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2019 PBR National Championship - 15U Notebook

July 30, 2019
PBR Georgia Staff

The PBR National Championships is taking place at LakePoint in Georgia, hosting travel teams in three age groups: 17U, 16U and 15U. Prep Baseball Report will have quick notes for each level from each day during the event.

Here is more on the action from the 15U division...


DAY 6 - MONDAY

Uncommitted 2022 Dominic Oliverio (Fishers, IN) is a very physical 6-foot-2 175 pound hitter that has helped Ironmen Prime for the tournament, but went off on Championship Monday. On Monday alone, he racked up three hits of over 90mph to both sides of the field with carry. He creates advanced bat speed with natural lift with a balanced swing. He’s a serviceable outfielder that can really run. He put together a great day all around. 


Uncommitted 2022 Roger Simon (Loyola, IL) of Top Tier North showed real potential on the mound today. At 6-foot-1, 170 pounds he fills out nicely with potential to get bigger and taller. He uses the backside and lower half to drive to the plate efficiently. The arm is short and quick from a high ¾ slot that creates good life at the plate. Small sample size in today’s outing, but love the upside in this prospect. The quick twitch ability also shows at the plate as he reacts with the hands and keeps a stiff front side with the shoulders staying even. The hands go back straight keeping the barrel tall for a more efficient bat path. He doesn’t get too big and has a consistent line drive approach with balance during and after the swing.




DAY 5 - SUNDAY

+ 2022 LHP Justin West (Ironman Prime / Paducah Tilghman HS, KY), a wiry, long-limbed 6-foot-3, 160-pound Louisville recruit, delivered a dominant performance in a big 3-1 victory over Knights Baseball. Filled up the strike zone with his fastball/curveball combination, consistently missing barrels while racking up eight strikeouts to only one walk in six innings pitched. His 80-83 mph fastball seemed to get up on hitters more quickly than the velocity would indicate thanks to his high spin rate that ranged between 2150-2350. Similarly, West’s curveball, which had big depth and 12/6 action, comes in at 62-63 mph, yet the spin rate on it ranged between 2300-2400 (MLB average is 2200). Seldom do you see lower velocity breaking balls have that level of spin. So, when he begins to fill into his frame and gains more strength, West will naturally gain more arm speed, which will likely result in off-the-charts spin and, ultimately, a Barry Zito-like dominant curveball. West’s arm is fluid and uninterrupted in the back coming out of a high-3/4 slot. He repeats his delivery well and is a quiet competitor on the mound. Battled out of a tough jam, consistently coming up with pitches when he needed it. His performance against a top-level offense was not an anomaly. His coach said after the game that West had allowed only three earned runs all summer long against high-level competition. Currently ranked No. 113 in the 2022 class.


2022 RHP Justin Battle (Knights Baseball / Home School, TN) threw well as the starter in a limited two-inning stint. Lean and athletic 6-foot, 160-pound frame, works downhill, short arm action from a high-3/4 slot. Fastball played true at 81-83 mph, and threw strikes.


2022 3B/RHP Luke Scales (Ironman Prime / Owensboro Catholic HS, TN) stands in bigger than his listed 6-foot, 160-pound size. Athletic build with proportional strength and wider shoulders, he flashed bat speed and hand strength at the plate, and looks to get his swing off. Singled sharply up the middle in one at bat. Came in to close out the game in the seventh - his second appearance in the tournament - and worked his fastball at 82 mph (it was firmer in his first outing, naturally).  

Uncommitted 2022 Kain Moses keeps having his name pop-up this week. After a solid performance on the mound he showed his worth at the plate with a strong showing today. He squared up balls and drove them with authority to the gap with quick twitch muscles and violent swing at contact. He coils in the load and is violent when he lets the swing go but stays within himself which will consistently keep him productive. 


Uncommitted 2022 Tristan Jensen of the Southwest Sox who has shown command, along with competitiveness and pitch ability. At 6-foot 170 pounds, he has enough size and strength to project nicely on the mound. He can throw his breaking ball for a strike or keep it off the plate with consistency. His balanced and rhythmic windup get his weight transferred on time with extension through release. FB 78-82, CB 69-72 around 2000 rpm room to get higher.


