By Mike Maerz
Director of Florida Operations/Area Scout

Orlando, FL- From August 18-20th one of the top organizations in central Florida, Power Baseball, held their Fall 2017 Tryouts for players from the 2018-2021 classes. Players participated in bullpens on Friday night, went through a full pro-style workout on Saturday, and finally ended the weekend on Sunday with a game.

Below is a breakdown of the 2019s in attendance that added the PBR Upgrade option:

Nick Durgin SS / RHP / Melbourne Central Catholic, FL / 2019 Durgin displayed his athleticism all throughout the weekend as he not only shined in the field, but on the mound as well. In the field he showed bounce in his step as he ranged from right to left, fielding the ball under control and out in front. Throws across the diamond topped out at 87 mph. Open stance at the plate with quick hands through the zone, hit multiple line drives during batting practice. On the mound he showed a quick arm with a simple, repeatable delivery as his fastball sat 86-90 mph while also mixing in a 76-77 mph changeup and 74-75 mph slider.

Blaine Hogue SS / RHP / Deland, FL / 2019 Smooth athlete. Switch hitting middle infielder. At the plate he has a longer path through the zone with a more segmented load with wide elbows. Worked better from the right side of the plate. On the mound featured a fastball that sat 84-86 mph while also mixing in a 68-70 mph curveball and 76-77 mph changeup. Projectable athlete who will continue to improve as he continues to add to his frame.

Brandon McBride 3B / SS / East Ridge, FL / 2019 Stands at 5-foot-10, 166 pounds with a solid frame. In the field he showed the ability to the range to his right and left while fielding the ball out in front and under control. Sure hands and fields the ball cleanly. Throws were accurate to the bag as he topped out at 71 mph across the diamond. At the plate he has an open stance and has a level path through the zone with good timing and rhythm which resulted in multiple line drives during batting practice. Clocked in at 7.63 seconds for his 60 yard dash time.

Joseph Cobb LHP / Windermere, FL / 2019 Stands at 6-foot, 150 pounds with room to fill out his frame. On the mound he throws from a ¾ slot with a simple, repeatable delivery and big leg kick on his front foot. Stays balanced throughout his windup but at times can fall off to the first base side on his follow through. Fastball sat in the 77-78 mph range along with a 65-66 mph curveball that showed some shape and a 69-71 mph changeup. Look for an uptick in velocity as he continues to fill out his frame.

Kelby Osteen 3B / RHP / Chiefland, FL / 2019 Stands at 6-foot, 185 pounds with a strong, solid frame. Strong hands and wrists. In the outfield he has come choppiness in his step, but fields the ball out in front and gets good momentum behind his throws. Throws topped out at 80 mph from right field with some accuracy. In the infield he fielded the ball cleanly while ranging backhand and forehand to the ball. Makes the plays and his throws topped out at 79 mph across the diamond. On the mound he has a simple delivery that he repeats well and featured a fastball that sat mostly 80-81 mph along with a 60-63 mph curveball and a 76-78 mph change up.

Ryan Fischer 1B / 3B / Lake Brantley, FL / 2019 Stands at 6-foot-4, 186 pounds with a tall, strong frame and room to fill out. At the plate he has a slightly open stance and looks to drive the ball with intent. Gets a good leg kick for his load and creates hard contact on the ball with a quick bat and an uphill path on his follow through. Multiple hard hit line drives during batting practice with gap-to-gap power to come. At first base he surrounded the ball and fielded it under control. Throws were accurate to second and third which topped out at 81 mph. Look for Fischer to continue to see a jump in power at the plate as he continues to develop and add to his frame.

Evan Siegner SS / 2B / Lake Brantley, FL / 2019 Rankings  State Rank:92 POS:22 Stands at 5-foot-9, 160 pounds with a compact, athletic frame and good lower half. In the field he showed good actions and footwork as he was able to make the plays ranging to his right and left. Made a tough play up the middle with a spin and turn to the bag with an accurate throw. Charges the ball and has some bounce in his step. Throws topped out across the diamond at 75 mph. At the plate he has a high hand-set with a slightly open stance. Stays balanced throughout his swing with a sound path through the zone. Showed the ability to use all of the field with some line drives into the gaps.

Zachary Hardee OF / 2B / Trenton, FL / 2019 Stands at 5-foot-11, 140 pounds with a lean, wiry build with room to fill out. Shows quick twitch actions and athleticism. At the plate he shows quick hands and a balanced setup in the box. At times he can be out in front, but when he sits back on the ball he makes more consistent contact with line drive potential. In the outfield he has a quick first step to the ball and fields it out in front. Throws topped out at 69 mph, but could see more momentum behind his throws with a lower release point. Ran the fastest 60 yard dash at the event clocking in at 6.77 seconds.

Ashton Blackwelder C / RHP / Deland, FL / 2019 Stands at 6-foot, 155 pounds with an athletic build and room to fill out. At the plate he has a slightly open stance with a high hand set. At times his swing can be a little long, but when he is quicker and direct to the ball he makes more consistent contact. Makes the plays in the field under control with his throws topping out at 68 mph across the diamond. Behind the plate he received the ball consistently out in front with his throws topping out at 67 mph to second and pop times in the 2.33-2.4 second range. On the mound throws exclusively out of the stretch with a slide step in his delivery. Frequently falls off to the first base side on his follow through but featured a fastball that sat 73-75 mph while mixing in a 63-64 mph curveball and a 69-70 mph change up.

Chad McCann C / 3B / Deane Bozeman, FL / 2019 Stands at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds with a strong, solid frame and a good lower half. Open stance at the plate with a short, direct path to the ball. When he stays level through the zone, he was able to show some gap-to-gap potential with line drives to all parts of the field. At times he can be out in front and lose some of the momentum in his strong lower half. As he learns to stay back on the ball and stay consistently level through the zone, he should see a jump in power. Fielded the ball out in front and showed some range as his throws topped out at 73 mph across the diamond. Behind the plate he received the ball well and showed some accuracy on his throws down to second that topped out at 71 mph. On the mound he has short, quick arm action with a fastball that sits 77-79 mph along with a 70-72 mph curveball that showed some depth and shape.

Cole Nelson SS / 2B / Timber Creek, FL / 2019 Stands at 5-foot-5, 135 pounds on a lean frame. Shows quick twitch actions all over the field. At the plate he has a balanced setup with a short, quick swing through the zone and a leg kick for his load. At times can be out in front on his front foot, but when he is on time he is able to drive the ball more consistently. In the field he showed a quick first step, the ability to charge the ball, and range to his right and left. Throws to the bag topped out at 72 mph across the diamond. On the mound has a simple delivery with a slight pause in his front leg kick before he delivers to the plate. Throws out of the high ¾ slot and releases the ball from his ear with a fastball that sits 77-79 mph while mixing in a 65-67 mph curveball and a 67-68 mph change up.

Matthew DeVarona RHP / Windermere, FL / 2019 Stands at 6-foot-4, 195 pounds with a tall, projectable frame and long legs. Throws from the high ¾ slot with a repeatable delivery and a slight pause in his windup which creates some timing issues for batters. Works downhill. Fastball sat mostly in the 82-85 mph range along with a 77-78 mph changeup with some sink and a 66-68 mph slider. Lands out in front most times, but occasionally can fall off to the side on his follow through. With more utilization out of his lower half, he should see a jump in velocity. The projectable build and quick arm make him a good follow and should see a jump in velocity in the near future.

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