super 60 a ton,” the third-ranked senior in Massachusetts said. “It was great to compete against the best in the country. I thought I did very well and it gives me more motivation knowing I can do better. It was good to see where I stack up against the best in the country.”

In addition to showing well at the plate, the second-rated 2024 catcher in New England did well behind the plate with 1.89-2.01 pop times to go along with 85 velocity.

“This particular class is well-stocked with right-handed hitting catching prospects, but Conte’s performance is sure to raise some intrigue throughout the spring,” Hunt said.

Lane also stood out behind the plate, with the top catching velocity at the event at 88 miles an hour. The 20th-ranked 2024 catcher in the country was also 1.90-2.02 in pop time while also showing out at the dish with 103 exit velocity. The Old Saybrook High School senior, who is a Connecticut commit, was also one of eight players with 80 percent or better Sweet Spot, with an 81 percent performance, living up to the expectations that Hunt had on the 211th-rated 2024 in the nation prior to the Super 60.

“Lane is one of my ‘picks to click’ at the event and is sure to open even more eyes on the big national stage,” Hunt proclaimed. “At 6-3, 210 pounds, his wide-shouldered, athletic frame is easy to dream on, and the ability to slow the game down in all phases while still producing loud outputs is ultra enticing.”

With the Super 60 now in the past, the New England catching duo has high hopes of following in the footsteps of the many great previous participants at the event, including the 2023 group that saw more than $10 million in signing bonuses.

“The ’24 class, as a whole, is the most unseparated in recent memory,” Hunt said. “There are sure to be surprises on Day 1 of the Draft and any assumptions made this early about the prep group are far from final. In saying that, the Super 60 yielded some major buzz from key standouts.”