By John Nolan
Assistant Director of Scouting

2014 Top Prospect Games participant and Loudoun Valley High School catcher Hunter Gore has verbally committed to attend Liberty University in the fall of 2016. Gore will follow his former teammates and 2015 Viking graduates Jack DeGroat and Sam Urban to Lynchburg. Gore, DeGroat, Urban, Trey McDyre, Andrew Lohr, and Justin Ager have formed the core of a Loudoun Valley team that won the 3A State Championship in 2014 and were the State Runners-Up in 2015. Gore, Ager (Yale), and McDyre will form a strong core next spring for the 2016 Vikings.

Gore has an athletic frame and a good strong build for a catcher. He hits from the left side with slightly open stance. He has a short, level stroke with good extension through the baseball. He has a good approach and drives the ball to all fields with gap power and he also has pull home run power. Defensively, his release is a bit slow but he has an outstanding arm and throws in the 1.93-2.06 range. He works very well with his pitchers, and saves mound visits for his coaches.

When he arrives at Liberty, Gore should immediately be capable of providing the Flames with a powerful lefthanded bat that could profile at first base or as a designated hitter if he doesn’t immediately win the catching job. As he develops, Gore profiles as a middle of the lineup power threat that will hit for a high average and will be a very good defensive catcher. He has the potential to develop into a Major League draft pick during his career.

Congratulations Hunter!