By Ben Grossberg
Lead Scout, PBR Indiana

Bloomington, IN – Two of the top teams in the state faced off on Tuesday as No.17 Jasper visited No. 12 Bloomington South. The game featured a great pitching match up with Jasper putting Dayton commit Mark Giesler on the mound against South’s Junior Gage Rogers. The game started off in a pitching duel with neither team able to do much offensively. Rogers in the first sat 87-88 with his fastball touching 89 twice, and Giesler was 86-87 touching 88. 

Jasper would finally get their offense going in the fifth. With Rogers out of the game Jasper took advantage scoring four runs in the inning. Senior Nick Gobert got Jasper on the board with a bases loaded sac fly, giving Jasper a 1-0 lead. Giesler came up next, and with two on drove a ball deep over the fence in left center to put Jasper up 4-0. 

With Giesler, replaced by Gobert, out of the game, South would get a run back in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single from pinch hitter Henry Nieswander that scored Joe Crider, who had doubled earlier in the inning. 

Jasper got the run back thanks to a solo homerun from Gobert that gave them a 5-1 advantage entering the bottom of the seventh. 

South would not go down without a fight, as they got singles from Junior Austin Knapp and Senior Nolan Rogers (Vanderbilt) in the seventh. After Gobert struck out the next South batter, a hit by pitch loaded the bases. Junior Isaac Barrow came through with an RBI single to cut the deficit to three. After a sac fly from Crider cut the lead to 5-3, Gobert struck out the final batter of the game to preserve the 5-3 victory. 

Jasper – Giesler: W, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 SO; 3-4 HR, 3 RBI; Gobert: 2-3, HR, 2 RBI; Scott Stallwood: 2-3, R

South – G. Rogers: ND, 3 IP, 1 H, 3 SO; Crider: 2B, RBI; Barrow 2-4, RBI; N. Rogers 2-3, R

Scouting Notes: 

Jasper

Nick Gobert, SS/RHP, 2013: Gobert showed that he is one of the top remaining unsigned seniors in the state. On the mound he sat 83-85 with a curveball that was sharp at times and consistently thrown for a strike. At the plate he displayed a good line drive swing that had pop, his homerun was a line drive over the left field fence. In the infield he moved well and showed a strong arm.

Devon Traylor, OF, 2013: Traylor is a 6-foot-1,180 pound athletic outfielder that runs well. During pregame he moved well getting to the ball and showed a strong accurate arm. At the plate he had a short compact swing.

Austin Ailes, 3B, 2015: Alles is a big strong kid for a sophomore at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds. Alles had a strong arm in the infield. At the plate the results weren’t there, but showed power potential with a deep fly that he just got under.

Ben Moore, OF, 2015: Moore is a 5-foot-9, 165 pound outfielder that showed good speed. He moved very well in the outfield and his arm is accurate. At the plate his hands are quick and his swing is short and compact. He is a line drive hitter.

Bloomington South

Gage Rogers will be featured in tomorrow’s PBR Indiana Scouting Notes story.

Joe Crider, C, 2014: Behind the plate Crider’s pop times were consistently in the low 2.1s with a best of 2.07. At the plate he showed the power that he has in his bat with a double ripped down the left field line. Crider just needs to work at getting more consistent at the plate, but the talent is there.

Isaac Barrow, 1B, 2014: Barrow is a big kid that worked well around first base. At the plate there is a lot of power potential in his bat. At the plate his swing is a little uphill and he gets the barrel through the zone well.