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Ventura, Calif. -  

My weekend wrapped up with a trip to Newbury High School for a 3 game slate as part of their MLK tournament event. 6 teams competed over the 3 day event playing 3 games a piece. It was not a traditional tournament format with playoffs or a champion, but designed to bring multiple teams to one location for a highly competitive weekend of baseball.

In the opening game of the day I got eyes on the Royal HS Highlanders of the Coastal Canyon League for the first time and a very good second look at the Hart HS Warriors of the Foothill League. The second game of the day matched up the talented Sierra Canyon Mustangs of the Mission League against the defending CIF-City Section champion Birmingham Braves. While the day wrapped up with the host Newbury Park Panthers of the Marmonte League and its ultra talented roster going up against the Saugus Centurions of the Foothill League (my second look at Saugus).

Amongst the very talented field of teams were players across the ‘24-’27 classes who stood out in my look at them. The standouts of the day featured a few committed players, but several intriguing uncommitted players.  

Below you can check out my breakdown of the standouts of the day with video highlights, access to their PBR profile and a scouting report on them.

(Players click the link on your name below to claim your profile. Also, players search the PBR database for your profile. Don't see your profile? You can create a free PBR profile here)

Newbury Park Panthers:

Committed:

+ Paul Lizzul ‘24 OF Loyola Marymount The athletic LH hitting Lizzul continues to impress me more with each look at him. I got eyes on him for the first time about this time in ‘23. His ability to hit with impact was instantly noticeable, but has only continued to get better. Starting with a taller stance and a higher handset Lizzul shows a natural feel for rhythm/timing with good plate discipline on a consistent basis and this viewing re-enforced his potential to not only hit for power, but hit for a high average potentially at the next level. In 3 plate appearances he collected 2 loud barrels, one for a single and the other for a bases clearing triple after he beat the LF on a hard line drive, showing his athleticism stretching it into a triple from a sure double. The swing is quick with strength through the zone and an innate feel for his barrel where even when he miss-hits a ball it's off the barrel. While I’ve long been a fan of the offensive profile for Lizzul I came away from this look impressed with his actions in the OF. Playing RF he showed good actions moving around, the arm strength will play in RF and he shows at least average defensive potential and could be an above average defender in the future. The LMU Lions have a good one headed their way in the ‘24 class.

Uncommitted:

+ Tyler Field ‘24 C/INF Field is another one who after my in person look at him stuns me is still uncommitted. A physical frame at 6’1 190 lbs. who shows good athleticism and mobility in his frame with strength. He is a versatile defender who has experience catching, on the INF corners and the OF corners (he DH’d on this day so I did not get a look at his defensive ability). But, needless to say no matter which position he winds up playing at the offensive ability for Field will be above average to plus at any spot on the field. Another one who starts with a taller stance and higher handset, but with a natural feel for getting to the launch position consistently in rhythm and on time to get his best swing off. In his first at bat of the day he continued what has been a torrid fall/winter season for the Panthers by turning around an upper 80’s FB from a very good LH pitcher to LCF for an easy double (on a warmer day with less wind this ball would have easily cleared the fence). He would go on to collect two more loud barrels on the day showing an ability to work the middle of the field consistently and the leverage in his swing path to drive the baseball from the LCF gap to the LF line with potential to add HR power to straight away CF/RCF as he matures. His approach is good and made good swing decisions against a quality arm. Field will be a very good land for a 4-year program late in the process or can take his toolset to the JUCO level and continue to perform offensively which should leave him with plenty of options to transfer when his time at JUCO would be finished. 

+ Owen Gaida ‘27 3B/SS this was a name that I had seen plenty of quality video of on social media and was really looking forward to seeing him in person. Gaida lived up to the quality of the impression I had of him heading into the day. He shows as an advanced hitter who shows a good feel for his swing with bat speed and a feel for rhythm/timing that helps him make good swing decisions. Collected a hard single in his first at bat which showed the leverage in his swing path and bat speed to catch up to a firm FB from a quality LH arm. Putting together 2 more strong at bats while he did not collect a hit he showed me a really good approach, quality swing decisions and a very interesting potential as an offensive force who is just a freshman. Gaida loads early, getting to the launch position with a small step then coils his hands and shoulders as he tracks the pitch into the hitting zone. Currently, relies most on his quick hands and feel for the barrel to hit with a line drive based swing. As he matures and adds more strength to his frame if he gets into his lower ½ more there is power that will emerge to his offensive profile. Didn’t get a good look at him defensively in game, but between innings flashed solid average defensive actions at 3B, but will need to get a better feel for his ability over there before projecting him to stick at on the INF dirt, but no matter where he winds up defensively the bat will play at a high level. With 20ish months until D1 programs can start to communicate with him there is plenty of time for Gaida to develop his resume on the High School/Travel/Showcase circuit for college coaches.

