Burton's Scout Blog: 4/22/24
April 22, 2024
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Great Bridge
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Brody Comparto 2B / Great Bridge, VA / 2026
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Casey Cuddyer SS / Great Bridge, VA / 2026Long and lanky frame with room to fill. The athleticism this year shows up much better than last. Last year it was if he was trying to catch up with a growth spurt or the body had grown so quickly that he needed time to adapt. I guess a bit unorthodox at times is the best way to put it. This year everything just looks so much more in sync. Since last year, every time we see him, he hits. This year was no different. Bat to ball, line drives, ground balls, spray it around, and the occasional doubles. With him being so young and having some really nice feel to hit, you just think about what could be once he starts to really fill out. Obviously the genes are there and one would think that he will only continue to add polish. Defensively, last year I saw him play third and this year short. Like the offense, he just looks so much more comfortable in his body and with his overall game. One play in particular stood out. Middle innings groundball just to his forehand side, he stayed outside of the ball, let his hands work, pushed through a groundball, and set up his throw with his feet and angle of approach. I liked that he stayed outside to read the hop and trusted his hands on the play. A lot of infielders come attack that ball and get moving too fast, not getting the hop they want, or get more direct and catch it underneath with no flow working into the throw. He has a feel for the pace of plays. As the body matures and fills out, I expect the impact at the plate to follow.
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Andrew Griffin 2B / OF / Great Bridge, VA / 2026
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Dawson Newman LHP / OF / Great Bridge , VA / 2024
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Western Branch
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Gavin Biernot LHP / 1B / Western Branch, VA / 2024
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Eli Carroll OF / Western Branch, VA / 2025
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Seth Sadler 2B / SS / Western Branch , VA / 2024
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Payton Tone 1B / RHP / Western Branch , VA / 2024
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Jacob Wright OF / OF / Western Branch, VA / 2024
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Joshua Wright SS / 2B / Western Branch, VA / 2024
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St. Anne's Belfield
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Alex Bingler LHP / OF / St Anne's Belfield, VA / 2024The JMU commit dominated from start to finish. Mostly fastballs during this outing, but did turn to the curveball when guys seemed to be getting on the fastball, or was working deeper into counts. When he went to it, he had a really solid feel for the zone with the 1/7 offering and with his very sporadic us of it, hitters were definitely uncomfortable when it was thrown. The fastball was 86-88 early on and held pretty well throughout. By the seventh inning, Bingler was holding 84-87 and still running the fastball away from the right handed heavy lineup. Sixteen strikeouts during the course of his complete game, no hit shutout bid.
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Oscar Hickey CF / RHP / St. Anne's-Belfield, VA / 2026
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Charlie Pausic SS / 2B / Saint Anne's Belfield, VA / 2024
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Ryan Steeper RHP / 1B / St. Annes-Belfield, VA / 2026
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Brandon Thomas 3B / RHP / St. Anne's-Belfield, VA / 2024
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Will Yow SS / RHP / Saint Anne's-Belfield, VA / 2026Long and thin frame. Did not register a hit on the day, but was in play every at bat, including a solid barrel to CF (video below). More importantly, Yow showed off his run tool on a ground ball to shortstop where he ran a 4.02 home to first. Did not have many chances at short on the day with Bingler punching out more than two-thirds of his registered outs.
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Trinity Episcopal
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Jalen German RHP / 1B / Trinity Episcopal , VA / 2026I have seen Jalen a handful of times over the past eight or so months. There have been a variety of outings, but most have been up and down during the course of the outing. This one was his most complete that I have seen, and to his credit, probably versus the best team that I have seen him face. The fastball held velo into the sixth inning, grabbing plenty of upper 80's in the fifth and sixth innings. More importantly he was in the zone early and maintained his ability to throw strikes throughout, as well as showed improved shape and feel for the slider.
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Lawson Mcleod RHP / 1B / Trinity Episcopal, VA / 2026
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St. Stephen's & St. Agnes
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Nick Foster C / 1B / St. Stephens St. Agnes, VA / 2024
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Oliver Miller RHP / 3B / Saint Stephens and Saint Agnes School, VA / 2024Tough and gritty outing for the senior right hander. Threw 5.2 innings for SSSAS on Saturday and made some big pitches in some big spots. Had only allowed two runs going into the sixth inning, but I think some fatigue set in and he was on the edge of pitch count before giving way to the next arm. Was low-mid 80's early on and used a breaking ball and changeup to keep hitters off balance. Thought he used the changeup very effectively in a few spots versus left handed hitters.
