Prep Baseball Report

Quick Hits: Rising Stars ID VTA County


Steven Hardesty
Central Coast/North LA Area Scout

  

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We were able to put eyes on some talented players at the Rising Stars Los Angeles ID on Sunday, March 17th. Players in attendance for our Rising Stars Events are in the current '28 & '29 graduating classes. 

Players were put through the traditional showcase workout that included a 60 yard sprint time, On Field Batting Practice, defensive workouts at their positions and concluded with pitchers throwing an on field bullpen session. Trackman was in use for all hitting and pitching sessions to gather data and help measure their present athletic proficiencies and future projectability. 

Rising Stars events are aimed at first introducing 7th/8th grade players to the showcase structure with an opportunity for our Prep Baseball California staff to interact with the next generation of High School baseball players in California and evaluate their present athletic ability, baseball tool sets and provide feedback on the development process for these players. Players who stand out at these events have the chance to earn an invitation to the California Rising Stars Game on May 12th at Mater Dei High School which will be a workout/simulated game play event featuring the top performers from our Rising Stars ID events. Which in turn can ultimately culminate into a trip to LakePoint, Georgia for the 2024 JR Future Games to compete against Prep Baseball teams from other states around the country in a tournament style event.  

For all the data and information on all of the players outside of the Quick Hits click here.

Here is a first look at some of the standouts from the Rising Stars VTA County ID in this edition of Quick Hits.

Jagr Scott SS / C / San Marcos High, CA / 2028

The San Diego based Scott put together a very strong performance in his turn on the Rising Stars circuit. Standing 5'7 140 lbs. with decent athletic ability running a 7.5 second 60 time. He flashed solid actions on the infield with feel for his footwork/hands while showing 67 MPH INF arm velocity with good accuracy to his throws. Where he stood out best was at the plate with an impressive batting practice where his swing showed bat speed with a quick turn and a good feel for his barrel. Jagr's batted ball data is strong for a rising '28 grad with 87.6 MPH max exit velocity, an average exit velocity at 83.7 MPH while showing max distance of 293'. 

 

 

Jameson Pierce OF / RHP / ARROWHEAD CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, CA / 2028

The two-way product out of the inland empire was quite impressive on each side of the game. At 5'8 180 lbs. presently he has some strength to his frame while also showing athleticism running a 7.5 60 time. Pierce worked out in the OF with an event best arm strength on his throws at 73 MPH from the OF while showing carry on them. A LH hitter he has feel to lift th ball quickness in his hand path from a middle of the field to pull approach. Reached 78.9 MPH on his max exit velocity with a max distance of 281', there is some inconsistency at times to his contact quality, but he flashes interesting potential. On the bump Pierce's 3-pitch arsenal was strong with a FB up to 78.3 MPH that sat in the 76-77 MPH range with some good life to the pitch. Mixes a 66-69 MPH CHG which showed arm side fade when he executed it at its best while spinning cutterish 66-67 MPH SLD with short break to the glove side.

 

 

Davis Strange 3B / OF / Mission Viejo High, CA / 2028

With a good frame presently at 5'8 135 lbs. Strange showed good actions both in the batters box and defensively during his workout at the Rising Stars VTA County. Working out both in the OF/INF Strange shows versatility as a defensive player who appears to have a corner profile with his actions to handle 3B/LF/RF long term, but is interesting enough that if his athleticism ticks up as he matures to potential be a SS/2B on the dirt. Showing fast hands in the batters box with a good feel for driving the ball through the middle of the field with authority. 84.2 MPH max exit velocity while averaging 73.9 MPH with a max distance of 279' he profiles as a middle of the field hitter with impact who can grow into power as he matures. 

 

 

Richard Ruiz LHP / 1B / Moorpark High, CA / 2028

Another 2-way prospect who had a good day on both sides of the game. Standing 5'8 185 lbs. there is some present development to his frame. He took a very clean batting practice with a quick swing that showed an accurate barrel (90% sweet spot rate) and sneaky pop 81.2 MPH max exit velocity while mainly working the middle of the field with line drive contact. Plays both OF/1B, but moves cleaner with confidence at 1B where he can be a solid defender presently. A LH pitcher with interesting ability he controls a 65-66 MPH FB which touches 67 with consistent strikes while mixing a CHG at 62-63 which he throws with good arm speed and a 1/7 shaped CB in the 58-62 MPH range presently both of which he throws for strikes. 

 

Lincoln Lakovich SS / Bullard High, CA / 2028

The LH hitting SS out of the Central Valley looked very good on a Sunday afternoon in SoCal showing off his interesting skill set. With a wiry lean 5'9 140 lbs frame presently he has broad shoulders with high hips and athletic actions on the INF dirt with solid arm strength at 68 MPH on his throws that should keep him on the left side of the infield long term. He has a whippy quick LH swing that shows barrel accuracy with a line drive plane to work the middle/pull side of the field with consistent hard contact. Current max exit velocity at 81.3 MPH while averaging 74.1 MPH and sneaky impact to the pull side gap driving a ball 281'.

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

Showcase State Date Location
SoCal Rising Stars Game CA 05/12 Mater Dei High School
FUTURE GAMES TRYOUT: Orange County CA 06/01 Fullerton College
FUTURE GAMES TRYOUT: Ventura County CA 06/09 Westmont College
California State Games 2024 CA 08/09 Fullerton College

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