+ Cameron Fausset ‘25 RHP Fausset is currently an uncommitted ‘25, but he is trending towards that not being the case for much longer. Physically well built with strength in his lower ½ and upper body while showing athleticism/mobility to his movements he gives you the feel of a pitcher who can both start or relieve at the next level. On this day I got a lengthy look at the stuff and ability for Fausset. His delivery shows some effort, but with his strength/body control he is able to repeat it well which allows his relatively fast arm to work cleanly while using his lower ½ effectively in the delivery. His FB sat at 88-90 on the day with ride through the hitting zone which made it difficult for hitters to get a quality swing in on it while touching 91 on several occassions. Paired with a firmer CHG at 80-81 MPH that he sells with good arm speed, but still needs to polish his feel for and an intriguing 70-71 MPH CB which flashes power and depth on the break with swing/miss life to the pitch. Fausset has at least average control and flashes above average control of the strike zone which gives you a feel he can start at the next level and should a move to the bullpen be in the future his FB/CB combination with intent will be a difficult matchup for college hitters. Fausset is on the radar of several college programs and whoever lands this young righthander will be getting a very quality arm who can make a good impact on their program once he steps foot on campus.

Royal Highlanders:

Uncommitted:

+ Colten Rainer ‘26 RHP/INF the first thing you notice about Rainer is the impressive frame for a ‘26 high school graduate. Standing at around 6’4-6’5 with long limbs and some present strength that will continue to develop and improve with maturity. Once he gets on the mound the young righthander flashes a tantalizing profile. His delivery is easy with low effort and good body control which allows him to repeat the overall operation consistently. He shows a fast arm with a longer arm action in the back and the ball comes out of the hand with easy life with more  to come on each of his pitches as he matures. Working with a FB in the 82-85 MPH range (consistently at 83/84) with life through the zone and the ability to miss bats. Complimenting the FB with a 72-74 MPH SLD with late hard action that also misses bats in the zone while inducing chase. Showed a CHG, but it is a third pitch for him with potential. Rainer has solid present ability and will be successful with his current arsenal, but the projection to add strength to the frame, increase the life on his pitches, build innings and feel for pitching make him a name to know in the ‘26 class with a very bright future ahead of him. Should be an in demand arm for college programs when Aug. 1 2024 rolls around and schools can begin communicating with him. 

+ Isaiah Tillman ‘26 LHP/CF Tillman intrigued me both as a LH hitter and a LHP. It’s smaller leaner frame with good athleticism and twitch to his actions. He will add strength as he matures which will help his present advanced toolset take their next steps. Showing a compact LH swing with quick hands and a good approach it looks like a top of the order potential bat with above average run tool he could be a future leadoff hitter who hits for a high average, adds doubles power to the gap with ability to disrupt the game on the bases. Yet, when Tillman got on the mound it was a very intriguing look. He shows a fast arm with whip in the arm action allowing him to touch 81-84 MPH with riding life on the FB up in the zone. Pairing it with a 67-68 MPH CB with a little loop to the shape, but good depth to the break which helps his FB to induce soft contact or swing/miss at the top of the zone while freezing hitters with the CB. There is some effort to the delivery which does affect his control at times and limits his ability to maintain the life on his stuff for extended workloads currently. His future positional home most likely will be determined by how his body matures as he develops through high school, but if he maintains/improves his present athletic ability while adding strength to the body there is real potential for Tillman to profile as a 2-way player for a college program. 

+ Zach Nagy ‘25 3B Nagy is a medium framed 3B with room to continue adding strength to his frame especially in the lower ½. What stood out for me on the day was his bat to ball skills, but even more so his feel for the barrel. Nagy had 3 at bats in the game collecting a pair of hits to the middle/opposite side of the field while his one out was a hard hit baseball. He shows discipline in his approach, laying off pitches out of the zone, while staying to his strength as a present bat to ball hitter with a line drive based swing path. The hands work well with looseness and ability to adjust to velocity/spin/location. A present average defender at 3B he showed good lateral range with soft hands and good athletic ability that should stick at 3B, but does need some polish in his throwing to improve the accuracy of his throws. With a strong offensive profile, potential to stick at a higher profile defensive position and some projection to his frame Nagy will be a name for college programs to keep an eye on in the spring ‘24 season and heading into the summer.

