TEXAS - On January 7th, we continued our 2024 Preseason with the North Houston Preseason ID at The John Cooper School. The day started off by the players running a 60, then taking batting practice, followed by  throwing from their defensive positions.. Following defense, Pitchers threw bullpens, where TrackMan data was recorded. Today, we take a look at some of the standouts from the day.

+ FULL STAT SHEET

Tanner Drda RHP / OF / Memorial, TX / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 83 / POS: 22 The best bullpen of the preseason so far belongs to Drda. The 6-2 righty from Memorial HS showed an electric 4 pitch mix.  His 4 seam was 87-88 with good life, and he commanded it in the zone well. He also threw a sinker that was really good, and had IVM numbers under 5’’. He also threw a slider and change up that both showed above average potential. The slider has good shape and while the change is a little firm, it has serious sinking action. Drda has broad shoulders and a strong build, I expect the velo numbers to continue to rise.

Jack Henning SS / 3B / Houston Christian, TX / 2024 Rankings  StateRank: 246 / POS: 41 Henning had the best round of BP on the day. He showed good rhythm in the batter’s box, with not a lot of wasted movement, and it allowed him to be on time consistently and show off his plus bat speed. He had a max exit velocity of 101.7.  Henning shows pull side power, and the ability to hit the ball with authority to all fields. In the field, Henning handled his infield work well, and profiles best as a 3rd baseman at the next level. Overall, a really good day for Henning.

Jackson Pullen SS / 3B / Lumberton, TX / 2025 Pullen does everything on the field well, and he showed that again on Sunday. The right handed hitting infielder from Lumberton had a solid day across the board, starting with his rounds of BP. Pullen does a good job of barreling up the baseball consistently and using the whole field. He has a minimal stride and does a good job of staying balanced and using his quick hands to generate hard contact. In the field, Pullen is steady with the glove and moves well to both sides.  He profiles best at 2nd or 3rd at the next level.  Pullen continues to impress.

Chase Bradley C / OF / The Woodlands , TX / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 72 / POS: 9 The 2022 JFG member was sharp on Sunday. The sophomore backstop is one of the better defenders behind the plate in his class. He is an elite receiver and does a really good job handling his pitchers.  He had a pop time best of 1.96 and continues to improve his times. At the plate, Bradley shows some pull side power and the ability to impact the baseball to all fields. There is still some length in the swing, but when he stays connected, Bradley can do damage.

Auston Ware OF / LHP / Clear Springs, TX / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 122 / POS: 24 Ware continues to show loud tools when I see him. The bouncy athlete from Clear Springs HS had another good day on Sunday. He started his day by running a 6.89 60 on a cooler day.  He then showed off his plus arm with an outfield velo of 94 mph. His speed/arm combo makes him an asset patrolling centerfield. At the plate, Ware swings from the left side and shows good bat speed with a whippy barrel through the zone. He consistently is in the low to mid 90’s with his exit velo, and has plenty of room to add strength on his frame.  Ware continues to elevate his stock each time I see him.

Brady Harris SS / 2B / Lake Creek, TX / 2027  One of the cleaner and more fundamental days belonged to Harris. The freshman from Lake Creek had a solid day.  The middle infielder does everything well, he can handle any ground ball up the middle, can throw from different angles, and has a dependable glove.  As the strength comes, he will have enough arm to stay at short.  Same thing goes for him at the plate, while he lacks strength right now, the swing, and  consistent contact are going to make big strides when he starts to get stronger.  Harris will continue to make big jumps as he gets more physical.

Charlie Heard C / 3B / John Cooper, TX / 2027 Heard was a participant in last year’s Jr. Future Games, and the talented freshman backstop looked good again on Sunday. Heard is a good receiver behind the plate, and can also block up the baseball well.  He has strong wrists, and can handle velocity with ease. He has a good arm that will continue to get better. His pop times ranged from 2.08-2.18, and he showed an accurate arm. At the plate, Heard shows power potential from the right side. He has good bat speed and strong wrists, allowing him to get the barrel through the zone with authority.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see Heard make some noise his freshman season.

Hunter Kocurek C / OF / Northside Falcons - Home School, TX / 2025 One of the better overall days belonged to Kocurek.  The junior backstop showed well on both sides of the ball. Behind the plate, his pop times were right around 2.0 and showed avg. arm strength.  He received well during the pens, and looks to be a quality defender behind the plate. Kocurek looked good in the box as well, his blast numbers were super impressive, with a max bat speed of 73.3 and a max rotational acceleration of 34.3. Those numbers helped him drive the ball with authority to his pullside.  Overall, a really nice day for Hunter.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE	STATE	DATE	LOCATION
Waco Preseason ID	TX	01/13	McLennan CC
North Dallas Preseason ID	TX	01/14	Lake Dallas High School
Houston Preseason ID	TX	01/15	Rice University - Reckling Park

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