Follow @PBRWestVirginia

By Dan Williams
West Virginia / Western Pennsylvania Director of Scouting

The summer rush of PBR events continued this week with the Southern West Virginia College Prospect Showcase.  Twenty seven prospects gathered at Triana Field on the campus of the Univeristy of Charleston to display their talents.. Today we continue our analysis of the prospects in attendance by taking a look at those who participated from the Class of 2018.

+ For complete results from all prospects in attendance - CLICK HERE.

Top Prospect

Trevor Barnhart, 2018, University, OF
6-foot-1 220-pound right-handed hitter initiates swing from neutral set up with short stride.  There is good balance. hands are short and quick to baseball.  There was some back elbow leak.  Weight shift and hip turn are aggressive and good associated separation exists.  Swing played to impressive round of BP with gap to gap line drives sprayed throughout.  A bat exit velocity of 92 was recorded..

Defensively, gets good reads, catches ball at it's height and plays through the ball.  Recorded 7.10 sixty and 87 mph on throws from OF.

Madison Jeffrey, 2018, Cabell Midland,1B/RHP
6-foot,185-pound right-handed hitter initiates swing from a neutral narrow set up.  Utilizes a long stride and aggressive weight shift in achieving good separation. He gets bat on plane early and maintains throughout zone. Hips and hands are quick with good extension to and through the baseball.  An 87 mph bat exit velocity was recorded.

Defensively, There is excellent athleticism for first baseman while showing good footwork and moving well laterally.  Throwing motion is somewhat long and Jeffrey tends to drop elbow.

On the mound, The right-hander pitches from a high 3/4 arm slot with a loose quick arm action.  He demonstrates good balance, stays in line and consistently repeats his delivery.  FB sat 86-87 with substantial run and sink.  CB thrown at 72-75 had 12-5 shape, late break and considerable depth. Slider sat 74-76 and at its's best was short and tight with 10-4 shape.  It was somewhat inconsistent on this day.

Brett Morris, 2018, Winfield, SS
6-foot-4, 200-pound right-handed hitter with long angular frame.  Morris initiates swing from a narrow base with short stride to neutral. He has quick, loose hands. Swing is short with direct path to baseball and good balance. Morris showed ability to use whole field in BP spraying line drives gap to gap.  He recorded a bat exit velocity of 88 mph and ran 7.00 sixty.  He may benefit from widening out slightly and incorporating longer stride to achieve greater separation.

Defensively, shows ability to create good angles and hops. Demonstrates good range, soft hands and a clean, quick transfer/throwing motion. Consistent with height there is some tendency to play upright.

Noah Short, 2018, Hurricane, RHP
6-foot-1, 175-pound right-handed pitcher, Short demonstrated considerable arm quickness out of a high 3/4 arm slot.  FB sat 85-87 with substantial arm side run and sink.  There is good rhythm and repeatability to delivery. CB thrown at 71-72 mph had 11-5 shape and late, sharp break with good depth. There was difficulty commanding change up on this day. Mechanically, Short consistently brought his stride foot down and behind his drive leg prior to returning on line at front foot contact. This created a subtle forward weight shift during stride.  Benefit would be gained from staying in line from balance point through front foot contact.

Logan Stump, 2018, Independence, RHP/OF
6-foot-1, 185-pound right-handed hitter initiates swing from neutral set up with short stride, demonstrating adequate separation and good balance. There is back elbow leak with associated bat drag and length.   Stump recorded a bat exit velocity of 88 mph.

Defensively, gets behind baseball and catches at it's height. Gets adequate reads but would benefit from being more aggressive in playing through ball on ground. Flashed 87 mph arm strength on throws from OF.

On mound, FB sat 83-85 with considerable arm side run out of high 3/4 arm slot.  Change up was thrown with FB arm speed at 76-77 mph.  Change up had substantial arm side fade.  CB showed 11-5 shape with limited depth. Stump also featured a splitter at 74 mph that demonstrated late, sharp downward action.  Change up and splitter are both potential next level out pitches.  Mechanically, there was some tendency to spin off with front side creating arm drag and first base fall.  Stump would benefit from staying in line by being more aggressive in driving over front side.                                                                                                                                   

Remainder of roster (in random order)

Brennan Holmes, 2018, Cabell Midland, SS/3B
6-foot, 170-pound right-handed hitter flashed skill set that could easily have had him included in above top prospects. Measurarables included 6.94 sixty, 85 mph across infield arm strength and 83 mph bat exit velocity.  Holmes initiates swing from neutral set up with short knee to knee leg kick and stride.  Head is still with an aggressive hip turn.  Bat is on plane early and late and swing played in BP with Holmes spraying gap to gap line drives.  Hands are quick and direct to baseball. Holmes may benefit from achieving greater separation through a slightly longer stride and weight shift away from hands.

