Prep Baseball Report

North AL Preseason All-State: Event Preview


Prep Baseball Alabama Staff

  

With the high school season quickly approaching, it is time for our two Preseason All-State events to help kick off the year. Last week, our staff hosted the South AL Preseason All-State at Orange Beach Sportsplex in Orange Beach, AL, an event similiar to this event hosted in the southern part of the state. Due to last week's winter storm in northern Alabama, the North AL Preseason All-State was pushed from Saturday, January 11th to this Saturday, January 18th at Hartselle HS Indoor in Hartselle, AL. There are some high-caliber names registered for these events and our staff is pumped to make the trek to Hartselle, AL and see the gains made over the past few months.

This Sunday, January 18th, many of the state's top players from the Class of 2025-2029 graduating classes will assemble in Hartselle, AL for another edition of this annual marquee event that helps kick off the high school season for our staff. The past four events of this kind have been nothing but spectacular, with 35 commitments coming from the event in 2019, 54 commitments coming from 2020, 81 commitments coming from 2021, 95 combined commitments coming from 2022, 94 combined commitments coming from 2023, and 70 combined commitments coming from 2024 with many more coming. It's easy to see that this event has continued to get better over the course of six years, which is why we continue to have two in 2024. This event provides the opportunity for players to show the Prep Baseball scouts the progress that they have made over the past few months in a showcase setting. It is also the last event for players to attend before they begin their respective high school seasons.

Below, you will find important information pertaining to this event, including the full event itinerary, history of the event, and much more. To view the full roster for the event, CLICK HERE.


HEADLINE NAMES COMING TO HARTSELLE

Taking a glance at this roster, it's not hard to see some of the big names signed up for this event. The Preseason All-State provides a chance for these players to come and show our staff some of the physical gains they've made during the offseason and update their profiles with hopefully improved metrics, statistics, etc. There's no better way to get the year of 2025 started with a tune-up for the high school season that is slated to start in just over a month. 

Providing a brief breakdown of the roster ahead of the North AL Preseason All-State, there are many highly-ranked prospects who are set to be in attendance, many of which are mentioned below.

Highest Overall Ranked Prospects in Attendance

In addition to these players, there are going to be many more players that are sure to make their names known at the North Alabama Preseason All-State. If you want to see the full roster for this event, CLICK HERE.


THE HISTORY OF THE PRESEASON ALL-STATE IN ALABAMA

The Preseason All-State Showcase is an invitation-only event that features the top players across the state. Every year the Preseason All-State Showcase highlights the Who’s Who of the state. This event is limited and exclusive to the top prospects in Alabama and serves as a springboard as players enter the high school season. The first-ever Preseason All-State in Alabama was held in 2019 and the event has continued to gain popularity ever since. All events have been held indoors due to the uncertainty of weather this time of year.

This event has certainly been no stranger for college commitments, as the first five years have a combined 438 players committed to college programs. This year should be no different, as there are some extremely talented uncommitted players still on the board. Let's take a look back and check out some of notable committed players that have attended from this event from year to year.

2019 Preseason All-State

  • OF Trey Burrell (Grambling State)
  • RHP Luke Davis (Samford)
  • C Stone Lawless (Tennessee)
  • RHP Matt Manley (Samford)
  • RHP Reese Morrison (Jacksonville State)
  • RHP/OF Will Passeau (Pearl River CC)

2020 Preseason All-State

  • INF William Burgreen (Jacksonville State)
  • RHP/3B Walter Ford (Alabama) 
  • 3B Davis Gillespie (Southern Miss)
  • C Stone Lawless (Tennessee)
  • RHP Matt Manley (Samford)
  • RHP Javi Marrero (Troy)
  • RHP George Meyers (Auburn)
  • C Lawson Stricklin (Tennessee Tech)
  • RHP Brendan Wall (Alabama-Birmingham)
  • SS Peyton Watts (Troy)
  • RHP Tyler Wilson (Auburn)
  • C/OF Walker Zapp (Air Force)

