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Underclass Preview: Class of 2018 Analysis

February 3, 2016

By Greg Williams
PA Director of Scouting

The Underclass Preview took place on January 31 at Keystone State Baseball Academy in Manheim, PA. Today we continue our analysis of the prospects in attendance by reviewing the Class of 2018. CLICK HERE to view complete results for all prospects in attendance.

Top prospects

Timothy Antigua, OF, Allentown Central Catholic HS
Timothy Antigua5-foot-7, 160-pound right-handed hitter. Starts from a square stance and initiates his swing with a heel-raise stride. Displayed a flat bat path and a solid hip turn with a feel for the barrel. Strength gains and physical maturity will add significantly to his current 78 mph bat exit velocity. Antigua ran a 7.20 60-yard dash and flashed athletic actions defensively with the ability to play through the baseball. The sophomore showed above average arm strength (82 mph) with straight line carry.

Brian Dunphy, SS/2B, Bonner-Prendergast HS
Brian Dunphy5-foot-10, 150-pound right-handed hitter. Starts from a square stance and initiates his swing with a leg-lift stride. Displayed quick hands and above average barrel whip with a feel for the barrel. Dunphy flashed active feet, a soft glove hand and the ability to play through the baseball defensively. The sophomore showcased easy 72 mph arm strength while making throws from multiple arm angles. Dunphy showed above average range and made the slow roller play look routine.

Brandon Kline, OF/RHP, Canon McMillan HS
Brandon Kline5-foot-7, 150-pound two-way prospect showed well in all facets of the game. The right-handed hitter starts from an open stance and utilizes a leg-lift stride to initiate his swing. A short swing path and solid hip turn leads to a bat exit velocity of 84 mph. Kline showcased athletic actions in the outfield and at third base with above average arm strength (83 mph outfield / 81 mph infield). The sophomore ran a 7.04 60-yard dash and showed well on the mound. The righty sat 78-80 from a high 3/4 arm slot. Kline has a compact delivery with solid lower half drive. He also flashed a 68 mph slider and a 71 mph changeup thrown at fastball arm speed. Kline posted his numbers a day after attending a college camp.

Robert Roman, OF, Allentown Central Catholic HS
Robert Roman5-foot-7, 145-pounder displayed a well-rounded skill set. The left-handed hitter starts from a slightly open stance and uses a leg-lift stride to initiate his swing. Roman's hands work well through contact and he showed the ability to barrel the baseball to all fields with a bat exit velocity of 80 mph. The sophomore ran a 7.11 60-yard dash and showcased above average athleticism defensively with solid carry on throws of 83 mph from the outfield.

Dennis Snyder, OF/SS, Cedar Cliff HS
Dennis Snyder5-foot-10, 165-pounder flashed some of the top across-the-board measurables at the event. The right-handed hitter starts from an open stance and utilizes a leg-lift stride to initiate his swing. Snyder creates significant barrel whip and the ball jumps of his barrel when he gets his foot down on time. The sophomore ran an event best 6.90 60-yard dash and registered an 88 mph bat exit velocity. Snyder showed 86 mph arm strength from the outfield and a quick release with active feet during his infield workout. His athleticism will give coaches at the next level an opportunity to utilize him at a number of defensive positions.

Joshua Tesarck, C/1B, Pennsbury HS
Joshua Tesarck6-foot, 180-pound right-handed hitter registered the top bat exit velocity of the day at 91 mph. Starts from a square stance and utilizes a short lift-and-replace stride to initiate his swing. The sophomore gets to extension routinely and displayed an above average feel for the barrel. Tesarck registered pop times of 2.13-2.20 on throws of 73 mph from the crouch. He receives well and demonstrated advanced blocking abilities during the bullpen phase of the workout. Tesarck also displayed capable footwork and a solid glove around the bag at first base.

Remainder of the Class (In Alphabetical Order):

Daniel Adams, SS/3B, State College Area HS
6-foot, 180-pound right-handed hitter. Starts from a square stance and utilizes a short lift-and-replace stride to initiate his swing. Displayed a compact swing with almost no load leading to a bat exit velocity of 78 mph. Adams ran a 7.82 60-yard dash and displayed accurate 73 mph arm strength across the diamond. Adams will likely make the move to third base as he continues to develop physically to take advantage of his size and short throwing motion.

