PBR Border Battle- Pitching Evaluations

September 16, 2016

By Brian Feekin
Prep Baseball Report Nebraska

Prep Baseball Report's Border Battle Games event took place on Sunday, August 14, 2016. The event was held at Doc Ross Field, on the campus of Iowa Western CC, in Council Bluffs, IA. The event featured prospects from Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, South & North Dakota from the 2017-2019 classes who showcased their talents in front of our scouting staff and multiple colleges in attendance. Thank you to the players, parents, my staff for such a great event.

There were a number of great individual performances this year at the PBR Border Battle Games; we have broken down the individual statistics below.

As we drill down into the statistics:

+ 20 players ran sub-7.1 60's.
+ 28 players recorded 85+ mph exit velocities
+ 13 players recorded 78+ mph infield throws
+ 17 players recorded 78+ mph outfield throws
+ 14 catchers recorded 70+ mph throws to second base
+ 13 catchers recorded sub-2.1 pop times
+ 20 pitchers were 80+ mph on the mound

CLICK HERE to view Complete Statistics in PDF Format.

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Below we have highlighted the prospects at their respective positions with evaluations; listed alphabetically.

pitching evaluations

Cooper Allen, 1B/RHP, Creighton Prep, 2018
6-foot-4, 210-pound physical build. 7.69 runner. Posted an exit velocity of 87 mph off a tee. Wide stance at the plate, leg kick triggers aggressive pull side swing. Gap to gap contact with ability to elevate to pull side. In the field has active feet and plays the ball out front with a clean transfer and release. Topped out at 76 mph across the infield. On the mound, sat in the 76-80 mph range with his fastball. Throws from a mid ¾ arm slot on a downhill plane. Repeats mechanics well, during game action lost feel for the strike zone. 63-67 mph breaking ball his 1/7 shape and was thrown down in the strike zone.

Brennan Askew, LHP, Millard West, 2018
6-foot-1, 166-pound left-handed pitcher topped out at 75 mph with his fastball. Simple repeatable mechanics with a late kick and reach with his front leg. Throws from a high ¾ arm slot, aggressive front side, falls off towards his 3rd base. Did not show much feel for 58-62 mph breaking ball. 68-69 mph changeup has running action and stays down in the zone.

Caleb Black, LHP/1B, Norwalk (IA), 2018
6-foot-1, 180-pound right-handed hitting 2-way player. 8.01 runner. Square stance, leg kick trigger, hands drift down in swing, line drive and ground ball contact, showed ability to use whole field. 84 mph exit velocity. Soft hands, avg. range, accurate throws, stiff arm action, needs improved footwork around bag. 67 mph across infield. On mound; shows rhythm in delivery, slight tuck and turn at balance point, good direction to plate and lands closed. One-piece arm action from high ¾ slot. Fastball was 69-72 mph. Curveball was 62-63 mph. Changeup was 65-67 mph.

Nathan Buckallew, RHP, Johnston (IA), 2017
5-foot-10, 160-pound right-handed pitcher. Aggressive actions down mound. Strides slightly across body in delivery. Compact arm action- clean out front. Throws secondary with conviction and good arm speed. Induced ground ball outs during game action. Fastball was 78-82 mph. Curveball was 67-69 mph. Changeup was 71-72 mph.

Brock Burling, RHP/1B, Millard West, 2018
6-foot-8, 195-pound right-handed pitcher that topped out at 85 mph with his fastball. Struck out two in his one inning of work at the Border Battle. Mechanically, repeats quiet delivery, long on the backside and out front. Low ¾ arm action, ball sits on flat plane, with some run to the arm side. Front side has a tendency to fly open. 68-69 mph breaking ball had good depth and same arm speed as his fastball. Posted a 7.64 60 yard sprint and 81 mph exit velocity off a tee. Square stance, stays tall, lots of hand movement triggers high leg kick. Ground ball and pull side line drive contact. In the field has playable actions for first base. Topped out at 61 mph across in the infield.

Sayer Diederich, LHP, Elkhorn South, 2019
5-foot-11, 165-pound two-way player ran a 7.01 60 yard sprint. Potential to be one of the top 2019 prospects for the state of Nebraska. Athletic build, quick twitched. At the plate, open stance, toe tap triggers uphill swing path, has ability to elevate the ball to his full side. Posted an exit velocity of 78 mph off a tee. Shows athleticism in the outfield and a strong accurate arm to home plate. On the mound, repeats mechanics well. Hands break clean from the backside and has a long finish out front, stays online to home plate. Heavy 11/7 70-71 breaking ball with depth across two planes. Also showed feel for a 70-73 mph changeup with fastball arm speed.

