By Chris Valentine
PBR Ohio Scouting Director

To view the complete statistical results from the Licking County Open ID held at Heath HS, please click here. Below, we recap the top performers by class and the best of the rest (listed alphabetically by first name).

TOP 2014 PROSPECTS

1. Craig Prince, RHP/1B, Licking Valley HS, 2014

6-foot-1, 215-pound prospect with big, solid frame. Projects best as a pitcher at the next level. Throws through a high ¾ arm slot with some quickness to his short arm action. His fastball sits 83-84 mph with some late run. He shows command of a 67 mph breaking ball with 11/5 break down in the zone. Also throws a 76-77 mph changeup thrown near fastball arm speed with similar run. In the field, he moves well around first. Uses short arm action and reached top velocity of 78 mph on crisp, accurate throws. At the plate, he starts with a slightly open stance. Uses a short stride and good use of his strong lower half. Shows some quickness in his hands (82 mph exit velocity). Consistently squared up the baseball and showed pull power at the plate.

2. Kameron Herring, OF, Heath HS, 2014

5-foot-8, 168-pound prospect with strong, muscular frame. Registered an impressive 6.61 60-yard dash on grass. Uses short arm action through high ¾ arm slot. Showed accuracy on his throws with some carry. Reached a top velocity of 83 mph. Overall athletic prospect, but needs to continue improving fluidity of his footwork. At the plate, the right-handed hitter starts in a crouch setup. He uses a short stride. Tendency to collapse his back half. Shows quickness in his hands. The ball jumped off his bat. Pull tendencies in his swing. Overall, raw power.

3. Austin Middlemus, 2B/3B, Lakewood HS, 2014

5-foot-11, 165-pound infield prospect. Posses strong, athletic frame. Registered a 7.45 60-yard dash. Uses short arm action through high ¾ arm slot in the field. Reached a top velocity of 77 mph with accuracy to his throws. Likely best suited for third base at the next level. At the plate, he starts with a slightly open stance. Uses a short stride. Takes a short, uphill path to the ball. Consistently squared up the baseball with solid contact to all fields.

TOP 2015 PROSPECTS

1. Jett Swetland, 3B/RHP, Sparta Highland HS, 2015

6-foot-3, 195-pound prospect with ideal frame and build. Registered a 7.47 60-yard dash. In the field, he projects as a third baseman. Shows good athleticism and some quickness in his feet. Needs to continue to work on receiving and softness in his hands. Throws through a low ¾ to ¾ arm slot. Reached a top velocity of 85 mph across the diamond with accuracy. Also showed well at first base. At the plate, the right-handed hitter starts with a slightly open stance and somewhat of a crouch. Tendency to wrap in his load, but shows exceptional quickness in his hands (91 mph exit velocity). Drove the baseball to all fields with pull power. The ball jumps off his bat. On the mound, he throws through a ¾ arm slot with quick arm action. His fastball sits 82-85 mph with arm side run. Use a late breaking 75 mph curveball with 11/5 action and a 73-74 mph changeup thrown near fastball arm speed with some fade to it.

2. Alex Laikos, C, Wadsworth HS, 2015

6-foot, 180-pound catching prospect with strong, athletic frame. Looks the part. Registered a 6.76 60-yard dash. Defensively, he starts with a wide base. Shows quickness in his hands and transfer. Uses short arm action. Pop time sat between 2.03 to 2.06 and he reached a top velocity of 74 mph from the crouch. Showed accuracy on his throws. At the plate, he uses a short stride and shows good balance in his swing. Displays a strong, explosive lower half. Shows some quickness in his hands (82 mph exit velocity off the tee). Generated solid contact to all fields.  

3. Max Balazs, 2B/OF, Beachwood HS, 2015

5-foot-10, 145-pound prospect with athletic frame. Registered a 6.9 60-yard dash. From the outfield, he uses short arm action through a high ¾ arm slot. Showed some carry and accuracy to his throws. Reached a top velocity of 80 mph. Good feel for the position with fluid footwork and a quick exchange. In the infield, he displayed a live arm. His exchange shows some length. Reached a top velocity of 77 mph. Displayed natural actions and some softness in his hands. At the plate, he starts with a slightly closed stance. Tendency to wrap in his load. Uses a short stride. Shows some quickness in his hands with a top exit velocity of 83 mph. Line drive type hitter that will get better as his physical strength improves.

