2019 LaGrange Toyota Invitational: Preview
February 28, 2019
For almost 20 years, the LaGrange Toyota Invitational has been pitting some of the region’s top high school programs against each other in a tournament setting, hosted at LaGrange High School, LaGrange College, and Callaway High School.
The 2019 tournament starts today, Feb. 28, and will run through Saturday evening.
The level of competition in this year’s edition of the invitational is just as enticing as in years past, and it has scouts from all over the country flocking in to Granger Park to see the premier talent first-hand, including PBR’s own national supervisor, Nathan Rode.
Rode recalls being in person at the 2008 LaGrange tournament, one that featured Florida High School American Heritage and its star first baseman Eric Hosmer. Ever since then, LaGrange has been the place to be to watch prep baseball at its best in the early spring season.
THE 2019 FIELD
Again, this year’s level of competition is as alluring as ever. Eight teams have made their way to LaGrange and six of them are in action this evening – four from Georgia, three from Florida, and one from Alabama. For a complete schedule, click here. We’re breaking down all eight participating teams below, with some help from PBR staff from neighboring states.
+ Brookwood, GA (3-1): The Broncos are off to a solid start this spring and are the No. 22-ranked team on the GA Power 25, currently. They own wins over No. 7-ranked Walton, Locust Grove, and North Forsyth, and dropped their only game to a talented Hillgrove squad. Brookwood was a 7A semifinalist in 2018 and returned a ton of talent to the dugout, including seniors SS Will Mize, a Georgia State commit, and RHP Alex Flood. Junior middle infielder Wesley Franklin is a smooth and simple hitter with the frame that projects for power down the road. Franklin and Mize hit back-to-back – at No. 2 and 3 in the lineup – and when they’re on, the Broncos win. It’s been that simple so far. – Andy Sroka
+ Buford, GA (3-1): The Wolves, the No. 6-ranked team on the GA Power 25, were 5A runners-up in the state tournament last spring and return much of the talent that nearly lifted them to a state title. There are five college-committed prospects to take note of here, including a pair of seniors headed to Auburn in the fall: RHP Ramsey David and OF Austin Turner. David – ranked No. 24 in the state’s senior class – is a long and lean 6-foot-3 with projection and has the stuff to be relied upon to become this team’s first choice on the mound. Turner is a great athlete who was one of Buford’s best hitters as a junior last spring.
Beyond these two, there’s LHP Sean Adams, a Georgia Southern commit – someone who’s capable of being most teams’ ace, whereas at Buford he’ll pack the punch behind David. Georgia Southwestern-bound OF Christian Griffin (2019) will see more playing time this spring. Corner infielder Brandon Joliff (Young Harris College) has some serious middle-of-the-order pop. Then, there’s 1B/DH Reece McIntyre, a genuine football prospect who’s committed to Ole Miss to play offensive tackle – naturally, he’s equipped with bat strength, too. Another southpaw to look out for: Dylan McKinnis, a Jackson State commit. And don’t forget about this uncommitted senior righty, C.J. Couch. He’s a sidearm righty with a funky delivery that makes for an uncomfortable at-bat, an increasingly tough task come May when he relieves David or Adams. – AS
+ LaGrange, GA (2-3): The class 4A hosts are 2-3 and back under the direction of Head Coach Donnie Branch, who won 500 games in his 20-plus years as the program’s head coach, from 1989 to 2012, and was a part of the Grangers’ lone state title back in 2004.
As for the team LaGrange is fielding the rest of this week, its pitching staff is off to a commendable start. They’ve relied on juniors Walton Lanier, Jake Cardwell, Sam Yates, and Blake Hadaway, as well as senior Wesley Kuhn to notch outs – and the by-committee approach has worked. Through five games, the Grangers have yet to allow more than four runs in a game, and both times they allowed four, they lost.
Since that 14-run outburst on opening day against Hardaway, LaGrange has been struggling offensively. They’ve scored just nine runs in four games since Feb. 15. An uptick in offense is required this weekend, especially with some powerful names and bats headed their way today and throughout the weekend. – AS
+ Mobile Christian, AL (2-1-1): Alabama’s reigning 3A champions won 29 games last spring and are playing 4A baseball this spring. Per PBR Alabama Scouting Director David Sharp, the Leopards are the No. 1-ranked 4A squad and are the No. 14 team on the state’s PBR Power Poll. Mobile Christian is bringing with them the state’s top-ranked senior: C Ethan Hearn, a Mississippi State commit. Hearn is also the nation’s No. 1-ranked prep backstop and is No. 69 on the PBR Draft 100. He’s a sweet-swinging lefty who is among the top prospects to watch in LaGrange this weekend.
But he’s not the only Leopard to circle on this Mobile Christian roster.
Two-way prospect Hunter Redding operates as this team’s ace and is an athletic up-the-middle defender when he’s not pitching. J.T. Lastorka is another prospect who offers Mobile Christian value both on the mound and in the batter’s box. Junior Ethan McPherson is a low-80s righty with feel for his secondary stuff. With four games on the schedule, a deep staff is a requirement to go deep in a tournament like this, and the Leopards have just that in these three aforementioned names.
