AIA Playoffs: Scout Blog
May 15, 2023
PBR Arizona scouting staff brings you unparalleled coverage of high school baseball across the State while taking in several games each week. Each week the Arizona Scout Blog provides video and scouting reports on the standout performers from each of these games. The article will continue to be updated throughout the week as our staff attends more games. This week is our weekly coverage for this years AIA Playoffs.
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Logan Yule OF / 2B / Pinnacle, AZ / 2023With a 2-3 day at the plate for the Pioneers was senior Paradise Valley CC commit Logan Yule. Yule has a smooth swing from the left side, his hands start in an athletic position at shoulder height and work down with extension at the start of his load. His path works flat through the zone with good bat speed, that produced this double to the right center field wall for the Pioneers.
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Gerardo Gonzalez 3B / RHP / Liberty , AZ / 2024One of the top uncommitted prospects in the 2024 class made the start for Liberty on Wednesday night. Gonzalez has a strong athletic frame at 6-foot-3 205 pounds and represented team Arizona in last years Future Games in Lake Point Georgia. On the day Gonzalez fastball sat 87-88mph with a high spin of 2400+. A scary moment in the game when Gonzalez made a pick to first base and looked to tweak something in his right leg. Gerardo had to leave the game due to injury with a final line of 3.1IP 1ER 0BB 4Ks.
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Connor Mattison RHP / 1B / Canyon View, AZ / 2023Grand Canyon University commit Connor Mattison was the top performer in Saturday mornings matchup between Canyon View and Notre Dame prep. The right handed pitcher showed a dominate 3-pitch mix with a fastball sitting 90-91 (2450), slider 73-75 (2600) and a fall off the table change up sitting 75-77. Mattison is a highly competitive athlete with true grit on the mound. While his fastball continues to show to be a great pitch with command, his changeup is a true separator that will continue to be a +pitch as he continues into his college career.
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Keegan Landis 3B / 2B / Canyon View , AZ / 2023Rankings StateRank: 76 / POS: 8
With a 2-3 day at the plate including a laced home run to left was uncommitted infielder Keegan Landis. Landis showed a mature approach in the box in all of his at bats Saturday morning, with a short simple stride in the box and direct path. Has shown quality contact tool in this game and previous games scouted. On the season he is batting a Monsterous .509 in 65PA.
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Liam Whalen 1B / OF / Canyon View, AZ / 2023Rankings StateRank: 95 / POS: 7
With a 1-3 day at the plate including a majestic shot to left on a hanging breaking ball was right handed hitter Liam Whalen. Whalen has a tall lengthy frame at 6-foot-4 with some good whip in the bat and power to the pull side.
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Gavin Mesa OF / 3B / Chaparral , AZ / 2025Rankings StateRank: 16 / POS: 5
One of the top uncommitted prospects in the 2025 class for the state of Arizona is outfielder and corner infielder Gavin Mesa. Mesa was 2-3 on the night with a double and a triple to deep right field. Mesa has a tall athletic frame at 6-foot-3 190 pounds with room for added strength. The left handed hitter has a short compact swing for a big man with loads of power potential from the left side. Defensively Mesa moves well in center field with an above average arm.
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Quintin Hennesy OF / RHP / Horizon, AZ / 2024Rankings StateRank: 73 / POS: 18
Uncommitted 2024 outfielder Quintin Hennesy had a strong night at the plate for Horizon going 2-3, including this shot into left field for a 2 RBI single. At the plate Hennesy has a slight toe tap load, good extension in the hands pre pitch, a flat compact stroke and a simple middle of the field approach. The Arizona staff looks forward to following the 73rd ranked prospect in the state as the Huskies improve to 2-0 in their playoff run.
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Jackson Babione SS / RHP / Chaparral, AZ / 2023Rankings StateRank: 48 / POS: 12
The Paradise Valley CC commit had a 2-5 night at the plate including 3 RBI’s and a hustle double on a hot shot back up the middle. Babione has an unorthodox swing from the left side with a flat path that works long through the zone with a high level contact tool. On the season Babione is hitting .356 with 14 RBI’s 5 doubles and a triple.
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Collin Senior SS / RHP / Horizon, AZ / 2023Rankings StateRank: 34 / POS: 8
The Pima commit had 2 of the Huskies 10 knocks in last nights playoff game against Chaparral including this single through the 5-6 hole. Senior has continued to impress as he is the 34th ranked prospect in the 2023 class, showcasing a confident glove at shortstop and third base and strong accurate arm across the infield. At the plate senior has a strong path with quick hands with projectable power.
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Joshua Tiedemann 3B / RHP / Hamilton, AZ / 2023Getting it done on both sides of the diamond for the Huskies last night was RHP/3B TCU commit Josh Tiedemann. Tiedemann finished the day at the plate 3-4 with 2 doubles including a shot off the chain linked fence in left for a triple. Tiedemann is one of the few two-way prospects in the state of Arizona with an arm on the mound that has been up to 92 mph. On the night Tiedemann went 6.1 IP allowing 5 hits on 7 strikeouts and 0 earned runs.
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Ky McGary OF / SS / Sandra Day O'Connor, AZ / 2024Rankings StateRank: 10 / POS: 4
The top hitter of the night for O’Connor is outfielder and Arizona State commit Ky McGary. McGary was a standout at last years Future Games event in Georgia showing off a 6.7 60 and 93 mph arm from the outfield. McGary showed his speed on the bases on an opposite field shot, burning the right fielder for a double. We look forward to following O’Connor and McGary as they look to bounce back in tomorrows game against Chandler.
