HENDERSON, NV - Most young athletes are working diligently to hone their skills at a position, while the strength in the underclass All State Games lied in the multiple position utility of of the state's top underclass players. PBR Nevada encouraged these players to showcase their abilities in the outfield as well as the infield to further display their athleticism and playability to the coaches and scouts on hand. Let's take a look at the underclass position play.

2022, Garrison Geis SS (Reno HS) Uncommitted 5-foot-10 148, medium frame, young body, athletic and projectable. Geis recorded a laser timed 60-yard dash of 7.58. He had a medium stride with a strong first step. He posted an 82 mph exit velocity followed by two good rounds of BP. He shows a gap approach, spraying the ball around the field with a compact line drive swing. During the game he was able to get to the pull side, keeping his barrel through the zone for consistent contact. In his infield skill evaluation, Geis recorded a positional velocity of 77 MPH. He has arm strength that carried through the ball and mechanics are on point. He made strong reads off the bat, funneling the ball with quick hands and strong footwork.  

2022, Luke Metzker SS (Bishop Manogue Catholic HS) Uncommitted 5-foot-9 135, athletic with wiry strength. Metzker displayed athletic actions whereby size and strength increases will produce greater speed than his 7.68 60-yard dish would indicate. He took solid rounds of batting practice, showing an ability to use the whole field. During in game competition, he singled crisply up the middle twice. In his defensive evaluation, he had a clean round of ground balls, showing efficient footwork and throwing mechanics. Natural maturation accompanied by strength will improve range and stabilize defensive movement patterns.

2023, Cooper Sheff, SS (Basic HS) Uncommitted 6-foot-2, 165, Sheff has a large frame with room for added weight and strength. Sheff ran well for his size and better underway. He maintained good balance throughout his swing in his batting practice session, flashing power in driving the ball out of the park. He has good infield actions but fielding rhythm can be impaired by large frame in the middle of the diamond. Future move to corner infield or outfield is likely and he might be better suited to reaction infield positions. Sheff has noticeable arm strength with an outfield positional velocity of 82 MPH. He made good reads and played through the ball well in the outfield, engaging his lower half on throws.

2022, Mason Oliphant, 2B (Reno HS) Uncommitted 5-foot-8, 115, smaller frame in youthfully lean body. Oliphant maintains a first step explosiveness with medium stride length, producing a 7.38 60-yard time. At the plate, he operates from a slightly open set-up, taller, with a good use of lower half, by employing a leg kick. He maintains a manageable length to his swing, recruiting major muscles to impact the baseball. He has a line drive approach and size and strength gains will prove valuable in future ability to drive the ball. He has solid actions and arm strength plays when footwork and hands are in rhythm. He has a feel for multiple angle as well as touch throws and is consistently on target.

2023, Andrew Israel, SS (Bishop Gorman HS) Uncommitted 5-foot-8, 135, small, athletic frame with room for added weight and strength as he matures. Israel was light on his feet and showed powerful strides. in two rounds of batting practice, he did not get cheated, swinging above his present stature. Once he found his rhythm, he made consistent solid contact. His natural feel for the barrel shows the makings of a future table-setter. He displayed an athleticism during his infield evaluation, with capable footwork and developing arm strength.  When he is able to engage the strength in his lower half, both his defensive as well as offensive skill play up. Strength increases will play a huge part in accommodating his present skill set to provide next level playability. 

2022, Mason Rowe, SS (Reno HS) 6-foot, 150, Rowe is projectable with a lean and lanky frame. Rowe had long easy strides and it is easy to see improved speed with strength increases. He displayed an impressive 84 MPH exit velocity with whip in his barrel. He sprayed the ball around the field during batting practice with a compact swing and line drive approach. He displayed solid bat speed with an intriguing looseness to his swing. Defensively, he showed a mobility making plays to his right and left and a feel for different arm angles and touch throws. He had good carry across the diamond with a longer arm draw. Rowe showed arm strength from the outfield as well and stayed behind the ball well. He is a versatile player that is worth keeping a close eye on going forward.

2022, Aiden Pollock, 2B (Bishop Gorman HS) Uncommitted 5-foot-8, 140, Pollack has  a smaller frame, with quick athletic actions, indicated by his 60 time, 7.18 seconds. His quickness was seen offensively in both his exit velocity as well as bat speed demonstrated during batting practice. Once he found his rhythm, he showed a compact swing with line drive approach. His bat plane was little steep at times, moving quickly in and out of the zone with a tendency to cut the baseball. He threw well for his present size and strength from the infield as well as the outfield with accurate throws. He funneled the ball well in the infield, showing a solid feel for fielding mechanics and foot work.  Although Pollack’s athleticism and quickness will provide utility look for him to play on the dirt in the future.