Uncommitted 2022 Jaxon Ward (Blackman, TN) has been a solid consistent for The Lab behind the plate. He’s extremely lean and lanky 6-foot-1 and 140 pounds. Ward is super flexible and does a great job of getting underneath the ball and creating strikes for his staff. Arm and hit tool are average, but will continue to grow as his physicality does. 

Uncommitted 2023 Dylan Cupp (GA) from the East Cobb Astros has been one of, if not the best, player in the 15u division. At 6-foot-1 and 165 pounds, Cupp is an ultra- projectable shortstop and hitter. Plus actions, plus arm, and twitchy athlete that can handle his large frame moving in any direction. Cupp has a gap to gap approach and has handled all aspects of the game with poise since Wednesday. He will be a highly recruited and sought after prospect in the immediate future.  


Uncommitted 2022 Ty Cobb of Big Stix Baseball is a young 2023 with tons of potential. He is a little undersized now but there is still growth left in his body. He is clean on the mound with an attacking mentality and confidence in his stuff as he consistently kept the ball in the zone and created frequent swings and misses with a breaking ball that he had feel for. He ran the fastball up to 82 mph, sitting 78-80 with a 66-69 mph slider that had late life and came from the same slot as the fastball. The pitchability he has will speed up the learning curve.



DAY 4 - SATURDAY

Uncommitted 2022 LHP Brady Banker (Top Tier) was solid in his only two innings of work, as his offense took care of business early and often. However, he showed to be a viable arm, with a slight cross- body delivery from the left side. He created angles and dotted fastballs to both sides of the plate at 76-78. Banker is 6-feet tall and 170 pounds, with room to fill out his frame. Hoping to see a bigger sample size as the Top Tier Americans move forward in the tournament. 


Uncommitted 2022 Luke Adams was big for Top Tier Americans in their morning game. At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, he’s a long and lean body that packs some punch. The bat speed is there and has shown the ability to consistently put good swings on balls from gap to gap. 


Uncommitted 2022 Tate Rupp (Coastal Stars) has shown advanced hit-ability and an approach at the plate that is disciplined. The load in his backside and hands work together to get some energy flowing forward in the quick bat to fire through the zone. He also stays quiet, limiting wasted movement which will only make him more consistent as he keeps playing.


Uncommitted 2022 Alex Adams (Titans Baseball) is a high- motor shortstop with smooth actions and an arm that plays. He’s got a stringy build at 5-foot-11 and moves well laterally with confidence. At the plate, he’s short and simple to the ball with the ability to find the barrel consistently with minimal swing and miss. Adams can run as well, going first to third on a passed ball. He’s an all- around ball player with savvy and can really play. 


2022 Ryan Hutchison is an uncommitted 1B who has stood out today for the Southwest Sox. He has a big body with a strong frame and easy pop with doubles to both gaps in today’s game. That power should translate into some homers as he matures. He also takes a smooth swing and doesn’t try to take advantage of his size by getting big or pulling off. He keeps the front shoulder closed and stays up the middle with his approach.


Dominic Elam is a 2022 uncommitted catcher for Big Stix Baseball. He is a plus athlete with a high motor and energy. He is flexible and nimble while behind the plate and drops to block quickly and in good position. He has plenty of arm and a quick release on throw downs and will catch more than his fair share of runners in the future. At the plate Elam shows an aggressive, free swinging approach and hunts for his pitch. He has high contact and barrel ability in that body for a lot of potential as a hitter.


2022 uncommitted LHP Carson Byers has a lot of upside for Arsenal Baseball. The lefty has a big, strong lower half and utilizes it to drop and drive toward the plate. He gets more extension and spin as he averaged over 2200 rpm on a low 70s breaking ball and pumped his fastball up to 84 mph.


Chyran Humphries is a 2021 uncommitted, 6-foot-3, 215 lb physically imposing athlete for Arsenal. The OF has a fluid swing from the left said with easy pop to the opposite field for a double today. The athleticism plays at the plate and in the field as he has the prototypical body type for the corner outfield/infield.


Uncommitted 2023 Caleb Moran (Hardknox Blue Jays) impressed on day four with a few hits, one of which being a triple that allowed him to get extended and launch a ball that drove in a pair for Hardknox Blue Jays. The barrel stays in the zone and on- plane for a long time.  


Uncommitted 2022 Aaron Lopez (Ninth Inning Royals) has a stout and solid build at 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds. His ability to create bat speed with his twitchy swing and natural lift allowed him to tag a few baseballs, including a double off the left field wall at 92mph off the bat. Clean actions at third with good foot and a solid arm make him a well- rounded prospect. 