2021 Preseason All-State

  • 3B Henry Allen (Mississippi State)
  • SS Drey Barrett (Southern Miss)
  • C/3B Cade Carr (Samford)
  • RHP Christian Chatterton (Auburn)
  • RHP Jake DeValk (South Alabama)
  • 3B Cole Edwards (Auburn)
  • SS Cason Eubanks (Georgia Southern)
  • OF Seth Farni (Mississippi)
  • RHP/3B Walter Ford (Alabama)
  • OF Christopher Johnston (Auburn)
  • RHP Matt Manley (Samford)
  • RHP Austin Morris (Alabama)
  • SS Jace Norton (Mississippi State)
  • SS Sam Robertson (Auburn)
  • OF Jake Smith (Troy)
  • RHP Zach Stevens (South Alabama)
  • RHP Matthew Thompson (Troy)
  • 3B Mac Turner (Southeastern Louisiana)
  • OF Alex Wade (Auburn)
  • RHP Brendan Wall (Alabama-Birmingham)
  • OF JD Wilkins (Jacksonville State)
  • RHP Tyler Wilson (Auburn)
  • C/OF Walker Zapp (Air Force)

2022 North AL Preseason All-State

  • SS Paul Andrzejewski, Jr. (Army)
  • C Cade Carr (Samford)
  • LHP Chase Cartron (Troy)
  • INF Matthew Cash (Jacksonville State)
  • RHP Christian Chatterton (Auburn)
  • RHP Luke Davenport (Auburn)
  • RHP Joseph Garrison (Troy)
  • INF RJ Hamilton (Vanderbilt)
  • SS Andrew Lawrence (East Tennessee State)
  • SS Cade Miles (Jacksonville State)
  • RHP Colin Patterson (Alabama-Birmingham)
  • OF John Robicheaux (Samford)
  • INF Evan Smallwood (Jacksonville State)
  • 3B Peyton Steele (Alabama)
  • OF Alex Wade (Auburn)
  • INF Josey Williamson (Alabama)

2022 South AL Preseason All-State

  • RHP Eli Driskell (Auburn)
  • RHP Connor Gatwood (Auburn)
  • RHP Carson Joyner (Louisiana-Monroe)
  • RHP George Meyers (Auburn)
  • INF Gatlin Pitts (Samford)
  • SS/RHP Brady Richardson (Troy)
  • RHP Jonathan Stevens (Alabama)
  • OF Gabe Young (Jacksonville State)

2023 North AL Preseason All-State

  • RHP Andrew Allen (Arkansas State)
  • 3B/RHP Caleb Barnett (Alabama)
  • 3B/RHP Braden Booth (Mississippi State)
  • LHP Chase Cartron (Troy)
  • 1B Steven Cavaco (Ohio State)
  • RHP Christian Chatterton (Auburn)
  • RHP/3B Brendan Conner (Alabama-Birmingham)
  • RHP Jackson Hunter (Alabama)
  • SS Cade Miles (Jacksonville State)
  • 3B Peyton Steele (Alabama)
  • INF Josey Williamson (Alabama)
  • SS Jaxson Wood (Tennessee)

2023 South AL Preseason All-State

  • SS/RHP Drey Barrett (Southern Miss)
  • RHP Connor Gatwood (Auburn)
  • SS Tate Johnston (Auburn)
  • 1B Edward McLeod, Jr. (Samford)
  • SS/RHP Brady Richardson (Troy)
  • RHP Zach Stevens (South Alabama)
  • 3B/RHP Tanner Waldrop (Auburn)

2024 North AL Preseason All-State

  • RHP Andrew Allen (Arkansas State)
  • RHP William Andre (Samford)
  • 3B/RHP Caleb Barnett (Alabama)
  • 3B/RHP Braden Booth (Mississippi State)
  • LHP Chase Cartron (Troy)
  • SS Charlie Cassingham (South Alabama)
  • RHP Jackson Hunter (Alabama)
  • OF Myles Johnson (Eastern Kentucky)
  • SS Cade Miles (Jacksonville State)
  • OF Cole Miles (Jacksonville State)
  • SS Easton Nelms (Samford)
  • 1B Gavin Smith (Southern Miss)

