Prep Baseball Report

Preseason All State II: Quick Hitters- Position Players


Matt Payne
Director of Scouting, PBR of NC

On Sunday March 21st  PBR NC hosted its second of two Preseason All State events at Fleming Stadium in Wilson, NC.  The Preseason All State Showcase is the top winter event in the state. With the public high school season being pushed back due to Covid the event was able to move outdoors with it being held later in the year than normal. 62 of the top players from across the state participated in the event. There were lots of good numbers posted on the windy day. 

Pitchers started the day throwing a controlled bullpen of 15-20 pitches with cameras rolling and Trackman gathering ball flight data. After bullpens position players ran a laser timed 60, followed by a defensive evaluation and offensive evaluation.  During live BP, TrackMan was able to gather ball flight information off the bat.  

Throughout the workout, PBR scouts were taking metrics on players while evaluating their complete skill set.  Today we take a look at each category as well as the leaders in those categories.  As we continue to dive into all of the information gathered, players will receive a full evaluation and the PBR staff will put together top prospect lists from the event.

CLICK HERE to see the full roster and stats from the workout

Quick Hitters - Position Players

Parker Cato, OF/RHP, 2024

Athletic left hand hitter. Fluid stroke with feel for his barrel that stays through the zone. Hands are quick topping at 25.60 mph. Uses the whole field with the ball off his barrel topping at 93 mph. Accurate arm from the outfield. 5-foot-10, 150-pound frame has projection.

Holden Cooper, C/SS, 2024

Athleticism present in a 6-foot, 180-pound frame. Drove the ball through the middle of the field with a short, compact swing. Barrel stays through the zone with extension out front. Quick hands topping at 26.20 mph. Fluid actions on the infield with soft hands. Arm topped at 77 mph from behind the plate. 

Nehemiah Drew, OF, 2023

Posted a 6.82 60 time on the lasers. Lined balls to both sides of the field with his barrel staying inside and short to the ball. Hands are quick and 5-foot-11, 150-pound frame has plenty of room to add strength. 

Talor Grubbs, RHP/3B, 2022

Drove the gaps in BP with lots of hard contact. Top exit velocity recorded at 97.4 mph. Fluid swing with his barrel staying through the zone with his bat speed topping at 79.10 mph. Arm has carry across the diamond topping at 86 mph. 

Nick Ham, OF/RHP, 2024

Lined balls to both gaps during his BP rounds. Barrel is short to the ball and stays through the zone. Top exit velocity recorded at 88.5 mph. 

Karson Knox, OF/C, 2023

Consistently hit balls of the barrel working gap to gap in BP. Short, compact swing with quickness to his hands. Ball off his barrel topped at 94.6 mph. Arm topped at 76 mph from behind the plate. 

Trent Murchison, OF, 2022

Hit a ton of line drives during his BP rounds working to both gaps. Hands are quick topping at 24.40 mph. Barrel is short to the ball and stays through the zone. Top exit velocity recorded at 93.1 mph. Quick, accurate arm from the outfield topping at 88 mph. 6.90 runner in the 60. 

Alex Naylor, SS/OF, 2023

Made hard contact during his rounds of BP. Ball carries off his barrel to the gaps. Swing is loose and fluid. Hands are quick with his barrel staying through the zone. Hand speed topped at 25.80 mph. Athletic defender with carry to his throws. Ran a 6.94 in the 60 and his athletic frame has projection ahead. 

Connor Peschel, SS/RHP, 2022

Athletic on the infield with solid actions. Hands are soft with a quick arm and his throws carrying across the diamond. Uses the whole field with feel for his barrel. Ball topped at 93.3 mph off his bat. 

Aidan Rice, SS/RHP, 2022

Athletic frame with projection ahead at 6-foot, 165-pounds. Fluid actions on the infield with better than average hands. Accurate arm has carry to first base. Swing has looseness with feel for his barrel. 

Elijah Jordan, C/1B, 2022

Switch hitter with the ability to drive the ball from both sides of the plate. Had exit velocities over 90 mph from each side. Hands are quick with his barrel staying through the zone. Arm topped at 77 mph from behind the plate. 

