Week in Review: 3/30 to 4/5
April 5, 2024
Looking back at the past week for Prep Baseball, dominance on the mound earns this two-way player from Oklahoma the latest National Player of the Week honor. In the world of Draft HQ, looking at prospects who’ve made a jump midway through the NCAA season and looking back at Major League Rookies who got their start at the high school level. An updated NJCAA Division I power rankings along with top-100 from the JUCO Wire. The first 2024 Web Flex Pro Play of the Week, uncommitted spotlights, trending and more.
NATIONAL NEWS
Player of the Week
March 25 to 31 saw dominant performances across the country, but no player was as dominant as Layton Bryan (2025, Chickasha HS, OK). On Tuesday, March 26, Bryan recorded every out by a strikeout for a total of 21 in a complete-game shutout. Offensively, the uncommitted two-way prospect went 7-for-15 at the plate with seven RBIs. See more on Bryan and other Players of the Week from across the country here.
Draft HQ
+ After seven weeks of play in the NCAA Division I season, prospects have risen and fallen from Draft HQ’s Preseason Draft Board to its Mid-March Draft Board. Recapping the biggest risers of the season, Director of College Scouting David Seifert presents ‘2024 MLB Draft: College’s Midseason Risers’.
+ With the 2024 MLB season over a week in, some of the league’s top prospects were able to break camp and make their big league debuts. Reflecting on their time before turning pro, Managing Editor, Scouting Andy Sroka highlights four Major League rookies that shined in the first week in ‘Rookie Roots: Where Were MLB’s Hottest Rookies Ranked Back in High School?’
JUCO WIRE
Our staff presented everything you need to know this season. For more information and to stay up-to-date on all things JUCO, follow @PBR_JUCO on X and @pbr_juco on Instagram.
+ In the latest update of Prep Baseball JUCO Wire’s NJCAA Division I Rankings, a new program takes the top spot after a dominant March that featured a 10-game win streak. From Josh Fields, see more on the April shakeup with write ups on the top-25 programs here.
+ Looking deeper into the NJCAA, Director of College Scouting David Seifert presents the Prep Baseball JUCO Wire: Midseason Top-100. Led by the preseason top-150 No. 1 LHP Conner Ware, the updated board features prospects that appeared last summer in the MLB Draft League and is led by DII’s Pearl River (MS) with six players on the board. See the full 100 here.
+ Over the weekend, Central Coast/North LA Area Scout Steven Hardesty caught some Western States Conference action as Citrus Owls of the WSC-South visited the Ventura College Pirates of the WSC-North. An early lead by Ventura saw the Pirates claim victory on the road 7-4. See the full recap along with more information on the day’s top performers and prospects here.
Uncommitted
+ From last week, Prep Baseball Maryland Scouting Director Jamie Naill Jr. shares which ten uncommitted prospects have generated the most profile views in ‘Trending Up’.
+ Through six weeks of its high school season, the Prep Baseball Alabama Staff breaks down four right-handed pitchers that remain uncommitted and have made their cases to be recruited. For notes, video and more, check out the ‘Scout Blog’.
+ in Prep Baseball North Carolina’s ‘Inside the Rankings’, Assistant Scouting Director Patrick Johnson gives two left-handed pitching prospects that find themselves within the state’s top 25 in the class of 2025. Each pitcher pairs an 80s fastballs with strong changeups, see more on Bryce Smith and Caleb Cloninger.
+ Uncommitted Spotlights
- ‘25 RHP Brayden Gijbels - California
- ‘25 RHP Christian Garcia - California
- ‘25 IF/OF Colby Pudge - California
- ‘25 OF Lincoln Daly - California
- ‘25 RHP Lukas Beltran - California
- ‘25 MIF Mason Ravera - California
- ‘26 RHP/OF Colton Arndt - Iowa
- ‘25 MIF Jake Miller - Iowa
- ‘27 OF/1B Matt Meeker - Iowa
- ‘25 RHP Jake Thompkins Jr. - Louisiana
- ‘25 OF Johnathan Coombs - Maryland
- ‘25 RHP/1B Ryder Keidel - Maryland
- ‘26 SS/3B Cooper Gornet - North Carolina
- ‘26 RHP/SS Dane Purdy - North Carolina
- ‘26 MIF Jacob Cesarz - North Carolina
- ‘25 3B/OF Zeb Swangim - North Carolina
- ‘25 RHP Blane Jordan - South Carolina
- ‘25 3B/SS Blayne Edwards - South Carolina
- ‘25 2B/RHP Breon Earle - South Carolina
- ‘25 RHP/2B Hunter Doyle - South Carolina
- ‘25 RHP/3B Jackson Holmes - South Carolina
- ‘25 C/3B Joel Irizarry - South Carolina
- ‘25 SS/OF Brody Cole - Texas
Web Flex Pro Play of the Week
The first Web Flex Pro play of the week comes from ‘25 OF Cam Marconi’s throw and ‘24 C Joshua Marcinick’s tag as the two combined to nail a runner at the plate to help seal the victory for Stow-Munroe Falls HS in Stow, Ohio.