Scott Duensing, LHP, Blue Valley Northwest, 2018
5-foot-10, 140-pound left-handed pitcher that threw two scoreless innings during game play. #18 ranked player in the 2018 class for Kansas. Athletic repeatable mechanics, clean long arm action on the backside with a buggy whip effect. Throws across his body creating difficult angle for hitters. Fastball sat in the 73-75 mph range with arm side run. Consistently around the strike zone. Also showed 64-67 mph breaking ball with good tilt across two planes.

Joe Folkers, 3B/RHP, Millard South, 2017
5-foot-8, 161-pound 3rd baseman ran a 7.28 60 yard sprint. Slightly open stance, leg kick triggers compact line drive swing with strong contact to the pull side. Posted an exit velocity of 77 mph off a tee. In the field, has playable hands and feet, fields the ball out front to a quick transfer. Projects to move to 2nd at the next level. Threw accurately across at 75 mph.

Jackson Gordon, RHP/SS, Omaha Skutt, 2018
5-foot-10,150-pound two-way player ran a 7.46 60 yard sprint. At the plate, square stance, slight bend in top half, leg kick weight shift. Uphill swing path, all fields approach. Posted an exit velocity of 76 mph off a tee. In the field, works through the ball, active feet, soft hands, quick transfer to a mid ¾ arm slot. Topped out at 74 mph across the infield. On the mound, repeats mechanics well, stays on line to home plate. Small pause after hands break; clean from the backside. Quick arm with a long follow through out front. 79-80 mph fastball sits on a downhill plane with some life to his arm side. Tight spinning 64-65 breaking ball with 11/7 shape. Also showed feel for 71-72 mph change up down in the strike zone. Worked a scoreless inning in the game portion of the event.

Noah Gyldenvand, 2B/RHP, Dowling Catholic (IA), 2017
5-foot-9, 150-pound right-handed hitting 2-way player. 7.03 runner. Athletic stance with good rhythm, controlled leg kick trigger, strides square, flashes pop to pull side of field, shows good hands in swing, and stays inside baseball, 86 mph exit velocity. 87 mph arm strength across diamond. Active feet and solid range, shows quality infield actions, fields deep into body occasionally, defends in middle infield well. Strike thrower on mound, controlled delivery, repeats well, upright finish, feel for 3 pitches in zone. Fastball was 82-84 mph, curveball was 71-72 mph, and changeup was 71-73 mph.

Jayton Haggard, SS/RHP, Marysville, 2017
6-foot-2, 165-pound right-handed hitting middle infielder. 6.89 runner with tall projectable frame. Open stance. Simple swing. Repeats well. Even with high back elbow; bat path is clean and long through contact. 85 mph exit velocity off tee. In the infield, active feet, funnels through the body to a quick ¾ accurate release at 80 mph. On the mound, topped out at 85 mph with his fastball. Drop and drive off his backside. Arm breaks clean from the backside with an athletic follow through out front.

Daniel Hundley, RHP, Lincoln Southeast, 2017
6-foot-1, 170-pound right-handed pitcher topped out at 84 mph with his fastball. Sat in the 82-84 mph range for two innings. Quite repeatable mechanics. Short arm action on his backside with some extra wrist flicking actions. Front has a tendency to leak open and falls off to the 1st base side. Showed feel for a 69-72 mph slider with tilt across the strike zone and 70-72 mph change up with run to his arm side.

Jack Johnson, OF/RHP, Omaha Skutt, 2018
6-foot, 170-pound right-hander ran a 6.88 60 yard sprint. Athletic fast twitched frame. At the plate, square stance, short stride trigger compact line drive swing. All fields approach, posted an exit velocity of 83 mph off a tee. In the outfield, plays through the ball with accurate throws to home with a quick high ¾ release, topped out at 80 mph. On the mound, repeats delivery, flattens out on his backside, aggressive front side stays closed. Topped out at 79 mph with his fastball. Tendency to drift towards home. Hard 70-74 mph changeup with sink. 69-70 mph breaking ball has tilt/depth across two planes.

Peter Johnson, LHP, Council Bluffs Lewis Central (IA), 2017
6-foot-3, 160-pound left-handed pitcher. Lean loose frame. Slight tuck and turn with lower half at balance point. Short stride to target. Out and over front leg; falling down mound. Clean arm action. Shows above avg. arm-side run on fastball. Fastball was 77-81 mph. Curveball, thrown with inconsistent release point, was 65-68 mph. Changeup was 63-65 mph.

Kade Kolarik, LHP/OF, Indianola (IA), 2017
5-foot-10, 180-pound left-handed hitting 2-way player. 7.08 runner. Pre-set hands, double tap trigger to swing, short path through zone, stiff path to contact, uses whole field, 78 mph exit velocity. Solid direction on throws, fields cleanly, plays through ball well, longer arm action, solid carry and accuracy to target, 83 mph from the outfield. On mound; swings front leg into balance point, compact clean arm action, occasional extension and finish on pitches. Fastball was 74-77 mph, curveball was 66-68 mph, and changeup was 73-74 mph.