TOP 2016 PROSPECTS

1. Colton Caughenbaugh, 1B, Licking Valley HS, 2016

5-foot-11, 190-pound prospect with strong, solid frame. Registered 7.71 60-yard dash. Posses a big time left-handed bat. Shows good balance from the left side. Uses a short stride with explosive lower half. Uses quick hands (81 mph exit velocity). Takes uphill path to the ball. Showed serious power at the plate with outstanding round of BP. Overall fluid rhythm to his swing. In the field, he shows short arm action through a low ¾ to ¾ arm slot. Needs to continue improving arm strength (65 mph). Moves well off the bag. Older brother played at The Ohio State University.

2. Derek Carr, LHP/OF, Licking Valley HS, 2016

6-foot, 167-pound two-way prospect with athletic frame. Registered a 7.4 60-yard dash. Projects best as a pitcher at this stage. Showed good rhythm and tempo on the mound. Delivery requires regular effort. Throws through a ¾ to high ¾ arm slot with long arm action. His fastball sat at 79-80 mph with some cut to it. His breaking ball shows late 1/7 break at 67-68 mph and he also uses a 74-75 mph slider that just shows some spin. His fourth pitch is a 73-75 mph changeup thrown near fastball arm speed. In the field, he shows potential as a corner outfield type. He reached a top velocity of 82 mph while throwing through a high ¾ arm slot. He consistently plays through the baseball and has some quickness to his exchange and transfer. At the plate, he starts with a slightly open stance. Uses a short stride and posses some quickness in his hands. Takes a slight uphill path and consistently squared up the baseball with occasional pull power.

3. Alex Wright, SS/RHP, Logan Elm HS, 2016

5-foot-9, 135-pound prospect with small, athletic frame. Registered a 7.5 60-yard dash. From the outfield, he uses short arm action through a ¾ slot. Reached a top velocity of 82 mph. Shows good athleticism and plays through the baseball. In the infield, he throws from a low ¾ to ¾ arm slot. Reached a top velocity of 79 mph. Shows some quickness to his footwork. Present skills may translate best as a second baseman, but shows potential. At the plate, he swings from both sides of the plate. He used a wood bat on this occasion. From both sides, he uses a short stride with good balance in his swing. Contact type hitter at present. Takes short path to the ball with pull tendencies in his swing. Showed best from the left side. On the mound, he throws through a ¾ arm slot with quick, short arm action. His fastball showed good run at 80-83 mph. He also uses a 63-67 mph breaking ball with 11/5 break and a 70-71 mph changeup thrown near fastball arm speed with some fade. Interesting follow as he grows and matures.

BEST OF THE REST 

Brian Schutter, SS/RHP, Centerville HS, 2016

5-foot-11, 145-pound prospect with thin, athletic frame. Registered a 7.39 60-yard dash. In the field, he uses short arm action through a high ¾ arm slot. Shows accuracy on his throws with a top velocity of 72 mph. Needs to work on consistently playing through the baseball as he has a tendency to sit back. At the plate, he starts in a tall stance and slightly open. Uses a short stride. Contact type hitter with average bat speed. Takes short, level path to the ball. On the mound, he throws through a high ¾ to over the top arm slot. He uses short arm action with regular effort. His fastball is straight at 73-75 mph. He also uses a 67-69 mph cutter with some spin. His breaking ball sits 63-65 mph with gradual 12/6 action and his changeup shows some fade at 67-69 mph. He needs to maintain the same arm speed on the pitch.

Cody Dennis, SS/RHP, Licking Valley HS, 2016

5-foot-9, 135-pound prospect with thin, lanky frame. Registered a 7.59 60-yard dash. In the infield, he uses short arm action through a low ¾ to ¾ arm slot. Throws well from all angles. Reached a top velocity of 73 mph. Shows fluid footwork with some softness in his hands. At the plate, he uses a balanced setup. Linear type swing. Tends to get on front side. Takes a short, level path to the ball. Contact type hitter with line drive production. Needs to continue getting physically stronger.  On the mound, he throws from a low ¾ arm slot. Delivery requires regular effort. Tall and fall type delivery. His fastball sits 72-74 mph with some sink to it. Also uses a 62-65 mph breaking ball that shows some spin. His changeup sits between 68-71 mph. 

