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By Dylan Hefflinger, Brent Alwine and PBR Staff
Michigan Editor in Chief/Regional Scout and Michigan Scouting Director

Top Stories for The Year 2014

PBR Michigan started up on April 10th, 2012 as seen here. Brent Alwine then took the reigns in Michigan to start 2014 and has been an integral part in helping PBR Michigan grow.

Now that Michigan is fully entrenched as a top PBR state, we look to continue our climb while continuing to provide top notch baseball coverage in Michigan. 

Brent, PBR Michigan Director of Scouting, along with Dylan Hefflinger, Michigan Editor in Chief/Regional Scout take a look back at the year in review and put together a list of the top stories for 2014.

To start off the the list we looked at a pitcher who may not have been able to finish his high school career how he had hoped, but was still a perfect 35-0 on the mound. Next up we looked at how Bay City Western made history in 2014.

Now we look at one of the top prospects in the nation, Nick Plummer.

A rundown of the stories: Note: We will be conducting a Twitter contest to vote on the top stories for 2014 once the stories have been posted.

• Garrett Schilling's Perfect Record
• Bay City Western's Back-to-Back

Nick Plummer Has Arrived

The first time we at PBR saw Nick Plummer was May 2013. What we saw was an athlete who had an advanced approach at the plate, showcasing a quiet, calm confident demeanor. Once the speedster got on base, he instantly became aggressive, swiping bases, taking the extra base and just having fun being a baseball player.

A month later, Plummer attended Michigan's Top Prospect Games. Here is a look at his write-up from the event:

"One of the most impressive athletes at the event. Ran a 4.19 down to first base on a ground ball. Tripled off the base of the right-center wall. Top end speed was good. Arm still needs work (82 mph) to be considered elite. Pure hitter. Advanced approach with patient approach. Good shoulder trigger. Extends well."

Less than a week after his TPG performance, the talented outfielder committed to the University of Michigan. 

Just a month after committing to Michigan, Nick had a change of heart and reopened his recruitment.

Late in June, Nathan Rode, PBR National Supervisor, wrote that "Plummer has made some noise already this summer and is beginning to build an interesting draft profile."

Later in June, Sean Duncan, PBR Executive Director, saw the impressive prospect at the Music City Baseball Classic and liked what he witnessed.

"Recently decommitted from Michigan, Plummer will likely establish himself as one of the premier high school draft prospects in the Midwest. The physically advanced 5-foot-11, 200-pound left-handed hitter was personally the most impressive positional prospect I saw over the course of the three days. Plummer features high-level tools across the board. He possesses game-changing speed – he ran a 4.01 home-to-first on a 6-4 putout; also ran a 4.15 in which he pulled up early. He covers a lot of ground in the outfield and gets excellent reads off the bat. Offensively, he’s patient, balanced and explosive. Against the Indiana Bulls, he crushed a tape-measure bomb with wood that traveled foul well beyond the right-field fence at Lipscomb University. He also delivered two extra-base hits, walked several times and swiped several bases."

Plummer attends Brother Rice High School, which consistently churns out Division I athletes and the traditional power does not look to be slowing down anytime soon. 

According to Brother Rice head coach Bob Riker: “He's definitely a draft guy and I would think a high draft guy. He's definitely an offensive threat every time he comes up. He swings from the left side and can definitely run. He has serious power, real discipline at the plate. By the time he finishes with me, he'll be one of, if not the best hitter I've had.”

Plummer's talent was noticed early as the special athlete started as a freshman. He was the No. 3 hitter as a freshman and slid into the leadoff spot the last two seasons. In 37 games this spring, Plummer hit .553 with 10 home runs and annihilated opposing pitching in the Catholic High School League with a .583 clip. Pitchers were at an advantage, too. In the Catholic League, teams start with a 1-and-1 count to speed games up and get doubleheaders in. All of this is from Nathan Rode's article about Plummer stepping into the National Spotlight. To read the whole article, please click here.

Later in the summer Nick committed to the University of Kentucky.

Now that he once again is committed to a college, it was time for Plummer to put on a show for the MLB scouts and he did just that at the East Coast Pro Showcase. At the event, Plummer showcased his power hitting one of the farthest balls of the event.

Next up for Plummer during the summer circuit was the Area Code Games.

Facing one of the top pitchers from Nevada, Nolan Kingham, Plummer took the second pitch of the game, an 89 mph fastball, over the right-field wall for a home run. To put this into prospective, there was only one home run hit at the 2013 Area Code Games and Plummer just matched that with the first swing of the event. 

Notes on Plummer from the Area Code Games thanks to Nathan Rode:

"Plummer is all the rage this summer, with strong showings at the Music City Baseball Classic, East Coast Professional Showcase and now Area Code Games. Home runs are rare in Long Beach with Blair Field’s deep dimensions and the unforgiving marine layer that kills fly balls. But after taking a first pitch ball to lead off the event, he turned on an 89 mph fastball and launched a bomb to right field, which generated an audible reaction from the scouts. He walked in his next two at-bats, but squared up a foul ball down the first-base line that was inches from being an easy double. He went 3-for-7 in the first four games (I missed the last White Sox game because of my flight time). Plummer showed good plate discipline, walking five times while striking out three. It could have easily been one strikeout as he punched out twice looking on borderline calls in one game. He takes an easy, quick swing with a short path. He dropped a bloop double in later in the week—it wasn’t hit hard, but his bat stayed in the zone. His arm is average from the outfield and he moves well in center. He stole four bases in the first four games. Formerly a Michigan recruit, Plummer decommitted earlier in the summer and wound up making a verbal commitment to Kentucky."

Now in mid-August, next up for Nick was the Under Armor All-American Game/Showcase. 

Plummer was a late addition to the UA Roster but definitely showed he was deserving of the spot and the true centerfielder showcased his balanced, quiet approach during BP. But during the home run derby after the workout, the Kentucky recruit also flashed his power potential, driving several balls out with wood.

After a long but extremely successful summer for Nick Plummer, Nathan Rode took a look at his draft potential in this piece from September.

"The draft is more than eight months away so a lot can happen or change, but Plummer has the upside of being a high pick. Plummer enjoyed a breakout summer in which he had strong performances at a few national events. After standing out at the Music City Classic and East Coast Professional Showcase, the Kentucky recruit turned on the second pitch of the Area Code Games for a home run. He has a short, quick swing and a good approach at the plate. He moves well in center field and would boost his stock as a prospect if he proves he can stay there at the next level. A move to a corner spot would put more pressure on his bat, but that’s his best tool."

After the impressive summer, Nick moved up to Number 3 in Prep Baseball Report's overall rankings for the 2015 class as seen here. Also, Plummer moved to the number 8 spot in the National Top 50 as seen here.

Later in December Nathan Rode got another question about Plummer as seen in this article.

When asked who are the potential high draft picks from Michigan in 2015, Rode answered with, "OF Nick Plummer (Brother Rice HS, MI) is the marquee guy in the state for 2015. He has a chance to be a first-round pick if he performs in the spring. His offensive potential is high thanks to a short, quick swing and plenty of strength. He also runs well, giving him a rare power-speed combination. He performed well at several big events last summer and fall. Scouts will remember that and factor it in since he won’t be facing the best competition in the spring."

Overall Nick Plummer is an outstanding athlete, hitter, and all-around person. It has been a pleasure covering Nick and we look forward to seeing his progress this upcoming spring. All of us at PBR wish Nick the best when it comes to his success this summer as well as whatever the future holds for him.