Super 17 Invitational: Saturday Notebook

The Super 17 Invitational at Diamond Nation is underway. It starts with a weekend tournament, and continues with a week-long tournament, the second bracket, starting tomorrow. Here are some names from Saturday that stood out:

Morris County Cubs 17U

Connor MacLachlan, RHP, Mount Olive HS, NJ 2020
Recent Army recruit. Fastball was 85-86 early on, settled in at 82-84 MPH, touching 85 as the game progressed. Curveball had 11/5 shape at 66-67. Short, quick arm action from a high-¾ slot. MacLachlan went 4 IP and punched out 9 batters, mostly with fastballs up in the zone and getting swings and misses.

Diamond Jacks Super 15U

Kyle McCoy, LHP, Hunterdon Central HS, NJ 2022
Uncommitted. Lanky, wiry-athletic framat at 6-foot-3 170-pounds. Fastball showed some sneaky, late life at 81-82 touching 83 with arm side run. Curveball plays up at 70-73 with late biting 1/7 action. Also flashed a changeup at 75 MPH with armside fade, 4-seam spin, and fastball hand speed. Throws across body and makes it difficult to pick up from a true-¾ slot - Chris Sale-esque. One of the top 2022s in NJ.

Connor Dreyer, INF, Delbarton HS, NJ 2022
Uncommitted. Dreyer has an athletic frame at 5-foot-6, 155-pounds. Starts in a narrow, tall stance with hands above back shoulder. Uses a small foot stride to start swing with some explosiveness in hips and compact stroke through the zone. Homered to deep LCF and also doubled off the wall later in the game. 7.28 runner who’s aggressive on the basepaths - 80 MPH across the diamond from SS/3B at the recent Summer Preview North Showcase.

Christian Pareja, INF, PCTI HS, NJ 2022
Uncommitted. Pareja stands an athletic 5-foot-9 145-pounds with room to fill out. Barreled a deep fly ball in his first at bat on the day. Starts in a neutral stance with hands above back shoulder and bat wrapped around head slightly. Small leg kick as hands stay stagnant in load. Actions play up.

Tidewater Orioles

Ethan Anderson, C, Frank W. Cox HS, VA, 2022
Virginia recruit. Anderson stands an imposing 6-foot-2 205-pounds with broad shoulders and a physical frame. A switch hitter - batted left handed for most of the game. Barreled a hard one-hop ground out to SS. Starts in a tall, opened stance. Uses a small leg lift and stride to re-center body and start load process. Hands load up and back slightly with rhythm and smoothness. Strength is Anderson’s top quality, and it showed with his at bats throughout the game. Behind the plate, athletic and toolsy with soft hands. Throws were 2.10-2.15 between innings.

Full Count 16U

Matthew Carey, RHP, Delbarton HS, NJ 2021
Uncommitted. Carey stands a lean, projectable 6-foot-3 180-pounds with wiry limbs and athletic frame. Fastball topped at 82-83 early on, settled in at 80-81 in the later frames. Curveball showed 11/5 depth with late, biting action when thrown well. Long, loose and athletic arm action from a high-¾ slot. More velocity to come as Carey fills out his frame.

Joshua Kuroda-Gauer, SS, Franklin HS, NJ 2021
Uncommitted. Athletic 5-foot-11 160-pounds. Barreled a 2-strike single to start a rally for Full Count. Starts in an opened, narrow stance with hands above back shoulder. Quiet approach, small foot start and hands load up and back. Explosve, but loose hips and hands through the zone. Kuroda-Gauer is one of the top uncommitted 2021 prospects in the infield. 6.84 runner earlier this week at the Garden State Underclass Games. Came into pitch later on in the ballgame. Was 82-84 touching 86 once. Breaker had small cutter-like action at 74, also threw one that seemed to back up on him at 78. Smaller, sling-shot like arm action.

Chris Serrano, MIF, Kearny HS, NJ 2021
Uncommitted. The Kuroda-Gauer/Serrano mix at the middle infield spots might be the top duo in the 16U class in NJ right now. Similar to Kuroda-Gauer, starts in an opened stance with hands just below back shoulder with rhtyhm in hands prepitch. Explosve hands through the zone with some lift in finish. Serrano’s action at SS really stood out on this day. Quick, athletic hands and smooth hand exchange. Throws from multiple slots with carry. One of the top 2021 prospects in NJ.

Diamond Jacks Super 16U

Tommy Delany, RHP, Princeton HS, NJ 2021
Uncommitted. Delany has a lanky, wiry frame at 6-feet 155-pounds. Fastball mostly 85-86 early on with some arm side life. Settled at 83-84 in his second inning. Breaker has slurvy action with 10/4 break at 73-75. High-¾ slot with long, athletic arm action. More velocity to come.

Locked In Expos 17U

Jared Zimbardo, RHP/OF, Middlesex HS, NJ 2020
Uncommitted. Zimbardo stands a lean, athletic 5-foot-10 170-pounds. Fastball touched 89 and sat mostly 87-88 in his first inning. Bigger, slower curveball at 65-66. Settled into 84-86 into his second inning. Quick, athletic arm aciton from a high-¾ slot. Fastball gets on hitters quickly. At the plate, loud contact all day (and all week, for that matter). Zimbardo has stood out as one of the top prospects from the tournament and from the Garden State Underclass Games earlier in the week. Barreled a line drive that looked like a routine single, but legged into a double. Advanced to third on a fly ball out to shallow right field, and scored later in the inning. Dynamic athlete, ran a 6.71 60 yard dash earlier this week. Won’t be uncommitted for much longer.

Brendan Mariani, C/INF, Madison HS, NJ 2021
Narrow, opened set up. Uses a foot stride to start swing as hands load down and back, Hard, one-hop single through the 6-hole.

Time To Sign Scout

Andrew Amato, C, Weston HS, CT, 2021
Uncommitted. 6-foot 170-pound athletic frame. LHH with gap to gap pop. Stood out as a top performer at Time To Sign’s Standout Showcase on Thursday. Barreled a fly out earlier in the game.

Baseball U

Nick Beetle, LHP, Jackson Memorial HS, NJ 2020
Uncommitted. Athletic 5-foot-10, 175-pounds. Fastball topped at 87, sat mostly 82-86. Curveball had gradual, slower 1/7 break at 65-66 and flashed a changeup at 73-76. Changeup over CB for Beetle on this day - mostly fastballs for swings and misses up in the zone and a changeup to complement. High-¾ slot.

Patrick Reilly, RHP, Christian Brothers Academy HS, NJ 2020
Northeastern recruit. Long, projectable 6-foot-4 195-pound frame. Fastball mostly 88-90 touching 91 several times. Curveball had slurvy 11/5 bite at 73-76. Clean, repeatable mechanics from a high-¾ slot. FB had late life down in the zone when he commanded it well on this day. One of the top high school performers from the season that was - Reilly is a riser in the 2020 rankings as there’s still more in the tank. Borderline 2020 draft prospect.