Prep Baseball Report

PBR Mailbag: Biggest Winners From All-State Games




Trey Sofio
Louisiana Scouting Director

Who were the biggest winners from the Pre-Season All-State Games?
This past Saturday, PBR Louisiana hosted the Pre-Season All-State Games at Alex Box Stadium on the campus of Louisiana State University. Over 50 of the top prospects around the state took part in a morning workout, which was followed by game action in the afternoon.

The overall level of talent was high, and there were numerous players that saw their stocks rise on Saturday. To answer today’s question though, let’s take a closer look at three players.

+ No one has seen a bigger rise this fall than unsigned 2017 catcher, Cade Blanchard (Dutchtown HS). Blanchard burst on the scene at September’s Prospect ID Showcase showing off big arm strength from behind the dish (83 mph positional velocity), and Blanchard certainly continued his upward trend this past weekend, showing off big arm strength once again with a 1.85-second pop time. He has a lean, athletic 6-foot frame that will need to add strength moving forward, but he has shown solid receiving skills, and the ability to neutralize an opponent's running game with his strong arm and quick release.

+ 2018 OF Basiel Williams (Ponchatula HS) has been another fast riser this fall. Williams possess a 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame with long limbs and proto-typical projection. He posted an impressive 6.68 60-yard dash, showed off solid arm strength from the outfield with long, loose arm action into high-¾ release, carry on throws and a positional velocity of 86 mph. In addition, Williams is a legitimate switch-hitter with bat speed, strength at contact, and a simple, repeatable approach. Williams’s recruitment has heated up significantly in the recent weeks, and he is one to watch in Louisiana’s 2018 draft class.

+ 2017 LHP/1B Matthew Delcambre (Acadiana HS) created quite a buzz on Saturday. Relatively an unknown, Delcambre possess a 6-foot-3, 205-pound strong, athletic frame. He showed a long, loose arm action into a high-¾ release with quick arm speed and regular effort. His fastball sat 85-87 mph with tilt and angle in the strike showing, showing solid ability to control the fastball. He flashed a solid breaking ball with shape and depth during warmups, throwing it for strikes, but struggled to land it consistently in his limited game action. In addition, Delcambre also flashes pull power as a left-handed hitter, posting a 95 mph exit velocity.

Have a question for Prep Baseball Report Louisiana that you would like to see discussed? PBR Mailbag is a weekly feature that will attempt to tackle one reader question a week, email [email protected].

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