Prep Baseball Report

Draft League Scouting Notes - June 9


Mike Rosenbaum
Senior Prospect Analyst

Williamsport @ State College

Spikes hitters put forth one of the Draft League’s more complete and dynamic offensive showings on Wednesday, totaling eight extra-base hits and seven stolen bases in their 14-2 rout of Williamsport.

OF Hylan Hall (Wabash Valley) showcased elite athleticism and multiple loud tools on both sides of the ball. After striking out in his first at-bat of the game, Hall put his blazing-fast speed on full display in the third inning when he reached third base in 11.5 seconds (hand-timed) after hitting a triple into the right-field corner. He connected on a towering two-run homer down the left-field line in the following frame, driving the ball 386 feet at 94 mph off the bat. He later added a walk to finish 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored from the three-spot in the lineup. 

SS Myles Austin (Chipola) and OF Curtis Washington Jr. (Wabash) both went 1-for-4 with a walk and combined to score four runs from the top two spots in the lineup. Austin hit a double and swiped a pair of bags in the contest, while Washington finished with two RBI and a steal. INF Zion Pettigrew (Illinois-Springfield) went 3-for-5 with a pair of 97-mph doubles and two RBI in his second game with the Spikes. C Chase Stanke (Minnesota) tallied a pair of hits including a double in a 2-for-5, two-RBI performance, and INF Tyler Heckert also drove home a pair of runs via a double while going 1-for-3 with two steals. OF James Jett (Lincoln Trail) was held hitless but still scored two runs thanks to his trio of walks and two stolen bases.

RHP Louis Davenport (Eastern Kentucky) allowed one unearned run on two hits with four strikeouts and one walk in four innings to pace the Spikes on the mound. He featured a fastball-heavy pitch mix on Wednesday, throwing his 90-92 mph heater with 49 of his 62 pitches (79%). When Davenport did utilize his secondary pitches, he posted whiff rates of 100% and 66.7% with his curveball and slider, respectively. RHP Spencer Koelewyn (Omaha) pitched well in relief of Davenport, allowing just a solo home run in three innings. He flashed an intriguing fastball-changeup combo, with the latter netting him three of his five whiffs in the outing. Austin Cheeley (MTSU), a 6-foot-8 right-hander, ran his fastball up to 93.9 mph while notching a strikeout during a perfect eighth inning out of ‘pen. RHP Blake Seigler (USC-Aiken) pitched around a pair of hits in the ninth, striking out two.

Crosscutters OF Lance Logsdon (Quincy) scored a run and went 2-for-4 with a 100.8-mph single and a double to pace the offense. OF Sean Ross (Indiana State) swung the bat well, going 1-for-4 with a 100.9-mph lineout, and 1B/OF Jaxon Shirley (Lubbock Christian) delivered first home run of the season -- a 412-foot solo shot to center field that left his bat at 100.1 mph. 

Mahoning Valley @ West Virginia

OF Grant Hussey (Parkersburg South) and INF Freylin Minyety (Wabash Valley) combined for five hits and five RBI to help lead the Black Bears edge Mahoning Valley, 8-7. Hussey scored two runs and reached safely in each of his four trips to the plate, going 3-for-3 with a walk and two RBI. Each of the left-handed hitter’s three hits went for extra bases, as Hussey tallied a double in the second (87 mph exit speed) and fourth innings (88 mph) before connecting on a 96-mph triple in the seventh. Minyety put the Black Bears on the board in the second inning when he hammered a 3-0 pitch 97 mph off the bat for an RBI single. He plated two more runs with his second knock of the game in the sixth to finish 2-for-4 at the plate. 

Ryan McCoy (Wabash) may have the best approach and plate discipline in the Draft League. He went 1-for-1 with three walks on Wednesday to improve his season slash line to .435/.882/.667 through eight games. He leads the circuit with 16 walks. C/1B Tucker Mitchell (State College of Florida) went 1-for-3 with a double and scored twice from the three-hole, and OF Amari Bartee (Yavapai) provided a two-run double from the bottom of the lineup during the Black Bears’ six-run sixth.   

Starter RHP Joshua South (Belmont) allowed three runs in four innings, striking out five, before turning the ball over to RHP John Czeslawski (North Iowa CC), who sat 89-91 mph over two hitless frames despite issuing three walks. RHP Trevor Tietz (Jefferson College) dominated with his fastball as he struck out three without allowing a hit over the final two innings en route to a save. He topped out at 94.6 mph during the two-inning appearance, inducing six whiffs on 15 swings (40%) with his explosive heater. 

