Prep Baseball Report

Nebraska Scout Blog: Week of July 20th


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.

NEBRASKA SCOUT BLOG: Week of June 22nd 

NEBRASKA SCOUT BLOG: Week of June 29th

NEBRASKA SCOUT BLOG: Week of July 6th 

NEBRASKA SCOUT BLOG: Week of July 13th 

Week of July 20th 

Wolfe Electric vs. Omaha Central

  • Uncommitted ‘21 Corbin Hawkins (RHP, Millard West) went the distance, allowing one run and striking out nine. Hawkins was 84-86 in the early innings before settling in at 81-84. His high ¾ arm slot produces decent late armside run. He leverages his 6-foot-2 frame and clean arm action to have a clean release out-front. Hawkins mixed in both CB and SL, the slider being the more polished pitch of the two at 71-74 with tight break. Hawkins pounded the zone the whole day, walking none and rarely going deep into counts. 

 

Med Man vs. Decker Sports

  • Uncommitted ‘21 Cade Barton (RHP, Omaha Skutt) went the distance for the shutout allowing 3 hits and striking out 7. Barton sat comfortably in the 81-83 range and topped out at 85 mph. His high ¾ arm slot produces some arm side run that he uses to his advantage as he works both sides of the plate. Barton’s slider was in the 71-73 range with a tight late break. He also showed good feel for a change up in the 73-74 range. Control is a definite strength as he showed good command for all three pitches. 

  • McCook CC commit Ethan Fritz (RHP, Bellevue East) went 6 strong innings allowing 3 hits and striking out 3. Fritz works with an over the top delivery that produces a slight armside run on his 80-83 mph fastball. His curveball has good depth with a gradual break. He’s comfortable throwing breaking ball early in the count to get ahead as well as late in the count as a put away pitch. 

  • Quiet night at the plate for both sides as Barton and Fritz allowed just 6 hits between the teams. Presentation College commit Phillip Jourdan (C, Omaha Skutt) brought in the only run of the game with a 6th inning double. Decker Sports was led at the plate with two hits by Southeast CC commit Tyus Chudomelka (2B) who had the only multi-hit game of the contest.

Judds Brothers Construction vs. Pinnacle Bank 

  • Popped in to see one of the emerging arms in the 2022 class in Cody Bruss from Lincoln Northeast. Bruss has a tall lean athletic frame with easy repeatable actions on the mound. Fastball was 81-85 mph through the first and settled in the 79-81 mph range. It’s a long extended clean arm action from a low ¾ slot. Fastball has some natural fade action. Secondary offerings were underdeveloped and sporadic around the zone. 63-65 mph breaking ball has loose spin and little action, once secondary is developed he should see an increase of swings and misses in the strike zone. Judds ended up picking up the win over Pinnacle Bank 5-3. 

     


Hastings Five Points Bank vs. Bennington Post 226 

  • Cloud County signee Jacob Shaw (RHP, Hastings) picked up the win striking out 8, surrendering one earned run in 5 innings. Shaw sat in the 82-84 mph range from a high 3/4 slot, fastball has varying straight/cut action. He mixed in a hard 72-75 mph 12/6 shaped breaking ball with late depth. Sporadic feel to change up mostly left up in the zone to his arm side. 

  • Creighton signee Colton Smith (RHP, Bennington) made his second start of the summer for Bennington. Competed in the zone well early with his three pitch mix but got more sporadic as the start progressed. Fastball was 84-86 early but settled in the 82-84 mph range. At times, 73-76 mph breaking ball was sharp when down in the zone. 

  • Nebraska-Omaha signee Mike Boeve had a hit and three RBIs for Hastings.  Boeve also picked up the two inning save with his fastball topping out at 89 and sitting 86-88 in his first inning of work. 

  • For Bennington, Southwest Tennessee CC signee Rylan Wallingford (OF/RHP) and Wayne State commit Kyler Essink (C) had a pair of hits each. Wallingford, was a spark plug at the top of the lineup. He’s got a compact athletic frame, runs well and showed gap to gap contact at the plate. Essink looks physically like a different player from who we saw last year had a RBI double early and was solid behind the plate throughout.