Tucker Mueller, C/OF, 2022

Large frame with strength present at 6-foot-2, 195-pounds. Barrel stays through the zone with the ball off his barrel topping at 92.3 mph. Best pop time recorded at 2.08. 

Jordan Overton, C/OF, 2022

Continues to show power to all fields when we see him. Loose, fluid swing with his barrel staying through the zone with lots of extension out front. Sub-7 runner in the 60 with his exit velocity at 100 mph. 

Gus Shelton, 1B/3B, 2022

Made consistent hard contact during his BP rounds with multiple exit velocities over 95 mph, topping at 100 mph. Hands are strong and quick with the ability to drive the ball to any part of the field. Has athleticism and feel around the first base bag. 

Cameron Richey, OF, 2024

6-foot, 176-pound frame has projection ahead. Has barrel whip through the zone with his bat speed peaking at 76.60 mph. Barrel stays through the zone with lots of hard contact to the left center gap. Exit velocity peaked at 94.2 mph. Quick, accurate arm from the outfield. 

Langston Rupert, OF/SS, 2023

Athletic in the box with pop to both gaps. Hands have quickness and strength showing the ability to keep his barrel through the zone. Ball off his barrel topped at 94 mph. Arm is accurate with carry from the outfield and infield. Posted a 6.98 in the 60. 

Yates Sikes, OF, 2023

Left hand hitter who continues to show barrel awareness each time we see him. Swing is short and compact. Balanced approach with the ability to line balls to all parts of the field. Arm is accurate with quickness from the outfield. 

Michael Venditti, SS/2B, 2022

Fluid actions on the infield with soft hands and feel for getting the right hop. Arm is accurate with some carry to first base. Hands are quick topping at 25.10 mph. Flashes feel for his barrel working through the middle with strength in his hands. 

Danny Staley, 1B, 2022

Continues to show feel to hit each time we see him. Hands are strong and quick with his bat speed topping at 78.80 mph. Can drive the ball to the big part of the field with the ball off his barrel topping at 98 mph. Above average hands on the infield with feel around the first base bag. 

Ryker Galaska, C/OF, 2021

Posted the top exit velocity on the day at 100.53 mph. Left hand hitter with strong, quick hands who keeps his barrel through the zone a long time. Arm topped at 77 mph from behind the plate with his best pop time at 2.07. 

Owen Black, 3B/RHP, 2023

Strength present in 5-foot-11, 200-pound build. Made lots of hard contact in BP with an uphill swing path. Average exit velocity of 92.36 mph with his top exit velocity at 98.12 mph. 

Chace Chaplin, 3B/1B, 2023

Fluid swing with some lift to his barrel path. Crushed balls to the left center gap during BP. HIt several balls over 95 mph with top exit velocity at 98 mph. Hands are soft on the infield with an accurate arm to first base. Posted a 7.03 in the 60. 

Sawyer Black, OF/2B, 2024

Athleticism present in a 5-foot-11, 160-pound frame. Hands are better than average on the infield. Left hand hitter with feel for his barrel lining balls to both gaps. 

Sylas Boris, SS/RHP, 2023

Lined balls through the middle of the field during his BP rounds. Hands have quickness with his bat speed topping at 78.60 mph. Fluid swing with a short path to the ball and his barrel staying through the zone. Fluid actions on the infield. 

Hunter Atkins, 2B/OF, 2023

Athletic frame with projection ahead at 6-foot, 185-pounds. Hands are quick with a flat barrel path through the zone. Consistently hit balls off his barrel. Accurate arm across the diamond. 

Nicholas Lundquist, C/3B, 2022

Made hard contact to his pull side with his exit velocity topping at 92.7 mph. Hands are quick topping at 27.50 mph. Has strength with his barrel working flat through the zone. 

Jimmy Lovelace, 3B, 2023

Drove the ball to both gaps during BP. Multiple exit velocities recorded over 95 mph. Hands are strong and quick with lift to the swing path. Has arm strength on the infield. 

Anderson Nance, SS/RHP, 2024

Relaxed in the box with his barrel working short to the ball and the ability to use the whole field. Athletic on the infield with arm strength across the diamond. Posted a 7.00 in the 60.