Prep Baseball Report

PBR Future Games; Team Missouri Day 3 Highlights



Shon Plack
Missouri Scouting Director

Missouri took two games on Day 3 to go 2-1 in the PBR Future Games.  In Game 1, Missouri got past Pennsylvania 4-1 and won, 6-5, in walk-off fashion against Michigan.  

Against Pennsylvania, 3B John Brinkman (SLUH, 2016) singled and scored to give Missouri a 1-0 lead.  In the second inning, SS Ross Messina (Staley, 2016) led off with a ringing triple to right center.  Messina later scored on sac-fly from OF Tyler James (Lee's Summit West, 2016), to give Missouri a 2-0 lead.  Missouri added another run in the fifth inning when OF Craig Straws (Liberty, 2016) reached on an error and scored on a single by OF Ryan Perkins (Francis Howell, 2016). Tyler James started the sixth with a HBP and scored on a triple to right by SS Chris Cornelius (Vianney, 2016).  Starting RHP Tyler Benninghoff and reliever LHP Jacob Gonzales (Timberland, 2016) combined for five scoreless innings on the mound, while RHP Riley Halley allowed one run in two innings of work.  

+ RHP Tyler Benninghoff (Rockhurst, 2016)
Benninghoff, at 6-foot-4 185-pound RHP, tossed three shutout innings.  He fanned four batters and allowed two walks with no hits in his outing.  Benninghoff sat at 84-86 MPH with fastball, touching 90 MPH between innings.  His fastball showed late run and Benninghoff was able to work both side of the plate.  He had good command of his 11-to-5 shaped curveball at 75-77 MPH.  He has a repeatable delivery and a athletic build.  

+ LHP Jacob Gonzales (Timberland, 2016)
Gonzales worked two innings allowing no runs on one hit with two walks and two strikeouts.  The 5-foot-11 165-pound southpaw had excellent mound presence, and an easy repeatable delivery from a high 3/4 delivery.  He was 77-80 with his fastball with late run.  Gonzales has a swing and miss curveball that is 2/8 in shape, that was clocked at 69-73 MPH.  He has good feel for a change up at 74 MPH.   

+ RHP  Riley Halley (Iberia, 2016)
Halley allowed one run on two hits in two innings of work.  He struck out and an walked one.  The athletic 6-foot-6 195-pound righty worked at 82-85 MPH with his fastball from an over-the-top release.  Halley has 12-to-6 curveball clocked at 68-71 MPH.   Halley worked the bottom of the strike zone producing ground balls, and allowing one infield hit.  

In Game 2, Missouri squared off against Michigan in one of the most exciting games of the weekend. Missouri took an early 1-0 lead,  when OF Jack Duffy (Staley, 2016) walked and scored in the first inning. Missouri 3-1 going into the bottom of the sixth, when 3B John Brinkman (SLUH, 2016) hit a base clearing triple to give Missouri a 4-3 lead.  Michigan regained 5-4 lead in the top of the seventh, but Missouri put together a rally in their half of the inning.  After OF Jack Duffy (Staley, HS) scored his second run of the game on a pass ball, OF Jacob Gonzales (Timberland, 2016) put together a big at-bat with single to left.  He later stole second to set the stage for C Jacob Matheny (Westmister, 2016).  Matheny smoked a one-out double to left that drive in Gonzales and give Missouri a 6-5 win over Michigan and a 2-1 record on the week.

+ RHP Braydon Cook (Francis Howell, 2016)
Cook, a 6-foot-1 190-pound RHP, was in total control in his outing versus Michigan.  He worked three innings giving up no runs on two hits with no walks and four strikeouts.  Cook worked both sides of the plate with fastball at 80-84 MPH, with late run.  He threw an 11-to-5 curveball at 74-78 MPH and was effective with his change up with sink at 72-75 MPH.  Cook showed good poise on the mound holding runners and managing his pitches.  He pounded the zone, needing less than 30 pitches to work his three innings.  

+ RHP Avery Jennings (Rock Bridge, 2016)  
Jennings needed just nine pitches to work his inning vs. Michigan.  The 5-foot-11 175-pound righty used his slider at 74-76 MPH to keep hitters off balance.  His fastball was clocked at 82-84 MPH.

+ RHP Ross Messina (Staley, 2016)
Messina worked the fifth inning against Michigan needing only nine pitches to get three outs.  He used a running fastball at 80-82 MPH, and an 11-to-5 curveball at 69-71 MPH. Messina worked to contact throwing seven of his nine pitches in the zone.  

+ RHP Hunter Dame (Conway, 2016)
Dame, at 6-foot-1 185-pounds, worked 1 2/3 innings allowing two earned runs on two hits with a walk and a strikeout.  Dame was 82-85 with his fastball and 71-76 with his 11-to-5 curveball.  He thew a splitter with late sink at 74-78 MPH.  

+ RHP Ryan Perkins (Francis Howell, 2016)
Perkins got the last out of the game against Michigan with fastballs in the 80-82 range and a spltter at 62 MPH.   

Missouri Future Game Notables

+ 1B Justin Perkins (Francis Howell, 2016) was on base in the three of is six plate appearances. He scored one run, stole one base, and picked up an RBI vs. Pennsylvania.  Perkins got the Missouri bench off their feet with a blast that hooked foul against Illinois that would have won the game in the seventh.   

+ C Jacob Matheny (Westminster, 2016)
Matheny was 2-for-6 in the Futures Games, with a rope to right center in game one versus Illinois starter Brenden Heiss. His second hit was a walk off double to left against Michigan.  He threw out one attempted base stealer, and posted pop times between 2.05 and 2.15.  

+ C Sean Cooley (Staley, 2016)
Cooley kept Missouri in the game with excellent blocking skills against Michigan.  Cooley threw out one of two stolen base attempts with pop times between 2.08 and 2.25.

+ OF Craig Straws (Liberty, 2016) and 2B/OF Matt Miller (Oakville, 2016) posted 4.32 and 4.22 times to first, respectively.  

+ OF Jack Duffy (Staley, 2016) reached base in each of three plate appearances against Michigan with two walks and a HBP.  He stole a base and scored two runs in the 6-5 win.  

+ SS Chris Cornelius (Vianney, 2016) played through an injury to his left hip.  Cornelius delivered two-strike RBI single to right against Pennsylvania and made every play at shortstop look smooth and effortless.  


 
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