The St. Louis Preseason ID Showcase at the St. Louis Sports Center yeilded some standout performances from the participants. Class of 2014 Elijah Dilday (right) from Christian HS took home honors as the top prosepct of the event. Dilday is a talented two way player who rose to the top showing his versatility on the mound, in the field, and at the plate. 

After much debate and looking at video, here is a look at the top performances. Complete coverage to follow over the next few days.

1. Elijah Dilday, SS/RHP, Christian HS, Class of 2014: Dilday is an athletically built 6-foot, 188-pound two-way talent who showed well in all facets of the game, and looks to be one of the top talents in the Class of 2014.  Dilday displayed a strong arm, both in the field (82 mph) and on the mound.  Dilday has a smooth rhythm and quick arm on the mound, throwing from a high ¾ arm slot in which the ball jumps out of his hand.  He has three different pitches, an 82-84 mph fastball that showed arm side run and sink that was consistently in the zone; a 63-66 mph curveball that has a sharp two-plane break, and a 70-72 mph changeup that showed late sink.  Defensively, Dilday displayed athleticism in the infield by utilizing his soft hands and fluid footwork as he handled every ground ball with natural actions.  He exhibited a quick, clean exchange and an accurate arm (82 mph).  Offensively, the left-handed hitter exhibited a quick, balanced and explosive swing. He generates tremendous bat speed through the zone and gets excellent extension after contact. The ball jumps off his bat with backspin carry.

2. Brian Howard, RHP, SLUH, Class of 2013: Committed to TCU, the 6-foot-9, 195-pound Howard has a projectable frame and the tools to be one of the top players in the state, regardless of position. Howard has good rhythm on the mound, and a long loose arm showing the ability to consistently throw three pitches for strikes. Howard’s fastball topped out an easy 86 mph, with more in the tank. His changeup, in the 63-66 mph range, showed a lot of promise, as it had late fade down in the zone and has the potential to be a legitimate out pitch. Howard also showed a late moving, sharp breaking ball that was consistently thrown for strikes.  As Howard continues to fill out and mature physically, look for his velocity to continue to spike.

3. Tyler Anderson, SS/RHP, Sikeston, Class of 2013:  Anderson is a strong, athletically built two-way player who has a projectable build for the next level.  With his 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame, Anderson features a strong arm that was clocked at 82 mph from the infield.  Additionally, he showed quick lateral footwork and soft hands. Anderson has strong, quick hands and hit the ball hard with backspin carry to all fields.  On the mound, Anderson a high leg kick and comes from a high ¾ slot with a loose, quick arm.  His fastball sat an easy 82-85 mph.  He also showed feel for a sharp, late breaking 12-to-6 breaking ball and a changeup (74-77), which he threw for strikes at a near fastball arm speed.

4. Nate Green, RHP/3B, Francis Howell, Class of 2013:  Green is a strong, athletically built two-way player who has a projectable frame.  With his 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame, Green features a strong arm that was clocked at 80 mph in the infield.  Additionally, he showed athletic footwork and soft hands. Green demonstrated some power potential at the plate, with good, strong hands and extension through contact that created some barrel whip and backspin carry.  On the mound, Green has a high ¾ slot and was sitting at 83-86 mph with a heavy fastball.  He also showed feel for his changeup with arm side run (74-76 mph) and breaking ball (74-77 mph), which he threw for strikes at a similar arm speed.

5. Danny Mannion, MIF/RHP, Marquette, Class of 2013: An athletically built 6-foot, 165-pound two-way player, Mannion is an extremely projectable talent.  He showcased his strong arm at the event by throwing 83 mph from across the diamond. He showed athletic feet and played through the ball well. Offensively, the left handed hitting Mannion showed a short, compact and level swing hitting the ball to all fields. On the mound, Mannion comes from a high ¾ arm slot and features a quick and free arm action with good rhythm.  His fastball topped at 84 mph, and his 66-68 mph breaking ball demonstrated some late, hard movement. He also threw a 71-73 changeup with some depth. Mannion is also an excellent student, posting a score of 33 the last time he took the ACT.

6. Keith Greishaber, MIF, Marquette, Class of 2014: Greishaber proved to be one of the top prospects in the Class of 2014. Greishaber’s physical 6-foot-1, 165-pound frame projects well at the next level.  Greishaber showed one of the strongest arms from the infield, posting a velocity of 82 mph.  His fluid footwork and reliable hands make him a top-level infield prospect.  Offensively, Greishaber uses his strong body and natural athleticism to create excellent barrel whip through the zone while squaring up the baseball.  He demonstrated power in his swing with an aggressive lower half and a hard but controlled swing.  Greishaber is also a standout soccer player.

7. Austin Verschoore, OF/RHP, Ft. Zumwalt West, Class of 2013: Verschoore is an athletically built 6-foot-1, 185-pound athlete who had the strongest arm from the outfield, posting a velocity of 85 mph.  He moves aggressively to the ball, and his throws had excellent carry and ride. Offensively, Verschoore has a balanced stance with a smooth load and short stride to the ball. He showed the ability to make consistent hard contact while spraying line drives to all fields.  On the mound, ….

8. Kolby Follis, OF, Bolivar, Class of 2013:  Follis an athletic switch hitter who showed natural outfield instincts and an all-around ability for the game. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound Follis exhibited a strong arm (85 mph) that had carry and was on target. He moves with fluidity and purpose to the ball, and his natural instincts and hands further separated him from the pack.  The switch hitting Follis has a quick and compact swing from the left-side. He demonstrated good balance and barrel whip through the zone as he sprayed line drives to all fields. From the right side Follis demonstrated quick hands and some power potential.

9. Wyatt Fones, C, Wentzville Holt, Class of 2013: Fones was the most polished catching prospect at the event, as he showed well in all facets of the game.  Defensively, the 6-foot-1, 170-pound Fones displayed soft hands and athletic feet behind the plate while receiving bullpens, along with good instincts blocking balls in the dirt. He also showed carry on his throws (76 mph) while delivering consistent pop times on the bag, ranging between 1.92, 1.93, and 2.01. Offensively, he demonstrated a balanced, level swing with excellent barrel whip through the zone. He consistently squared up the ball while driving the ball to all fields.

10. Jake Brown, C/OF, Clayton, Class of 2015:  The athletic built 5-foot-10, 185-pound Brown looks to be one of the top prospects in the Class of 2015. Defensively behind the plate, Brown demonstrated quick feet and a clean exchange, as he was clocked at 77 mph from the crouch and had a top pop time of 2.03 with every throw right on the bag. Brown also impressed in the outfield, moving fluidly and taking aggressive routes to the ball.  He showed an accurate arm and was clocked at 85 mph.  At the plate, Brown has a balanced setup and exhibited an easy swing with bat speed as he sprayed the ball to all fields