Stone Krogman, OF/RHP, Liberty, 2017
6-foot-3, 195-pound right-handed hitting two-way player ran a 7.08 60 yard sprint. Strong physical build with a strong base. At the plate has a wide base, toe tap trigger to a quick compact line drive swing plane. Tendency to spin off to the pull side. Posted an exit velocity of 85 mph off a tee. In the outfield, showed the ability to read the ball and has a long ¾ release that topped out at 89 mph. On the mound, sat in the 82-85 mph range with his fastball. Mechanically, repeats delivery, tendency to drift towards home before hands break. Aggressive front side stays closed. 71-73 mph breaking ball has tight spin and was up in the strike zone.

Devon Lujan, 1B/RHP, Olathe East, 2018
6-foot-3, 205 pound two way player ran a 7.97 60 yard sprint. Posted a 90mph exit velocity off a tee. Strong physical build. At the plate, put together one of the top rounds of batting practice on the day. Square stance, high hands, short stride triggers uphill swing plane. Showed power to his pull side and the ability to elevate the baseball. In the field, has active feet and playable hands at 1st base. Topped out across the infield at 78 mph. On the mound, fastball sat in the 77-79 mph range. Long arm action on the backside and out front. Front side opens early and loses leverage off his backside. Breaking ball and changeup were thrown from strikes.

Jonathan McIntyre, RHP, Maize, 2017
6-foot-3, 175-pound right-handed pitcher topped out at 87 mph with his fastball. #45 ranked player in the state of Kansas. Athletic durable frame, should continue to develop. 85-87 mph fastball runs to his arm side. Dominate when controlled down in the strike zone. 70-73 mph breaking ball has potential to be an above average pitch when released out front with good arm speed. 11/7 shape with tight spin.

Brett Miller, C/RHP, Omaha Skutt, 2017
6-foot-2, 185-pound two-way player ran a 7.58 60 yard sprint. Tall open stance at the plate, stride closes himself off and triggers long barrel path through the zone. Pull side approach. Posted an exit velocity of 86 mph off a tee. Behind the plate had to top pop times to second in the 1.87-197 range. Quiet set-up, ability to present pitches, fundamentally sound blocker. Worked a scoreless inning on the mound. 77-79 mph fastball is flat on a downhill plane, 72-74 mph slider has good depth and tight spin through the strike zone. Mechanically, repeats delivery well. Catcher arm action with a short draw on the backside and long follow through out front. Stays online to home plate.

Dylan Nicholson, RHP, Papillion LaVista, 2017
6-foot, 165-pound right-handed pitcher. Worked two scoreless innings with three strikeouts during game action. Topped out at 81 mph with his fastball. Throws with a short high ¾ arm action with a long follow through out front. Falls off to his glove side, front side stays closed. 69-70 mph breaking ball has tight spin and good depth across the strike zone.

Cade Povich, LHP, Bellevue West, 2018
5-foot-10, 135-pound left-handed pitcher topped out at 73 mph with his running fastball. Skinny wiry frame with room for growth. Quick tempo high pitchability stuff. Low ¾ arm action, front side stays closed and finishes online to home plate. Hand comes out clean from backside. Showed above average command of both 64-66 mph changeup with sink and 64-66 mph breaking ball. Struck out three in two innings of work during game play.

Jake Reeves, C/RHP, Seward, 2017
6-foot-3, 180-pound two-way player ran a 7.38 60 yard sprint. Posted an exit velocity of 87 mph off a tee. Slight open stance, stride triggers line drive swing. All fields approach. Line drive/ ground ball contact. In the outfield, reads the ball well, cautious routes, quick transfer and release to a high ¾ arm action. Threw accurately to home topping out at 81 mph. Posted pop times behind the plate in the 2.03-2.18 range. On the mound topped out at 81 mph with his fastball. Sat in the 77-79 mph range. Repeats mechanics well. Tendency to drift towards home. Short ¾ arm action on the backside with a long follow through out front.

Garret Reisz, SS/RHP, Woodbine (IA), 2018
6-foot-1, 180-pound left-handed hitting 2-way player. 7.18 runner. Slight open stance, controlled leg kick stride to square, easy load with rhythm, short to contact, uses hands in swing, hard pull contact, flashes pop in bat to pull side gap, 88 mph exit velocity. 87 mph arm across infield. Solid actions in field, fields tall occasionally, works through ball, above avg. carry and accuracy to bag. Strong follow in 2018 class.