2024 South AL Preseason All-State

  • SS Drey Barrett (Southern Miss)
  • SS Joel Chandler (Montevallo)
  • RHP Jacob Driver (Meridian CC)
  • SS Brodie Jones (Wallace-Dothan CC)
  • 1B Brooks McDonald (West Florida)
  • 1B Edward McLeod, Jr. (Samford)
  • OF Nolan Phillips (West Alabama)
  • SS Mason Piper (Wallace-Dothan CC)
  • SS/RHP Brady Richardson (Troy)
  • SS Aiden Urnis (New Orleans)
  • RHP/3B Ethan Walls (Chipola CC

EVENT SCHEDULE & ITINERARY

+ Check-in Times:

  • All Position Players: 8:15 AM - 8:45 AM

  • All Pitchers-only: 1:15 PM

  • Catchers will stay for both sessions.

*Times subject to change

Registered Infielders, Outfielders, and/or Catchers

  • Pre-Event Meeting

  • Stretch

  • Running Times (laser-timed 30-yard dash)

  • Offensive Evaluations

    • Mechanical evaluation

    • Live batting practice

    • TrackMan ball flight analysis

    • Blast Motion swing analysis

  • Defensive Evaluations

    • Arm strength

    • Agility/range

    • Positional analysis/profile

Registered Pitchers & Catchers

  • Pitching Evaluations

    • 15-20 pitch bullpen (fastball and secondary pitches from both windup and stretch)

    • Mechanical evaluation

    • TrackMan pitch velocity, movement, spin analysis

  • Catcher Evaluations (while receiving bullpen)

    • Receiving/pitch presentation

    • Blocking/mobility


    TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE

    SCOUTING, TECHNOLOGY, AND DATA ANALYSIS IN ONE EVENT

    Prep Baseball Player Profile  
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    Each prospect's recruiting process starts and ends with the Player Profile, and our showcases revolve around building up that profile, maximizing its content and reach. For first-time attendees, a new player profile will be created, hosting all of your information, videos, head shot, metrics and more, making it one of the most important tools in a prospect's recruiting process.

    Repeat showcase performances will continue to update your player profile, creating a history of prospect progress and ensuring the most up-to-date information is easily accessible throughout the fast-paced scouting community. These profiles are also searchable by a range of data points and metrics through our advanced search engine, making it a one-stop shop for recruiters and scouts.

    Player Data
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    Prep Baseball stats captured at its showcases, published inside its player profiles, are the industry standard in the scouting community, carrying the highest level of credibility in actionable data. Prep Baseball profiles are the most reliable resources for prospect information due to this reason alone.

    Stats are collected using only the highest of standard equipment including VALD laser timers, TrackMan ball tracking technology, Blast Motion swing sensors, and Stalker radars. All stats are hosted in player profiles accompanied by Performance Tiers that show where a prospect ranks among his peers.

    Performance Video
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    All prospect performances will be professionally video taped, edited and uploaded into their Prep Baseball Profile. Videos will consist of multiple angles and record all aspects of the showcase including 60s, live batting practice, bullpen sessions, and defensive performances.

    Videos are hosted in Prep Baseball Profiles and used for video spotlights, content, social media and more. Videos are accessible to all PBR+ subscribers.

    Scouting Reports
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    Prep Baseball is built at the hands of some of the most tenured and respected scouts in the industry. We pride ourselves on our level of prospect knowledge, most of which is gained through our events. Showcases are designed and engineered by state Scouting Directors with the goal of collecting as much information about a prospect as possible and relaying our findings to the public through data collection and scouting reports.

    Post-Event Content
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    One of the many results of a Prep Baseball showcase is getting all the information collected to the public in a timely and digestible manner. Every showcase will be featured on the Prep Baseball website and social channels through various forms of post-event content, leaderboards, video spotlights and more.

