Flashback - History of Cincinnati Preseason Underclass Showcase
January 21, 2015
On February 7th, PBR Ohio will host the third annual Cincinnati Preseason Underclass Showcase. To request an invitation, please click here.
Quotes from Previous Participants
"PBR gave me the opportunity to showcase my skills in front of a lot of D1 colleges. It let me know where I stood in this great game ... The feedback I receive back from the events, help me know what I need to improve on to get to a D1 level!" - Brock Mathis, C, Fairfield HS/Louisville recruit, 2017
"PBR was incredible! The ability to showcase your abilities in front of so many great programs is truly incredible. I definitely wouldn't have had the opportunities for many top college baseball programs without the help of PBR." - Cameron Junker, RHP, Moeller HS/Notre Dame recruit, 2016
"The exposure I got going to the PBR events was unbelievable. Having the opportunity to earn and invite to the Top Prospect Games was absolutely amazing. Without these showcases, I may not have had the same success I had with being recruited." - Jacob Bolton, IF/RHP, Bishop Watterson HS/Morehead State recruit, 2015
"PBR helped by getting my name out there and putting me in front of college coaches. Their connections after also helped a lot!" - Evan White, 1B, Gahanna Lincoln HS/Kentucky recruit, 2014
“It helped me get looked at by college and pro scouts. I got to meet so many nice people and I got tons of exposure." - Caleb Ferguson, LHP, West Jefferson HS/WVU recruit/Los Angeles Dodgers, 2014
"After one successful showcase with PBR I kept going back and getting more exposure. I'm where I am today with the help of PBR." - Kyle Davis, UTL, CHCA/West Virginia recruit, 2014
"PBR played a big role in my recruitment. I learned a lot at their showcases and I always got to prove what I could do on the field in front of a big group of scouts every showcase I went to ... I highly recommend kids doing PBR show cases if they are serious about baseball." - Justin Mott, C, Amherst HS/BG Recruit, 2014
the history
The 2014 event roster featured an abundance of talent as 32 players have already committed to a college program.
- In the months following, we saw a trio of underclassmen commit to ACC programs, including Moeller 2016 RHP Cameron Junker (Notre Dame), Beavercreek 2016 LHP Jackson Tedder (Virginia), and Fairfield 2017 catcher Brock Mathis (Louisville).
- Meanwhile, Bishop Watterson 2015 IF/RHP Jacob Bolton's stand out performance carried over to the summer as he eventually committed to Morehead State.
- To view the complete results, please click here.
The 2013 event roster featured 34 players that later committed to a college program.
- West Jefferson 2014 LHP Caleb Ferguson put together a stand out performance sitting 86-88 mph. Soon after, he collected offers from several Division I programs before committing to West Virginia. However, he elected to forego college as he was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- Other notable commitments from the Class of 2014 include Hilliard Darby RHP/1B Nate Green (Oakland recruit), and CHCA UTL Kyle Davis (West Virginia recruit).
- The Class of 2015 was well represented with Gahanna Lincoln RHP Mason Daniels (Elon recruit), Licking Valley LHP Drew Morrison (UNC Charlotte), Mt. Vernon OF JD Orr (Wright State), and a handful of other Division I recruits.
- To view the complete results, please click here.
The 2012 event roster started off the tradition with a bang and the results were impressive. 50 participants from the event went on to commit to a college program. The list of participants is impressive with players committed to the SEC, BIG10, BIG12, MAC, and a handful of other conferences or levels of play.
- Defiance 2013 RHP Rob Zeigler (Kentucky recruit) showed off a high-80s fastball that lead to several Division I offers.
- St. Ignatius 2015 OF Nicholas Longo (Miami recruit) was impressive in all facets of his game.
- Gahanna Lincoln 2014 1B Evan White showcased the talents that eventually landed him in the SEC at the University of Kentucky.
- Over two years later, a pair of participants, Amherst 2015 catcher Justin Mott and Bishop Ready 2015 C/OF Hunter Clanin, would find themselves both committed to Bowling Green.
SCOUTING NOTES FROM 2014
To read about the top performers from last year’s event, please click here. For now, we take you back to a few of our scouting notes from last year's event ...
+ 2015 3B/RHP Jacob Bolton (Bishop Watterson/Morehead State Recruit) stole the show. At this point, he projects as a third baseman. He shows good athleticism in his feet, softness in his hands, and the ability to throw from different angles. He reached a top velocity of 83 mph across the infield. At the plate, the right-handed hitter shows good balance throughout his swing. The ball jumps off his bat as he uses a short, quick path to the ball. At present, he is a gap-to-gap guy with pull power in his swing. Lastly, he started out 83-86 on the mound with some arm side sink to his fastball. He still needs a consistent out pitch. His changeup shows similar movement to his fastball at 76-78 and his cutter shows some late bite. But, his breaking ball lacks depth at 70-72 mph.