Uncommitted 2022 Gavin Houser (Launch City) has been a feared hitter in this tournament. A lefty swinger and arm, Houser has put really good swings on balls and produced results in the top part of the Launch City lineup. As a result of his production, he’s been intentionally walked 4 times by our staff’s unofficial count. His approach is centered toward right center, but has shown adjustability and the patience to get his pitch to hit. 


Uncommitted 2022 Nathan Brewer has been all over the place for Knights Baseball this week. After showing off with the bat, Brewer impressed on the mound with a feel for pitching to go along with athleticism and arm speed. He gets tremendous lay back and torque in the weight transfer and maximizes velocity. Brewer has the actions and potential to become scary on the mound as his upside is through the roof. 


Stephen Bell (Knights Platinum) is an uncommitted 2022 OF putting on a hitting display so far. With a matured plan and thought process at the plate, Bell will hit in any count to any part of the field. He has proven to spoil pitches and even produce runs and knocks by finding holes anywhere as he did today with an RBI double down the left field line. As he gets stronger and better feel for the forearms and wrists, he could be spraying balls all over the field with authority very soon.



DAY 3 - FRIDAY

Uncommitted 2022 Jacob Mann of Titans Baseball is 6-foot 160 pounds and has a good body to go with smooth actions. He is confident in the box with an aggressive approach as he is a bit of a free swinger. However, the contact rate is high enough with good mechanics that he should continue to find consistent holes. He also takes a full hack and rarely gets cheated getting him on time more than not.


Uncommitted 2022 Nick Streuer (Jackson County, GA) continued his steady weekend with an RBI triple to cap off a big victory on Friday for Coastal Stars. With a short stroke and natural lift, Streuer has consistently found the barrel and been a constant part of the offense for Coastal Stars.


Kain Moses is an uncommitted 2022 grad of The Lab. At 6-foot-3 170 pounds he is long with room for strength and growth. He has feel on the mound and works both sides of the plate with a 79-81 mph fastball and a 65-67 mph breaking ball. With a deliberate, slow windup he gets in his legs well to push his energy to home plate for optimal extension. 

Uncommitted 2023 Jaron Elkins is a pure athlete in CF and at the plate for Knights Academy. His 5-foot-10 and 165 pound frame is built with broad shoulders and narrow hips, leaving a ton of room to pack on size and strength. He glides in CF with a high motor to run move all directions with a twitchy first step. Simple approach to all fields and doesn’t try to do too much in the box. 


Uncommitted 2022 RHP David Andolina (Oak Park- River Forest, IL) stole the show for Top Tier Nationals in a 5-2 win. Throwing a CG, he scattered four hits and pitched around a really good lineup to get the W. His fastball cruised 80-84 all game and held that through the game. He’s a 5-foot-11 185 pound righty with upside as he continues to firm up.


Uncommitted 2022 Mikey Gentile has been a solid piece for the hot Top Tier Nationals team. At only 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds, he generates a ton of bat speed and has continually hammered balls off the barrel. Today, he launched one to the warning track for a double and an RBI. Good actions in the infield and an arm that plays. 

Uncommitted 2022 Jack Scheri is a 5-foot-10 175 pound athlete with a solid body that is stout and strong. He is relaxed and quiet at the plate and violent at contact. He has natural quick twitch abilities that can take off when he puts it all together. The base he has in his legs give him torque through the zone while keeping the upper body as still as possible.


Uncommitted 2022 Hunter Nunn of the Skills Academy-Hills is a solid 6-foot-1 175 pound catcher. He really showed his ability to manage his pitcher and a game behind the plate. At the plate he displayed a short closed swing preventing any yank. He keeps his hands inside the ball well and relies on those and wrists to spray balls all over the field. 


Preston Murphy is a 5-foot-9 180 pound catcher from the East Cobb Astros. He is an uncommitted 2022 with a patient approach. He’s not afraid to walk as his plate discipline is advanced for his age. He has a short compact swing with good linear direction in the upper body as he keeps the bat in the zone for a long time. He had two line drive base hits right back up the middle for RBIs earlier today.