Hart Warriors:

Uncommitted:

+ Brady Werther ‘25 C this was my second look at Werther and came away just as impressed if not even more after this look. Hitting in the 2-hole as the Warriors DH he strung together 3 really quality at bats including a pair of hits, including a loud drive to RCF which showed his potential to drive the baseball. Werther is carried offensively by a very good feel for his barrel to generate consistent hard contact to the middle of the field. But getting a chance to see him let the swing loose a bit and turn on a baseball to the pull side of the field really intrigued me about the offensive upside for Werther. As he continues to polish his approach and get into his lower ½ more consistently with his swing, Werther looks the part of a future impact LH bat for the Warriors, but even more so for a college lineup. A solid average to potentially above average defender in my first look at him behind the plate I did not get a chance to see him play defense on this day. But, should he move out from behind the plate at any point in the future his athletic ability and offensive profile will handle any corner spot or potentially 2B.

+ Ryan Delamaza ‘24 C the feel to hit with strength that Delamaza has shown in each of my looks at him leaves me a little surprised that he's still sitting as an uncommitted ‘24. An aggressive hitter who looks to hit the baseball hard with each swing and has shown consistent hard impact in my 3 game look at him. The contact is loud with an ability to use the middle of the field to drive the baseball and plenty of strength/lift in his path to show HR power to the LCF gap and LF line with future CF/RCF HR potential. For as strong as the offensive profile is, Delamaza is a solid average defender at a premium position behind the plate with future above average potential. The hand works smoothly in receiving, he is athletic in his block while showing good arm strength with accuracy to his throws. The 4-year college or JUCO program who lands Delamaza is going to be very happy to have his tool set on both sides of the game in their program.

+ Michael Hogen ‘25 3B Hogen is a pure hitter from the RH swing with a quick bat and a really good feel for the barrel. I’ve seen him now after this look in 5 games and it has been consistent barrel after consistent barrel in game. The approach continues to show mostly a gap to gap plan with leverage and looking to stay through the middle with doubles power. But, he let loose on an inside FB for one swing and launched a hard drive to the 3B foul side of the field. This was the first time I had seen him really unleash a swing that looked like he was trying to turn on a pitch which intrigued me to his potential pull side HR power. His frame, the hand speed in the swing and feel for hard contact give me the impression that as he continues to polish his approach he will add more power to his game. Hogen is not just an offensive impact potential player, but he has shown above average defensive actions at 3B with good feet, range laterally, soft hands and plenty of arm strength. On one play he backed up on a tough in between hop to catch the ball in the middle of the body and with a quick transfer uncorked an accurate throw to 1B without even needing to use his lower ½ on the throw. If college programs have not added Hogen to their list of ‘25 3B recruits they should be putting him on their and following this young man through the Foothill League schedule this spring into the summer circuit. 

+ Lincoln Daly ‘25 OF Daly is carried by his offensive profile as a future corner OF bat who has shown power with loud contact and lift in the swing path. On this day what caught my eye in my third look now at him in game action was the ability to adjust his approach and use his hands in the swing. After striking out in his first at bat of the day Daly learned from how he was attacked to keep his hands back and used the back side of the field for a line drive 1B. Previously, I had seen Daly stick to an approach which looked tailored to attempt to lift the ball pull side or miss with pull side hard contact. But, the small adjustment to let his hands work in the swing and visibly stay on a pitch to go to the opposite field showed me a hitter who is continuing to develop/polish his toolset and approach. With loud power potential and a developing feel to hit at a high level Daly could be an impact offensive player who is at least an average OF defender, but has the athleticism to be an above average OF defender in the corners.

Sierra Canyon Mustangs:

Committed:

+ Ajani Wrighster ‘25 OF UC Berkeley Commit Wrighster is a dynamic athlete who is also a standout football player for the Sierra Canyon Mustangs. The athleticism and body control that makes him an elite football player translates effectively into what he is able to do on the baseball diamond. A switch hitter I only saw Wrighster from the LH side on this day and it’s a really good looking offensive profile just from that side of the plate. His swing is loose with good hands and shows a direct path to the ball with advanced bat to ball skills and an approach geared to work the middle of the field with high contact. Wrightster is at worst an above average runner who flashes plus ability and could possibly be a plus/plus runner in the future. Picking up a pair of singles on hard hit grounders where he flashed his run tool and then creating havoc on the bases with his athleticism. A smooth mover in CF with good routes, quick first step and feel for the ball in the air Ajani will be at least an above average defender who could be plus in CF for the Golden Bears with an average arm that could develop into above average. A fantastic land for the Golden Bears as they head off to the ACC by the time he steps on campus.