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Ryan Kucherak SS / 2B / Hamilton, AZ / 2023After missing most of the season due to injury, we were happy to see LSU commit Ryan Kucherak back on the diamond for the Huskies. On the night Kucherak went 2-2 with an RBI while making the hot corner look easy with the glove. Kucherak continues to show that he is one of the top draft prospects in the state with true 5 tool set. We look forward to following Kucherak throughout the rest of the post season and leading into the 2023 MLB Draft.
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Cannon Peery 1B / 3B / Mountain Ridge, AZ / 2023Rankings StateRank: 62 / POS: 3
One of the top uncommitted prospects in the 2023 class is first baseman Cannon Peery. Peery is the leadoff hitter for a loaded Mountain Ridge team, and on the night was 3-4 with 2 RBIs and a triple. Peery is currently leading the Mountain Lions with a .391 avg along with 31 RBIs, 8 doubles and 5 home runs. Peery has power+ potential at the next level with a strong physical frame from the right side. We look forward to follow Cannon as they take on Hamilton Saturday night.
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Gavin Smith SS / 3B / Basha, AZ / 2024Rankings StateRank: 19 / POS: 6
Gavin Smith had himself a night at the plate. The Harvard baseball commit got the game going with a first pitch triple to the right center gap and added on with 2 more hits. From the right side Smith has a good feel for the zone and consistently finds the barrel. Smith has been a big part of the Basha Bears impressive run and was recently named the Premier region offensive player of the year.
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Cooper Brass SS / 2B / Hamilton, AZ / 2023Rankings StateRank: 43 / POS: 10
Cooper Brass has been a staple in the Hamilton lineup all season long. The Lobos baseball commit has a simple line drive approach and uses the entire field. Brass has a good feel for the zone and consistently puts the ball in play. Brass is hitting a whopping .414 on the year and has only struck out 5 times.
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Roch Cholowsky SS / 3B / Hamilton , AZ / 2023Not much more has to be said about the impact that Hamilton star shortstop Roch Cholowsky has made. He has continued to show that he is an elite defender and twitchy athlete that has scouts raving. Cholowsky is making a lot of noise when it comes to this year's amateur draft. The UCLA baseball commit had 1 hit on the day with a big RBI triple and showed his defensive chops.
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Joe Forbes C / 1B / Mountain Ridge, AZ / 2025Rankings StateRank: 6 / POS: 1
Joe Forbes collected one hit on the day for Mountain Ridge. The sophomore catcher has made an impact for Mountain Ridge even at his young age. Forbes takes aggressive hacks and makes loud contact. He continues to show impressive strength and power that will show more as he continues to develop as a hitter. The UofA commit also shows a good athletic ability behind the dish and has been a true backstop for the Mountain Lions.
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Landon Hairston OF / LHP / Casteel, AZ / 2024Landon Hairston can flat out hit. The 2024 1B is one of the top hitters in his class. Hairston has quick hands and great feel at the plate. He consistently finds barrels and shows an advanced approach in the box. The Arizona State commit went 2-4 in Casteel’s win. On the year he is hitting a whopping .494 with 14 doubles and 7 HRs.
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Anthony Diaz OF / 1B / Catalina Foothills , AZ / 2023Rankings StateRank: 54 / POS: 9
Anthony Diaz has an extremely projectable lengthy 6’3 180 lbs. build. The College of Central Florida Patriots commit flashes strong ability in center field using his above average speed and good route running ability to track down balls in the gaps. At the plate Diaz is an impact bat showing good ability to drive the ball without selling out for juice.
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Ganon Dwyer LHP / 1B / Catalina Foothills, AZ / 2025Rankings StateRank: 13 / POS: 1
Only a sophomore, Ganon Dwyer is a physical 1B standing at 6’2 191 lbs. There is still room for more muscular growth as he matures. At the plate the UofA commit is showing promising power potential hitting from an upright stance with impressive bat speed. Dwyer should be able to tap into his power at an even greater rate over the next couple of years. Look for him to be a staple in the Foothills lineup for the next few years.
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Joshua Butler RHP / RHP / Sandra Day O'Connor, AZ / 2023Rankings StateRank: 17 / POS: 6
Josh Butler is one of the top arms in the state for good reason. The right-hander had himself a day against a good Mountain Ridge lineup on Tuesday. In a win or go home game the Arizona State commit showed a fastball that got up to 91 MPH with good life and induced plenty of weak contact. He also showed good secondary offerings with a changeup and slider that kept hitters off balance. Butler went the distance allowing only 2 hits while striking out 7. |
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Jet Berry SS / Queen Creek, AZ / 2026Rankings StateRank: 6 / POS: 1
At the plate, Jet Berry keeps it simple. He has a line drive approach and doesn’t try to play too big. He has a good ability to hit and consistently takes good at bats. The switch-hitting freshman barrels up balls and shows good feel at the plate for his young age. Berry also flashes some speed on the base paths and shows quality actions at 2B. Keep an eye on this young middle infielder as he continues to mature.
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Ethan Trahan OF / LHP / Horizon, AZ / 2026Ethan Trahan showed an impressive ability at the plate in the games that I took in. In Horizon’s third game against Catalina Foothills the freshman outfielder reached base 4 times, going 2-2 with a pair of singles and 2 walks. The ASU commit showed the ability to hit to all fields as well as a patient approach at the plate. It was an extremely impactful debut season for the young outfielder. On the year for the Huskies, he hit .465 with 13 doubles and 2 homeruns. It will be exciting to see what Trahan does at the plate over his next 3 seasons.
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