Follow @PBRTennessee

By Matt Byrd
TN Director of Scouting

The Preseason All-State Showcase took place on February 7 at Showtime Sports Academy in Franklin and proved to be the most talented group of players we have assembled since we began running events in the state in August.

The following is a look at the middle infielders who participated in the event. This is position player analysis only. Those middle infielders who also pitched at the event has their pitching evaluation featured in a previous article.

class of 2016

JoJo Allen, 2016, R/R, Kenwood HS, SS
The 6-foot, 187-pound SS ran a 6.94 60-yard dash time and had an 87 mph position velocity across the infield. Defensively Allen had soft hands and fluid footwork, showed short arm action and a clean exchange, can be more aggressive at times and get rid of the ball quicker, showed natural instincts and good athletic ability, best tool was his arm strength, Allen has a chance to be a true SS. At the plate Allen had an athletic setup with a leg kick involved,  line drive type hitter with gap to gap power potential, quick hands, hands get extended behind body at times lengthening swing, has the tools to be a high-level player.

Noah Sims, 2016, R/R, Sycamore HS, SS
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound SS ran a 6.90 60-yard dash time and had an 86 mph position velocity across the infield. Defensively Sims showed loose arm action and good arm strength, had soft hands and fluid footwork with a clean exchange, Sims showed the ability to throw accurately from multiple arm slots. At the plate Sims had an athletic/balanced setup with a short stride, had an 82 mph exit velocity off the tee, showed good balance and an aggressive approach at the plate, is a gap to gap type hitter with flashes of power, swing can get a little long but gets the barrel through the zone with quick hands, good size and athleticism.

Tyler Maskill, 2016, R/R, Beech HS, SS
The 5-foot-11, 145-pound SS showed some projectability and recorded a 6.97 60 yard dash time, Defensively Maskill showed good potential and quick instincts, had soft hands and fluid footwork with loose arm action, recorded a 83 mph position velocity. At the plate Maskill recorded an 80 mph exit velocity time off the tee, showed a balanced setup with a short stride, had good balance and average bat speed, is a line drive type hitter, Maskill showed potential in all areas of his game and will keep improving as he continues to get stronger.

Chris Rodriguez, 2016, R/R, Blackman HS, 2B
The 5-foot-10, 178-pound infielder ran a 7.50 60-yard dash time, and had an 87 mph tee exit velocity, Rodriguez hit from a balanced setup with a leg kick trigger and short stride, showed good bat speed and is a potential gap to gap type hitter with some pop, swing path creates some lift. Defensively Rodriguez showed soft hands with an accurate arm across the infield. Continuing to work on speed and quickness will bode well for him to play middle infield at the next level.

Lakhari Parker, 2016, R/R, East Nashville HS, 2B
The 6-foot, 195-pound 2B ran a 7.69 60-yard dash time and had a 68 mph position velocity across the infield. Defensively Parker showed playable hands with a long exchange, threw from a side arm to low-3/4 slot, needs to improve on arm strength and overall quickness as a middle infielder. At the plate Parker hit from an open stance and had a long stride, Parker had fair balance and had a longer swing path, showed some bat speed with 84 mph exit velocity off the tee.

class of 2017

Bryce Hodge, 2017, R/R, Halls HS, SS
The 6-foot-1, 188-pound SS ran a 7.44 60-yard dash time and had a 77 mph position velocity across the infield. Defensively Hodge had soft hands and fluid footwork, showed natural instincts and a clean exchange, needs to improve on side to side quickness. At the plate Hodge hit from a balanced setup with a leg kick involved, showed good balance and fast bat speed, had good extension and has the ability to hit for power, Hodge had an exit velocity off the tee of 89mph, Hodge showed good projectability.

Chandler Schultz, 2017, R/R, Ensworth HS, SS
The 5-foot-11, 155-pound infielder recorded a 7.66 60-yard dash time and an 80 mph position velocity, Defensively  Schultz showed playable hands and fluid footwork, showed natural instincts and good arm strength with accurate throws. At the plate Schultz hit from a balanced setup and had a short stride, showed average bat speed with an 80 mph exit velocity off the tee. Schultz showed some projectability and needs to continue to improve on his speed and quickness as a middle infielder.

Taylor Lawson, 2017, R/R, Grace Christian,2B
The 5-foot-7, 153-pound infielder showed good athletic ability and ran a 7.20 60-yard dash time, Defensively Lawson showed soft hands and natural instincts, Lawson had fluid footwork and threw from a side arm slot, had a 73 mph position velocity. At the plate, Lawson recorded an 83 mph exit velocity off the tee, showed an open setup with a short stride, showed good bat speed with a solid approach, Lawson is a line drive type hitter.

Trey Ferguson, 2017, R/R, Ravenwood HS, SS
The 5-foot-11, 165-pound SS ran a 7.32 60-yard dash time and showed some projectability, in the field Ferguson showed soft hands and natural instincts, had fluid footwork and a clean exchange, has some room to improve on getting rid of the ball quicker, recorded  a 72 mph position velocity across the infield. At the plate Ferguson an 84 mph exit velocity off of the tee and showed above average bat speed, Ferguson hit from an athletic setup with a short stride and good balance, showed to be a line drive type hitter, needs to improve on his strength and getting more use from his lower half, has a good foundation and should continue to make strides with physical strength gains.

Ethan Tressler, 2017, R/R, Davidson Academy, 2B
The 5-foot-10, 165-pound infielder ran a 7.63 60-yard dash time and had a position velocity of 77 mph across the infield. Defensively Tressler showed good arm strength, playable hands and natural instincts, There is some room to improve on his footwork and working through the ball. At the plate Tressler had an open setup with a short stride, brings front foot back in load, showed above average bat speed, had a tendency to drop his hands at times, showed an increase in exit velocity from previous event at 83 mph, line drive type hitter.

Ty Wooton, SS, R/R, Harding Academy, 2017
5-foot-10, 180-pound prospect ran a 7.59 60-yard dash and had a position velocity of 75 mph across the infield. Defensively Wooton showed soft hands and works through the baseball well, short ¾ release, accurate throws. At the plate, hits from a wide base, short stride, good balance throughout swing, consistently squared the ball up in his round, line drive type hitter, registered an 83 mph exit velocity off the tee.

James Bailliez, 2017, R/R, Stewarts Creek HS, 2B
The 5-foot-11, 183-pound 2B ran a 7.10 60-yard dash time and had a position velocity of 76 mph across the infield, Defensively Bailliez showed average hands and short arm action, showed fluid footwork and quick exchange, has room to improve on fielding the ball out front with smoother actions. At the plate Bailliez showed some bat speed with an exit velocity off the tee of 84 mph, Bailliez likes to hit from an open setup and had a short stride, has room for more extension through contact on his swing, has pull-side tendencies and flashes occasional power.

class of 2018

Kameron Patrizi, 2018, R/R, Bolton HS, 2B
The 5-foot-6, 165-pound infielder ran a 7.58 60-yard dash time and had a 67 mph position velocity across the infield. Defensively Patrizi showed average hands, showed long arm action and a long exchange, young prospect should continue to improve overall arm strength. At the plate Patrizi had a 78 mph exit velocity off of the tee, hits from a balanced setup and had a short stride, minimal load. Patrizi showed average bat speed and once he continues to get stronger his game will continue to develop, both offensively and defensively.