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By Matt Byrd
Tennessee Director of Scouting

The PBR East Tennessee College Prospect Showcase took place on Saturday, January 17 in Knoxville and included some impressive performances from the group of players in attendance. The following is a look at the group of pitchers who participated in the event.  This is pitcher analysis only.  Those pitchers who also participated as a position player at the event had their positional evaluations featured in a previous article.

Alex Haynes, RHP, Knoxville Central HS, 2016
The 6 foot 3, 185-pound prospect, showed huge upside and very good projectability, great pitcher’s frame, has an extremely quick arm that works through a high-3/4 slot, good direction with lower half, fastball shows occasional late arm-side life at 90-91 mph, showed a nasty cutter at 86-87 mph with late action, throws a hard sinker at 84-85 mph that he locates well down in the zone, commands 73-74 mph changeup well but does tend to slow his arm a bit on the pitch, one of the top arms in Tennessee’s 2016 class who is now drawing big Division I interest after his performance.

Drew Pierce, RHP, Dobyns-Bennett,2016
The 6 foot 4, 185-pound prospect, shows good projectability, ideal pitcher’s frame with projection, long arm action works through a ¾ slot, smooth rhythm in delivery, good balance, fastball sat 84-86 mph with some arm-side run, showed a solid curveball at 70-73 mph with 11/5 action, throws his 73-75 mph changeup with good arm action that shows some sink and fade, good feel for three-pitch mix, consistently pounds the strike zone, big upside and a 2016 pitcher to keep a close eye on this spring.

Ethan Cady, LHP, McCallie HS,2016
The 6 foot 2, 210-pound prospect has a strong frame and lower half, works through a high-3/4 to over-the-top arm slot, has some effort in delivery, quick arm, fastball ranged from 80-84 mph, fastball topped out at 86 mph once, fastball had some arm-side run to it, sharp curveball around 70-72 mph with 12/6 action, changeup sat 72-74 mph, has good feel for three pitches, showed a velocity increase from previous event in early November when he topped at 84 mph, definite mound prospect to keep an eye on.

Trevor Lloyd, RHP, Hardin Valley Academy, 2016
The 5 foot 10, 155-pound RHP has a lanky frame that projects well, good tempo in delivery with regular effort, uses long arm action through a ¾ slot, quick arm with loose action, fastball sat 80-83 mph touching 84 with occasional late sinking action, locates fastball well down in the zone, 65-70 mph curveball shows some depth and 11/5 action mph, 68-71 mph changeup is thrown with good arm action with good sink and fade, good upside for Lloyd who may have more velocity in the tank.

Zackary Byron, LHP, Daniel Boone HS, 2016
Byron is a 6-foot-1, 160-pound LHP, uses medium arm action through a high-3/4 slot, arm shows some quickness, good rhythm and tempo in delivery, good lower half direction, fastball is mostly straight at 78-80 mph that topped out at 81, his sharp curveball range from 69-72 mph with 1/7 action, also throws a 74-76 mph slider that he tended to get around leaving it up in the zone but has potential, 74-76 mph changeup is thrown with fastball arm speed but would be most effective with a little more velocity difference off fastball, showed good command and pitchability, interesting prospect with upside.

Justin Shaw, LHP, Grace Christian Academy, 2016
The 5-foot-11, 142-pound prospect, has a lanky frame that projects well, uses longer arm action through a high-3/4 slot, good rhythm and tempo in delivery, easy effort in delivery, fastball sat 77-78 mph touching 80 on one occasion, fastball shows occasional cut action, curveball showed late 1/7action around at 65-67mph, changeup sat 73-75 mph and would be most effective with bigger velocity difference off fastball, also throws a 69-71 mph slider with short/late break, showed good control and kept the ball low in the zone, curveball was his best pitch that he located very well, good pitchability.

Andrew Jones, RHP, Maryville HS, 2017
The 5-foot-9 , 130-pound  RHP has an average frame that should continue to fill in, arm shows some quickness, lower half stays online, works through a high-3/4 arm slot, fastball sat 79-81 mph with occasional late arm-side life through the zone, struggled some with command of 69-71 mph curveball that he tended to bury but it has the makings of being a solid pitch, showed better feel for his 70-72 mph changeup that has some sink and arm-side fade, good upside as he continues to fill out, a guy to watch for more velocity in the near future

Matt Young, LHP, Maryville HS, 2017
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound prospect  showed some potential, has a strong, athletic build, works through a high -3/4 arm slot, average arm speed, good balance with a deliberate delivery, minimal effort in delivery, fastball sat 77-78 mph touching 79 on one occasion, fastball is mainly straight,  showed a 69-71mph changeup that displayed occasional cut action, showed the ability to throw both pitches for strikes, did not throw a curveball at the event.

