NYS Games Player Preview: 2019 3B Pierce Hendershot (Tioga HS)

April 2017

Hendershot shows quick strong hands at the plate taking a chest high fastball to the 360 foot fence base for a stand up double. He also shows projectable defensive ability on the left-side. Strong arm, clean glove with above average reactionary skills. He made a diving play to his right on a redirection ball off the pitcher getting the lead runner at 3rd from his knees.

Preseason All-State (February 20, 2017)

Hendershot stands at 5-foot-11, 160 pounds. Had a 60 yard dash time of 7.53 seconds, down from 7.73 seconds in September 2016. Offensively- Begins with feet a little wider than shoulders and knees slightly bent with an even stance. Hands begin at back shoulder with bat straight up and down. Uses a small stride that lands even as hands load backwards slightly. Barrel is on a short path with strong extension through contact. Swing plane is uphill. Hips are completely rotational during the swing. High, two handed finish above front shoulder. Improved exit velocity to 86 MPH off of the tee, up from 77 MPH in October 2016. Defensively- Approaches the ball with smooth infield actions. Fields ball with feet wide and most bend coming at the waist; hands underneath his body and funnels to midsection. Took awhile to get rid of ball and used double shuffle on throws. Over the top arm action on throws of 79 MPH across the infield, up 2 MPH from October. Solid/scrappy all-around player.

NY All-Star Games (September 17, 2016)

Hendershot stands in at 5-foot-10, 155-pounds with a lean athletic frame. Ran a 7.73-60, a slight improvement from 7.78 at the New York Games in June 2016. Offensively- Starts slightly open with a slight knee bend in an upright position. Hands held in front of back shoulder with pre-pitch bat movement. On pitch his trigger is a step inward to square up with pitcher while his hands move back into a good hitting position. Hands are quick through the zone with good bat action to a high two handed finish. Good lower body rotation getting whole body into the swing. Some lift with results from the middle of the field to his pull side. Recorded an exit velocity of 86 MPH, while his high is 90 MPH recorded in June 2016. Defensively- Good footwork and approach to the baseball. Funnels ball in well with a good transition to his throwing hand. Quick and aggressive moving towards intended throwing target. Fields ball on the run well. Made two outstanding back-to-back plays at 3B during live scrimmage (backhand with an in-between hop and a barehand slow roller). Displayed a position velocity of 83 MPH, a 3 MPH improvement from the New York Games in June 2016.

New York Games (June 27-29)

Hendershot stands 5-foot-10, 155-pounds from a lean build. Offensively- starts relaxed in the box with a coiled up approach on the load. Knee lift with stride for time, hands get long at times, rotational. Exit velocity up to 90 mph (85 MPH today) which is impressive for his age, staying more compact will utilize the bat-speed better. Finish is short. Defensively- Footwork and hands are above average for his age with a quick clean funnel. Arm works fluid with above average arm-strength at 80 mph (75 MPH today) from a high-3/4 slot. 60-time was a 7.78 which needs to be improved on. 2019 graduate that should be followed.

Preseason All-State (February 28, 2016)

Hendershot stands 5-foot-10, 145-pounds with good upside as a 2019 infielder. Offensively- Sets up with a wide base and leans slightly on the back side. Uses a small leg kick and simple load with hands about ear level. Barreled up some hard line drives and showed + pop in the bat with an impressive 87-mph exit velocity. Defensively- Showed great fundamentals working through the ball with active feet and a quick transfer. Shows great hand speed with a slightly above 3/4 arm slot. Velocity across the diamond was 80 mph already and will continue to climb as he grows. Hendershot is one of the top 2019 prospects we've seen so far with next level potential all over the field.