    Account Dashboard
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    In an effort to elevate the post-event experience for players who attend a showcase, the Account Dashboard is now the prospect's one-stop shop to view all of his post-event deliverables, including showcase video, data, Vizual Edge Score, and more. The Account Dashboard also gives players a window into upcoming events, calendar management, among other organizational tools. 

    Mizuno Apparel
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    All showcase participants will receive a Prep Baseball hat and a numbered Prep Baseball showcase shirt sponsored by our partners at Mizuno. The Mizuno Tee is the all-around t-shirt for every activity, made from lightweight textured fabric, and used to identify prospects throughout the showcase process.


    PREP BASEBALL TECH PACKAGE

    Following a Prep Baseball event, players will receive unrivaled access to their advanced ball-tracking and swing metrics through the TrackMan and BlastConnect apps as well as visual skills through Vizual Edge testing. Furthermore, key metrics will live inside the player's official Prep Baseball profile to help them in their recruitment process. 

    TrackMan
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    TrackMan is the global leader in ball-tracking accuracy. Following a Prep Baseball event, all players will get unrivaled access to their performance data in the TrackMan interactive app. Players can create custom dashboards that unlock both hitting and pitching data.

    Pitching Features Include:

    • Pitching data access includes: release speed, spin rate, spin axis, release height, extension, horizontal and vertical break, and location on each pitch
    • See each pitch trajectory in 3D from multiple viewpoints
    • Create defined tags to label and compare pitches
    • Pin pitches together to create tunneling visualizations between different pitch types
    • Visualize each pitch location

    Hitting Features Include:

    • Hitting data access includes: Exit speed, distance traveled, launch angle, launch direction, spin rate, contact depth and contact side/height for each swing.
    • Visualize plate coverage
    • Pairing of all data points on each swing
    • All key ball flight metrics will live inside player profiles at prepbaseballreport.com for the benefit of college coaches and recruiters, which will help prospects advance to the next level.
    Blast Motion
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    Blast is the global leader in swing analysis and used by nearly every MLB organization. Following a Prep Baseball event, players will receive access to BlastConnect in the Blast App, which unlocks critical insights and actionable data from their performance.

    Features include:

    • Swing Analysis and Blast Motion hitting assessment
    • Professional-level swing analytics to help players improve their hitting performance
    • Free 30-day trial to Blast Premium Services subscription
    • Key hitting metrics and Blast Motion Scores will also live inside player profiles at prepbaseballreport.com for the benefit of college coaches and recruiters, which will help prospects advance to the next level.
    Vizual Edge
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    Vizual Edge is a market leader in visual performance assessment and training that multiple MLB clubs use for its players. During Prep Baseball events, players will take the Vizual Edge 15-minute baseline evaluation. Following the event, players will receive an email PDF of your results – labeled as your EDGE Score – that will identify your visual strengths and weaknesses and how they directly impact your on-field performance.

    Visual skills are critical for pitch recognition, reaction speed, timing, seeing spin on the ball, defensive performance and much more. Your EDGE Score will also live inside your Prep Baseball profile.

    Additional Athletic Testing
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    Body Composition

    Players' body composition will be officially measured using state-of-the-art, medical-grade technology that will provide precise insights into height, weight, skeletal muscle mass, BMI and more. Players will step on scales using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), a method for measuring body composition, including muscle mass, body fat, and total body water.

    Our scales will then produce several metrics giving insight into the prospect’s body composition. Height will be measured using a digital stadiometer to get precise height measurements.

    Grip Strength

    Hitters' grip strength will be tested using a digital hydraulic dynamometer. Grip strength is an essential component to bat strength and controlling the barrel. Hitters will be put through a max strength test on both hands, shedding light on hand strength and potential power and bat control down the road.


     Upcoming Preseason Events

    SHOWCASE DATE LOCATION
    North AL Preseason All-State (Invite-Only) January 18th, 2025 Hartselle HS Indoor (Hartselle, AL)

     

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