Also, sophomores 1B Ty McKinion and OF Rashad Robinson are ranked back-to-back on Alabama’s Class of 2021 Rankings, at No. 47 and 48, respectively. Both are important contributors to this team, namely Robinson, who played on last year’s state side as a freshman. – By Andy Sroka and David Sharp
+ Niceville, FL (0-0): The Eagles are opening their spring season by competing in LaGrange this week. They also are among the most loaded programs headed to Granger Park, too. The No. 84-ranked prospect on the PBR Draft 100 board and the No. 8-ranked prospect in Florida’s 2019 class, SS Connor Walsh (Mississippi), leads Niceville north to West Georgia. He’s among the most athletic seniors in Florida and is a pure defender at shortstop. He has a simple left-handed swing, geared to make consistent contact into the gaps.
Fellow senior and Mississippi recruit, Harrison Dorsett, is going to lead the Eagles from the rubber this week. The big, physical 6-foot-4 righty has been up to 91 mph in front of our staff in the past and is the No. 29-ranked prospect in Florida’s 2019 class. He’ll be backed up in the rotation by RHP Sean Goodwin (Tennessee), who stands in at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, and effectively grants Niceville one of the tournament’s most potent one-two punches in LaGrange. – Andy Sroka and Phil Kerber (PBR North Florida Scouting Director)
+ Providence, FL (0-0): Providence’s 3B Tyler Callihan (South Carolina) is among the nation’s most on-the-rise prospects and has a chance to kick off the final prep season of his career in style this week in LaGrange. Currently, he’s the No. 4-ranked prospect in Florida and is No. 52 on the PBR Draft 100. His bat is among the best in the country – short and direct to the ball with all-fields pop. Callihan is going to be in the spotlight all week and weekend at Granger Park.
Nathan Hickey, a catcher/first baseman with a commitment to Florida, has easy power from the left side and is the No. 20 prospect in the Florida 2019 class. Hickey and Callihan make up the best middle of the order in this year’s invitational. OF Josh Gray (Tallahassee CC) is a fine luxury to have backing up these two in the lineup.
The Stallions will also lean on Callihan to help out on the mound, too. He can run it up to 92 mph with feel for a breaking ball as well. Look for Carson Beck, a junior righty headed to Alabama, to eat some innings on the mound, too.
Providence could be viewed as a favorite to win it all this weekend. – Andy Sroka and Doug Freeman (PBR Florida Scouting Director)
+ South Forsyth, GA (4-1): The War Eagles just dropped their first game of the spring on Monday to a red-hot Etowah team, who then knocked off No. 1-ranked Pope on Wednesday. Either way, South Forsyth is still among the best teams in Georgia and entered the week as the No. 3-ranked squad on the GA Power 25.
They’re led by RHP Landon Sims (Mississippi State), who is quite possibly the top prospect in LaGrange this week. He’s the No. 3-ranked senior in Georgia and the No. 48-ranked prospect on the PBR Draft 100.
Sims is a two-way star for his high school, roaming the outfield or filling up the DH slot when he’s not on the mound. A rotation headlined with a frontline arm like this can elevate any program from regional title to state title aspirations.
Sims won’t go it alone, though. Seniors Steven Thompson and Peyton Presley will make up the rest of the starting rotation and both are committed to Georgia Highlands JC. Two of the younger prospects on this team who also saw some action for the War Eagles are SS Gehrig Frei and 3B Josh Green. Frei is a switch-hitting sophomore who has the inside track at this team’s starting shortstop gig and Green is a junior who should handle the hot corner this spring.
Of the Georgia representatives in LaGrange, South Forsyth is the odds-on pick to make the deepest run. – AS
+ Trinity Christian, FL (0-0): The Trinity Christian Conquerors made it to Florida’s 4A semifinals last May and are returning many of the same faces that made that playoff run possible. The rotation is led by Florida State recruit RHP Dylan Simmons, who also hit .421 in 2018 for TCA. He’ll be backed up on staff by RHP Austin Thomas (Miami), as well as Matt Crump and Justin Parish. The latter two combined for 13 wins last spring and grant the Conquerors arguably the tournament’s pitching staff visiting LaGrange this week.
On offense, look to senior senior infielders Connor Aldrich (Charleston Southern) and junior Bryan Muniz (Miami) to supply the scoreboard from the middle of the order. TCA has both the experience and talent to make a deep run this weekend. – Andy Sroka and Doug Freeman
SCHEDULE
(Taken from the LaGrange baseball website: here.)
**Rain in the area has already altered the schedule above, so follow LaGrange on Twitter at @GrangerBaseball for the latest updates.**
Once again, Rode is going to be making his way to LaGrange to take in another stacked schedule of this West Georgia tournament on repeat. Thursday, he’ll be in to watch Buford and Ramsey David oppose Brookwood for a little in-state flavor at LaGrange College. Friday, he’ll be bouncing around all day from site to site, checking in mostly on the Florida squads representing. For those interested, South Forsyth’s Sims is set to throw on Saturday against Niceville, setting up and intriguing match-up with the Eagles’ Walsh.
Follow Rode on Twitter at @NathanRode and for updates all week long live from LaGrange, keep in touch with our state-specific PBR handles at @PBRGeorgia and @PBRFlorida.