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Scout Blog - Lake Washington at Mercer Island

April 12, 2019
Dan Jurik
Scouting Director - Pacific Northwest

Mercer Island, WA - Both Lake Washington and Mercer Island feature deep, balanced line-ups. We had the chance to see them face off against each other in late March, as well as additional opportunities to seem them in brief looks against other squads. 

Lake Washington has an older, experienced line-up with a senior heavy influence. Mercer Island relies on some experienced players to get their offense going but also has an impressive collection of underclass arms with some intriguing potential. 

Lake Washington

‘19 Torin Montgomery, 1B, R/R, Boise State commit
Highly athletic frame with a lean, muscular build at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds. Above average athlete defense at 1b. Clean actions around the bag with solid footwork. Above average arm strength. Capable of making all the necessary throws. Resets feet with a quick pace while remaining balanced. Wide, slightly open stance at the plate. Keeps constant rhythm in his hands. Loads with a quick subtle leg lift. Hands stay back as he gets into landing, creating separation. Hits against a firm front side with considerable leverage in his frame. Impressive combination of height, bat speed and lift in swing that should lead to more power for him down the road. Gets around the ball at times but showed ability to make proper adjustments between AB’s. Plays with noticeable energy on the field and stays vocal throughout the game. Boise State commit.

‘19 I-Ly Hsue, 2B/SS, R/R, Colorado School of Mines commit
5-foot-11, 160 pounds with an athletic frame and average build. Seeing time at 2b presently but possesses the actions and arm strength capable of handling SS or 3b if needed. Light on his feet with above average range. Quick first step laterally with outstanding control of his glove hand. Loose, whippy throwing motion that projects to get strong with development. Quick, fluid hands on exchanges and feeds. Tall, upright stance at the plate. Minimal weight shift prior to getting into short, forward stride. Smooth, fluid swing with controlled effort. Level finish after contact with minimal lift. More of a spray/contact type of approach. Advanced approach with consistent pitch recognition skills. Above average runner once he gets underway. Committed to Colorado School of Mines (D2)

‘19 Ryan Macomber, LHP
6-foot-3, 185 pounds with a long, lanky build. High waisted frame that can handle additional weight. Stays tall on back leg during high, balanced leg kick. Has some drop and drive to motion as he gets into forward stride. Keeps level shoulder plane as he lands. Arm action has some extension after hand break but he shortens up and gets more compact prior to release. Works from ¾ slot. Competes with aggressive demeanor and attacks hitters with steady, 2-pitch mix. FB sat 77-81 and reached 83 early on. Relatively straight but with some sneaky life as it gets into the zone. CB is above average offering with sharp bite to its 2/7 shape. Velo ranged between 65-70. More control than command with both offerings. Controlled his energy well on this look and stayed composed while pitching out of some tough jams.

‘19 Nation Wood, OF, L/R, Saddleback CC commit
6-foot, 190 pounds. Strong, developed build to his frame. Defensively the actions are a bit raw in the OF but he compensates for it with exceptional strength. High ¾ release point with some stiffness to his arm action. Short, powerful strides when tracking the ball down. Narrow, upright stance at the plate. Keeps hands just below back shoulder with barrel pointed upwards. Flashes above average bat speed with strong, quick wrists at the point of contact. Works mostly to his pull-side. Showed some swing and miss in his game but also flashes enough power production to balance that out. Hard nosed type of player that competes with a high motor. Has the potential to develop into a potent, left-handed bat. Committed to Saddleback College (JUCO).


‘19 Travis Lee, SS/2B, R/R, Edmonds CC commit
6-foot-1, 175 pounds with a projectable frame and average build. Smooth, athletic defender at SS with easy actions. Works thru the ball with controlled tempo. Short, quick throwing motion with the ability to manipulate arm slot as needed. Quick handed on double-play exchanges and feeds. Arm shows consistent carry across the diamond with accurate ball flight. Hasn’t done much damage at the plate on the looks we’ve had but has shown the ability to get on-base and has  feel for the barrel. Stays tall and balanced throughout swing. Allows ball to travel into the zone, doesn’t get out in front or let hands drift away from his core. Level swing path capable of spraying contact from line to line. The contact skills should remain consistent and his offensive game could improve significantly as he gets stronger. Committed to Edmonds CC.
 

