On October 14^th, the University of Kentucky hosted some of the top 2021’s from the states of Tennessee and Kentucky to play against each other.  Players did their defensive evaluations at 8 AM, followed up by a 16 and a half inning game.  After the game, the players took BP and recorded their exit velocities indoors.  The weather had an impact on the day, as temperatures hovered in the mid to high 40’s with consistent cloud cover and consistent light to moderate rainfall.  Many of the pitchers and position players have posted better measurables during the summer and this fall in better conditions, which makes the big numbers posted by some of the players jump out even more.  And it is necessary to add the caveat that hitters went through exit velocity testing after a nearly 5-hour day on the field in near freezing conditions

CLICK HERE to view the stats for all players who participated at the Border Battle on the Tennessee side.

TOP PITCHING VELOCITIES 

86 – Peyton Smith, RHP, East Robertson, 2021
84 – Jay Dill, RHP, Baylor, 2021
83 – Jared Vetetoe, C/RHP, Davidson Academy, 2021
83 – Colby Reynolds, RHP Carter, 2021

- Smith was the final arm to toe the rubber and was electric in his inning of work, adding some necessary heat to a long day in the cold.  The 6-2, 181-pound righty pitched consistently 83-85 w/ a super loose arm and projectable frame to go with feel for two projectable above average pitches in his 71-72 SL and 77-78 CH. 

TOP EXIT VELOCITIES

88 – Jalen Wirtz, RHP/3B, Station Camp, 2021
88 – Richmond Roberts, 1B, Davidson Academy, 2021
87 – Kyle Magrans, OF/RHP, Clarksville, 2021
85 – Keaton Ray, OF, Rhea County, 2021
85 – Jackson Cauthron, C, Siegel, 2021

- Two physical corner infielders paced the field in exit velocity.  Wirtz, a 6-4, 180-pounder, stood out for his super projectable frame and may project best on the mound, where he was up to 82 with a long and loose arm action to pair w/ a swing and miss breaking ball that helped him strike out 3 in 2 innings with 5 swing and misses on 12 swings.  Roberts, a strongly built 6-1, 215-pounder, had a loud BP with chance for all fields power while showing some loud contact in game with the ability to generate consistent contact, swinging and missing just once on 9 swings.

 TOP OF VELOCITIES 

86 – Kyle Magrans, OF/RHP, Clarksville, 2021
83 – Keaton Ray, OF, Rhea County, 2021
81 – Nathan Barksdale, OF, Clarksville, 2021
81 – Hunter Merrick, OF/LHP, Farragut, 2021 

- Magrans may have shown off the best all-around raw tools at the event, highlighted by his performance to start the day in the OF.  The physical 6-2, 195-pounder projects to be a monster physically and profiles best in RF, where he showed off his easy carry through target arm strength and athleticism to profile as an above average defender.  Offensively, he featured an 87 exit velocity and had a loud BP with the barrel whipping through the zone.  

TOP IF VELOCITIES 

80 – Parker Evans, SS, Farragut, 2021
79 – Sawyer Watts, SS/RHP, Pope John Paul II, 2021

- Infielders were the most hurt by the conditions for the defensive evaluations, as the rain caused a slick surface and made it difficult for the middle infielders to plant and drive as they normally do.  But, that did not stop Parker Evans from recording an 80 mile per hour velocity across the diamond.  The SS showed soft hands and solid footwork and the arm swing to continue developing velocity as the frame matures.  In game, the SS picked up a hit and a couple walks while showing zero swing and miss on 3 swings.

TOP C POP TIMES 

2.00-2.03 – Blake Barton, C/IF, Grace Christian Academy, 2021
2.00-2.06 – Gates Shoemaker, C/3B, Baylor, 2021
2.09-2.15 – Jared Vetetoe, C/RHP, Davidson Academy, 2021

- Barton had a strong all-around day, picking up a couple hits, a walk and a sacrifice fly while pacing the catchers in overall pop time and in catch and throw consistency.  The athletic catcher shows the footwork, arm strength and repeatability of his throws to profile as an above average catch and throw guy.  Offensively, he shows the simple swing and gap to gap line drive approach to be a tough out.  He is one you notice at the field consistently, as he is vocal and leads the team, which profiles well for catching.

TOP HOME TO FIRST TIMES

4.34 – Connor Jurek, OF, CAK, 2021
4.41 – Nathan Barksdale, OF, Clarksville, 2021
4.53 – Keaton Ray, OF, Rhea County, 2021
4.56 – Jared Vetetoe, C/RHP, Davidson Academy, 2021

- There were no formal run times ran due to the weather, so all run times recorded were in game.  Jurek paced the runners, showing an ability to get to top speed quickly and showing the potential to profile in CF, as he moved much better than he had at the East TN event a couple weeks ago.  The OF picked up a walk in game and delivered a barrel in game while having a strong BP w/ barrel feel.