By Sean Duncan
Executive Director

JUPITER, FL – The national scouting community got a good look at the next big arm out of Indiana on Thursday during the first day of the World Wood Bat Championship when RHP Skylar Szynski (Penn HS, IN) started for the Reds Scout Team.

Although the athletically built 6-foot-2, 195-pounder certainly isn’t a secret to Midwest area scouts (he’s currently ranked No. 33 overall; No. 3 in Indiana), Szynski isn’t a well-known national commodity.

That is, until now.

For the throng of scouts packed at Cardinals Field 1, Szynski delivered the best pitching performance I witnessed on the day, throwing three dominant scoreless innings during the Reds Scout Team’s blowout 10-0 victory over the Texas Sun Devils. Szynski’s fastball sat 92-93 mph, and topped at 94 in each of his three innings.

More importantly, he pounded the lower half of the strike zone from a clean, athletic high-3/4 slot. His fastball had late arm-side finish as he worked at a confident, quick pace. Although he didn’t need it much, he flashed a few 78-80 mph curveballs that flashed sharp late bite.

In three innings, the Indiana recruit allowed one hit, struck out five and walked none. Perhaps the most impressive statistic was he threw 31 of his 37 pitches for strikes.  In the spring, Szynski helped lead Penn HS to the 4A state championship, and at a past PBR event, he ran a 6.87 60.

Szynski wasn’t the only impressive performance on the first day. Some other highlights from the five games I saw include, but not limited to …