Adam Akin
Director of Scouting


The 2016 Knights Baseball PBR Day took place on Sunday, September 25 at Dave Hall Field on the campus of Columbia State Community College and included a position player workout, followed by bullpens for the pitchers. Players were afforded the opportunity to showcase their abilities to the PBR Tennessee staff and college coaches in attendance. The following is our evaluation of every position player from the 2018 graduating class that participated in the action.

 

Outfielders

Matt McCurry, OF, Siegel, 2018
60 Time: 7.20, Position Velocity:  OF-82, Exit Velocity: 84
5-foot-10, 165-pound, RHH hits from a wider and even stance with pretty still hands before his shorter and early stride, smooth lowering and push back of his hands is used to complete his load, lower half gets through but can come forward and keep him a little tall at times, hands drop into a good slot and produce a flat to slightly uphill swing path through the zone that provides constant contact and the ability to drive the ball toward the gaps, gamer. Defensively, showed average hands and footwork as he played through the ball but wasn’t always as aggressive as he could have been, fielded some balls on the ground with both hands, longer arm action came through a high ¾ slot.  McCurry earned a spot on Tennessee’s Border Battle Games team with his performance. 

Ben Coulthard, RHP/OF, MBA, 2018
60 Time: 7.28, Position Velocity:  OF-84, Exit Velocity: 88
6-foot-3, 170-pound, RHH hits from a narrow and even stance with tall posture, uses a long stride with an almost circular movement down and back with his hands to get loaded, lower half was initiated with his stride and usually did a good job of getting his backside through, bat path was flat through the zone but showed a little stiffness at times, showed ability to get the barrel to the ball.  Defensively, he showed above average hands and good footwork in the outfield, gets behind the balls and times it with short choppy steps to play through it smoothly, an immediate and low exchange leads to firm throws from a long arm action through an over-the-top slot.

Connor Patton, RHP/OF, Ravenwood, 2018
60 Time: 7.14, Position Velocity:  OF-81, Exit Velocity: 85
6-foot-2, 170-pound, RHH hits from a balanced and slightly open stance, uses an abbreviated leg kick with a short and quick stride with some very subtle movement back with his hands to get loaded, lower half fires pretty well and helps to get his backside through the zone, stays behind the ball well but can lose a little balance at times, swing plane usually starts out a little steep and flattens out but hands showed ability to drop into a good slot and produce a flat to slightly uphill path through the zone, squared a few balls up toward the gaps in BP, should add some power soon.  Defensively, showed above average hands and good footwork in the outfield, played through the ball aggressively and athletically, clean exchange led to a long arm action through a high ¾ to over-the-top slot. 

Jackson Walker, RHP/OF, Brentwood, 2018
60 Time: 7.14, Position Velocity:  OF-81, Exit Velocity: 83
6-foot-2, 145-pound, RHH hits from a balanced and even stance with some rhythmic pre-pitch movement with his hands, uses a normal stride with a slight lowering and push back of his hands to get loaded, lower half starts but struggles to get through the zone consistently, stays fairly tall, swing plane is pretty flat and showed a little lift at the end, athletic build, showed a lot of potential and room to grow into his body, squared some balls up in BP.  Defensively, showed average hands and footwork in the outfield, played to and through the ball pretty well but didn’t continue that through his throws, used a longer arm action than we’ve seen from him in the past through a high ¾ release point, throws had decent carry and accuracy.

Garrett Smith, OF, Brentwood Acad, 2018
60 Time: 7.08, Position Velocity:  OF-72, Exit Velocity: 88
6-foot-2, 175-pound, RHH hits from a somewhat wide and slightly closed stance with some quiet hand movement before the pitch, uses a short stride and nothing more than a slight barrel tilt to get loaded, lower half got through but came with the hands and wasn’t able to create as much torque or separation as possible, swing plane is flat with some lift on pitches up in the zone but can be steep toward balls that are down, started slow but ended his round with a little bit of pop on balls toward the left-center gap. Defensively, showed decent hands and footwork as he got behind the ball and played through it pretty cleanly in the outfield, wasn’t as aggressive as he could’ve been, longer arm action came through a high ¾ slot.

Cal Burgett, LHP / OF, Mt. Juliet, 2018
60 Time: 7.33, Position Velocity:  OF-82, Exit Velocity: 79
5-foot-10, 155-pound, LHH hits from a balanced and mostly even stance, uses a smooth and timed stride that is a little different than the slight toe tap we have seen in the past and some minimal hand movement up and back to get loaded, lower half pulls him forward more than it gets his backside through and can cause him to drag his bat at times, bat path is steep into the zone, cut through some balls with backspin in his round of BP. Defensively, showed pretty good hands and footwork in making a consistent effort to play through the ball, stays under control and can seem methodical at times, chest high exchange leads to a fairly long arm action through a high ¾ release point.

