By Trey Sofio
Louisiana Scouting Director

Established in 2007, the Louisiana Knights have become one of the premier programs in the Gulf Coast region. Drawing from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, the Knights have had over 250 players reach the college and professional ranks, as well as consistently making solid showings at major national events throughout the summer circuit.

On June 17-19, the Knights 16U will travel to Bradenton, FL to participate in the inaugural Under Armour Classic, powered by the Prep Baseball Report, at the IMG Academy and look to have a loaded group of underclass prospects.

Louisiana State recruit, Cole Henry (AL), will be the main attraction on the mound. A 6-foot-4 right-hander with a lean, athletic, projectable frame, Henry has already made waves around the country as a premium pitching prospect. At the NHSI earlier this spring, Henry was impressive. His fastball was 89-92, touching 93, and occasionally showed late, diving action. He showed good feel for a changeup in the mid 80s and his curveball had 11/5 shape and depth at 74-77.

Another arm the Knights will run out will be 6-foot-4 left-hander, Lee Blosser (LA). At the Underclass Trials in May, Blosser sat 80-82 mph with solid angle to his fastball at times, and spun a breaking ball with shape and depth. Two-way standouts, Will Ripoll (TX) and KC Hunt (NJ), will add even more to the Knights depth on the mound. At the Pre-Season All-State Games in November, Ripoll sat 85-87 mph with a sharp slider, and showed a simple, short right-handed stroke with barrel control. Ranked No. 41 in PBR’s overall 2019 rankings, Hunt was a standout at New Jersey’s Underclass Games this past fall. A 6-foot, 150-pound lean, athletic, live frame, Hunt has a loose left-handed swing with bat speed and feel for the barrel. He also shows advanced arm speed with projection on the mound. He has outstanding baseball roots, as his brother, Shooter, was a first-round pick out of Tulane University in 2008.

Ocean Springs HS (MS) catcher Britt McKay (2018) will handle the pitching staff for the Knights and shows advanced catch and throw skills (2.00 pop time), as well as leadership qualities. A switch-hitter, McKay also shows ability to hit with a level path, barrel awareness and bat speed. At shortstop, the Knights will send out 2015 Future Games participant, Jordin LaBruzza (2018). LaBruzza is a quality defender with feel for infield play, soft hands, and clean, quick transfers. A right-handed hitter, he shows bat speed, strength at contact, and feel for barrel.

>> CLICK HERE to view complete IMG CLASSIC schedule and rosters

ABOUT THE IMG CLASSIC

The inaugural Under Armour Classic, powered by the Prep Baseball Report, is set for June 17-19 at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL. This premier 16U tournament will feature 12 high-end travel baseball organizations, with each team featuring loaded rosters of 2018 and 2019 prospects from across the country.

The 12 teams involved in the Under Armour Classic are:

+ Elite Squad (Florida)
+ FTB (Florida)
+ Bubba Baseball (Pennsylvania/New Jersey/New York/Maryland)
+ Top Tier (Illinois)
+ Ohio Elite (Ohio)
+ Dulin Dodgers (Tennessee/Mississippi)
+ Toronto Mets (Canada)
+ GRB Rays (Wisconsin)
+ Louisiana Knights (Louisiana/Alabama/Mississippi)
+ Virginia Cardinals (Virginia)
+ North East Baseball (New England)
+ Georgia Titans (Georgia)

Unlike many tournaments that have you spending more time in the car driving field to field, all the high-level competition will be in one quad, with staggered starts, posted pitching rotations, complete roster packets, and all other amenities to make your recruiting that much easier. And, of course, it’s all free. If you have attended the Prep Baseball Report Future Games in the past, you can expect the same level competition and event execution. Pool-play games will begin on Friday, June 17, and the tournament will conclude around 2 pm Sunday.