Prep Baseball Report

Top Prospects Showcase Preview


Les Lukach
State Scouting Director

ENCINO, CA - The Top Prospect Showcase has developed into the must-attend event in the Prep Baseball Report summer event series across all the states we cover. These events are so heavily attended for one reason: the players. Year in and year out, the best talent in any state is represented at their state specific Top Prospect Showcase and the inaugural edition in California is no different.

The event will feature some of the best identified Class of 2019 prospects from the entire state on Wednesday, August 1st at O'Malley Field home of the Harvard Westlake Wolverines. Over 100 players will be in attendance including numerous players from the Class of 2019 Top 100.

Pitching is always at a premium and there will be a number of highly touted committed and uncommitted arms in attendance. LHP Cooper Benson (San Luis Obispo HS), Arizona State commit, is currently the top ranked player in the class in the state and has had a strong summer campaign. We most recently saw him at Area Code Games tryouts where he was sitting comfortably 87-89 with his fastball. RHP/OF Blake Archuleta (Bishop Amat HS) is a standout two-sport athlete for the Lancers as he stars as QB on the football team. Archuleta was nails down the stretch as he helped carry Bishop Amat to an improbable appearance in the CIF SS Semi-Finals last spring. RHP Cole Dale is coming off a spring in which his innings were limited but has shown this summer he is regaining his form that made him a UCLA commit two years ago. Dale has since moved on from that commitment and is one of the best available arms in the class. LHP Trevor Ernt (Beckman HS) was one of the best pitchers in Orange County last season as he helped lead Beckman to a CIF SS runner-up finish. A prototypical lefty, Ernt has a nice combination of three pitches that he shows the ability to command. LHP Tony Jacob, a one time Vanderbilt commit, has seen an uptick in his velocity this summer that has caught college coaches attention and has raised his stock. His ability to command multiple pitches is something he's shown since his freshman season. RHP/OF Cameron Mahaffy is coming off a solid spring season in which he sat 88-90 consistently and showed the ability to really spin a breaking ball. A legitimate two-way player, we list Mahaffy here given his potential on the mound.

For colleges that are looking for hitters this event will be loaded with uncommitted position players, including shortstop Ryan Flaherty (Tesoro HS). Flaherty is arguably one of the top shortstops in Southern California because of his combination of defense and ability to hit for average and potential power. Has shown very well at high level events so far this summer. Shortstop Ja'Ja Bellinger (Carson HS) is one of the best athletes in the class. Bellinger will be a four-year starter at QB and shortstop for Carson when all is said-and-done and is a twitchy strong middle infielder whose defense is his calling card. Shortstop Elijah Jackson (San Pasqual HS) is the son a former Big Leaguer and the traits are obvious when you watch him play. A freakishly athletic, fast, and smart player, Jackson oozes projection with both his defense and offense. Infielder/Outfielder Chase Katafias (JSerra HS) is one of the more intriguing players that will be in attendance because of his elite speed and ability to handle the bat. Katafias showed his versatility all spring for JSerra where he played many infield and outfield positions while showing the ability to hit on a consistent level. Infielder Michael Snyder (Harvard Westlake HS) is a physically strong infielder that showed this spring that he can handle second base in addition to his customary third base position for the Wolverines. While his defense was stout, his bat was electric where his strength and power play a big role in his game. Infielder Sean McLain (Beckman HS) is one of the most sought after prospects in his class because of his raw power, speed and instincts on the field. McLain was on quite a roll this summer before a slight tweak of his back at Area Code Games tryouts forced him to leave the tryout early. He appears to be back to 100% and will be one of the players that most college coaches are there to see.

This is an invite only event and is exclusive to prospects from the 2019 class from California. The showcase will be featured on the Prep Baseball Report website which is subscribed to by more than 800 colleges. The event will also be highlighted across our social media platforms. Event information including statistics and scouting report will also be posted on our website at www.prepbaseballreport.com/california. Top players will be identified and ranked. Players edited video will also be hosted in their respective profiles along with scouting reports and statistics.

If you have any questions, please email California State Scouting Director, Les Lukach at [email protected].

When: Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Who: Invited 2019 Prospects

Where:
O'Malley Field

17301 Oxnard St.

Encino, CA 91316

Position Players: Check-In at 8:20 AM - 8:40 AM

Pitchers: Check-In at 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM

Catchers: Stay for both sessions

No food will be provided. Players should bring a snack and/or lunch and plenty of water.

*Schedule Subject To Change

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