Scrappers OF/1B Jason Hinchman (Tennesse Tech) had another big night at the dish, going 2-for-4 with a walk and a pair of doubles, one of which had an exit speed of 108 mph. He drove in three in the contest to improve his Draft League-leading RBI total to 16. Dallas Baptist recruit OF Mathieu Vallee reached base three times from the leadoff spot, tallying a pair of singles -- including one that left his bat at 99 mph -- and walk in a 2-for-4 performance. OF Bobby Sparling (Daytona St.) also reached three times, going 1-for-3 with two walks, and 3B Jarrod Belbin (Western Arizona) and OF Zaid Walker (Michigan St.) scored two runs each. 

Scrappers starter RHP Cole Ayers (State College of Florida) racked up six strikeouts over five one-run frames, scattering three hits and two walks. He reached 93.7 mph and averaged 92.3 and 2300 spin with his fastball and posted whiff rates of 54.5% and 36.4% with his slider and curveball, respectively, while generating a total of eight whiffs with the two breaking balls. Ayers leads the Draft League with 27 strikeouts and has held the opposition to a paltry .161 average in 17.2 innings. 

Frederick @ Trenton (DH)

Three Trenton pitchers combined to throw a seven-inning no-hitter Wednesday in the first game of a doubleheader against Frederick. RHP JP Williams (Nova Southeastern) led the way by striking out three batters in his third scoreless start of the season. Not pitcher in the Draft League so far has worked as many innings as Williams (12) without giving up a run. The fastball-slider right-hander has yielded just six hits in that span while striking out 12. RHP Joe Sprake (Elon) ran his fastball up to 94.9 mph while notching a strikeout over the next two frames, and RHP Logan VanWey (Missouri Southern) fanned three across the final two innings to complete the combined no-no. VanWey’s heater reached 93.9 mph, and he also generated a whiff apiece with his curveball and slider. 

3B Daniel Harris IV (Eastern Kentucky) was the lone player to collect multiple hits in the contest, finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI. Both of his knocks were singles, including a 100.2-mph line drive. SS Carson Matthews (San Diego State), INF Daryl Myers (Benedictine) and C Andrew Cossetti (St. Joseph) each scored a run from the top three spots in the lineup, with Myers and Cossetti also tallying a hit apiece. 

Keys starter RHP Dwayne Marshall (Maryland Eastern Shore) surrendered three runs (two earned) in the first before settling in to complete four innings. He permitted five hits and three walks in the outing, striking out four. Marshall’s heater averaged 90.8 mph and topped out at 93.8 on Wednesday, and he was effective with both his slider and curveball when he got ahead in the count. RHP Dylan Tebrake (Creighton) delivered a clean inning in relief of Marshall, striking out one while sitting 92-94 mph (T94.4) in his Draft League debut. RHP Adam McKillican (Georgia Gwinnett) worked the ninth, issuing three walks but also bumping 94.3 mph.     

Trenton would also flirt with a no-hit bid in Game 2, keeping the Keys out of the hit column until the fifth inning. Starter RHP Garrett Hawkins (University of British Columbia) recorded half of his outs via the strikeout, racking up six punchouts against one walk in four dominant frames. He  pitched effectively to both sides of the plate with his fastball, sitting 92-94 mph (T94.4). LHP Chandler Brierly (Stevens IT) covered the next two frames, allowing two runs with a pair of strikeouts, and RHP Ethan Routzahn (St. John’s) notched a strikeout while pitching around a single in the seventh. 

Three of the Thunder’s five hits went for extra bases, with OF Ben Norman (Iowa), OF Adan Fernandez (Nova Southeastern) and Harris all tallying a double in the 2-2 stalemate. C Zac Fascia (Purdue) gave Frederick its first lead of the day via a two-run double in the sixth inning -- his first Draft League hit. OF Max Ryerson, a Georgia State commit, also hit a double in the contest, and INF Kevin Jimenez (New Mexico St.) reached base twice from the eight-spot in the lineup, finishing 1-for-2 with a walk. 

Keys starter Peyton Zabel (Iowa Western CC), a 6-foot-7 right-hander, turned in what was arguably his best Draft League start, allowing one run on five hits over four innings. He struck out five without issuing a walk, mixing a heavy 88-91 mph sinker with a changeup and curveball. LHP Ronan Kopp (South Mountain) induced several whiffs out of the zone with his mid-90s fastball en route to a pair of strikeouts during a perfect fifth inning. RHP Nick Stewart (James Madison) pitched the final two frames for the Keys, allowing one run but zero hits. 

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