Prep Baseball Report

ACCAC Division I Sophomore All-Star Game: Quick Hits


By Tad Slowik
PBR Special Asst., Scouting Ops.

The Arizona JUCO baseball scene is a particularly competitive one, especially at the Division I level, where a handful of the nation’s best programs reside, including the defending National Champions, Central Arizona. But there are even more Arizona-based JUCOs that are up for the challenge, like Arizona Western, Cochise, Eastern Arizona, Pima, South Mountain and Yavapai, and each are stocked with the kind of talent it’ll take to challenge Central Arizona for the crown.

Last week, the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) held its DI Sophomore All-Star Game where PBR JUCO’s Tad Slowik was present, scouting the top talent to know ahead of the 2023 season.

Today, we’re publishing those reports on the best in show at this event.

ACCAC DIVISION-I ALL-STAR GAME: Quick Hits

PITCHERS (Listed Alphabetically)

+ Fernando Barreda, RHP, Cochise: Loose, live, and athletic body at 6-foot, 165 pounds; quick arm speed, fastball was 90-93 mph with late life, tail and sink. Sharp, tight spin on late-breaking, diving slider, 82-83 mph, that flashed plus. Changeup, 84 mph, has some sink. Quality stuff with the ability to throw strikes with an out-pitch slider. Aggressive and likes to compete.

+ Jorge Carvajal, RHP, Arizona Western: Listed at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds; strong pitcher's body. Fast arm speed; fastball was 88-91 mph with late tail and heavy sink. Pitches to contact in the zone and misses barrels. Slider, 79-80 mph, is deceptive with sharp, late diving action. Has a feel for a changeup with some sink. Pounds zone with strikes on all three pitches. 

+ Raul Garayzar, RHP, South Mountain: Long, loose body with room to fill out a projectable 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame. Very fast arm, ball explodes off his fingertips. Fastball, 94-97 mph, with late life, gets on hitters quickly; throws quality heaters in the zone. Tight spin on a sharp, late-breaking slider, 86-87 mph. Athleticism enables him to repeat delivery and throw strikes. Feel for pitching to develop a useful changeup. Big upside to succeed at the next level.

+ Braden Gluth, RHP, Eastern Arizona: Listed at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds; has arm speed to generate 88-91 mph fastball with late tail and hard sink. Slider has effective spin with late diving action, 78-79 mph. Feel for a changeup, 84 mph, with some sink. Aggressive and throws strikes with above-average stuff.

+ Wyatt Hardy, RHP, Pima: Listed at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds; loose, live body with a quick arm. Fastball, 90-94 mph, has tail and some sink. Spins a sharp curve with some late bite. Changeup, 84 mph, has deception and slight sink. Stuff will play at the next level.

+ Jaxon Jelkin, RHP, South Mountain: Tall righty has room to grow into his 6-foot-5, 187-pound frame. Fastball, 92-94 mph, has late tail and some sink; throws quality fastballs in the zone. Tight spin on sharp, late diving slider, 80-81 mph. Changeup, 83 mph, has deception and sink. Athleticism to repeat delivery and throw strikes, with stuff to miss barrels and have success at the next level.

+ Ryan Schiefer, RHP, Central Arizona: Projectable 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame with loose delivery and a quick arm. Fastball, 92-94 mph, has tail and sink; generates tight spin on a 79-81 mph slider with diving action. Repeats delivery and pounds strike zone with quality mix.

+ Evan Shaw, LHP, Cochise: Southpaw has a live body with a projectable 6-foot-5, 195-pound frame. Fastball registers 87-91 mph with late tail and sink. Curveball, 75-78 mph, has sharp, late break with some bite. Changeup, 80-81 mph, thrown at aggressive arm speed to create deception. Left-hander with upside stuff that misses barrels thanks to his feel for changing speeds.

+ Patrick Steitz, RHP, Central Arizona: Imposing presence on the mound at 6-foot-8, 210 pounds; athletic with room to fill out long-limbed frame. Fastball, 90-93 mph, has late life. Slidert, 79-81 mph, has effective spin and he has the developing feel for a changeup. Attacks hitters and throws strikes; demonstrated pitchability with an awareness for keeping hitters off balance. He’s an upside arm to know of for the next level.