🕸️ @WebFlexPro 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙚𝙚𝙠 😮
— Prep Baseball (@prepbaseball) April 5, 2024
Our first WebFlex Play of the Week for the 2024 HS season comes from @StowBaseball (OH) on this run saving throw by OF @MarconiCam, C @JoshuaMarc1331 with the tag. 👏 @CoachDeBord
🖇️ https://t.co/TtXMC56sUY | @PrepBaseballOH pic.twitter.com/NWJaZMPNiQ
STATE-BY-STATE
Florida
As the Florida high school season is over a month in, Prep Baseball Florida’s Director of Multimedia Connor Holdren breaks down the need-to-know of the elite talent in the state. Broken down by the top Player of the Year candidates, featuring a top-10 prep LHP on Draft HQ’s Draft Board, top performers by position groups and freshmen who’ve made an impact. See who’s making waves in ‘Shining Stars of the Sunshine State: Taking Stock of HS Baseball in Florida’.
Indiana
Pitchers in Indiana’s class of 2026 are bringing the heat. Eight pitchers have thrown 90-plus mph and two prospects have joined an elite group amongst the nation’s class of 2026. For the full ‘Heat Sheet’ of Indiana’s sophomore class plus who’s on the cusp, Lead Scout Cooper Trinkle breaks it down here.
Ohio
With opening week in the books for Ohio high school baseball, Prep Baseball Ohio presents its Teams of the Week across the four divisions. Highlighted by an undefeated start, wins against ranked opponents, outsourcing teams 39-0 and a title defense, Senior Writer Bruce Heflinger has all the information from week one.
- Division I - Olentangy Berlin HS
- Division II - Marlington HS
- Division III - Eastwood HS
- Division IV - Berlin Hiland HS
Ontario
On Friday, March 29, the Prep Baseball Ontario staff held the Spring Future Games Trials and Pitcher-Only Future Games Trails. The event gives those eligible an opportunity to be invited to the Future Games and Senior Future Games in July at LakePoint Sports in Emerson, Georgia. From Assistant Director, Prep Baseball Canada Cam Black-Araujo and staff, below is the collected data from the events.
- Pitcher-Only Data Dive
- Spring Future Games Trials - Statistical Analysis
- Spring Future Games Trials - Hitting Data Dive
- Spring Future Games Trials - Pitching Data Dive
WHAT’S TRENDING
2024 Draft Board: Prep Top 10s
— Prep Baseball (@prepbaseball) April 3, 2024
🔋 by: @S2Cognition
ICYM the top 🔟 prep shortstops, outfielders, RHPs & LHPs on our #MLBDraft board, featuring numerous Prep Baseball All-Americans, Future Gamers, and Super 60 alumni. @PBR_DraftHQ 📈
📊 https://t.co/3smlGsxMno | @ShooterHunt pic.twitter.com/Dd1WSZXGsu
🚨 @Go_Rout 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 🚨
— Prep Baseball (@prepbaseball) April 3, 2024
How can players get more looks from scouts and recruiters? Hear it from former professional scouts Adam Bourassa and Prep Baseball's Steve Nielsen on April 17th. Register here! 👇
🖇️ https://t.co/xZNsiNljtd | #GoRout pic.twitter.com/31IMQKwbUk
📚 ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕡 𝔹𝕒𝕤𝕖𝕓𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕋𝕖𝕔𝕙 𝔼𝕕: 𝔾𝕣𝕚𝕡 𝕊𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕙 🤝
— Prep Baseball (@prepbaseball) April 2, 2024
From the 2024 #Super60, see which prospects led the event in grip strength, plus a breakdown of the information we gathered on how it impacts the game.
🔗 https://t.co/BNk3IGl1PP | @ShooterHunt pic.twitter.com/Nkbhy36kRL