2023, Callan Scolari, SS (Bishop Manogue HS) Uncommitted 5-foot-11, 130, Scolari is a projectable player with a present lean and lanky frame. His long strides will produce future capable speed underway. He has a manageable length to most of his actions and future strength gains will provide valuable across the board. At the plate, he maintained a mostly pull approach through two rounds of batting practice with some length to his swing.  His length provides signs of leverage power down the road. In the field, his actions lend better to the outfield, but natural maturity may provide a stability to his infield actions.  He has noticeable arm strength and good carry on throws both in the infield as well as the outfield. General actions likely lend better to the outfield and potential future on the mound. 

2022, Michael Cruz, 3B/SS (Reno HS) Uncommitted 6-foot, 190, Cruz has a  wide frame with present weight and strength. Cruz is not fleet of foot, but his bat will carry him. Perhaps one of the stronger offensive performances of the underclass event. He posted an event best 85 MPH exit velocity. He made consistent quality contact during BP and flashed some pull side power, making occasional loud contact. Defensively, he fielded the ball cleanly employing a quick exchange rather than pure arm strength. Presently better suited to corner infield and with arm strength development may find himself behind the plate down the road.

2023, Sammy Fredrich, SS (Bishop Gorman HS) Uncommitted 6-foot 165, Fredrich looks to have medium to large frame and youthfulness to his actions. Early growth is demanding a developing coordination that is still in front of him. Present size is lending length to most of his actions both offensively and defensively. He has a manageable length to his swing that once quality contact was made impacted the baseball up the middle and to the pull side. He showed capable arms strength as well as fielding actions, making mostly accurate throws. Fredrich showed a feel to funnel ground balls with consistent mechanics, reads off the bat, and game awareness. 

2024, Payton Smith, SS/2B (Bishop Gorman HS) 5-foot-7, 130,  Smith has small, compact frame. In spite of a pedestrian 60-yard time, he maintains first step quickness. Offensively he utilizes a middle to opposite field approach with a compact swing. His barrel feel will make him a bat handler down the line with an ability to execute. He has a utility in him that would likely provide an ability to play most positions, but better suited to second base where his arm strength plays with a solid internal clock for different hops and ground balls. He displayed a feel for angle throws from second base as well as double play feeds.

2023, Justin Kania, 2B/OF (Bishop Gorman HS) 5-foot-7, 120 pounds, Kania has a youthfully narrow frame with sizable feet. He tends to recruit strength from the core of his body which lends his arm angle to gravitate to a lower ¾ slot. He displays a feel for infield as well as outfield footwork and when all the parts are synced, his playability is revealed. The comfort of his low 3/4 slot lends to run on the baseball and negatively impacting carry, flight, and accuracy of throws. Arm plays better from the infield while strength and weight gains provide stability to his reliable actions. At the plate, he maintained a level swing path and a middle of the field approach during batting practice that should continue to carry to game play. Size and strength will prove valuable to provide next level opportunity.

2022, Ashton Pearson, OF/1B (Reno HS) 6-foot, 143, Pearson has a medium to large frame, with present wiry strength. Not indicative of his 60-yard time (7.38), he maintained an athletic quickness to his actions, evident by an underclass event best 85 MPH exit velocity. During batting practice, he flashed a mostly pull side approach, with some length to his swing. He displayed an ability to adjust, cutting his swing down to make some consistent quality contact. Defensively, he displayed instincts for the first base position with his footwork around the bag as well as exchanges and throws to start double plays.  He fielded the ball smoothly and stayed in rhythm. 

2023, Nicholas Czerniawski SS/2B (Desert Oasis) 5-foot-5 120, Czerniawski is lean with a projectable body and athletic actions. He showed a solid gate with developing speed during his 60-yard dash. During batting practice, he has a substantial amount of pre-pitch movement, settling at launch to deliver the barrel.  He has a noticeable rhythm for the game demonstrated at the plate as well as on defense.  He utilized solid mechanics during a clean round of ground balls for his infield evaluation, throwing from a low ¾ slot and playing the occasional run on his ball. He has developing arm strength with a high level of playability. He has good feel for his capabilities and a self-awareness that carried into the game. Repeated looks will provide a strong appreciation for his abilities. 

2022, Mason McCormack, OF (Coronado HS) Uncommitted 5-foot-11, 137, McCormack has a young athletic body with a medium frame and wiry strength. He had an underclass second best 7.0 60-yard time, further displaying his athleticism as well as quickness.  Offensively, he has a nice combination of strength and bat speed and showed an ability to get to both, driving a ball over the left centerfield fence during his batting practice session. He made consistent quality contact and may very well hit for power and average. Defensively, he displayed arm strength, playing through the ball and making accurate throws. He has room to grow with more efficient outfield footwork. McCormack proved to be one of the better overall athletes of the underclass group.