This year, in addition to the Scout Day Showcases, we are also going to spotlighting programs as a whole with an interview with each participating teams head coach providing insight into their expectations for Spring 2021, key players, incoming players, players expected to have breakout seasons, how they have navigated the past year and much more. We now shine some light on the Nevada Sports Academy mostly out of the Henderson area that has produced some intriguing players including 2020 Future Games RHP, Noah Wasano.

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Nevada Sports Academy SPOTLIGHT
Head Coach, John Pashales

What are your expectations your program for the 2021 Spring Season?

Our expectation is to continue building on the success we had in the fall.  Despite the challenges the pandemic has created the goal for our players is to find a way to succeed and become the best version of them every single day.

Who are the top returning players you have coming back this Spring? Expectations of those players?

2022 Preston Joncich has impressed the coaches with his versatility on the field and consistently barreling the ball at the plate.  We see Preston making a big impact in the top of the line up and with his speed we see him as having a great upside in tracking down balls in the outfield. 

Who on your roster do you expect to have a breakout season in 2021? (1-2 players in each class, 2021-2024)

2022 Connor Meldrim has great movement on his 85MPH fastball and has perfected his curveball as his secondary pitch.  His is currently working on his changeup, which will help in having a breakout 2021.  Connor has been a competitor on the mound and he continues to get stronger he is poised to have a great season.  

2023 Kanon Welbourne has been working in the gym and on his swing in getting ready for the 2021 season.  Has the potential to get it done at the plate with some power to all fields. Good pop time behind the plate and understands how to manage a staff.  

2023 Nicholas Morrison has also shown some promise at the start of the 2021 season.  Morrison has been squaring up balls at the plate and has a solid glove playing up the middle.  He shown great range and has solid arm to make the plays from the hole.

2024 Jase Pashales has shown a lot of promise at the plate squaring the ball up and showing power to all parts of the field.  He pounds the zone on the bump running his fastball up to 75MPH and has room to grow by driving with his bottom half.  

How does your program differentiate from others? What does your program do in the Summer and Fall Seasons? 

The goal is to make our players better!  Better people on and off the field, better in the classroom, and better people in the community.  We give all our players the tools to succeed and we aren’t looking for the next best player or the next best thing.  We work to grow and develop our players into talented individuals.  

Historically we take a break a couple of months in the summer to rest arms but working on breaking down mechanics and work on hitting the weight room.  In the fall boys get right into playing form to be able to showcase their talents during the fall showcases. 

How are you preparing for the Spring?

This season we’ve been fortunate enough to be on the field since the start of the year.  To prepare for the spring season the players have been competing in inters quad games and working as much as they can on the field and in the cage. 

What has your program done to combat the restricted ability to play baseball over the past year? 

To say this has been a tough year is an understatement.  At the beginning of the pandemic Nevada Sports Academy and Coach Justen turned to Marco Polo app to communicate and continue coaching away from the field.  Since we’ve been able to get on the field in the spring our players and coaches have been wearing their mask to all events.

Besides a State Championship, what do you try to accomplish within your program every year?

Our goal is to find a home for all our players that would like to continue to play the game of baseball and to get the most we can out of every athlete. 

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DIRECTOR NOTES
PBR Nevada Director of Scouting, Brett Harrison

Nevada Sports Academy has been established as a program with a commitment to developing the entire player with a strength and conditioning program to go along with a baseball development side that has helped produce some interesting upperclass prospect as well as some younger underclassmen that could project. Uncommitted 2022 RHP, Connor Meldrim, is an interesting arm that showed well at the recent Winter Update with a three pitch mix that features a fastball up to 85 mph with more to come as he continues to develop physically. The underclassmen mentioned above in 2023's Kanon Welbourne and Nicholas Morrison as well as 2024, Jase Pashales, are expected to be the up and coming prospects in the NSA program that are all expected to show well at today's event. 

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UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE	STATE	DATE	LOCATION
NSA Scout Day	NV	02/09	Heritage Park
Las Vegas Rams Scout Days	NV	02/16	Heritage Park
Nevada Athletics Scout Day	NV	02/17	Doc Romeo Park
Las Vegas Aces Scout Day (Session 1)	NV	02/18	Heritage Park
Rawlings Tigers Scout Day	NV	02/22	Rainbow Family Park
Las Vegas Aces Scout Day (Session 2)	NV	02/23	Heritage Park
Sierra Vista Scout Day	NV	02/25	Heritage Park
Bishop Manogue Scout Day	NV	02/27	Bishop Manogue High School
Reno Knights Scout Day	NV	02/27	Bishop Manogue High School
McQueen Lancers Scout Day	NV	02/28	Bishop Manogue High School
Northern Nevada Open Scout Day	NV	02/28	Bishop Manogue High School
Sparks Blue Sox Scout Day	NV	02/28	Bishop Manogue High School
Bases Loaded Elite Scout Day	NV	03/03	Doc Romeo Park
Bishop Gorman Scout Day	NV	03/04	Heritage Park
The Meadows Scout Day	NV	03/07	The Meadows
Southern Nevada Open Scout Day	NV	03/13	Faith Lutheran High School

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