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By Chris Fuller
Kentucky Scouting Director

I’m 45 years old and haven’t pitched competitively for 20+ years, but one of the great things about baseball is that there are certain sights, sounds, and even smells that can take you directly back to a moment you had on the field so many years ago. I had one of those moments this past Saturday.

Before I ever even got to college, I had the good fortune (or misfortune) of pitching against some very good hitters, the most notable of which were Ken Griffey, Jr. and Mark Lewis. Of course, you would have to live under a rock to not know who Junior is. Lewis played at Hamilton High School located just north of Cincinnati and had a 10-year major league career after being the No. 2 overall pick in the 1988 MLB draft. I can distinctly remember the ball sounding different off their bats. As a 17-year old, Griffey hit the longest ball off me that I ever gave up.

This past Saturday, at our Preseason All-State Showcase, as I watched Southwestern 3B Trevor Howard take batting practice, I heard that familiar sound. Now I am in no way, shape, or form comparing Howard to Griffey or Lewis. To do so would be ridiculous. But what I am saying is the ball sounds differently coming off of Howard’s bat, and it was immediately noticeable. For a split second it took me back to that day as a 17-year-old.

At 6-foot-3, 215-pounds, Howard generates tremendous bat speed, and it translates to his power numbers on the field. The right-handed hitter clubbed 16 doubles and nine home runs for Southwestern High School as a sophomore last spring. He makes extremely loud contact, and the ball jumps off his bat with backspin carry. He is as legitimate a power hitter as I have seen in my 2 ½ years as Director of Scouting in Kentucky. Need proof of his ability to generate bat speed? Howard broke the PBR Kentucky record in recording a 102 mph exit velocity on Saturday.

Defensively, Howard shows the hands and arm strength to play the hot corner at the next level. His hands are soft, and his 86 mph arm across the infield is plenty for the positon. His 6-foot-3 frame allows him to play the other corner as well.

Look for big power numbers again from Howard this spring as Southwestern looks to return to the State Tournament out of a tough 12^th region.