Prep Baseball Report

Nebraska Scout Blog: Week of June 22nd


PBR Nebraska Staff
Brian Feekin & Brandon Winkelmann


Prep Baseball Report Nebraska will continue to work to be the #1 news source for Prep Baseball across the state of Nebraska. Remember to follow us on twitter @PBR_Nebraska and reach out to us with any news, commitments, or relevant information.

The Nebraska Scout Blog provides insider information and scouting notes from the PBR Scouting Staff during the season. This running blog will feature information on underclass prospects, unsigned seniors, draft prospects, and anything else that is notable. We will provide a wide range of information, including player evaluations, velocities, pop times, home to first times, and more. Simply put, the Nebraska Scout Blog is loaded.

Week of June 22nd 

 

Woodhouse Storm (Elkhorn South) vs. Pinnacle Bank (Papillion LaVista)

  • Hastings commit Cole Peterson (2020, Woodhouse) pitched in the 81-84 mph range from a ¾ arm slot. Fastball has straight action but worked well down in the zone. Peterson struck out 3 over 2 innings of work. He throws a gradually breaking slider that works well off the fastball in the 70-72 mph range.

  • Pinnacle Bank were led at the plate by Wayne State commit Nick Barnett and uncommitted Jacoby Hurst (2021). Hurst had a perfect day at the plate, going 3-3 with 2 RBIs while spraying the ball to all fields and also adding on two stolen bases. Barnett also had three hits and added four RBIs of his own as he showed some pop to the pull side with a grand slam over the left field wall in the 5th inning. 

  • Uncommitted Patrick Zeller (2021) and Eli Feekin (2021) combined on the shutout for Pinnacle Bank. Zeller threw four innings while striking out three. His fastball out of a high ¾ slot has slight running action. He kept Woodhouse off balance throughout while mixing in a 2/8 breaking ball with good depth and feel. Feekin closed out the game with a clean inning while striking out one in his lone inning of work.


 

P52s (Millard South) vs. Omaha Skutt (Med Man Pharmacy) 

  • The DMACC special, Jarrett Novak & Tre Mungin combined for the complete game, four hit shutout with no walks in a 3-0 win. Novak worked mostly off his heavy 84-87 mph fastball. Mixed in a few 66-69 mph 11/5 shaped breaking balls, with average shape. Novak ended up punching out 7 in 5 innings on 77 pitches. Mungin worked a quick two innings in the 79-82 mph range topping at 83 mph. Fastball has natural cut action inducing quick contact early in counts.  

  • Quite night for the bats on both sides with a combined 7 hits. Ryan Emanuel (2020, Med Man) led the way with two hits, Cloud County commit Noah Unzicker (2020, P52s) and Jakobb Foote (2021, P52s) both had a hit and RBI.


Big Fred’s Senior Legion (Millard North) vs. KB Building Services (Omaha Westside)

  • Concordia signee Alec Blakestad (RHP, 2020) made the start for Big Fred’s, pounded the zone in the 81-84 mph range through 5.1 innings. Fastball has straight action but lives in the bottom of the zone. Also showed some feel for a 70-72 mph breaking ball with 10/6 shape. Blakestad has a compact frame with a clean arm action and repeatable mechanics. 

  • IWCC signee Michael Finan (RHP, 2020) was up to 89 mph with heavy cut action on his fastball. Average feel for the zone on the night and got stuck deep into counts. Settled in the 84-85 mph range. Punched out 8 and walked 3 in 5 innings. 

  • Southeast CC signee Tommy Roland had a big night at the plate driving in 4 runs on two hits.  Roland provided the big blow with a 2 out, 3 RBI double in the bottom on the 6th inning to break a 2-2 tie. 

  • Cole Payton (OF,2021) a North Dakota State football recruit showed again why he is one of the top baseball prospects in the 2021 class. Payton had 3 hits including a two run homerun that might have landed on 144th street.

  • Nebraska Omaha signee Harrison Kreiling (C/RHP, 2020) who is one of the top defensive catchers in the Nebraska 2020 class threw the last inning for KB and was up to 89 mph with heavy run action on his fastball. Kreiling is still developing a feel for secondary pitches and consistency in the zone but he has definitely emerged with stuff that looks like it could play at the next level in the bullpen. 

