Prep Baseball Report

NC/SC Border Battle - NC PItcher Analysis


Brandon Hall
North Carolina Director of Scouting

On July 24th, top players from North Carolina and South Carolina converged on Winthrop University for the first ever NC/SC Border Battle.  The Border Battle allowed players to workout and compete in front of college coaches and pro scouts, while updating their information for their PBR Profile, connecting them with over 900 college coaches and pro scouts that subscribe to PBR.

The event was a huge success with players from each state impressing those in attendance.  The process to break all of the information down has begun.  Player statistics have been loaded to the event page and onto each player’s personal PBR Profile.  Along with stats, each player has a PBR Video from their workout on their profile page. 

As we continue our look at the players that represented NC at the Border Battle, we turn our attention to the pitchers.  Each primary pitcher was able to throw two live innings in a controlled scrimmage.  Pitchers also had some of their advanced analytics taken in their bullpen session with F5 Sports, and you can see that information HERE.

 

 CLICK HERE to see the full statistics from the NC/SC Border Battle.

 

NC/SC Border Battle Analysis: NC PItchers

 

Gabriel Brewington RHP / 3B / Corinth Holders, NC / 2020

 

Committed to North Carolina A&T shortly after throwing in front of the Aggies staff at the Border Battle.  6 foot 3, 180-pound build with strength.  High waisted and athletic with broad shoulders.  Easy to project strength gains to the athletic frame.  Tall over the rubber, creating some downhill angle on release.  Loose, works the leg kick to the mid-chest.  Body is on-line.  Slow to quick, long arm action, works to an over-the-top slot.  Above average arm speed.  Lands on-line and square.  Good extension.  Fastball ranged 84-87, jumping on hitters when elevated in the zone.  Breaking ball came from inconsistent hand speed with hard downer tilt at 72.  Rolls out of the hand somewhat at 69-71.  Potential high ceiling as the frame matures and arm speed may increase.
Balanced, athletic setup from the right side of the plate.  Short stride with his hands working back during the load.  Short barrel path to the ball, keeping his barrel in the zone.  Feel for his barrel with a line drive approach that he carries over to game action.  Average bat speed with his exit velocity recorded at 93 mph.  Average hands on the infield with flashes of rhythm to the feet and hands.  Clean exchanges with a long arm action, throwing from a high ¾ slot.  Arm topped at 85 mph across the diamond.  Recorded a 7.15 in the 60. 

Jacob Coffin LHP / OF / Apex , NC / 2021

 

Average frame, standing 5-foot-10, 150 pounds.  Threw on 3 days rest.  High kick with the toe outside the knee and pointed to the sky.  Slight pelvic tilt rotating the head behind the shoulders.  Medium arm swing to an over-the-top slot.  High front side creates some deception.  Average arm speed.  Lands slightly across his line with a square toe.  Fastball sat 74-77, cutting at times when thrown to the glove side.   Arm side run when thrown to the arm side.  Used the fastball with success to each side of the plate.  Big, 12/6 tilt on the breaking ball, with a slight hump out of the hand, sitting 57-63.  Good feel for the bender, landing it early in counts and expanding later in at-bats.  Good pitch-ability.  Increased arm speed should see stuff jump.

Daniel Epperson RHP / OF / Northern Guilford , NC / 2020

 

5 foot 11, 155-pound lanky frame.  Strike thrower on the bump.  Stretch only.  Loads the front hip with a short leg kick to the belt.  Short arm action, loading the scapular.  Average arm speed.  ¾ slot.  Fastball at 74-77 with arm side run when thrown to the arm side.  Change-up worked with similar arm speed to the fastball, ranging 67-70.  Drops the slot to a low-3/4 for his slider creating a sweeping action across the zone with the release.  Slider sat 67-69.
Offensively he works from the right side with a balanced setup.  Weight and hands work slightly back during the load with a short stride.  Controlled approach during batting practice staying balanced.  Looks to stay in the middle of the field.  Barrel gets long at times.  Exit velocity recorded at 80 mph.  Plays through balls in the outfield with average hands, clean exchanges and a long arm action, throwing from a high ¾ slot.  Some accuracy to his throws that topped at 79 mph.  Recorded a 7.15 in the 60.

Matt Hayek RHP / 1B / Charlotte Catholic, NC / 2020

 

Large frame with strength in the lower half.  Stands 6-foot-1, 235 pounds.  Slight side step working to a kick to the belt.  Stable over the rubber, working on-line and landing in-line and square with the foot.  Long arm swing to a high-3/4 slot.  Strike thrower.  Good mix and feel for the fastball and curveball.  Fastball sat 77-80.  Moved it in and out and flashed an ability to elevate the pitch.  12/6 breaking ball rolls through the zone at 64-66.  Landed the breaking ball with consistency in the outing.

Anthony Sullivan LHP / OF / Hopewell, NC / 2020

 

Slender frame at 6-foot, 170 pounds.  Frame will continue to handle strength gains.  Attacked the zone with a solid two pitch mix.  Fastball ranged 76-78.  Early run on the fastball to the arm side.  Breaking ball worked with late 11/5 tilt at 68-71, getting better with each time he threw it in the outing.  Average leg kick to the mid-chest.  Long arm swing, wrapping behind the body line, and working to a high-3/4 slot.  Slightly rotational with average extension.  Worked level, landing on-line and square with the front foot.

Carson Swaim RHP / Oak Grove, NC / 2020

 

Right hander flooded the zone with a three pitch mix, flashing the ability to attack hitters in a variety of ways.  Average frame with strength present in the lower half, standing 5-foot-11, 185 pounds.  Simple delivery with a very stable head over the rubber.  Lower leg kick to the belt.  Works level, in-line, landing on-line and square at foot strike.  Short arm action, loading the scapular with strength.  Over-the-top slot.  Fastball at 77-79.  Late arm side life present to the arm side.  Occasional run on the glove side.  Change-up has good deception and solid hand speed, ranging 69-71, with some late fade.  Downer breaking ball rolls out of the hand at 66-72.  Showed he can land the breaking ball and work to expand.