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Aiden Potholm SS / RHP / St. Stephens & St. Agnes, VA / 2025Started at short and then came on in relief for SSSAS. When he came on in relief the fastball was 78-81 mph for the first few hitters. At the plate Potholm had a couple of fly ball outs, as well as a walk. Is one of the top uncommitted positional players for the Saints.
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Owen Siegel SS / OF / St. Stephen's St. Agnes, VA / 2025Left handed hitter working out of the leadoff spot for the Saints. Wider base setup that is pretty square. Hands have some movement and rhythm pre-pitch. Above average bat speed and level path through the zone. Simple pick up and put down to stride and gets down on time. Had three groundouts to the right side of the infield.
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Greenbrier Christian
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Thomas Conrad OF / 1B / Greenbrier Christian, VA / 2025
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Hunter Langston 3B / RHP / Greenbrier Christian Academy , VA / 2025Langston came on in relief for GCA. Very short relief appearance for the junior right hander. Worked low 80's and showed some improved arm speed and athleticism in the delivery.
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Jackson Okonkwo 3B / RHP / Greenbrier Christian Academy, VA / 2025First time seeing the ODU commit in about a year. XL frame standing 6-foot-4, 195-pounds. Showed some solid bat to ball and strength at the plate. Used both sides of the field for his two hits on the night. Still slightly narrow and upright in his stance, but has cut down on the leg lift and simplified some of the pre-swing movements. Feel like the changes have created some more consistency in timing and ability to deliver the barrel on time. Above average bat speed and strength at contact.
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Tucker Rupe OF / LHP / Greenbrier Christian, VA / 2025
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Michael Urbaniak II C / 1B / Greenbrier Christian, VA / 2024
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Miller School
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Noah Gray OF / 2B / Miller School of Albemarle, VA / 2027
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Evan Hankins 1B / LHP / Miller School, VA / 2025Two games to take in on the current #1 2025 in the state. First game the Tennessee commit struggled a little bit. Swing got a little long and seemed to be trying to do a little too much at times, but he made a really nice adjustment in the second game. Felt like the intensity of the swing was dialed back just a bit and was much more under control, while maintaining his well above average bat speed. Strong physical left handed hitter that showed some bat to ball and hit tool in the second game. Did a really nice job using the middle of the field. One thing that may go unnoticed is his defensive ability at first base. Obivously his height and length make it a huge advantage for infielders, but he works so effortlessly around the bag. Picking some short throws, moving up and down the line on throws, and probably the thing he does best at first is his tag application. Makes every pick attempt, whether from the pitcher or catcher, look like an out. Lets the ball travel and carry him into the catch and tag. Again, something very small, but shows his aptitude for the game and the position.
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Dillon O'Connor RHP / Miller School, VA / 2025Another late appearance for O'Connor. Velo was very similar to our prior look, but he did show a slider in this one. Shape and feel for it still has room to grow, but it was much improved from our previous looks. Maybe a little more so than the shape, the junior right hander was able to land it for strikes and get some chases with it during this outing. Is certainly more control than command and simply needs to be over the plate with both pitches. The fastball has some late ride that allows him to get some whiffs in the zone.
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Gabe Proctor OF / RHP / Miller School, VA / 2025Long and lean 6-foot-4 frame. Had some big at bats in the nightcap. Was 2-3 with two line drive singles. Square setup, quiet load with more shoulder turn than hand load, and delivers a level path through the zone. Does a nice job staying behind contact and repeats the path well.
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John Michael Szefc SS / 2B / Miller School, VA / 2026We have talked about Szefc at length so not a ton more to add. The kid just hits. He has shown the ability to turn and burn on the occasional pitch, but is more hit for average type of guy with some doubles from gap to gap mixed in. Consistent path, bat to ball, and line drives sprayed around. Zone awareness and discipline are pretty solid for a hitter in his class. Does not swing and miss much and has the IQ to know when he needs to situationally hit. Works well around the bag with a quick and clean transfer on the pivot. What is next for the sophomore middle infielder? I think the areas to continue to grow will be in his physical strength, run tool, and arm strength. All of those areas have shown well at times, but in order for him to really take the next step in preparation for the next level, those are the three areas he has some room to grow. The "polish", IQ, and ability to perform in game have shown really well in my three games seeing him this spring.
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