Prep Baseball Report

PBR Scout Day: Akadema Knights - Pitchers




By Brandon Hall
North Carolina Director of Scouting

On Saturday May 20th Prep Baseball Report traveled to Union Pines HS in Cameron, NC to evaluate the Akadema Knight's Scout Day.  The Knights feature a team made up of players from North Carolina with a high concentration from an hour of the Fayetteville area.  Akadema has teams competing this summer in an array of age groups, with 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 grads on hand for the scout day.  Over the coming days, PBR will dive into the Scout Day with reports on each player in attendance.  Today we concentrate on the pitchers that worked out at the Scout Day.

PBR Scout Days allow players to update their PBR profile page with updated and verified statistics, a full evaluation, and video.  The evaluations are performed by PBR staff members with a history of college and professional scouting.  All of the information will be hosted on the PBR platform, connecting players to over 800 colleges and universities, and every MLB team.

Akadema Knights - PItchers

For a full roster of participants in the Akadema Knights Scout Day, CLICK HERE.

To view all of the statistics from the day, CLICK HERE

 

 

 

Will Beck 1B / RHP / Marlboro Academy, NC / 2019

On the mound, the 6-foot-2, 200 pounder is an imposing figure.  Fastball ranged 76-79, elevated but in the zone.  Long arm action works with some stiffness to a high-¾ slot.  Strength outplays arm speed.  Some effort in the delivery, working with a choppy rhythm, landing slightly closed after creating some torque in his line at balance.  Breaking ball has a gradual arc at 58-64.  Commanded the zone, but not the glove with the spin pitch.  Change-up acts as a third pitch, lacking some arm speed and seeming to push the pitch at times.  Straight change ranged 67-69.


 

 

 

 

Dean Carver OF / RHP / Southern Lee, NC / 2019

Arm side run from a fastball ranging 77-79 created some command issues to the arm side.  An over-the-top slot with some stiffness in the arm swing led to some effort in the delivery.  Works level and slightly closed with his shoulders, landing slightly open at foot-strike.  Breaking ball has 11/5 action, early and gradual through the zone at 66-68.  Change-up produced arm side run, while the arm speed slowed some from the fastball, sitting 72.  Showed some feel with the offspeed pitches in the zone.  Control over command with the secondary stuff.

 

 

 

 

Adam Dossenbach RHP / 1B / Southern Lee, NC / 2018

Imposing 6-foot-2, 220 pound frame.  For his size, a simple delivery and repeats with ease.  Good head posture creates some deception.  Fastball ranged 79-82, with heavy arm side run.  Located fastball, especially to his arm side.  Change-up occasionally cut, but tended to work with run to the arm side at 69-73.  Maintained look-alike arm speed with the change.  Breaking ball is the third pitch at this time, 63-66 with gradual 10/4 action from a slower arm.  Smooth delivery, works level and on-line, landing square.

 

 

 

 

Jett Herndon OF / RHP / Marlboro county, NC / 2019

Flashed arm side command on a fastball ranging 75-78 with slight run.  Good balance point, with a choppy rhythm to the delivery.  High-¾ slot from a short arm swing, with some stiffness and effort.  Shoulder work level and in line.  Slightly closed at foot strike.  Breaking ball sat 59-60 with 11/5 action.  Early at times.  Arm speed neared that of fastball, allowing for command in the zone, missing down but on-line at times.  The change-up is the third pitch, sitting 68-69.  In the zone, but with a slower arm speed.


 

 

 

 

Chandler Hunter SS / 2B / Cheraw, NC / 2018

An over-the-top slot with a slight elbow lead, above the shoulder line worked to a fastball sitting 78-81 with hard arm side run.  Long arm action, works through some stiffness.  Some effort in the delivery that loads the back side up at balance.  Head clears the line through the release point.  Breaking ball ranged 64-67 with early 10/4 action, while being thrown for strikes.  Change-up carried fastball tendencies, touching 75.


 

 

 

 

Luke Johnson 1B / 3B / North Iredell , NC / 2017

On the bump, fastball played straight, sitting 77-81.  A high-¾ slot worked long and loose with average quickness.  Good balance, regular effort, and some rhythm allowed for feel for the zone.  Breaking ball rolled with 10/4 action.  Near fastball hand speed, ranging 67-69.  Slows arm some on change-up. Change does have arm side action, 71-73.


 

 

 

 

Dakota Locklear RHP / 1B / Purnell Swett, NC / 2018

Strong big bodied righty listed at 5-10, 210 pounds.  Easy effort with a high-¾ slot and average arm quickness.  Fastball ranged 76-78, occasional arm side run, showing a feel for the zone.  Breaking ball worked 66-67 with late 10/4 action.  Arm speed worked near that of fastball, staying around the zone.  Change-up is the third pitch, slowing the arm, 73-76.  Slow rhythm, and lacking some explosive quick twitch at any point.  Works on line, finishing square and athletic.