Uncommitted 2023 Jake Hembree threw efficiently for the East Cobb Astros. He understands how to use different muscles when pitching and stays in his legs to generate power. The arm is fast and looks like a whip on release. He finishes all the way across his back maximizing extension and spin. His fastball sits between 80-83 with the potential to add to it by more than a few ticks. The breaking ball was in the low 70s and measured over 2700 rpm on a fair share of them.


Uncommitted 2021 Mahkai Pelzer (Chapel Hill, GA) made a big impact at the plate for the Southwest Sox in their win. He came up with some big at- bats early in the game, one of them being the single with the bases loaded against a really good arm. 

Uncommitted 2022 Cole Gonzales (Gatorball 15U) gave us every indication that he will be an impact arm in the near future. He was up to 87 a few times in his relief appearance. Couple that with his body and lively arm, big things are ahead. He has an athletic, sturdy 6-foot-1 165 pound frame that has a ton of upside. A little rigid in his lower half, there’s a lot left to tap into as he fills out. 


Day 2 - Thursday

Uncommitted 2023 RHP Jack Brafa tossed a five inning no- hitter for Knights Baseball, punching out seven hitters, while just walking one. With just two pitches, Brafa filled up the bottom of the zone with a sinker, slider combo and a miss above the knees was extremely rare. The 6-foot 160 pound frame is long and lean, but controls his motion well and repeated it for 74 pitches. Keep an eye on this arm as his body and stuff continue to climb through high school. 


Uncommitted 2023 Chase Meyer is a 5-foot-11 145 pound pitcher with the East Cobb Astros. With an advanced approach on the mound he works ahead early and often and uses a slow windup that generates torque in his trunk turn. A loose arm that’s also quick generates a lot of spin on his ball to keep it moving. His fastball sat between 80-82 mph with a 70-71 mph slider that averaged 2700-2900 rpm during his outing.


Uncommitted 2022 C Kevin Zimmer (Top Tier Americans 15U) is a physical 6-foot-3 200 pounds with a strong lower half. He handles an advanced pitching staff for the Top Tier Americans and can catch and throw. Zimmer competes with bat speed in the box, driving a triple to the left center gap as well as hammering a single into center field in his first AB. The bat plays and has the chance for some big time juice in the near future. 


Uncommitted 2022 RHP Ethan Patera (Top Tier Americans 15U) stands at 6-foot-4 200 pounds for the Top Tier Americans. Although a little rigid in his movements and arm swing, he was consistently in the bottom of the strike zone with his sinking fastball at 83-86 while only allowing an infield single through his four innings of work. Gifted body and arm speed to build on moving forward.


Uncommitted 2022 Luke Scales (Ironmen Prime 15U) is an athletic 6-foot 160 pounds. He looks filled out and has good body control for his age. Displays strength in a short swing with extension to back spin balls with authority. He also stays tall on the backside and drives on plane which will raise his contact and barrel rate. Scales barreled multiple balls today.


Uncommitted 2022 Markus Stottrop is a big and physical 6-foot-1 200 pound right hander of Top Tier North. He uses long arms and tall body to create a downward angle. A little unorthodox in his wind up with some moving parts, he still has some room for growth in the velocity department. His fastball sat 79-80 mph with a 66-68 mph breaking ball.


Uncommitted 2022 RHP Brandon Hunsaker of Arsenal Baseball was really good in his six innings of work, only allowing one run. Sitting from 82-85 T86, Hunsaker lived at the bottom of the zone and not allowing anyone to elevate the ball while his defense was lights out behind him. He stands at 6-feet and 190 pounds and wears it well. He moved efficiently down the mound and spun a breaking ball for strikes in varying accounts to keep hitters off balance. 


Uncommitted 2022 2B Terrick Bumgarner has been a solid aspect of the Launch City lineup through two days of competition. The 5-foot-9 155 pound infielder has solid actions in the middle with a high motor. He continues to produce with his at- bats, displaying some gap to gap power and continually finding the barrel and make loud contact. 


Uncommitted 2022 Phoenix Meza (Summit, TX) was a big- time standout today for Skills Academy. Possibly the best athlete in the 15u bracket, Meza has natural lift in his swing that generates bat speed from a lean frame with broad shoulders. Calm smooth actions in the box with good rhythm before he explodes to the ball. Big things ahead for him this weekend and into the future.  