+ 2016 RHP Cameron Junker (Moeller HS/Notre Dame Recruit) looks the part at 6-foot-3, 180-pounds. He possess a long, lanky frame with plenty of room to fill out. Good mound presence and demeanor. Throws downhill through high-¾ arm slot with long arm action. Delivery doesn’t require much effort. Uses a heavy 82-83 mph fastball that will only continue to jump. Struggle with command of off-speed pitches, but may have been nerves and tightness. Breaking ball shows tight rotation with 11/5 action, but wasn’t consistently in the zone on this occasion. Changeup sat at 76-77 mph. Wouldn’t surprise me to see him off the board before the start of his junior year.
+ 2016 LHP Jackson Tedder (Beavercreek HS/Virginia Recruit) shows projectability in his 6-foot, 170-pound. Uses a clean delivery with some quickness to his long arm action. Throws through a ¾ slot with a fastball that shows slight run at 77-79 mph. Relies on a 65-67 mph slider with 10/4 action. Demonstrates good command of the pitch. Also displayed a 67-69 mph changeup with good fade as its thrown near fastball arm speed.
+ 2017 Catcher Brock Mathis (Fairfield HS/Louisville Recruit) may have been one of the youngest catchers at the event, but he clearly possessed the best catch and receive skills of those present. During bullpen sessions, he was a work-horse showcasing some softness in his hands and sound blocking technique. Uses short arm action with quick hands in his transfer. Pop times ranged between 2.11-2.24 while he reached a top velocity of 69 mph from the crouch. Both will surely improve with time making him one of the better catchers in his class. At the plate, he is a tad raw. There are several moving parts to his swing. When he learns to simplify, everything should come together. His hands work (84 mph exit velocity off the tee) and he does a good job of using his lower half. Showed some pull power.
event records
Top Fastball
+ 89 mph - RHP, Robert Zeigler, Defiance HS, 2013
Top Pop Time
+ 1.87 – C, Drew Nankivell, Grove City HS, 2014
Top Catcher Velocity
+ 78 mph – C, Drew Nankivell, Grove City HS, 2014
Top INF Velocity
+ 83 mph - 3B, Sam Stewart, Granville HS/Morehead State Recruit, 2016
+ 83 mph - 3B, Jacob Bolton, Bishop Watterson HS, 2015
+ 83 mph – 3B, Andrew Zellner, Valley View HS/Cincinnati Recruit, 2013
Top OF Velocity
+ 89 mph – OF, Nicholas Longo, St. Ignatius/Miami Recruit, 2015
Top Exit Velocity
+ 94 mph – RHP/OF, Joe Vranesic, Moeller HS/Kent State Recruit, 2015
Top H to 1B Time
+ 3.87 seconds – OF, JD Orr, Mt. Vernon HS/Wright State Recruit, 2015
college commitments from event
Name | School | Class | Pos | Commitment |
Addison Rospert | Port Clinton | 2013 | SS | Bowling Green |
Alec Turner | Carlisle | 2014 | 3B | Sinclair CC |
Alex Lam | Springboro | 2015 | 3B | Thiel |
Andrew Almquist | Lakota East | 2015 | RHP | Miami |
Andrew Zellner | Valley View | 2013 | RHP | University of Cincinnati |
Austin Cline | Ben Logan | 2015 | RHP | Dayton |
Blake Swanger | CHCA | 2014 | RHP | Denison |
Bobby Paola | CHCA | 2013 | 2B/MIF | Ohio Dominican |
Brad Croy | Ottawa Glandorf | 2015 | 2B/MIF | Bowling Green |
Braydon Focht | Northmont | 2014 | SS | Ohio Northern |
Brian Bullock | Loveland | 2014 | RHP | Lake Erie College |
Brock Mathis | Fairfield | 2017 | C | Louisville |
Caleb Ferguson | West Jefferson | 2014 | LHP | West Virginia |
Cameron Harris | Sycamore | 2013 | 1B | Wabash Valley |
Casey Gose | Genoa | 2014 | 2B/MIF | Owens CC |
Chris Sackett | Loveland | 2015 | C | Ohio Dominican |
Christian Steele | Lebanon | 2015 | 1B | Cincinnati |
Craig Prince | Licking Valley | 2014 | 1B | Otterbein |
Dalton Stambaugh | Sparta Highland | 2015 | LHP | Akron |
Derek Baker | Lakota East | 2013 | LHP | Ashland |