Uncommitted:

+ Julian Areliz ‘24 INF a former California Future Games team member and one time commit to Cal Areliz suffered an unfortunate injury to his arm which required Tommy John surgery. Returning to health this fall and looking at a big senior campaign in the tough Mission League make him one of the best uncommitted players in the ‘24 class within the state of California. On this day I got a 3 at bat look at Areliz and the bat is real with high impact ability. An aggressive RH swing with good hands and strength at contact Areliz smoked the ball in each of his 3 appearances including a loud drive to CF which on a tough day to hit (cold wet air with a wind blowing in) was one of the hardest hit balls that likely goes out on a warmer day. He did collect a pair of singles showing his natural ability to hit, but there is real power within his offensive profile. A good athlete who moves well at 1B defensively with good feet around the bag he will be an above average defender over there. A primary corner OF prior to the injury with his athletic ability and as his arm continues to regain full strength he can make the move back there in the future with an impact offensive profile. Areliz is going to be a steal for the college program who lands him now that he is back playing and trending upward again.

+ Greyson Gullage ‘26 INF inevitably each time I go out to see a game, tournament, or showcase I will come away with a player who is my personal favorite from that day. On a day which featured some very impressive players with bright futures Gullage is my front runner for favorite look of the day. A medium sized frame with good present strength to it, but still some room to continue to add strength/athleticism as he matures. He moves well at 2B with above average defensive actions and arm strength he will be an impact defender at 2B, but flashes the potential to play SS in the future and could easily handle 3B or an OF spot. For as good as the athletic ability and defensive actions are, what Gullage does at the plate may be his best tool currently. A LH hitter who is quiet in the box with a disciplined approach and feel for the strike zone to make quality swing decisions in game. Once Gullage pulls the trigger to swing it’s a very impressive stroke with present bat speed, strength in the turn from a good use of his lower ½, accuracy with his barrel (hammered 2 loud drives to CF and LF) and being at least an average runner who flashes above average. Gullage looks the part of dynamic offensive talent who can stick on the INF dirt which should make him a high follow for college programs as he navigates the Mission League this spring and into the summer circuit. 

+ Ethan Montes ‘25 RHP/INF Montes spent the majority of this day on the mound and this was actually my second look at him on the mound (spring of ‘23). It’s an interesting profile  for him as a pitcher because the ease of the  delivery, arm action/arm speed, feel for the strike zone, tempo and intent all profile as a potential starter. But, when you watch the manner in which he goes about working his 4 pitch mix flashes a high leverage reliever/potential closer profile. Montes spins a pair of breaking balls as his primary pitches in a sharp short breaking 74-76 MPH SLD which works like a cutter and he can locate to both sides of the plate, then dropping in a 68-70 MPH CB with good shape and late break flashing swing/miss life. He dominates hitters with these two pitches, but his FB is not lacking in any way for ability as it works at 83-86 MPH with life and he can locate it to all four quadrants of the strike zone. Then for good measure he will drop in a 79-80 MPH forkball like CHG which has good action, but he still needs to polish his feel for. Being a breaking ball heavy pitcher normally projects a pitcher to the relief role, but the quality of his FB, feel for spin and ability to attack the strike zone it’s not hard to see Montes sticking as a starter at the next level. I would be remiss to not mention that he is actually a very good position player prospect who starts at 3B on days he doesn’t pitch with at least average defensive ability and a feel to hit at the plate with a very good swing. Montes intrigues me as a potential 2 for 1 recruit in the ‘25 class who could provide real impact as either a pitcher or position player and could do both at the next level for the right program.

+ Dezi Delgado ‘27 C just a freshman Delgado shows a very advanced set of tools in a compact frame while handling a premium defensive position and hitting in the leadoff spot for the Mustangs. Delgado is equally impressive both as a defender and a hitter making it hard to determine which may be his current carrying tool. Behind the plate he has a smooth glove hand with a good feel for presenting the baseball while handling high quality stuff from older pitchers. He is agile and quick in the block. The arm is quick with online accuracy and what he lacks in pure arm strength (pop times at 2.05-2.1) he more than makes up for with the accuracy and quality of his throws. As he continues to add strength to his frame, develops more arm speed and polishes his skills behind the plate he looks like an at least above average defender back there who flashes plus potential as a backstop. With LH bats always being at a premium in college recruiting and the MLB draft when you are a premium defender who also is a premium LH bat like Delgado is he is going to attract a lot of eyeballs from evaluators. The swing is explosive with good bat speed and for a smaller frame Delgado has surprising thump at impact. He started the game off with a ringing drive to CF on the first pitch of the game, then collected a single in his second at bat while piecing together another quality at bat. Working with a leg lift and good control of his forward move Delgado showed good rhythm and timing in getting his front foot down with very good swing decisions in game. Delgado was in contention for my favorite player of the day and while it was only a one game look at him the present skills, instincts, premium defensive/offensive profiles and projection to get stronger physically scream high level D1 recruit for me and even potentially if everything develops on the right path a potential MLB draft follow later in his high school career. I’m excited to get to see Delgado continue to play and develop in the coming years at Sierra Canyon facing the difficult Mission League schedule year in and year out.