Mercer Island

‘19 Cole Miller, OF, R/R, Washington commit
5-foot-11, 180 pounds with a developed, athletic frame. Above average athlete in the OF. Covers ground with ease while showing closing speed on the ball. Clean arm action with consistent, accurate throws. Flashed an impressive run tool by clocking 8.27 on a stand-up 2B. In the box, routinely finds barrel while maintaining a selective approach. Doesn’t expand the zone but will jump on early strikes if he gets them. Balanced, relaxed stance with constant rhythm in his hands. Short, subtle stride. Front side stays in at landing. Keeps hands inside of the ball and doesn’t lose control of his barrel. Swing gets in the zone early and stays on plane thru contact. Presently more gap-to-gap type power. Possesses a balanced combination of tools with a high likelihood of tapping into his full potential as a player. One of the more consistent, reliable offensive performers we’ve seen this spring. Washington commit. 

‘19 Teague Conder, 3B, R/R, Whitman commit
Athletically built at 6-foot, 175 pounds. Moves well defensively at 3rd with sound, clean actions. Stays wide, balanced when fielding the ball into his throwing motion. Arm shows plenty of carry across the diamond. Hits with a wide set-up at the plate. Feet square to the pitcher, allowing front side to stay closed. Subtle weight shift before initiating swing. Fluid, easy swing with flat barrel path thru the zone. Level finish that produces more gap-to-gap type power. Flashed the ability to drive the ball to his oppo gap. Allows ball to travel, rarely gets caught out front. Recognizes spin and shows quality strike zone discipline throughout his AB. Whitman commit who looks poised to be a contributor early on in his college career.

‘19 Max Tanzer, C, R/R
Compact frame at 5-foot-6, 155 pounds. Proportionally built between upper and lower half with strength throughout. Dependable defensive backstop with clean catch and throw actions. Sets up low, presents a steady target and shows consistent receiving ability. Quick, short arm action with true carry on throws. Showed the ability to drive the ball at the plate with a strong, compact swing. Hands stay tight to the body and keep everything connected, allowing him to work inside of the ball and generate backspin. Hits with a mature, experienced approach. Reliable performer who does an exceptional job handling the pitching staff.

‘21 Nathan Buchan, OF, L/L
5-foot-10, 150 pounds with a strong, sturdy frame. Solid looking young player with balanced tools across the board. Looks best suited for corner OF. Accurate arm with high ¾ release. Showed consistent reads when tracking the ball. At the plate, already possesses a polished approach to go with smooth, level swing. Stays balanced with clean hitting actions. Maintains strike zone discipline. More gap to gap type ability but could tap into some power as he adds strength, especially to his pull-side.

‘20 Nate Wenzel, RHP/1B, R/R
6-foot-4, 185 pounds with a big, durable frame and room left for additional strength. Moves well for his size with consistent body control on the mound. Steady, deliberate tempo throughout throwing motion. Arm action gets fully extended early before shortening up as he gets to high ¾ release. Found the bottom of the zone with both FB and breaking ball. FB sat 77-79 and peaked at 80 with minimal effort. Likely to tap into more velo as he gets stronger. Breaking ball has consistent slurve shape at 66-68. Showed a reliable feel for both offerings and has the look of a polished strike thrower

’22 Governor Aufranc, LHP/OF. L/L
5-foot-11, 140 pounds with a tall, projectable build. Mechanically sound delivery with consistent, repeatable actions. Maintains direction towards target at landing. Compact arm action with hand speed out front. Creates angle with slight shoulder tilt at hand break to go with his ¾ release point. FB sat 75-77 with some deception out of hand. Ball gets on hitters quickly with tailing life when down in the zone. CB has chance to be above average offering. Features tight spin with sharp break at 64-66. Overall, possesses promising balance of current polish and ability as well as the chance to make significant gains in the near future. Exciting young arm to keep an eye on.

‘20 Duke Brotherton, RHP, Washington State commit
Athletic frame with highly projectable build at 6-foot-3, 180 pounds. Low effort, repeatable delivery with sound mechanics. Lands soft, head stays quiet throughout throwing motion. Full arm swing with clean action and  ¾ release point. Stays tall on backside while keeping a level shoulder plane. Had a tough few innings on this look against a strong Lake Washington line-up but settled in nicely and showed the ability to make adjustments to how he attacked hitters. 3-pitch mix: FB at 83-86, topped  87, tight slider at 75-76 and 11/5 CB at 67-68. FB is relatively straight offering but shows occasional late life. SL tunnels well with FB out of hand and features late break/depth, especially when he locates to his glove side. CB improved considerably in the later innings. Shows sharp bite with 11/5 shape. Used it early in the count for strikes when needed. Overall, presently has a quality arsenal at his disposal with a feel for all 3 offerings. The combination of size, athleticism and clean arm action could allow Duke to significantly improve before he graduates in 2020. He’s committed to Washington State University.