With a big matchup of the top two teams in the Mount Hood Conference, PBR Oregon was on hand to check out the opening game of the biggest series of the year to date for both Central Catholic and Barlow. The first place Rams of Central Catholic would take the game, 6-1, and later finish the series by taking two out of three. Both teams came into the game hot having lost just one game between them in the month of April, and both will be eyeing deep runs in quickly-approaching playoffs.

SCOUT NOTES:

 

Christian Cooney OF / RHP / Central Catholic, OR / 2019 Cooney, a Portland recruit, has emerged as potentially the top prospect in the state in 2019. At 6-foot-3, 200-pounds, he has a physically-advanced frame with impressive strength throughout both the upper and lower-half, and exhibits some twitch in the hands at the plate. He was 2-for-4 in the contest, including a single up the middle and double driven to the opposite field gap. There is some rawness to his approach as the hands start low below the back shoulder, scoop[ing back into a power position with a bat wrap before working the barrel directly to the ball with a high finish. The ball jumps off his barrel at a different speed than his peers, and there is plenty to like about his future progression, especially as he gets more at-bats against higher-level competition. Cooney played centerfield in the contest, ranging well to both sides, and showcasing confident hands with a stronger arm that features some carry.

Patrick Muskat 1B / OF / Central Catholic, OR / 2019 Muskat, a Western Oregon recruit, has cemented himself as one of the most feared power-hitters in the state over the past couple of seasons, and he was in peak form in the first game of the Barlow series for Central Catholic. Durably built at 6-foot-2, 210-pounds, the right-handed hitter was 4-for-4 including three doubles and a booming home run. He stands balanced at the plate with quieter hands that work the barrel directly through the zone on a flat path. He finds consistent, hard contact with present power to all fields.

Dylan MacLean LHP / Central Catholic, OR / 2020 Uncommitted and young for the class, MacLean has pitched his way into becoming one of the state’s top arms, and has continued to produce each outing for Central Catholic. Long-limbed and lean with a 6-foot-2, 170-pound frame, the highly-projectable left-hander has a compact, athletic delivery that allows him to find a consistent, high ¾ slot after a medium-sized, continuous arm swing. He exhibited minimal effort in delivering fastballs at 83-85 for much of the outing with a stiff win against his face. The ball jumps out of the hand at times as he showcases control of the fastball to both sides of the plate. Given the minimal effort that he throws with and that the frame is likely to fill out considerably in the future, there could be a velocity jump on the way soon. Poised throughout the outing, MacLean relied heavily on his fastball though he also flashed feel for a faded changeup in the low 70s along with an upper 60s breaking ball that crept into the low 70s at times, and shows signs of progressing into a solid pitch in the future. MacLean finished the game with 10 strikeouts and just one walk, surrendering four hits and an unearned run while throwing 68 percent strikes.

Luke Farah C / Central Catholic, OR / 2019 Uncommitted. Farah’s lean, athletic, 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame still shows signs of packing on significant strength in the future, and whichever program he ends up with at the next level will have plenty to work with. Behind the plate he is a quieter receiver with an accurate arm, and controls the game as a leader behind the plate. At the dish, the right-handed hitter loads somewhat segmented with the hands and a minor leg lift before working flat through the zone. He demonstrates the ability to use all fields to spray line drives. Farah’s 2-out single early on in Game 1 against Barlow got the scoring going for the Rams, and they never looked back.

Jaren Hunter RHP / Sam Barlow, OR / 2020 Rankings  OverallRank: 478 / POS: 150 Hunter, an Oregon State recruit, sat 86-89 with his fastball over the course of six innings against Central Catholic. The power-armed right-hander has a strong, durable frame at 6-foot-2, 195-pounds that has stretched out some over the last year. His ability to work in and out with the fastball and control it at the bottom of the zone currently stands out, and the ball jumps out of his hand on a downhill plane from a higher ¾ slot. He had trouble finding a consistent secondary offering to get the Central Catholic hitters off of his fastball, and ran into some trouble with a couple hit batters and a walk while surrendering six hits and striking out nine batters over six innings of work. At its best, the curveball (66-71) featured some downer action though there was more gradual break to the pitch. Given his strong arm and quick hand speed out front, there may be a chance for a firmer slider to be thrown in the future. Interesting to note: Hunter flashed a changeup at 76 mph that he successfully turned over with fastball arm speed and featured some impressive run to the arm side. Given his frame and arm action, expect Hunter to continue seeing velocity gains over the next year.

Wilson Weber C / Sam Barlow, OR / 2021 Uncommitted. Weber, a 6-foot, 180-pound catcher showcased impressive arm strength from behind the dish for Barlow. He has looser hips with softer hands that allow him to be a quality receiver, and he demonstrates the ability to block most pitches thrown his way. The arm makes up for any rawness seen in the catch-and-throw, and he should continue to make strides forward. At the plate, the right-handed hitter starts open with his hands hanging over the plate, squaring with a regular stride that pushes them down and back. There is some whip to the barrel through the zone, and with strong wrists, he could make a jump with more at-bats in the future. His athleticism and potential to stick behind the plate makes him an interesting follow.

Durham Sundberg OF / Sam Barlow, OR / 2020 Uncommitted. Sundberg didn’t see any results on the evening, but his athleticism stood out on the diamond along with a projectable, 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame. The right-handed hitter has quick hands that whip the barrel through the zone on a flat path, and the overall looseness to the load and wrists makes him an intriguing player to take note of the rest of the season and into the summer.

RELATED CONTENT: