15U at the Rock: Five to Follow | Pitchers
July 3, 2019
The PBR Wisconsin-hosted 15U at The Rock Championships took place at The Rock Sports Complex in Franklin, Wis., last weekend and completely lived up to our staff's lofty expectations. There was highly competitive baseball throughout the whole tournament, and with many of the Midwest’s best teams in attendance, it was a great opportunity for us to see some of the top talent in the region.
We have already begun analysis for the event – starting with our loaded Scout Blog featuring well over 100 names, which can be found here. Our staff also published an All-Tournament team, which can be found here. Our day-by-day recaps of the event will also be linked below.
+ Day 1 Quick Hits
+ Day 2 Quick Hits
+ Day 3 Quick Hits
In the next portion of our tournament coverage, we will begin to highlight the best-of-the-rest, the prospects you need to know after those named to our All-Tournament roster. This article will specifically breakdown the top pitchers in attendance – and we couldn't limit ourselves to just five names.
Pitcher
Mason Buss, RHP, Arrowhead (WI), 2022 | Hitters Baseball Navy
5-foot-11, 160-pound right-handed pitcher who started on the mound against STiKS Black on Thursday. Athletic build, throws from a high ¾ arm slot with arm action that is long and loose. Side-step rocker who finishes his delivery by landing with his front foot square. Fastball played mostly straight and had life, sat 81-82 mph, topped 83 mph. Curveball had 11/5 shape and was 67-68 mph. Pitched five innings giving up two runs and striking out six.
Cuyler Zukowski, RHP, Madison LaFollette (WI), 2022 | GRB Rays Green
Strong and muscular build, projectable frame. 5-foot-11, 165-pound RHP/OF. Started on the mound against NEO baseball on Saturday. Long/loose arm action, over-the-top slot. Lands slightly closed, throws across body, creates deception. Easy and clean delivery with rhythm. He has a lively fastball that touched 84 mph, sat between 81-83 mph with run/cut. Works with the kind of athleticism that should make him an enticing follow as he continues to mature. Hit out of the three-hole for GRB Yellow and walked twice.
Zack LeBrec, RHP, Cary-Grove (IL), 2022 | Top Tier Nationals
Right-handed pitcher who showed one of the better fastballs on Thursday out of the ‘pen, sitting 82-84 mph with relative ease and feel, pairing it with a sweeping slider – good for five strikeouts in just two innings pitched.
Ethan Cole, LHP, Winnebago Lutheran (WI), 2022 | Rhino (WI)
Cole emerged as a follow left-handed pitcher in the 2022 class after his start for Rhino (WI). He has a long, projectable frame, loose, clean arm action and sat comfortably at 77-79 mph. Showed feel for a 1/7 curveball with depth and shape at 67-68 mph.
Rory Fox, RHP, Catholic Memorial (WI), 2022 | STiKS Academy Black
5-foot-11, 165 pound right-handed pitcher. Has solidified himself as one of the state’s top 2022 talents. Younger brother of left-handed pitcher and Duke commit Luke Fox (Catholic Memorial, 2020). Athletic frame with repeatable delivery. Arm action plays out of a short over the top window. Finishes his delivery by landing with his front foot square. Fastball had life and played 81-82 mph. Showed a 12/6 curveball with depth, 71-73 mph. Hit two-hole and played shortstop for STiKS Academy Black finishing 1-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. A confident demeanor in the box, the 5-foot-11, 165-pound athletic left-handed hitter has a fluid path with rhythm through contact and present bat speed. He flew out deep to right in his first AB and drove a two-run single to right putting his team on the board early. Aggressive on the basepaths, looks to advance. Ranges both ways easy at short, sure hands and gets rid of the ball quickly. High follow 2022.
Logan Dobberstein, RHP, Pewaukee (WI), 2022 | STiKS Academy Black
Settled in after a rocky first inning. He allowed two runs on a pair of walks and hit by pitches each, but did not allow a run the rest of the way, in his five innings. Dobberstein is a high-waisted 6-foot-6 right-hander with premium projection and a fastball that ranged from 79-82 mph in the first and dropped only a couple ticks down through his next five innings of work. The running fastball worked well in conjunction with a breaking ball he felt out for strikes and swings and misses after that bumpy first.
Jake Swartz, RHP, Normal University (IL), 2022 | BNBA Gold HawkPax
Right-handed pitcher who started on the mound for BNBA Gold HawkPax and showcased one of the livelier arms of the day. Swartz, a 5-foot-10, 145-pound, quick-armed right-hander sat 83-85 mph early in his outing. Swartz paired his live fastball with a hard-biting curveball, 71-72 mph.
Luke Ross, LHP/1B, Waunakee (WI), 2022 | GRB Rays Green
Punched out seven batters in five dominant innings. Easy effort delivery. He featured a heavy fastball that sat 77-79 mph, and touched 81-82 mph a couple of times. Ross locates his fastball well down in the zone, too. He throws two distinctly different breaking balls, a slider and curve, in the same slot as his fastball which helps add some swing-and-miss to his arsenal. Curveball plays 12/6 with depth at 65 mph, while slider showed 2/8 shape thrown firmer at 70 mph. Final line: CG (5 IP), ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 7 K.