Uncommitted 2022 Jaxon Gless (Blanchard, OK) has excelled behind the dish for Skills Academy. Handling the staff, he’s got an advanced catch and throw ability with smooth actions and hypermobility in his lower half. There’s a lot of adjustability in his approach and has hit with runners in scoring position a ton to this point, which has resulted in a heavy dose of offspeed. The hit tool with play with his defensive prowess to make him a player to watch the rest of their stay in Georgia. 



DAY 1 - WEDNESDAY

Uncommitted 2021 Ezekiel King played a solid CF for Arsenal to start the early session of games, but really impressed at the dish. With two singles, one through each side of the field, he showed the ability to compete with bat speed and control his barrel. A plus runner, chased down two balls in the gap and stole two bases in the first game of the day. A good athlete at 5-foot-8, 150 pounds with tons of room to physically mature, he will be a fun one to watch in this weekend’s tournament.


Mississippi State commit Jackson Mackenzie is a 2023 southpaw with the East Cobb Astros. At 6-foot-1 190 pounds, Mackenzie uses his body well in his delivery. A smooth windup keeps his weight and energy in balanced which will lead to efficiency on the mound. He gets tight on the weight transfer but he has the projectable arm speed that should alleviate some of that extra energy.


Uncommitted 2022 RHP Ryan McTighe of the 9th Inning Royals is a 5-foot-9 160 pound athlete with a quick and deliberate windup that has little to no wasted movement and keeps him on line to the plate. He showed command of the strike zone consistently through the lineup. He hit his spots with the fastball to both sides of the plate, as well as a breaking ball and a few change-ups. 


Uncommitted 2021 Corian Davis, from the Southwest Sox, is a plus athlete with hand-eye coordination to go along with speed and ball skills. At 6-foot-1 130 pounds, he is long and lanky now but projects to pack some muscle and maybe a few more inches as he continues to grow. Simple approach at the plate leads to a lot of barrels and his speed is a game changer in the outfield. He will be one to keep an eye on.

  
Uncommitted 2022 RHP Jacob Vogel, from Ironmen Prime, is a 6-foot-6 219 pound physically- imposing freshman with long limbs and big features, conducive to a starting pitchers’ body. He has an up and down delivery with not much drive, but the extension he gets with his frame helps get the ball out with plenty of velocity; his fastball sat in the low 80s mph that he coupled with a 70-74 mph breaking ball.   
Uncommitted 2022 OF Nathan Brewer impressed from the left side of the plate for Knights Platinum with multiple hits, including a double in the right center gap for 2 RBI that sealed the run- rule victory. There’s strength in his swing and intent to go with it in a 5-foot-11 and 170 pound frame. Brewer runs well in the outfield and showed off his arm on a throw to third as well. Excited to see him on the mound later in the tournament.    
Uncommitted 2022 Alex Stanwich (Lincoln - Way East, IL) was really good for Top Tier Americans in their first game of the tournament. At 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, he used his athletic build to sit 83-86 T87 in his start. Throwing a little cross-body, he spun his fastball at 2250-2350rpm and flashed a late slider that hovered around 2500rpm from a high, and somewhat rigid, armslot. A lot to like, and a lot to build on for this young kid.    
Uncommitted 2022 Nolan Sliver, for BigStix baseball, stands an athletic 6-foot-2 145 pounds with body control on the mound. His windup is efficient and easily repeatable, maximizing his longevity throughout a game. A low effort release also bodes well for durability as his arm gets through cleanly with good velocity. His fastball topped at 82 with a top to bottom spin on a 68-70 mph breaking ball.   
Uncommitted 2022 Maxwell Olivera of Top Tier North showed a mature approach and swing. He stayed within himself and took what the pitcher gave. He lined out hard before he singled on a liner up the middle to plate two runs. He looks confident at the plate and expects to barrel balls up. He coils in the load with his legs and hands cocking back and stays on time to fire the hands at the contact point. It will be interesting to see what he does the rest of the week.   
Uncommitted 2022 Pershawn Fann stood out for Florida Elite with several advanced tools. At 6-foot 195 pounds, Fann barrelled three balls in their first game of the tourney and had two hits to show for it. With a simple load, he showed the ability to consistently be on time and put the ball in play with authority. He proved to be an advanced defender in CF, as well, running down two balls in the gap and showing off his left- handed arm on a runner tagging to third base. With thick shoulders and hips, he’s going to continue to add strength to his frame and be a sought after prospect.     
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