Owen Evans, OF, Archbishop John Carroll
6-foot-1, 200-pound right-handed hitter. Starts from a slightly open stance and initiates his swing with a short lift-and-replace stride. Some length to his swing and a deep load lead to some barrel drag, but Evans demonstrated some present power when on time to the hitting zone with a bat exit velocity of 83 mph. The sophomore ran a 7.56 60-yard dash and showcased 79 mph arm strength from the outfield.

Caden Malone, C/3B, Cedar Cliff HS
5-foot-9, 165-pound left-handed hitter. Starts from a slightly open stance and utilizes a lift-and-replace stride to initiate his swing. Malone stays behind the baseball well and uses a solid hip turn to create barrel whip. The sophomore displayed a feel for the barrel and a bat exit velocity of 79 mph. Malone ran a 7.83 60-yard dash while showcasing developing defensive skills behind the plate and at third base.

Kye Merchant, RHP, Danville Area HS
6-foot, 175-pound primary pitcher. Merchant sat 73-76 out of a high 3/4 arm slot with occasional arm-side run to his fastball. A sound, repeatable delivery and a frame that is still developing project for added velocity moving forward. Merchant also displayed a 64 mph curveball with 11/5 rotation and a 67 mph changeup thrown with near fastball arm speed. The curveball has tight rotation and has a chance to be an above average offering.

Logan Minch, LHP/1B, Grove City HS
6-foot, 200-pound left-handed hitter. Starts from a square stance and initiates his swing with a heel-raise stride. Minch displayed a flat barrel path and a feel for the barrel with a bat exit velocity of 80 mph. The sophomore showcased capable actions around the bag at first base and an accurate 72 mph arm across the diamond. The primary pitcher sat 70-74 from a high 3/4 arm slot during his bullpen session. Minch also showed a 57 mph curveball with 1/7 rotation and a 64 mph changeup thrown at near fastball arm speed.

Gunnar Schichtl, 2B, Emmaus HS
5-foot-6, 150-pound right-handed hitter. Starts from square stance and initiates his swing with a short lift-and-replace stride. Schichtl displayed a flat barrel path and a line drive approach with a bat exit velocity of 76 mph. The sophomore ran a 7.97 60-yard dash and displayed a soft glove hand defensively. His 66 mph arm strength and quick release will keep him on the right side of the infield as he develops physically.

Dawson Schwalm, SS/RHP, Tri-Valley HS
5-foot-11, 175-pound left-handed hitter. Starts from a slightly open stance and incorporates a short stride to initiate his swing. Schwalm has an athletic frame and his 80 mph bat exit velocity would benefit from additional lower half action in his swing. The sophomore ran a 7.38 60-yard dash and displayed 76 mph arm strength from his infield position. Schwalm sat 70-74 while topping at 77 mph from a 3/4 arm slot. He showed a quick arm and occasional arm-side run to his fastball. Schwalm also showcased a 59 mph curveball and a 71 mph changeup thrown at fastball arm speed.

Brandon Smith, 1B, Wilson Area HS
6-foot-1, 170-pound right-handed hitter. Starts from a square stance with a high hands load and initiates his swing with a short stride. Smith has some length to his swing, but gets to extension regularly and creates an 80 mph bat exit velocity with solid lower half action. Smith displayed solid actions around the bag at first base with accurate 75 mph arm strength across the diamond.

Owen Snyder, 2B/SS, Hempfield HS
5-foot-8, 130-pound right-handed hitter. Starts from a slightly open stance and utilizes a short leg-lift stride to initiate his swing. Snyder displayed a solid feel for the barrel and a bat exit velocity of 74 mph. The sophomore ran a 7.47 60-yard dash and displayed accurate 71 mph arm strength across the diamond defensively. Physical maturity and strength gains will benefit Snyder's game moving forward.

Justin Welch, SS/RHP, Allentown Central Catholic HS
5-foot-9, 170-pound right-handed hitter. Starts from a wide, crouched square stance and utilizes a short heel-raise stride. Welch showcased a flat barrel path and a solid feel for the barrel with a bat exit velocity of 81 mph. The shortstop ran a 7.69 60-yard dash and displayed 79 mph arm strength across the diamond. Additional work to improve foot speed and to shorten his throwing motion will be necessary to stay at shortstop moving forward. Welch sat 76-79 off the mound from a high 3/4 arm slot with a hip coil delivery. He also showed a pair of breaking balls (63 mph curveball, 61 mph curveball) and a 71 mph changeup thrown at fastball arm speed.

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