LAS VEGAS, NV – This morning’s Border Battle Finale saw the Southern Nevada Blue Sox and the Bishop Gorman Knights split a double header with visiting La Salle at Earl E. Wilson Stadium on the campus of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV).  The Blue Sox drew the short straw and hosted the 9 am first pitch while Gorman would follow with the noon start.  Interestingly enough, the La Salle head coach, Eddie McKiernan was once a UNLV commit before choosing to sign a professional contract.

A steady wind blowing from left to right, fly balls and pop ups would be an adventure for the better part of both games.  The day would highlight a couple of up and comers, sophomores, Daniel Clayton (2021) and Hunter Katschke (2021).  Clayton would go the distance for the Blue Sox, gutting out all seven innings efficiently. Cleanup hitter and first baseman, Katschke, drove a ball that on most days would have been well out of the park, but today was run down by the left fielder in deep left center.

Daniel Clayton, RHP, 2021, Basic

With a compact frame, Clayton pitches from a high ¾ slot.  He relies heavily on a naturally cutting fastball that ranges from 75-78 and a breaking ball that comes in at 66-69.  The delivery is a simple, repeatable and possesses little to disrupt his ability to consistently throw strikes.  He started cutting fastball in the middle of the plate, running it to the outside to right handed hitters and in to lefthanders. He flashed the ability to backdoor the pitch to left-handed hitters.  Regardless, he created a lot of bad contact.  His breaking ball plays off the cutter with a bit more depth, causing some misses. Clayton might prove to be an interesting follow for growth and development could produce enough velocity improvement to provide next level stuff.

Hunter Katschke, 1B, 2021, Basic

Long levered, 6-foot-1, 170, Katschke has a projectable frame.  Defensively, he was solid around the bag and showed a feel for pick skills, digging balls out of the dirt.  He stands tall in the box with high hands and gears up to a power approach, displaying a swing with manageable length. He revealed the ability to adjust with two strikes, reaching for a questionable strike and singling up the middle.  As noted earlier, later in his at bats, he synced up, driving a ball to deep left centerfield.  Katschke projects as a middle of the order type bat with projectable power and the potential to get to it with frequency.