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By Jacob Gill
Pennsylvania Assistant Director of Scouting

Widener University was the host for the Eastern PA Fall Review on an erratic weather day that brought sun, clouds, wind, and the occasional shower to the proceedings. Nonetheless, thirty-five participants made the trek to showcase their abilities.  In the first of a series of profiles, today we look at the seven catchers in attendance.

Chris Burke, 2017, North Schuylkill
5-foot-8, 185-pound right-handed hitter. Started from slightly open, upright stance with his hands at mid-line. Drew hands back to load and minimized body movement during swing. Stays on top of the baseball with short path. Runs well for position (7.13 60-yard dash and 4.63 home-to-1B time on a turn) and has a bit of pop (86-mph exit velocity). Exhibited solid receiving and blocking skills with an accurate arm. Recorded workout pop times of 2.12-2.22 and arm strength of 74-mph from the crouch.

Christian Corado, 2017, Hershey
5-foot-7, 170-pound right-handed hitter. Hit from a square stance and utilized a toe-tap in game action. Has some strength in his frame (83-mph exit velocity), which he would better be able to tap into by incorporating his backside (currently, his back heel retreats instead of driving his weight forward). Recorded workout pop times of 2.25-2.47 and arm strength of 67-mph from the crouch. Could shave time by keeping glove up during transfer instead of drawing down to waist-level.

Sam Freedman, 2017, Penncrest
6-foot-2, 180-pound left-handed hitter. Started from a square stance and strode to slightly closed. Hips float forward some pre-launch, but still does a solid job of incorporating his lower half into his swing. Picked up singles to the pull, middle, and opposite fields. Has a chance to drive the baseball (83-mph exit velocity) as he matures and learns to keep his weight between his legs instead of outside his front hip. Recorded workout pop times of 2.13-2.23 and arm strength of 75-mph from the crouch that had carry to it. Kept feet short and quick with ball-to-ear exchange.

Kevin Glynn, 2017, Roman Catholic
6-foot-1, 180-pound right-handed hitter. Started from a slightly open stance and strode to square. Utilized uphill swing path and posted a 78-mph exit velocity. Stayed through low curveball well on a single to center his second at-bat. Recorded workout pop times of 2.25-2.44 and arm strength of 72-mph from the crouch. Could shave time by getting feet going a touch quicker and keeping glove up during transfer instead of drawing down to waist-level.

Blake Gular, 2016, Souderton Area
5-foot-10, 205-pound right-handed hitter. Used strong legs and solid bat speed to post an 87-mph exit velocity. Started from wide open stance and strode to square. Didn't have much in the way of positive in-game results, but consistently barreled the baseball in batting practice. Showed solid receiving ability, and recorded workout pop times of 2.25-2.35 (with a 2.26 in-game pop) and arm strength of 72-mph from the crouch. Could shave time by getting his feet started sooner to sync them with his exchange and keeping glove up during transfer instead of drawing down to waist-level.

Matt Marino, 2017, North Penn
6-foot, 155-pound right-handed hitter. Started from a slightly open stance, taking short stride with minimal body movement. Took a solid path to the baseball, staying inside and using the middle of the field, while he would benefit from additional strength. Quick exchange with fairly efficient throwing mechanics. Recorded workout pop times of 2.12-2.15 (with a 2.22 in-game pop on a tough pitch reaching across his body) and arm strength of 68-mph from the crouch.

Hunter Spalt, 2017, Loyola Blakefield (MD)
6-foot-1, 170-pound right-handed hitter. Hit from a square stance, took a short stride, and swing with intent. Typically stayed in the middle of the diamond from gap-to-gap in game action. Physical frame helped generate an 82-mph exit velocity despite some length in his swing. Recorded workout pop times of 2.19-2.22 (with a 2.19 in-game pop) and arm strength of 71-mph from the crouch. Kept footwork short with a quick transfer.