MD/DE Scout Blog: Walter Johnson at Churchill
April 19, 2023
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It was another top tier matchup in Montgomery County, as Churchill played host to Walter Johnson in what turned out to be one of the top pitching battles of the year thus far.
Churchill turned to their Senior two-way leader in Isaac Kreisler, while Walter Johnson gave the ball their own Senior ace in Leo Simpson (Radford). The Bulldogs threatened early in the bottom of the first, as Seniors Zane Gross (Barry) and Isaac Kreisler notched back-to-back one out singles, followed by a walk to load the bases. Simpson would then strike out the next batter and induce a groundout to get out unscathed. In the bottom of the second, the Wildcats would cash in, as a two out rally brought Zane Gross (Barry) to the dish and he capitalized on a huge three run homerun to left field. Kreisler was dialed in all night, inducing plenty of weak contact and seamlessly cruising through the first six innings. In the seventh, Walter Johnson would fight back with a two out rally of their own. Sophomore Ethan Hsu singled to right-field, followed by a dropped pop up and another single by Junior Geoffrey Kemp to load the bases with two outs. The next batter would hit a ground ball to second base that was bobbled, scoring two and cutting the Churchill lead to 3-2, bringing one of, if not Walter Johnson's top hitters to the plate in Junior Vance Bonior with a chance to tie or take the lead. Kreisler, still on the bump would strike Bonior out, ending the game.
Churchill
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Isaac Kreisler OF / RHP / Churchill , MD / 2023It was certainly a masterful performance by Kreisler on the bump, as he earned the complete game win, going seven innings, striking out four and giving up just two unearned runs. It's an easy, fluid delivery, working out of a three-quarter slot with some deception. The ability to tunnel the breaking ball and changeup off the fastball was impressive, and certainly gave the WJ batters fits all night long. The fastball worked to both sides of the plate at 81-83 mph, touching 84 mph a few times and showed the ability to consistently change eye-levels throughout the zone. The breaker was thrown sparingly, but when used showed big, gradual shape in the mid to high 60's for strikes. The big pitch on the night was a "killed spin" changeup that worked to all quadrants of the zone in the mid 70's. The pitch showed several different shapes with occasional late fade and even some playing like a late breaking slider that ran away from right-handed batters. The pace was quick all night and confidence oozed throughout the outing, navigating through a difficult Walter Johnson lineup.
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Michael Demske 1B / RHP / Churchill, MD / 2023I really like the physicality and athleticism portrayed by Demske. There's plenty of rhythm in the hands at the dish and a smooth back load creates solid hand separation that translates to some explosion through contact. A slightly uphill path creates occasional backspin, and the strength in the frame and swing should translate to more power numbers as the awareness for the barrel gets more consistent.
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Zane Gross C / 3B / Churchill, MD / 2023The Barry University recruit has transformed himself into one of the top shortstops in the state and consistently showcases an advanced hit tool with plus actions defensively. At the dish, the approach is aggressive with plenty of intent with every swing produced, utilizing whippy barrel action and quick hands. The awareness for the barrel continues to develop and the ability to pull the hands in on high velocity is impressive. What stuck out the most to me personally was the actions defensively. The footwork is clean and the arm is strong with throws that show plenty of carry across. Finished the game 2-for-3 with a game changing three-run homerun to left field.
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Walter Johnson
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Leo Simpson RHP / Walter Johnson, MD / 2023It was my first opportunity this Spring to see Simpson, and a dominating start to his Senior campaign (27 strikeouts with no earned runs and a 3-0 record) certainly had me intrigued and excited to see him. The pitch arsenal is electric and there is no question why he is regarded as one of the top prep arms in the state. Although the command was not at his best on the night, Simpson battled through adversity and showed a confidence and drive that matches any on the bump. Working with a ton of lower half drive down the bump, the Radford commit utilizes quick, explosive arm speed through a high three-quarter slot with a strong FB/CB mix. The fastball explodes out of the hand with hard arm side run that showed the ability to dot both sides of the plate at 88-90 mph, touching 91 mph a few times. The curveball is undoubtedly one of the more devastating pitches in the state and showcases sharp 11/5 break with high spin up around 2800 rpm. When in the zone, the mid to upper 70's breaker induces plenty of weak and awkward swings. Simpson really made just one mistake on the night, leaving a fastball middle/in that flattened out a bit for a three-run homerun. Finished the night working five innings, giving up just four hits with four strikeouts.
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