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The Preseason All-State events have rapidly become one of the premier showcase events in North Carolina. Now in their seventh year, these events serve as a launching point for the high school baseball season, allowing Prep Baseball to identify emerging talent to monitor throughout the spring. Additionally, they play a key role in assembling the Team Carolina watchlist for prestigious events such as the Prep Baseball Future Games, Super Sophomore Games, NC/SC Border Battle, and more.

These high-caliber events provide players with an opportunity to showcase their offseason development while competing alongside top talent from across the state. The Prep Baseball staff frequently observes physical transformations, increased strength and agility, and athletes achieving personal bests throughout the Preseason All-State workout.

The Preseason All-State workout follows a professional, combine-style format, allowing players to record key performance metrics and analytics both on the field and in controlled athletic testing environments. While these events take place early in the year—when players are still ramping up for the season—they provide the Prep Baseball scouting staff with valuable insights into a player's current skill level and potential for growth.

This year’s events commenced with pitchers and catchers participating in defensive evaluations. Catchers are given the opportunity to record full-length pop times at each hosting facility, followed by pitchers throwing controlled bullpens. TrackMan technology is utilized to capture comprehensive ball flight data, providing advanced analytics on each pitch.

As bullpen sessions conclude, position players transition into athletic testing. Using VALD Performance lasers, each athlete completes a laser-timed 30-yard sprint, including a 10-yard split measurement. Players also undergo various jump tests and grip strength assessments. Following the athletic testing, infielders and outfielders participate in defensive workouts, while hitters conclude the day with live batting practice. BLAST Motion technology collects pre-contact swing metrics, and TrackMan captures detailed ball flight data off the bat.

Following the event, the Prep Baseball scouting team meticulously analyzes all collected data, video, and scouting notes. This information is then distributed to college coaches, professional scouts, and baseball enthusiasts across the state who are eager to identify and track North Carolina’s top prospects

CLICK HERE to see the full roster and statistical out put from the Preseason All-State West.

Preseason All-State West By The Numbers
+ 1 player recorded an exit velocity over 100mph
+ 8 hitters recorded an exit velocity of 95mph or higher
+ 5 hitters had a BLAST bat speed of 75mph of higher
+ 5 players had a max distance of 330ft or longer.
+ 7 pitchers had a fastball at 85mph or higher
+ 7 pitchers had their fastball spin recorded higher than 2200rpm
+ 4 pitchers had their breaking ball spin at 2400rpm or higher
+ 5 catchers recorded a pop time of 2.10 or better
+ 8 outfielders had arm strength at 85mph or better
+ 8 infielders tested with arm strength across the infield at 80mph or higher

Preseason All-State West - Position Player Quick Hitters

Zeke Adwaters III SS / 3B / TC Roberson, NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 71 / POS: 10 Athletic build. Proportional strength. High level defender. Excellent rhythm in the hands and feet. Good trust in his hands. Bat has improved significantly with additional strength. Short and direct. Max exit of 97.6mph.  Flat through the zone, gliding onto the front side.

Austin Baxter SS / 2B / Hopewell, NC / 2028 Strength present in a young frame. Lots of room to his ceiling but already in positions to produce now. Works to get extension. Pull side power with max exit of 91.4mph.

Drew Bonhag 2B / SS / Cox Mill, NC / 2025 Committed to William Peace. Athletic mover. Ran 4.0 x 30yd. Good rhythm in the feet on defense. Strength to the pull side in the box. Good rhythm and separation. Stable head. Max exit of 97mph

Jalen Boyd OF / RHP / Covenant Day, NC / 2026 Lean, athletic frame. Simple in the box. Small stride. Works flat through the zone. Has quickness.  Solid barrel feel.  Max exit of 91.6mph.

Caden Browning C / 1B / Gaston Christian, NC / 2027 Straight line build. Strength in lower half. Flat through the zone from the right side. Works for extension. More comfort to the pull side. Athletic exchange and release in the crouch. Easy carry.  Good accuracy on pop throws.

Jacob Cesarz SS / 2B / Pro5 Academy, NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 51 / POS: 6 Advanced athlete.  Excellent quickness. Ran 1.61 x 10yd split and 3.70 x 30yd. Solid defender. Arm has carry. Swing has calmed from the summer. Flater and in the zone longer. Strong hands. 94.4 max exit velocity.

Gabriel Diaz 3B / SS / Palisades, NC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 73 / POS: 6 Intriguing athletic build with looseness and bend in the hips. Strong lower half. Excelllent rhythm defensively with carry and accuracy in the arm. Good rhythm in the box. Works for extension. Easy hands and barrel.

Dylan Earnhardt 3B / RHP / NC Leadership Charter Academy, NC / 2028 Young frame. Strength present. Right handed hitter showed solid barrel feel. Some length. Works for extension.

Daniel Eber OF / LHP / William Amos Hough, NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 97 / POS: 21 Proportional build with strength present. Left handed hitter. Preset tilt in barrel. Strong hands. Good bat speed. High finish. Natural loft through contact. Max exit of 97.4mph.

