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By Brent Alwine and Dylan Hefflinger
Michigan Scouting Director and Michigan Editor in Chief/Regional Scout

Throughout the month we will be recapping each of our showcases in 2014 with the top performers, commitments from participants, top statistical analysis based on numerous categories, and prospects to keep your eye on. To start we look at the Michigan 2014 Kickoff Showcase that was on January 4th at the Legacy Center.

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Top Performers - Michigan 2014 Kickoff Showcase

Alex Dixon, C/OF,Brighton HS, 2015
Scouting Report: 5-foot-10, 175-pound prospect with athletic frame. Ran an impressive 6.61 60-yard dash. Projects best as a catcher at this stage. Shows compact actions. Hands and transfer are quick. Pop times between 1.93-2.04 with 78 mph arm strength from the crouch. Needs to continue improving footwork and direction to help accuracy. From the outfield, he reached a top velocity of 82 mph. Aggressive to the ball. Will be aided by improved transfer. In the future, his athleticism may play best in the outfield. In the infield, he shows short arm action. Reached a top velocity of 80 mph. Footwork tends to get a bit wide and flat. Needs to develop angles and play through the ball to utilize his athleticism. At the plate, the right-handed hitter starts in athletic stance. Creates momentum towards the pitcher in his load. Takes level path to the ball. Creates some power with his strength and athleticism. Overall, a bit raw, but plenty to work with for the future.

Brennan Williams, OF/1B,Walled Lake Northern HS, 2014
Scouting Report: 6-foot-4, 210-pound prospect with a strong, athletic frame. Committed to Eastern Michigan shortly after the event. Projects as a corner outfielder. Uses short arm action through high-¾ arm slot. Showed carry on his throws with top velocity of 83 mph. Plays through the baseball. The left-handed hitter starts with a slightly open stance. Uses a short stride with good use of his lower half. Maintains balance in his swing. Pull power in his swing. Overall fluid rhythm. Top exit velocity of 86 mph off the tee.

 

Christopher Houle, 3B/MIF, U of D Jesuit, 2015
Scouting Report: 5-foot-11, 190-pound infield prospect with strong, athletic frame. In the field, he uses short arm action through ¾ arm slot. Top velocity of 74 mph across the infield. Receives the ball well with softness in his hands. Good instincts. At the plate, the right-handed hitter starts with a slightly open stance and in a bit of a crouch. Uses a short stride with good use of his lower half. Small upper half load. Hands work quickly through the zone with slight uphill path. Fluid rhythm to his swing. Drove the ball well to all fields. Registered top exit velocity of 84 mph. Ran a 7.60 60-yard dash.

Prospects to keep eye on

Blake Dunn, C/RHP, Saugatuck HS, 2017
Scouting Report: 5-foot-10, 155-pound prospect athletic frame. Showed the ability to play multiple positions. On the mound, he shows a steady tempo to his delivery with some quickness in his arm. His fastball sat at 82-83 mph and bumped to 85 on a couple of occasion. Good direction, but requires some effort. He showed command of a 65-66 mph curveball with some depth as well as a 73-75 mph slider. Also displayed a 70-72 mph changeup with some arm-side run. Behind the plate, he shows balance in his stance with some quickness in his hands and feet. Uses short arm action. Reached a top velocity of 70 mph from the crouch with pop times between 2.00-2.13. In the infield, he projects best as a second base type, but with continued physical development, he could play on the left side. Throws from low-¾ arm slot with top velocity of 73 mph across the infield. Shows some softness in his hands.  At the plate, the right-handed hitter starts in a wide stance. Doesn’t use a stride. Rotational type hitter with his lower half. Small load with level to slight uphill path. Generated solid, consistent contact. Top exit velocity of 75 mph. Ran a 7.07 60-yard dash.

Steven Mann, OF, Detroit Country Day, 2017
Scouting Report: 5-foot-11, 185-pound outfield prospect with physically impressive build. Aggressive to the ball in the outfield. Uses short arm action with some quickness in his arm. Reached a top velocity of 80 mph. Will improve velocity and accuracy as he firms up his front side. Projects as a corner outfield type. At the plate, the right-handed hitter displays an aggressive swing. Uses a big load with leg kick trigger. Hands start high but get into loaded position. Big time raw power with carry off the bat. Pull tendencies in his swing. Top exit velocity of 90 mph off the tee. Ran a 7.07 60-yard dash.

Thomas Brumfield, LHP, Bishop Foley HS, 2016
Scouting Report: 5-foot-10, 150-pound southpaw with average, athletic frame. Showed command of multiple pitches. Uses quick tempo to his delivery. Throws through high-¾ arm slot with regular effort to his delivery. Maintains balance and keeps direction throughout delivery. Fastball sat 79-81 mph with some natural cut. Curveball showed gradual depth at 60-61 mph with two-plane action while slider showed tighter action at 68-70 mph. Changeup was thrown near fastball arm speed at 71-73 mph with good sinking action.

Players who earned Top Prospect Games, Future Games, or Underclass Games Invites Based On Performance At Showcase

• Thomas Brumfield, LHP, Madison Heights Bishop Foley, 2016
• Thomas Burke, RHP/3B, Grosse Pointe North, 2015
• Justin Charron, C/SS, Patrick Henry, 2018
• Alex Dixon, C/OF, Brighton, 2015
• Blake Dunn, C/RHP, Saugatuck, 2017
• Keaton Feil, C/3B, Belleville, 2015
• Tyler Harnos, SS/RHP, Wayne Memorial, 2015
• Steve Mann, OF, Detroit Country Day, 2017
• Daniel Michalak, LHP/OF, De La Salle Collegiate, 2015
• Jake Velisek, RHP/1B, 2015

Commitments From 2014 Michigan Kickoff Showcase

• Brennan Williams - Eastern Michigan
• Darrell Gotz Jr  - Ohio Northern
• Luke Schaefer - Toledo University
• Michael Kirschbaum - University of Maryland-Baltimore County
• Tyler Whitehead - Georgetown College

Top Statistical Categories

• Top Fastball: 85 mph - Blake Dunn, Saugatuck HS, 2017 & Darrell Gotz Jr., Britton-Deerfield HS, 2014
• Top Pop Time: 2.00-2.12 - Blake Dunn, Saugatuck HS, 2017
• Top Catcher Velocity: 78 mph - Alex Dixon, Brighton HS, 2015
• Top INF Velocity: 80 mph - Zach Gilbert, Walled Lake Northern HS, 2015 & Alex Dixon, Brighton HS, 2015
• Top OF Velocity: 83 mph - Brennan Williams, Walled Lake Northern HS, 2014
• Top Exit Velocity: 90 mph - Steve Mann, Detroit Country Day, 2017
• Top 60-Yard Dash: 6.61 - Alex Dixon, Brighton HS, 2015

THE MICHIGAN 2014 KICKOFF SHOWCASE ROSTER AND RESULTS