 

 

 

 

Kyshawn McLean SS / RHP / Cape Fear, NC / 2018

Tall delivery with a clean arm swing working to a high-¾ slot.  Fastball ranged 81-84, thrown for strikes but lacking command.  Changeup flashed 77-78 with similar hand speed to the fastball.  Change tends to stay arm side, being pushed on occasion.  Breaking ball shows rolling downer action at 72-73, erratic at times.  Works on line, with some ease, lacking extension and drive through the line.  Showed an ability to throw all three pitches for strikes, lacking command of any.

 

 

 

 

Logan Moore 1B / LHP / Richmond Sr, NC / 2019

On the mound, works from a high-¾ slot with a long arm action.  Some stiffness in the arm.  Choppy rhythm throughout the delivery.  Lands open on his line at foot strike.  Fastball ranged 65-69 with run.  Breaking ball used gradual 2/8 tilt and near fastball arm speed to sit 58-59.  Change-up also mimicked fastball hand speed and arm side run, touching 65.


 

 

 

 

Sam Poole RHP / 3B / Marlboro Academy, NC / 2019

Lanky build in the 6-foot-2, 185 pounder.  Room to add strength.  Fastball worked with arm side run and feel for command to the arm side.  Ranging 74-77, when it missed, it missed to arm side.  Slightly coiled at balance, uncoiling at foot strike and limiting some extension at times.  An over-the-top slot that worked with looseness through a long arm swing.  Arm works behind the body line and the ball turns over early near the top of the arm swing.  Some effort in the delivery.  Breaking ball sweeps with slight tilt.  Early at times, ranging 66-67 and tending to miss up in the zone.  Changeup has sink and fastball look-alike tendencies.  Ranging 73-75, showed feel for the zone.  


 

 

 

 

Jack Ratliff RHP / 1B / Greensboro Day School, NC / 2019

Lanky 6-foot-4, 185 pounder with room to grow.  Fastball ranged 83-84 with slight run.  Commanded fastball within the zone, with ease.  Works from a high-¾  slot with a long, loose arm swing that works behind the body line some.  Elbow tends to work above the shoulder line, leading the arm swing.  Some rhythm in the delivery as the shoulders stay level and he works down the line.  Changeup ranged 75-79, inconsistent with the release as it is pushed at times.  Change showed look alike features with good hand speed and late sink.  Breaking ball rolls with a 11/5 tilt.  Arm slows as it ranges 67-68.  Still room to his ceiling and stuff could jump as hand speed continues to develop.


 

 

 

 

Tyler Strickland RHP / 1B / Gray's Creek, NC / 2020

Intriguing athlete with a tall, lanky frame in a 6-foot-6, 180 pound frame.  Plenty of projection left in the frame to continue to grow and to continue to fill out with strength.  Fastball sat 80-82 with some effort from a long arm swing working to a high-¾ slot.  Better than average quickness in the arm.  Good balance point, with some rhythm, slightly closed with the shoulders as he works to a square landing.  Change up works with good hand speed, showing sink and fade at 68-72.  Threw strikes with the change, missing down at times.  Breaking ball works with gradual 10/4 tilt.  Arm slows through release, allowing the curveball to sit 68-72.  Did show an ability to throw it for a strike.  High ceiling in an athlete that showed some power in the body throughout the workout.


 

 

 

 

Jacob Switzer LHP / 1B / Providence Grove, NC / 2018

Strong, thick build in the 6-foot-2, 200 pounder.  High-¾ slot works with a long arm swing building average arm speed.  Works through a good balance point, staying level with his shoulders and working down his line.  Fastball ranged 78-80, showing better velocity when located.  Breaking ball works with good hand speed, sitting 67-68 with 1/7 tilt.  Tended to miss to arm side with the spin pitch.  Straight change up used good hand speed, sitting 75-77.  Good command of change, especially to arm side.  Some projection left as he learns to use his build and the arm may be able to quicken.


 

 

 

 

Ryan Taylor C / RHP / Hoke County, NC / 2018

From the mound, works with a strong arm swing and fluid delivery to produce a quick arm.  Fastball bumped 85, sitting 81-83, heavy with some run.  Showed an ability to work downhill, but had sequences where he was elevated.  Breaking ball works with 11/5 tilt and gradual break, starting up out of the hand.  Curveball touched 68, while being able to stay in the zone.  Change up  showed fastball look-alike hand speed, ranging 72-73, although erratic around the zone.  

 

 

 

 

Brandon White OF / RHP / Marlboro Academy, NC / 2018

On the bump, searches for consistent arm rhythm as it works to an over-the-top slot.  Fastball ranged 72-76, with feel for the zone.  Feel for throwing strikes with both breaking ball and changeup.  The curveball sat 62-65, with gradual 10/4 tilt.  At times elevated, working to make it spin.  Slows the arm some on the touching 70.


 

 

 

 

Eugene Wilkins SS / RHP / Purnell Swett, NC / 2019

On the bump, works from an over-the-top slot with average arm quickness.  Fastball peaked at 78, showing some run.  The breaking ball ranged 61-63 with rolling 11/5 tilt, showing an ability to locate it in the zone.  Slows the arm on the changeup, showing some sinking action at 63-68.  Tends to turn change over early in the arm swing.