Unsigned Seniors: North Arkansas

January 9, 2015

By: Zac Bottoms
Arkansas Scouting Director

We take a look at five unsigned seniors from North Arkansas.

Gunnar Etzkorn, RHP, Southside High School
Gunnar is a 6-foot-4, 180 pound right-hander, with a quick and free arm from a ¾ arm slot. He has smooth rhythm and normal effort. He stays online, but I would like to see him get more extension. He locates his fastball (81-84 mph) for strikes. He maintains his arm speed to throw an 11/5 curveball with sharp break. The velocity on the curveball is 70-72 mph. His changeup is a work in progress, he threw it for strikes but it lacked deception due to slowing his arm down to throw it. Overall, Gunnar has tremendous upside with a free and easy arm, and a frame that can hold weight. He also is a good student scoring well on the ACT.

Caleb Gray, INF, Springdale Har-Ber High School
The 6-foot 180 pound 3B showed good athleticism running a 6.9 in the 60 and a 3.95 home to first. Defensively, Gray showed fluid footwork and an accurate arm. His exchange could be speed up if he would shorten his arm action. He plays through the baseball and average hands. Offensively, he showed a short compact swing with little movement. During his exit velocity he registered 81 mph three times. His batting practice rounds showed the ability to hit the ball to all fields with a line drive swing and good balance. Gray gets his lower half involve but as he swings he comes up and out of his legs, I would like to see him stay in them longer and the power/ exit velocity would increase.

Christian Neves, OF/INF, Northside High School
Neves, a 6-foot-3, 160- pound OF, showed good instincts in the outfield. He made good reads on balls in the air with fluid foot work. His average arm from a ¾ slot had arm side run, that led to being inaccurate. If he could raise his elbow and stay on top of the ball his arm strength would improve. Neves ran a 6.9 in the 60 and 4.1 home to first. Offensively he look good. He starts from an open stance he has a short stride that he dives in with. When he strides in and is online the swing is short with a line drive path. Some of his swings he closed himself off and the swing became long.

Zach Stanley, OF, Springdale Har-Ber High School
Stanley, a 6-foot-2 185-pound outfielder, has the size and frame that will catch any talent evaluators eye. Athletically superior, running a 6.65 in the 60, and a 3.85 home first from the right side. Defensively is sound with fluid footwork and clean exchange. He throws from a High ¾ arm slot that is accurate and has carry. He registered 83 mph during outfield velocity testing. Offensively, he is raw. He starts from an athletic stance and has a short stride. He has fast bat speed and a level line drive swing. He has choppy rhythm and struggles to use his lower half. Offensively he has a ways to go but he finds barrel and is coach-able.

Josh Stephens, MIF, Springdale Har-Ber High School
Stephens is a 5-foot-9 165 pound middle infielder that has a good approach to the game with solid measurable tools. He ran a 6.9 in the 60 and a 4.2 home to first from the right side. Offensively he has a very quiet swing with very little movement. He starts from an athletic stance, from there he has a slight load back, which leads into a short stride. His bat speed is average, with level bat plane that produces line drives on a consistent basis. I would like to see him have a more distinct load and use the lower half more, overall he understands who is and stays to his game, hitting line drives to the middle of the field. Defensively he plays through the ball with soft hands and fluid footwork. His exchange is long and his arm strength measured 81 mph from short stop.

Unsigned Seniors: North Arkansas

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