Benjamin Edwards OF / LHP / William Hough, NC / 2026 Lean, tapered waist. Left handed hitter. Good rhythm. Flat in zone. Natural loft through contact. Max exit velocity of 91.7mph

Colby Epperly 1B / LHP / Ardrey Kell, NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 131 / POS: 7 Lean frame. Hand strength present. Left handed hitter. Good rhythm. Has looseness. Strong at contact. Max exit velocity at 94.7.  Good hands with rhythm in the feet around the bag at 1B. Has trust in the hands. Athletic exchange and release.

Parker Filipek C / 3B / TC Roberson, NC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 29 / POS: 5 All around good player. Above average performance on defense at 3 different positions. Behind the dish, good receiver with bend in the hips. Athletic catch and release. Left handed hitter has taken advantage of added strength and quickness.  Ball is jumping off the barrel with some ease. Good rhythm with barrel feel.

Leyton Guhl OF / C / Carmel Christian, NC / 2027 Good athlete. Strength present. Strong hands. Right handed hitter. Wide base - no stride. Still very good timing and barrel feel.  Strong at point of contact. Max exit of 95.6mph.

Hayes Hillier C / OF / Asheville, NC / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 151 / POS: 16 Excellent athlete. Explosive putting force into the ground and translating that into movement. Has quickness out of his crouch.  Arm has carry, hitting 79mph from the crouch. Showed accuracy.  Right handed hitter. Balanced.  Strong at contact. Flat through the zone.  Significant improvement from a fall game-evaluation where he was playing with an injury.  Good unsigned senior follow.

Evan Hogg SS / C / Southlake Christian Academy, NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 124 / POS: 20 Average build. Strong lower half. Right handed hitter. Simple and stable.  Good pre-pitch rhythm. Flat with barrel feel. Natural loft through contact. Max exit velocity of 96.9mph.  Quick release. Average carry with the ball staying true through the bag from the crouch. Solid infield defender. Active feet.

Darrow Holder C / 3B / Hickory, NC / 2026 Average build. Has length in limbs. Vertical in the box. Simple stride. Stable head. Has whip working flat through the zone. 91.6 max exit velocity.

Colton Howard LHP / 1B / Ledford, NC / 2028 Young player. Left handed hitter. Works flat through the zone. Stable head. Setup for success as he adds quickness to the frame.

Thomas Jolly C / 1B / Carson, NC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 134 / POS: 15 Lean. Frame will handle strength and maturation with some ease. Right handed hitter. Tall with vertical bat head. Simple stride. Stable head. Direct.  Uses entire field. Has quickness out of the crouch. Athletic hips. Solid carry.

Zackary Merchel RHP / OF / Eastern Alamance High, NC / 2026 Straight line build. Strength present. Right handed hitter. Uses leg kick and glides onto front side. Works for extension. Strong hands. Ball jumps to the pull side. Max exit of 92.0mph. Atheltic mover and arm in the outfield.

Andrew Pegram OF / 1B / South Rowan, NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 237 / POS: 46 Proportional build. Strong lower half. Left handed hitter. High hands settle with a small leg kick. Natural loft. Best feel in the middle of the field. Max exit of 92.0mph.

Luke Ponczka 1B / 3B / West Rowan, NC / 2026 Another electric workout from the powerful right handed hitter. Large frame.  Very strong.  Excellent bat speed with average to above barrel feel.  Ball rockets off the barrel.  Advanced power to the pull side. Max exit velocity of 104.1mph.

Carter Rodgers OF / SS / Palisades High School , NC / 2027 Lean frame. Young with plenty of maturation to come. Simple setup and rhythm from the right side. Bat speed will improve with added stregnth. Gap to gap approach. Has looseness.

Carter Rowe 2B / SS / Gaston Christian, NC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 79 / POS: 4 Athletic build. Has quickness. Right handed hitter. Good bat speed. Flat through the zone with a high finish. Works for extension. Average to above barrel feel. Max exit velocity of 92.7mph.  Good bend in the infield. Active feet. Trust in the hands. Atheltic exchange and release.

Alfred Seaman OF / 3B / Independence, NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 254 / POS: 49 Athletic build. Strength present. Room to continue to add strength. Right handed hitter. Tall. Slight bat tip. Average stride. Works to be flat. Wants extension. Pull side power. Airs the swing out. Max exit of 96.9mph.  Good carry from the outfield.  Athletic through the ball.

Jacson Taplin LHP / 1B / Ambassador Christian, NC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 96 / POS: 5 Strength present. Left handed hitter. Simple with rhythm. Small stride. Stable head. Good bat speed. Average to above barrel feel. Strong at the point of contact. Max exit velocity of 95.7mph.

Henry Tutera C / OF / Christ School, NC / 2028 Rankings  StateRank: 19 / POS: 2 Atheltic frame. Lean. Wide base from the right side. Small pre-pitch movement. Fires from his setup. Works direct. Solid barrel feel. Strong at contact. Max exit velocity of 93.7mph. Solid exchange and release. Ball plays true out of the hand with solid carry.

Ethan Wisler RHP / OF / Wakefield, NC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 27 / POS: 9 Lean, athletic build with length in the limbs.  Solid mover. Right handed hitter.  Strong at point of contact. Flat. Some length but showed good barrel feel. Trust in his hands. Max exit velocity of 94.9mph.

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