Saugus Centurions:

Uncommitted:

+ Parker Allman ‘26 LHP Allman is another name who I had heard plenty of good things about and like the video I had seen of him on social media. Getting the chance to see him in person I came away highly intrigued in the future for Allman. His frame is lean and projectable with plenty of room to pack strength on to his lower/upper body with loose movements and a live arm Allman is the kind of left handed arm that college coaches/MLB scouts can dream on. With whippy quickness to his arm speed and good extension on his pitches the ball jumps out of the hand with life on each of his pitches. His FB worked at 85-87 MPH while touching 88 on several occasions over his outing. Mixed in a CB which flashes above average potential and could eventually be a plus pitch with sharp action at 72-74 MPH it’s a true swing/miss offering for him. His CHG is interesting as well as it shows similar movement to the arm side that his FB shows while coming in at 77-79 MPH. The stuff, arm speed, and projection to Allman currently outweigh his polish, but there is a bright future for him on the mound. As he continues to develop his body, arm action, delivery and feel for pitching there is a long-term starter profile for him and with the potential to be a low 90’s possibly mid-90’s left hander Allman will garner plenty of attention from college coaches/MLB scouts over his high school career. 

+ Derek Hughes ‘24 SS When I saw Saugus in the fall I missed Hughes, but was intrigued to get an in person look at the SS who I had heard plenty of good things about. The look did not disappoint especially on the defensive side. He is a leaner framed athlete who shows fluid actions at SS with really good feet, lateral range while being able to play downhill. Shows a feel for playing both 2-handed and with 1-hand which will be necessary as he projects to stick at SS going forward. His arm is at least average in strength and flashes above average at times including on a very impressive play in game when he snared a one hopper to his backhand side and without the time to reset and shuffle his feet quickly transferred the ball into an online accurate throw to nail the runner at 1B. That play alone was enough to leave me impressed but he showed consistent actions and instincts that will help him to be an above average defender. His swing is quick and compact with good use of his hands and a middle of the diamond approach. Showed a feel for his approach making good swing decisions within the game facing a high quality arm including getting to an inside FB which he shot past the 3B for a double in game. As he adds more strength to his frame and continues to mature he will add depth to a college lineup while being an impact defender at a premium spot. Very good uncommitted ‘24 who will be a good follow for any 4-year program still looking for shortstops and would be a terrific JUCO addition where he could develop his frame to be a potential D1 SS/2B in the future.

+ Jason Zepeda ‘24 C It was a very brief look at Zepeda on this day as he was hit in the ankle by a pitch in first at bat. Nonetheless his defensive ability in the very short look truly continues to impress me. His feel for receiving is very smooth with good strength to his forearms while remaining soft with his hand handling a lively arm. The quickness in his block and agility to move laterally will be an asset for the Centurions and potentially a future college programs pitching staffs to have confidence bouncing breaking balls in strikeout counts. As a LH hitting catcher who is at least an average to above average defender who has shown a good feel to hit 4-year colleges and JUCO programs need to be keeping an eye on Zepeda as he goes through the Foothill League this spring.

Other Names to Know:

In a one day look not all highlights are caught or players won’t always have their best results. With that in mind there were several other players who showed interesting tools/potential or futures. The names below are ones to keep an eye on going into the spring and going forward.

Newbury Park

+ Cade Falksen ‘24 SS Oregon State Commit
+ Luke Medhurst ‘25 OF/LHP University of San Diego Commit
+ Drew Paez ‘24 INF Uncommitted
+ Justin Frohn ‘24 RHP Lewis and Clark Commit

Saugus

+ Matt Carta ‘26 OF Uncommitted

Sierra Canyon

+ Aiden Jahng '27 INF Uncommitted

+ Cody Gallegos ‘26 SS Uncommitted
+ Mikhail Johnson ‘26 INF Uncommitted

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