Derek Burns | Fairfield | 2015 | SS | Bellarmine |
Derek Varner | Turpin | 2014 | 3B | Marietta |
Drew Morrison | Licking Valley | 2015 | LHP | UNC Charlotte |
Evan McDonald | Logan Elm | 2015 | C | Fairleigh Dickinson |
Evan White | Gahanna Lincoln | 2014 | 1B | Kentucky |
Greg Suber | Delaware Hayes | 2014 | C | Macalester College |
Hunter Ackerman | Madison | 2015 | OF | Grace |
Hunter Clanin | Bishop Ready | 2014 | C | Bowling Green |
Isaiah Haley | Cincinnati Christian | 2014 | C | Ohio Christian |
Jack Goodwin | Rock Hill | 2014 | 3B | Muskingum |
Jackson Tedder | Beavercreek | 2016 | LHP | Virginia |
Jacob Bolton | Bishop Watterson | 2015 | 3B | Morehead State |
Jacob McJilton | Homeschool | 2014 | SS | Cedarville |
Jake Trejo | Wauseon | 2013 | C | South Carolina - Sumter |
Jarrett Peters | Bloom Carroll | 2014 | C | Seton Hill |
Jason Johnson | Dublin Jerome | 2013 | RHP | Dayton |
JD Orr | Mount Vernon | 2015 | OF | Wright State |
Joe Vranesic | Moeller | 2015 | RHP | Kent State |
Jordan Elam | Bethel | 2014 | OF | Ashland |
Jordan Huggins | Springfield Shawnee | 2013 | OF | Sinclair CC |
Jordan Ramey | Moeller | 2015 | OF | Cincinnati |
Joseph Swisher | Westerville Central | 2013 | SS | Capital |
Josh Mack | Cuyahoga Falls | 2014 | 2B/MIF | Sinclair CC |
Justin Childers | Pickerington North | 2014 | SS | Northern Kentucky |
Justin Mott | Amherst | 2014 | C | Bowling Green |
Kyle Bowling | Reading | 2015 | 2B/MIF | Mount Vernon Nazerene |
Kyle Casserly | Pickerington Central | 2014 | OF | West Virginia |
Kyle Davis | CHCA | 2014 | 3B | West Virginia |
Kyle Lento | Dublin Jerome | 2013 | SS | Tiffin |
Kyle Lepper | Lakota East | 2014 | OF | Miami Hamilton |
Marcus Gunter | Keystone | 2014 | RHP | Mercyhurt North East |
Masashi Sakamoto | Dublin Jerome | 2013 | RHP | Akron |
Mason Daniels | Gahanna Lincoln | 2015 | RHP | Elon |
Matt Smith | Olentangy Orange | 2014 | OF | Baldwin Wallace |
Max Gunn | Olentangy Liberty | 2013 | 1B | Thiel |
Mitch Schoenman | Hudson | 2013 | C | Washington and Jefferson |
Nate Green | Hilliard Darby | 2014 | RHP | Oakland |
Nicholas Longo | St. Ignatius | 2014 | OF | Miami |
Nick Bertram | Centerville | 2013 | LHP | Miami |
Nick Conner | Dublin Scioto | 2015 | OF | OSU (Football) |
Nick Ernst | La Salle | 2015 | RHP | Miami |
Nigel Williams | La Salle | 2015 | 2B/MIF | Lake Erie |
Paul Collins | Goshen | 2015 | 3B | Sinclair CC |
Peyton Burdick | Glen Este | 2015 | OF | Wright State |
Roger Danison | Bloom Carroll | 2015 | OF | Xavier |
Ryan Fitzgerald | Mount Vernon | 2015 | OF | Oakland |
Ryan Kennedy | Hamilton | 2014 | OF | Tiffin |
Sean Clayton | Sycamore | 2014 | 1B | Shawnee State |
Sean Kennedy | Springboro | 2013 | 3B | Ball State |
Seth Bryant | Sandusky Perkins | 2013 | C | Tiffin |
Shawn Reid | Amherst Steele | 2013 | RHP | Lake Erie |
Steven Easterling | Ironton | 2013 | 2B/MIF | Shawnee State |
Tavin Howard | Briggs | 2014 | OF | McHenry County (IL) |
Thaddeus Ferguson | Mars Hill Academy | 2014 | 2B/MIF | Cedarville |
Todd Goldberg | Beachwood | 2013 | LHP | Wabash Valley |
Tommy Crowl | Summit Country Day | 2013 | LHP | Marietta |
Tommy Parsons | New Albany | 2014 | RHP | Adrian |
Trent Kaltenbach | Jonathan Alder | 2014 | C | Baldwin Wallace |
Troy Black | Waynesville | 2015 | 3B | Ohio |
Ty Suntken | Wauseon | 2014 | SS | Ohio |
Tyler Gullett | Keystone | 2014 | 3B | Toledo |
Wes Birchmeier | Miamisburg | 2014 | SS | Lake Erie |
Weston Rivers | Defiance High School | 2013 | LHP | Lincoln Trail |
Yanni Patten | Medina Highland | 2015 | 1B | Mount Vernon Nazerene |
Zac Morris | Heath | 2015 | 3B | Rio Grande |
Zachary Kendall | Troy High School | 2014 | RHP | Bowling Green |
Zane Harris | Madison | 2016 | 1B | Wright State |