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MD/DE Scout Blog: Damascus at Walt Whitman

May 2, 2023
Jamie Naill Jr
Maryland Scouting Director

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A matchup between two of the top teams in Montgomery County was played under the lights on Monday night, and it certainly lived up to the hype. Damascus made the late night travel to Walt Whitman for a showdown between two top 25 teams in the state, with a plethora or talent on both sides. 

Walt Whitman gave the ball to their Senior ace in Lion Gardiner (Holy Cross), while Damascus went with Junior two-way standout Bryce Mitchell. Damascus struck first in the second, as a throwing error and two wild pitches scored the first run of the ballgame. As Mitchell was cruising along, Damascus struck again in the fourth. Following a Ryan Domer leadoff double, the Hornets scored two in the inning off of two more wild pitches, extending the lead to 3-0. Senior Chase Manion would cash in on the third run of the inning with an RBI single to right field, pushing the score to 4-0. After another three up-three down inning for Mitchell in the bottom of the fourth, Damascus would extend the lead to 5-0 in the fifth led by three hit by pitches. After breaking up the "Perfect Game" with a two out walk in the bottom of the fifth, Whitman would finally strike, as Junior two-way Ethan Murley blasted a two run homerun to left field to cut the deficit to 5-2. In the sixth, Senior two-way Liam Bowen (Frostburg State) notched a two RBI double to right-center field, followed by a huge go ahead two run blast off the bat of Junior Gideon Schwartz to give Whitman the 6-5 lead. Sophomore standout Sammy Berman (who was up to 89 mph on the night) hit the first batter of the inning before inducing a sac bunt and a strikeout. With the runner at second, a wild pitch moved the runner to third and Senior Dustin Hottel cashed in with a clutch 2 out RBI single down the left field line to tie the game at 6 a piece. The game would remain tied until the bottom of the eighth where Whitman would walk it off, as the winning run would score on a passed ball giving Whitman the 7-6 victory. 

With such a back and forth game, we have highlighted below the key moments throughout and provided video and some notes as well.


 

 

Damascus

 

Bryce Mitchell SS / RHP / Damascus , MD / 2024

In my first look at Mitchell on the bump since his standout performance at our MD Preseason All-State II event in February, the stuff has increasingly gotten more crisp and the arsenal at his disposal is impressive. Taking a perfect game into the fifth, Mitchell showcased the ability to throw any pitch in any count for strikes with the ability to manipulate shaped on the curveball and slider effectively. Working with shorter arm action, there's some deception to the delivery with controlled intent and a motor that allowed him to hold velo well into the later innings. The fastball sat every bit of 84-86 mph that showed feel to the arm side and late life through the zone. The slider was the "go-to" early on, showcasing shorter, gradual shape at 74-77 for strikes to both sides of the plate. The curveball showed bigger 11/5 shape at 70-72 mph with advanced feel to both lefties and righties. Mitchell was perfect through 4 2/3 innings, racking up 10 strikeouts before giving up a walk and a two-run homerun. Finished the outing working five plus innings, giving up three earned while striking out ten. It's an athletic body that still has room to fill out with plenty of athleticism that can impact on both sides of the ball. 

 

Walt Whitman

 

Ethan Murley C / RHP / Walt Whitman , MD / 2024

The big 6-foot-6 two-way showcased his abilities in multiple ways on Monday night, and it was special to see the impact he can make on both sides of the ball. Coming out of the bullpen for the Vikings, Murley showcased a strong three pitch mix that had promising elements to all of them. It's a shorter arm action coming out of the imposing frame with plenty of feel to the arm side. The fastball showed late life with hard arm side run at 84-86 mph, touching 87 mph once, mixing the slider sparingly at 70-72 mph. The changeup was the pitch that impressed the most in my eyes, showcasing hard fade with killed spin (~1500 rpm) at 74-76 mph. 

At the plate, it's a shorter stroke with plenty of lift created through contact, staying true to a strong whole field approach. Hitting out of a taller, balanced setup, Murley creates solid separation in the hands with some torque in the hips allowing for plenty of strength to the pull side. Sparked a rally for the Vikings and really gave them the momentum in the fifth with a two-run moonshot homerun to left field. 

 

Gideon Schwartz C / 3B / Walt Whitman, MD / 2024

I have always been a fan of Schwartz and the actions and arm strength behind the dish certainly open my eyes each time I see him. Throwing out three runners on the evening (one back pick and two caught stealing), the arm strength and quick actions were on full display all night long. At the plate, the hands work with rhythm and plenty of quick twitch actions throughout, utilizing a more level path to contact that creates occasional lift to the pull side. Provided a huge blast in the game, giving Whitman a 6-5 lead with a two run homerun in the sixth inning. The frame is physical and athletic at 6-foot, 195 pounds.