Brock Reller, OF/LHP, Grand Forks Central (ND), 2017
6-foot-1, 210-pound left-handed hitting 2-way player. Strong compact build with loose actions. 7.02 runner. Balanced stance, front heel turn trigger, clean line drive bat path, elevates baseball with pop in bat, mid/pull approach, 90 mph exit velocity. Simple actions in outfield, shows ability to field, works through ball, minimal effort on throws, above avg. carry with accuracy to target, 90 mph arm strength from outfield. On mound; controlled delivery, lands open to target, tall and fall mechanics, easy effort. Fastball has ASR at 83-86 mph. Curveball has hard late break at 69-72 mph. Changeup was thrown at 68-69 mph. Strong follow in 2017 class; has been receiving extensive recruiting interest.

Carlos Santagelo, RHP/3B, Chaminade College Prep, 2019
6-foot, 155-pound two-way player ran a 7.2 60 yard sprint. Athletic build, wide shoulders. At the plate, square stance, high hands, leg kick triggers long swing plane. Posted an exit velocity of 81 mph off a tee. In the field, has active footwork, funnels the ball through his body working through the ball. Feet have a tendency to stop at fielding position. Threw across at 76 mph. On the mound, topped out at 79 mph with his fastball. Repeats mechanics, short on the back side and long out front. 65-68 mph breaking ball has slider tilt. 70-72 mph changeup is thrown with fastball arm speed and running action to his arm side.

Evan Sinz, SS/RHP, Elkhorn, 2017
5-foot-11, 165-pound two-way player ran a 7.45 60 yard sprint. At the plate, slight open tall stance. Compact pull side approach. Gets some elevation with an uphill swing path. Posted an exit velocity of 88 mph off a tee. In the field, active footwork, soft hands, plays the ball out front with a quick transfer and release. Topped out at 77 mph across the infield. On the mound, topped out at 81 mph from a mid ¾ arm action. Ball sits on a downhill plane, repeats mechanics well, stays online to home plate. 70-73 mph breaking ball has 10-4 tilt and is effective when released out front.

Tanner Smith, 2B/RHP, Wichita Independent, 2017
6-foot-1, 170-pound two-way player ran a 7.06 60 yard sprint. Athletic build with wide shoulders. At the plate, slightly open tall stance. High hands, compact line drive swing plane. Has ability to elevate the baseball. All fields approach. Posted an exit velocity of 84 mph off a tee. Threw across the infield at 77 mph. Active feet, playable hands, funnels through the body to a mid ¾ arm action. On the mound, topped out at 79 mph with his fastball. Simple, repeatable mechanics, hands break clean from the back side, long finish out front. Front side has a tendency to fly open. Change up shows arm side life down in the zone.

Mark Timmins, RHP, Omaha Central, 2017
6-foot-1, 185-pound right-handed pitcher struck out two in his two innings of work at the Border Battle. Wide hips and strong base body type. Showed advanced feel for four pitches in the strike zone. Four seam, two seam, changeup, and breaking ball. Breaking ball had tight spin and 11/5 shape. 79-82 mph fastball runs with a hard action into right-handers. Mechanically repeats, effortless delivery on a consistent basis, stays online to home.

Peyton Wendell, RHP/OF, Millard West, 2018
6-foot-4, 165-pound two-way player ran a 7.20 60 yard sprint. Projectable frame with wide shoulders. 81 mph exit velocity off tee. Tall square stance at the plate. High back elbow. Long line drive swing path. Ground ball and line drive contact. In the outfield, topped out at 86 mph. Heavy feet with a high ¾ release. Worked a scoreless inning on the mound. Topped out at 78 mph with fastball on a downhill plane. Repeats mechanics well with a short clean action on the backside with a long follow through out front. Show feel for both 64-66 mph breaking ball and 68-71 mph changeup in the strike zone.

Jacob Wesselmann, RHP, Remsen St. Mary’s (IA), 2017
6-foot-2, 195-pound right-handed pitcher. Tall projectable frame; should continue to add weight and strength. Controlled balance point, explodes down mound with good direction, lands slightly open, varies tempo and arm-slot disrupting hitter. Long arm action, some wrap on back-side, and ball comes out of hand well in front. Solid 3-pitch command of zone. Fastball was 81-83 mph. Curveball was 68-71 mph and changeup was 73-74 mph.

Easton Young, LHP, Millard West, 2018
5-foot-11, 150-pound left-handed pitcher topped out at 81 mph with his fastball. Small compact build, has room to add strength. Simple repeatable mechanics, front side opens early with a long pull through to get closed. Arm is quick and throws from a mid ¾ arm slot. Finished out front and stays online to the catcher. Showed above average feel for his 64-66 breaking ball that had depth and tight spin. 70-71 change up was down in the zone with sinking action to his arm side. Gave up no runs and struck out three in his two innings of work.

PBR Border Battle- Pitching Evaluations

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