+ Matt Wilkinson, LHP, Central Arizona: A 6-foot-1, 270-pound lefty with a deceptive delivery that helps his 88-89 mph tailing fastball play up, gets on hitters quickly. He commands the fastball to both sides of the plate. Spins a big, sharp, late-breaking curve with bite; feel for a changeup with deception and fade. Throws strikes with all pitches and loves to compete. Knows how to work hitters and keep them off-balance. Stuff definitely plays up; capable of winning at the next level.

POSITION PLAYERS (Listed Alphabetically)

+ Lou Albrecht, C, Central Arizona: A 6-foot, 210-pound backstop with a sturdy/strong physical presence from behind the plate. Defensively, he’s athletic with first-step quickness and showed the ability to block balls capably; framing ability to get those extra strikes on the edges of the zone. Quick release on the catch-and-throw, plus arm strength, throws carry with accuracy. Ability to shut down the running game at the next level. At the plate, solid approach with the ability to barrel up balls four loud contact; plus raw power potential. Front-line defensive catcher who can hit for power at the next level.

+ Blake Avila, 1B, Central Arizona: Listed at 5-foot-11, 200 pounds; left-handed hitting first base prospect with a sound approach. Balanced hitter, short compact stroke, keeps his hands inside the baseball; drives the ball to all fields with power. Defensively, showed mobility and ranges around the bag fluidly, offering value at the position. The bat gives him the chance to become a run-producer at the next level.

+ Jude Hall, CF, Yavapai: Listed at 6-foot, 190 pounds; strong athlete who profiles in center with impact tools. Defensively, quick first step and covers ground with instinctual routes to the ball; throws are accurate, carry. Left-handed hitter with a mindful approach in the box; short, compact swing and barrels baseballs frequently; ball jumps off the barrel, creating some in-game power potential. Speed and instincts also play well on the basepaths. Profiles as a quality defender at a premium position who will also contribute offensively at the next level.

+ Core Jackson, SS, South Mountain: A 6-foot-2, 185-pound prospect with long, strong levers and athleticism. Defensively, first-step quickness with range and actions to make plays at shortstop; body control and ability to throw from different arm angles. Quick release with accuracy and carry on throws to make the difficult plays. At the plate, left-handed hitter, quality approach with ability to drive the ball to all fields. Consistently gets the barrel on the ball with plus raw power. Athletic shortstop who can play the position at the next level and contribute offensively.

+ Tyrese Johnson, CF, Central Arizona: A live athlete with a strong 6-foot-1, 190-pound build. On defense, makes things look easy; quality jumps and close-in speed; throws are accurate, carry. Quality approach at the plate; ability to square up the ball consistently, loud contact and uses the entire field. Also a base-stealing threat; instinct and burst, can wreak havoc on the bases. A high-ceiling prospect with a real speed tool that plays in-game on top of plus raw power that can mold him into a run-producer, combined with his traits to continue profiling as a center fielder defensively.

+ Eduarny Martinez, CF, Cochise: A 6-foot-5, 215-pound prospect with a huge strength and live athleticism. Tracks down fly balls well on defense; quick first step with closing speed, and throws have carry with accuracy. At the plate, demonstrates an approach in the box, balanced, creates bat speed; size and bat speed generate big raw power. With more consistent contact he could profile as a rare five-tool player with enormous upside at the next level.

+ Leobardo Melendez, OF, Cochise: A 5-foot-11, 165-pound athlete with impact speed that promotes an upside defensive profile; arm strength is playable and accurate. At the plate, lead-off type hitter; squares the ball up and uses the whole field, gap-type power. Speed is a threat on the bases, instincts for base-stealing. A table-setter prospect for the next level.

+ Ashtin Webb, RF, Central Arizona: A 6-foot, 175-pound athlete. Defensively, instinctual routes; throws carry with accuracy. At the plate, tracks pitches well, quality approach; finds the barrel often and drives the ball to all fields. Plus raw power in a middle-of-the-order profile to monitor for the next level.

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