Jack Gammer, RHP/OF, Page, 2018
60 Time: 7.91, Position Velocity:  OF-73, Exit Velocity: 76
6-foot-0, 180-pound, RHH hits from a wide and even stance with his toes pointed slightly outward to begin with, uses a very short and late stride with a simply lowering and slight push back of his hands to get loaded, lower half doesn’t quite get through to create the separation he needs and can cause him to come around the ball, stays forward and taller, swing path is mostly flat to slightly upward through the zone, hit quite a few ground balls to the left side in BP. Defensively, sits back a little too much, initially, but does make an effort to play through the ball, could continue his momentum a little more through his throws, longer arm action comes through a ¾ slot.

First Basemen

Wesley Jennings, 1B, Warren County, 2018
60 Time: 7.44, Position Velocity:  IF-59, Exit Velocity: 73
5-foot-10, 170-pound, RHH hits from a balanced and slightly open stance with some relatively high hand positioning, uses an abbreviated leg kick and longer stride with some lowering of his hands to get loaded, lower half works pretty well and certainly gets his hips cleared through, hands drop down into a good slot and come through the zone on a very flat plane with some lift toward the end, produced some pretty solid and low line drives during BP.  Defensively, showed average hands and footwork around the bag, didn’t play through the ball as well as he could’ve, short exchange and arm action came through a high ¾ slot, arm strength can improve.

Jared Culp, LHP/1B, Karns, 2018
60 Time: 7.90, Position Velocity:  IF-75, Exit Velocity: 76
6-foot-3, 175-pound, LHH hits from a balanced and even stance with some very upright posture and quiet hands, uses an abbreviated leg kick and short stride with some subtly hand movement back to get loaded, lower half comes forward but doesn’t always clear itself completely to create the separation he could get, bat path is steep into  and through the zone, improving strength could help a lot but did produce some line drives toward right-center in BP.  Defensively, showed above average hands and footwork around the bag, played through the ball okay and used a longer arm action through a high ¾ slot to get the ball across the infield.

Middle Infielders

Jake Rucker, SS, Pope John Paul II, 2018
60 Time: 6.87, Position Velocity:  IF-84, Exit Velocity: 89
6-foot-1, 165-pound, RHH hits from a balance and slightly open stance, uses a leg kick and a short stride with a smooth lowering and push back of his hands to get loaded, lower half fires very well to create separation and get his hips cleared, backside hitter can sit back at times, bat path is flat through the zone with lift at the end, Future Games participant showed well all summer and didn’t stop here, drove balls from gap to gap with some pop.  Defensively, showed smooth hands and footwork in playing through the ball from the shortstop position, uses athleticism to make any play around the infield, clean exchange and strong throws come through a high ¾ slot, one of the best uncommitted players in the state of Tennessee. 

Zac Lemerand, SS, Oakland, 2018
60 Time: 6.90, Position Velocity:  IF-77, Exit Velocity: 87
5-foot-10, 145-pound, RHH hits from a narrow and open stance with some higher initial hand positioning, uses a smooth stride and rhythmic hand movement back to get loaded, lower half explodes to create good separation and torque throughout his swing, can finish on back heel too much at times, Future Games and Border Battle participant has a flat to slightly uphill swing path that provides him much more pop than most players of his size, has ability to hit the ball everywhere.  Defensively, showed smooth hands and footwork around the infield, plays through the ball with confidence, clean exchange leads to a loose arm action through a ¾ slot, one of the fastest players there. 

Noah Bean, SS, Grundy County, 2018
60 Time: 6.90, Position Velocity:  IF-74, Exit Velocity: 88
5-foot-10, 175-pound, RHH hits from a wider and slightly open stance with his front foot turned in and his hands in a relatively high position, uses a very abbreviated leg kick and a short stride with a lowering of his hands to get loaded, lower half tends to come with his hands and doesn’t provide as much separation as possible, bat path is mostly flat through the zone, strong kid gets a little muscly at times, hit some hard balls in BP.  Defensively, showed above average hands and good footwork  to play through the ball, quick exchange led to a short arm action through a high ¾ slot to get the ball across the infield, one of the fastest kids at the event.

Garrett Harvey, SS, Siegel, 2018
60 Time: 7.30, Position Velocity:  IF-79, Exit Velocity: 82
6-foot-0, 165-pound, RHH hits from a balanced and upright stance with even alignment, uses a very abbreviated leg kick and a short stride with some subtle movement back and a barrel tilt with his hands to get loaded, lower half creates good separation but doesn’t always clear his backside through the zone, bat path begins steep but flattens out with some slight lift at the end, pulled balls on the ground but showed ability to drive balls toward the right-center gap.  Defensively, showed good hands and footwork in the infield, clean exchange took an extra step to get rid of the ball through a high ¾ to over-the-top slot, athletic.

Trevor Eidson, SS, Homeschool, 2018
60 Time: 7.56, Position Velocity:  IF-71, Exit Velocity: 72
5-foot-11, 160-pound, RHH hits from a taller and more upright position with a narrow stance and his hands up by his head to start, uses an early and short stride with some slight hand movement back and  a barrel tilt to get loaded, lower half works but doesn’t quite get fully cleared at times and can cause him to come around the ball, can get armsy, showed the ability to hit some the other way but pulled a lot of balls with low trajectory.  Defensively, showed average hands and footwork, played through the ball okay, used a lower exchange to lead to a short arm action through a high ¾ slot.