Nebraska Prospects 2022’s vs. Nebraska Prospects 2023’s 

  • We got a chance to see some of the top uncommitted prospects in the 2022 class for the first time in 2020 including Tadan Bell (LHP, Columbus), Maddux Fleck (MIF, Creighton Prep) and emerging Brandon Lundquist (RHP/OF, Millard North). Bell, who is ranked #410 in the national PBR rankings was up to 85 mph with his fastball, more sporadic than we’ve seen Bell in the past, he still shows advanced feel for his secondary in his inning of work. Fleck, a 5-foot-9 150 pound switch hitting middle infielder has advanced actions and twitchy athleticism that will allow him to stay in the middle at the next level. Fleck had a pair of hits for the 2022 Prospects. Lundquist, who has an athletic 6-foot 160 pound build was 84-87 mph with his fastball and showed the ability to spin a upper 70’s breaking ball. Arm works clean on the backside and is long out front. 

  • Nebraska got a commitment on Monday night from 2023 Tucker Timmerman (RHP/3B, Beatrice).  Timmerman has a physical frame at 6-foot-1 190 pounds and looks the part athletically. On the mound, he struck on the side while sitting in the 83-86 mph range with cut action on his fastball. 

  • Cade Parry (RHP/INF, Elkhorn South) pitched in the 79-83 mph range from a H ¾ slot. Fastball has straight action but gets on a downhill plane. Perry has an athletic frame and also produced 2 hits at the plate. 

Nebraska 2021’s vs. Nebraska 2021’s 


  • We got a chance to see the top pitching prospect in the 2021 class, Drew Christo for the first time live in 2020. Ranked #112 in the National Rankings, Christo pounded the strike zone with a 89-92 mph fastball which got plenty of swings and misses in the zone. The arm action is clean and he has low effort repeatable actions on the mound.  A hard 80-82 mph breaking ball looks to have potential to be an above average pitch at the next level. Christo looks the part and has positioned himself as one of the top pitching prospects in the 2021 class leading up to next year's MLB Draft.  

  • Uncommitted Landon Goeser (RHP/INF, Elkhorn South) worked a quick inning and pounded the strike zone with a 82-83 mph fastball, mid 70s change up, and 66-67 mph breaking ball with depth. 6-foot-1, 180 pound frame with some strength throughout, compact mid ¾ slot with some run action to his arm-side. 

  • Uncommitted Brock Merkel (C, Lincoln Southwest) had a strong day behind the plate and took solid rounds of BP. It’s an aggressive left hand approach at the plate with juice to the pull side. Compact build with strength throughout, Merkel threw in the 2.04-2.15 range consistently in between innings. 

  • Uncommitted Luke Broderick (OF, Mount Michael, 2022) looks the part at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds and shows strength at the plate. There's some stiffness in his movements at the plate but he’s got a short quick path to the ball and showed hard contact during the game portion and batting practice. 

  • Brody Darnell (INF/Auburn) has flown under the radar in the 2021 class but has the tools to have an impact at the next level. Darnell is sure handed in the infield with an above average arm. It's a simple quiet approach at the plate with a linear path. He’s not flashy but looks to have the characteristics of the “lunch pail” player.

  • Jackson Brockett (Elkhorn South) worked one inning while striking out two. The Nebraska recruit worked with a quick tempo in his inning of work showing a feel for all three pitches out of his high ¾ release point. Fastball was in the 83-86 range and had average run to his arm side. Possesses a 1/7 shaped breaking ball with good depth and a 76-77 mph change up that works well off his fastball.

  • Uncommitted Austin Schneider (RHP/OF, Lincoln East) worked a clean inning while working comfortably in the 85-87 range with some late arm side run. Schneider shows the ability to throw a hard 77-79 mph breaking ball with 11/5 shaped and late hard action. 

  • Uncommitted CJ Fleeman (LHP/OF, Columbus) worked two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Fleeman showed a 3 pitch mix with solid feel for all three pitches. The fastball was in the 80-83 range with slight running action. Both off-speed pitches were thrown effectively with a gradually breaking curve ball and a change up that showed some arm-side run at 68-70 mph. Fleeman is 6-foot-3, 185lb and has some room to add some strength to his frame to increase his velo numbers.

  • The #11 ranked prospect in the 2021 class, Malakai Vetock (Elkhorn High School)  worked two innings while striking out three and not allowing a hit. The Creighton recruit showed a three pitch mix that projects well to the next level. His fastball sat in the 84-86 range while topping at 87. The tight spinning 11/5 curveball can be a put-away pitch or thrown early in the count to get ahead. A mid to upper 70’s change up shows some decent arm side run with good feel.

Other notes 

  • If you’re a player/fan/baseball parent etc. Go watch the committed infielders in the 2021s class before they graduate high school. Kyler Randazoo, Max Peterson, Kyan Lodice, Nolan Sailors etc. might be one of the better all around infield classes we seen or will see in Nebraska for awhile. 

  • Skutt Catholic got turf. 

  • Please remember umpires are still in early season form........ no need to chirp this early in the 2020 season. #Blessed