Day Two of the Fresno Easter Classic took place today and again I was out see four more games. I got a tip that I might like a few players on Buhach Colony so I decided to head over to Fresno City College and see them in the 10:00 AM game. After that I wanted to get eyes on Jesuit's right handed pitcher Cade Pilchard, a CAL commit, and he made it worth my time. Redwood coach Dan Hydash told me he was throwing a freshman that he thought could be pretty good in the future so I went to see them in the 4:00 PM game. Turns out coach Hydash has two freshman pitchers that should be big-time recruits if they continue to develop. For the nightcap I decided to go see Bullard against Clovis West and that turned out the be a very good high school baseball game.

There were some players that really stood out today, which was expected. It was the unexpected surprises that made this a great day of baseball. Let's take a closer look at each game.

Buhach Colony 11 - Bella Vista 0

Sophomore left-handed pitcher Antonio Cortez was the story early and often for Buhach Colony. The southpaw took a no hitter into the 4th inning before a flair to right field ended that. Cortez still finished with a shutout in a game that ended because of the run rule. Cortez worked both sides of the plate with his fastball that was 79-82 mph. The pitches bores in on righties and plays up when paired with his slurvy curve ball at 79-71 mph. Cortez was also really impressive at the plate with a double and single that were not cheap shots. Junior catcher RJ Garcia shows some tools behind the plate with a quiet setup and soft hands, he frames pitches very well so as to not tip off the umpire. Freshman Jake Sapien is a player to follow for the Thunder too. Really like the way his approach at the plate and the way he uses his lower half to generate power and torque. Should continue to get better with continued physical development. For Bella Vista, senior righty David Newman was the tough luck loser in the game but he showed well with his pitching arsenal. A fastball that shows late life at 83-85 T86 has arm side run and a sweeping slider at 75-77 mph are his go to pitches. His arm is loose and whippy and he creates a lot of movement on his pitches.

Jesuit 7 - Hanford 0

Junior righty Cade Pilchard was on from the outset. He is long and lean and has a loose arm. His arm action really works from his three-quarter slot. His fastball dives back across the plate giving it almost a slider look. He also throws a cutter that was good. His fastball lived 85-87 T88 even into the 6th inning. Pilchard shows two varieties of a curveball. One a downer breaking action at 71-73 mph and another sweeping one at 74-76 mph. Sophomore Luke Williams is going to be big time recruit for Jesuit because of his ability to handle the bat and his defense. Looks to drive the ball, yet shows discipline by not chasing his pitch. He's willing to take a strike for the sake of sticking to his approach. Junior Carter Benbrook is going to be a very good ballplayer for years to come. He takes what the game gives him. Two times he came up with a runner on first and the second baseman cheating towards the bag and two times he pulled the ball through the 4 hole. Impressive at-bats for a player his age. Daniel Susac took over catching duties mid-game due to an injury and it's easy to project him at that position in the future. With pop times hovering in the 2.0-2.1 range in warmups (there were no steal attempts on him), his arm is more than big enough to play at the position. He also called his own game which was impressive for a sophomore. For Hanford, senior catcher Theron Durta is a stud. Does everything you want a catcher to do and then some. He's also a football player and carries that mentality to the diamond. A leader through-and-through on his team.

Redwood 8 - Hoover 1

Freshman Ethan Garcia took the mound for Redwood and made a lasting impression on me right away. Garcia shows good command of his fastball that flashes tailing action into righties and he wasn't afraid to go inside on guys with it. The freshman lived 83-85 T87 with the pitch and also showed a tight, downer curveball at 69-72 mph. With squared shoulders and an athletic frame, it's easy to dream on him as he continues to mature physically. Junior, Hunter Bryan is simply a baseball player that continues to impress both at the plate and on the field defensively. A twitchy, athletic player, Bryan has the ability to play either second base or shortstop for Redwood. The arm projects to at SS, but if he doesn't end up on the mound in college (he's a Fresno State commit), it's easy to see him playing third base in college. Junior, Bronson Chamberlin is also going to be a very good player. He is now, but at the collegiate level he has a chance to be really good because of his offensive approach. His arm is good enough to stay at third base, but he has the athleticism to play a corner outfield spot as well. The surprise guy for me was freshman Luke Jewett. Saw him hitting the cages yesterday and I asked coach Hydash about him and he told me he's a JV callup which I would expect to change after his pitching performance. Jewett was 84-87 mph with his fastball that has late life to it. He then mixed in a slider at 81 mph and showed feel for his change at 73 mph. A tall, lean, athletic pitcher, Jewett has the makings of a big time prospect down the line.

Clovis West 6 - Bullard 3

Bullard got off to a hot start scoring a run in each of the first three innings and lefty Anthony Savala had Clovis West hitters baffled the first two times through the lineup. Savala mixed pitches (fastball, curveball, changeup) very well from a funky over-the-top delivery that made it difficult to pick up the spin on the ball. Clovis West finally broke through for 5 runs in the bottom of the third. Karson Simas had an RBI single, Michael Garabedian had a 2 RBI single where the Bullard center fielder fell, then a passed ball brought home another run. The player of the game though was senior second baseman Chase Prieto of Clovis West. How this kid is uncommitted is baffling. He's the quintessential Big West type player. He hits, he runs, he defends, he gets dirty, he's smart on the bases, and he competes in the box. Prieto finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and a single. On the doubles I clocked him at 4.33 with a turn and 7.77 at the bag on second, and 4.54 with a turn and 8.03 at the bag on second. His bat and glove play now and I imagine it's only a matter of time before he gets an opportunity to play collegiately. For Bullard, senior catcher Zac Sorondo is very good behind the dish. Blocks and hops very well. Receives with quiet hands and frames well without tipping off the umpire. The defense is a little ahead of the bat at this point, but he's a player that should continue playing beyond this year. Senior Asa Adams is my type of player. He plays loose, has a lot of fun and keeps his teammates engaged and loose. He's also a pretty darn good ballplayer. He shows the ability to handle the bat and understands situational base running.