Grant Oliver, LHP, Westmoreland HS , 2015
5-foot-10, 157-pound prospect, athletic frame with some projection, wide shoulders, has an up tempo delivery, throws from a high-3/4 arm slot, average arm speed, long arm action, good athleticism, easy effort in delivery, had a fastball with some cut to it at 78-79 mph, curveball was 64-66 mph 1/7 action, and changeup in the 65-66 mph range varied between some tumbling action and cut action, showed ability to throw strikes with all pitches, would not be surprised to see additional velocity this spring.

Brandon Jackson, RHP, Knoxville Central HS, 2016
Jackson a 6 foot 1,180-pound RHP, showed some projectability with an athletic build, good rhythm and balance on the mound, uses long arm action thorough a high ¾ slot, minimal effort in delivery, fastball ranged from 75-78 mph with some arm-side run and sink , sharp curveball is his best pitch at 65-66 mph with 11/5 action, shows feel for his 69-71 mph changeup thrown with good arm action, pounds the strike zone with all three pitches, have seen fastball up to 82 mph at previous event.

Andrew Biddle, RHP, Knoxville Central HS, 2015
5-foot 10, 145-pound prospect with average build, works from the stretch only, quick delivery with regular effort, loose arm action through a sidearm slot, average arm speed, loose arm action, fastball shows significant arm-side run and sink at 73-75 mph, throws a sweeping slider at 65-69 mph, also throws a 64-67 mph changeup with good deception and velocity difference off the fastball that shows arm-side fade and sink, interesting sidearm prospect with some upside as he continues to get a feel for his slider.

Sidney Schultz, RHP, Sequatchie County HS, 2017
Schultz is a 6-foot-2, 175-pound RHP with a long and lanky frame and a pitchers body that offers good projectability, easy delivery with minimal effort, long arm action through a high-3/4 slot, fastball sat 73-75 mph touching 76 on one occasion, fastball shows occasional late sink, throws a 59-61 mph curveball with gradual 11/5 action when he stays on top of it, tends to get around curveball at times leaving it up in the zone, curveball should continue to develop with physical maturity, changeup is best present secondary pitch at 68-72 mph with some sink and fade.

Tait Phillips, RHP, Heritage HS, 2017
Phillips a 5-foot-11, 175-pound RHP with a strong build, uses shorter arm action through mostly a sidearm slot, easy effort delivery, fastball showed some late sink at 69-72 mph topping at 73, does a good job of not getting under curveball from the sidearm slot, curveball was down in the strike zone at  59-61 mph with late action, shows some feel for 64-66 mph changeup with some arm-side run and sink, interesting mound prospect with his arm slot.

Darrin Akins, LHP, Westmoreland HS, 2015
5-foot-10, 155-pound prospect uses short arm action through a high-3/4 to over-the-top arm slot, good rhythm in delivery, fastball sat 74-77 mph touching 79 on one occasion, fastball is mostly straight, curve ball had some late 1/7 action to it at 66-67 mph, showed good command of the curveball with the ability to throw it for strikes, did not throw a changeup (is a fastball/curveball guy).

Chase  Elkins, RHP, Anderson Co HS, 2018
Elkins a 5-foot-9,160-pound RHP, uses short arm action coming straight back out of the glove, high-3/4 arm slot, arm is loose and shows some quickness for young prospect, fastball sat 72-74 mph topping at 75 with occasional slight arm-side run, 62-64 mph on his curveball with 11/5 action, shows good feel for the curveball that should continue to improve, 63-65 mph with his changeup that he was able to throw for strikes with good arm action, has plenty of room to improve in his next three years at the high school level, good upside.

Ty Carter, LHP, Christian Academy of Knoxville, 2019
The 2019, 5-foot-11, 130-pound prospect prospect showed good projectability for his age with a long and lanky frame, works from the stretch only, arm action is clean, works through a high-3/4 to over-the-top arm slot, consistently pounds the strike zone with all pitches, fastball sat 68-69 mph and is mainly straight, shows good feel for 64-67 mph curveball with12/6 and 1/7 action with some depth, also shows good feel for 61-63 mph changeup that shows some sink and fade, good upside on this young prospect and one to keep an eye on in the future.

Kellon Powell, RHP, Anderson County HS, 2016
The 5 foot 10, 138-pound RHP has an average frame, uses a big rocker step with an up tempo delivery, lands open at times especially on secondary pitches,  high- ¾ arm slot, fastball sat 75-76 mph and is straight, 63-66 mph curveball shows 11/5 action, changeup showed no velocity difference off fastball and he tended to bury it, best secondary pitch was his curveball with late action, has some effort in delivery, has some room to continue working on improving mechanics and command.

Luke Justus, RHP, Sevier Co HS , 2015
The 5-foot-10, 155-pound RHP prospect has some funk to his delivery, throws from mostly a low-¾ arm slot, showed some cut on his fastball which was 70-71 mph, curveball showed mostly 11/5 action at 58-61 mph, his changeup sat 62-63 mph with some cut action, shows the ability to throw strikes,average arm speed with regular effort, average build with some projection.