Jay
Tarkenton

Old Dominion commit; vs Branson School, performed as an igniter on offense for the team, with 3 walks (just would not chase out of the zone on quite a few close pitches), multiple stolen bases while providing his usual steady defense behind the plate. Just missed homering down the LF line in his first at-bat as he turned on an 87 mph FB and came up just a bit short. What was notable was that he got his hands inside the ball and there wasn't any bit of hook to the swing as the ball stayed straight all the way to the wall, right down the line. Best pop time was 2.0 (76 mph) on warm-up throw. There are few senior catchers in Northern California who are more athletic than him and as he goes through his college career he's going to earn pro attention.

at Cardinal Newman - Old Dominion commit; Strong yet lanky 6-foot-2, 185-pounds, not only performed (smoked three balls on the screws, 2-3, 2B/1B) vs quality pitching (all at-bats vs D1 signee/commit), but the tools grade out as well. Warm-up pop throws were 78-79 mph, times were 2.00-2.04, with the 2.00 coming in game action to nail a runner in a 1st/3rd scenario. The agility stands out in blocking and block/recover, while his receiving skills are also strong, in particular his ability to get low and below pitches in the bottom of the zone and get his thumb below the ball. Offensively he handled velocity and the hands work well to and through contact. He could certainly get some pro looks in the spring but in all likelihood, he goes to college and establishes himself as a toolsy/athletic and skilled catcher for the 2022 draft.

Uncommitted as of this report; 6-foot-1 175-pound athletic build with lean strength, catches and plays athletically. He's got strong hands and uses them well behind the plate. Tarkenton is aggressive with his arm and likes to use it, with willingness to make plays. As he can learn to stay into legs more and his arm will play up on his throws to 2nd base. As a receiver he gets the ball early in the zone and is adjustable to receive the ball in a number of different body positions, all while sticking the ball well. Can catch and curl with slight of hand that doesn't alert the umpire to him trying to steal a strike. He works hard behind the plate with good agility and technique to block. Arm was 73 mph on a warm-up throw.  Aggressive player with good leadership and field presence. All field type hitter with line drive stroke and some ability to get into and through the gaps. Plenty of bat speed for levels beyond high school. Good lower body balance and good extension with hands through the ball. Triggers back knee well. Uses hands well and can compete in multiple counts and against multiple speeds and pitches. He's got strength for extra base pop. Again, athleticism shows up for him at the plate.