Defensively, flashed good range and agility with a soft, quick glove hand.  Consistently, worked bottom up and showed clean transfer.  Arm strength plays well on left side of infield.

Brandon Combs, 2018, Charleston Catholic, RHP/3B
6-foot, 225-pound left-handed hitter initiates swing from neutral set up with a moderate leg kick and short stride. Demonstrates a rhythmic, controlled load achieving good separation.  Head is still and hips and hands are quick.  92 mph bat exit velocity played in BP with two long home runs to pull side.  Combs projects as next level power bat showing excellent bat speed and ability to create backspin.

Defensively, hands are adequate.  There is tendency to work top down and range is somewhat limited.  Arm strength of 72 mph across diamond may necessitate move to right side of infield.

On mound, the right-hander varies arm slot from low to mid 3/4.  FB sat 77-78 with arm side run and sink.  CB thrown at 63-64 mph had 11-5 shape with intermittent moderate depth.  Combs also threw cutter at 66-67 with relatively little movement.  There is considerable effort to delivery with limited use of lower half.

Akili Johnson, 2018, St. Albans, SS
5-11, 175-pound right-handed hitter initiates swing with a pronounced knee to knee leg kick and an aggressive weight shift. Hands are quick and there is obvious athleticism. A limited hip turn following heel plant is associated with some swaying of the hips.  Sway also creates an uphill swing path. Johnson recorded an 86 mph bat exit velocity.

Defensively,creates good angles and demonstrates excellent agility with above average range.  Soft, quick hands and clean transfer are present. Arm strength across infield of 74 mph and 7.03 sixty time was recorded. Johnson did have tendency to play somewhat upright.

Jack Barnhard-Sullivan,2018, Bunnell,SS
5-foot-9, 170-pound right-handed hitter sets up closed and initiates swing with toe tap stride while remaining closed.  There is some bat wrap with associated arm bar.  Barnhard-Sullivan was able to make swing play by squaring multiple balls in BP. He recorded a bat exit velocity of 73 mph.  He would benefit from a more neutral set up and stride as well as avoiding early arm bar.

Defensively, hands and feet are adequate. there is tendency to work top down.  Throwing motion is a bit long.

Sean Lanham, 2018, Charleston Catholic, 1B/LHP
6-foot, 245-pound left-handed hitter initiates swing from neutral set up with short, controlled stride. Head is still and hands work well to baseball.  Lanham showed ability to consistently square ball on inner half.  He recorded a bat exit velocity of 74.  Lanham would benefit from achieving greater separation through a more aggressive weight shift away from hands.

Defensively, there is tendency to play ball deep.  Benefit would be gained by playing ball out front and shortening throwing motion.

On mound, pitched out of high 3/4 arm slot with FB sitting 68-69.  CB thrown 52-53 mph had 11-7 shape with rolling action. Change up sat 58-59 with subtle arm side fade.  Delivery was consistently repeated.  Lanham would benefit from being more aggressive in driving over front side as well as avoiding landing excessively closed with stride foot.

Brendan Lanham,2018,, Charleston Catholic, LHP/OF
5-foot-10, 135-pound left-handed hitter sets up slightly ope with short stride to neutral.  Head is still and shows good balance.  Lanham was able to barrel multiple balls in BP.  He recorded a bat exit velocity of 70 mph.  Benefit would be gained from rotating around a firmer front side.

Defensively,Lanham does show commitment to getting behind baseball.  He would benefit from being more decisive in his reads.

On mound, pitched out of high 3/4 arm slot with FB sitting 69-70.  CB thrown at 60-61 mph had 11-7 shape with rolling action..  Lanham was able to repeat his delivery demonstrating command of both FB and secondary pitches. 

Recent West Virginia News