Third Basemen

Shawn Wallwork, 3B, Independence, 2018
60 Time: 7.39, Position Velocity:  IF-67, Exit Velocity: 82
6-foot-1, 190-pound, LHH hits from an upright and open stance with some higher initial hand positioning, uses an abbreviated leg kick with a long stride and a movement back with his hands to get loaded, lower half is initiated by his stride and gets through very well, comes forward a little much at times, bat path begins a little steep on pitches down but flattens out with some lift and drives through the pitches up, attacks the ball, hit some hard line drives up the middle in BP with the ability to hit spray it all over.  Defensively, showed pretty good hands and average footwork at the corner, could’ve been more aggressive, shorter arm action came through a high ¾ slot.

Miller Freeman, RHP/3B, MBA, 2018
60 Time: 7.45, Position Velocity:  IF-69, Exit Velocity: 82
6-foot-1, 160-pound, RHH hits from a wide and slightly open stance with some relatively high hand positioning, uses an abbreviated leg kick with a stride and a subtle tilt of the barrel to get loaded, lower half works but doesn’t quite get all the way through for him, bat path is steep into the zone but flattens out a little bit, could’ve been more consistent but showed the ability to drive the ball well when he got extended through it.  Defensively, showed average hands and footwork at the corner, could play through the ball better, uses a glove pat in his exchange to a long arm action through a ¾ release point to get the ball across the infield.

Catchers

Kaden Dreier, C, Brentwood, 2018
60 Time: 7.64, Pop Time: 1.97-2.04, Position Velocity:  C-79, Exit Velocity: 86
6-foot-2, 190-pound, RHH hits from a balanced and slightly open stance with some relaxed pre-pitch hand movement, uses a leg kick and a long stride with hand movement up and back to get loaded, lower half fires well and gets his backside through although coming forward a little much at times, bat path is steep through the zone and forces some ground balls, Future Games and Border Battle participant had a good round of BP with some line drives up the middle and a couple in the gap.  Defensively, showed soft hands and good footwork that can get quicker, clean exchange and short arm action through a high ¾ slot got balls to 2B with good accuracy.

Beaux Escobar, C, Independence, 2018
60 Time: 7.60, Pop Time: 1.99-2.03, Position Velocity:  C-68, Exit Velocity: 86
5-foot-11, 190-pound, SHH hits from a the same balanced and open stance we saw from him at the Underclass Games a couple of months ago, begins with some high hand positioning that comes down and back with a pretty normal but longer stride to get loaded, lower half is a little more explosive from the left side but works well from both, bat path is a little steep but flattens out with some lift at the end, swing is almost identical from both sides, showed an ability to hit the ball anywhere on the field with some power potential from the left side.  Defensively, showed improved quickness with good hands and footwork behind the plate, short and quick arm action came from an over-the-top slot, if arm strength improved he would shoot quickly onto a lot of radars. 

James Coyle, C, Hillwood, 2018
60 Time: 8.28, Pop Time: 1.91-1.98, Position Velocity:  C-75, Exit Velocity: 71
5-foot-10, 160-pound, RHH hits from a wide and even stance with some pretty high hand positioning to begin, uses a leg kick with a short stride and a lowering and push back of his hands to get loaded, lower half fires early and gets through the zone, over-rotates on occasion, bat path is flat through the zone but can be a little stiff, hit a few line drives and produces best when he stays up the middle.  Defensively, showed average hands and good footwork behind the plate, quick exchange and short arm action through a high ¾ to over-the-top slot to get balls to 2B, popped some consistent sub 2.0 times, got a little wild at the end.

Blake Schmitt, C, Page, 2018
60 Time: 7.78, Pop Time: 2.08-2.15, Position Velocity:  C-68, Exit Velocity: 80
5-foot-11, 155-pound, LHH hits from a wider and slightly open stance with some higher hand positioning to start with, uses a very abbreviated leg kick with a short and closing stride with a tilt of the barrel to get loaded, lower half works but has trouble fully clearing his hips because of his closed position, swing plane is a little steep into the zone because of his hand height but showed lift at the end, showed potential to grow into some power with driven balls to right field in BP.  Defensively, showed good hands and footwork behind the plate, higher exchange led to a short arm action through an over-the-top release point, accurate throws to 2B, should improve arm strength with time.

James Rosen, C, Brentwood Academy, 2018
60 Time: 7.32, Pop Time: 2.04-2.07, Position Velocity:  C-71, Exit Velocity: 81
5-foot-10, 175-pound, RHH his from a balanced and wider stance with even alignment, uses a short and quick stride that sometimes comes a little late with a sudden push back of his hands to get loaded, lower half is almost fully rotational as he spins on his backside, bat path is very flat through the zone and can stay through balls up or down, hit some line drives around the field in BP.  Defensively, showed above average hands and footwork behind the plate, quick and high exchange led to a short arm action from over-the-top, fell off slightly toward 3B on his throws.