Dalton Hastings, 3B, Johnstown HS, 2016

5-foot-10, 139-pound prospect with thin, athletic frame. Registered a 7.35 60-yard dash. From the outfield, he showed short arm action through a high ¾ arm slot with accuracy to his throws. Reached a top velocity of 74 mph. Showed some athleticism and feel for the position. In the infield, he uses similar arm action and reached a top velocity of 72 mph. Needs to continue improving fluidity of his footwork. At the plate, he starts with a closed stance. Uses a short stride with decent use of his lower half. Takes short, level path. Used the whole field during his round of batting practice.

Dante Brammer, 1B/LHP, Trimble HS, 2016

5-foot-9, 160-pound prospect. Registered a 8.5 60-yard dash. Projects as a first baseman. Moves well around the bag. Tends to flash. Shows a hitch in his arm action. Reached a top velocity of 72 mph. Also worked out in the outfield. Uses short arm action and reached a top velocity of 72 mph. More of a corner type guy with limited range. T the plate, he starts with a slightly open stance from the left side. Takes a short stride with a leg kick. Shows decent use of his lower half. Takes uphill path to the ball with pull tendencies in his swing. On the mound, the southpaw throws through a ¾ arm slot with average arm speed. His fastball sits 73-74 mph with occasional cut. Also uses a 64-65 mph breaking ball with 1/7 action and a 67-69 mph changeup that tended to be a bit erratic. 

Gabe Morris, RHP/3B, Newark Catholic HS, 2015

6-foot-3, 175-pound prospect with big frame and room to fill out. Projects best as a pitcher at the next level. At present, he is arm strength type. His fastball sits 81-83 mph with some sink down in the zone. He throws through a high ¾ arm slot with a tall and fall delivery. Velocity should continue to pickup as he quickens the pace of his delivery. Also uses a 71 mph breaking ball with gradual 11/5 action and a 71-72 mph changeup that needs additional development. Registered a 7.3 60-yard dash. In the field, he uses short arm action through low ¾ to ¾ arm slot. Showed accuracy on his throws with a top velocity of 76 mph across the infield. Feet tended to be flat. At the plate, he doesn’t use a stride and shows minimal load with his top half. Takes short, level path to the ball.

Greg Kanavel, OF/LHP, West Muskingum HS, 2016

5-foot-10, 145-pound two-way prospect. Registered a 7.33 60-yard dash. From the outfield, he uses short arm action through a ¾ arm slot. Reached a top velocity of 70 mph, but needs to continue improving accuracy and decrease length of exchange. At the plate, the left-handed hitter uses a short stride. Tendency to wrap his bat his in his load. Will get better with more use of his lower half. Takes long path to the ball. Showed opposite field production in his swing. On the mound, he throws through a ¾ to high ¾ arm slot. Command will improve as balance is maintained throughout delivery. Fastball sat 68-71 mph. Curveball sat between 63-65 mph and slider showed some spin at 64-65 mph. Also used a 59 mph changeup.

Greg Wilson, OF, Northridge HS, 2015

6-foot, 165-pound prospect with ideal, athletic frame. Registered a 6.9 60-yard dash. From the outfield, he uses short arm action through a high ¾ arm slot. Showed accuracy to his throws. Reached a top velocity of 86 mph with some carry. Overall athletic prospect with feel for his position. At the plate, he starts with a wide stance. Uses a short stride. Wraps in his load. Tendency to get hands around the baseball and create some length to his swing. Will only get better as he stays inside the baseball. Takes slight uphill path and shows potential for power in his swing.

Griffin Menke, OF/C, Mount Vernon HS, 2015

5-foot-10, 150-pound prospect with average frame. Registered a 7.22 60-yard dash. Throws through a ¾ to high ¾ arm slot. Reached top velocity of 76 mph with some tailing action. Showed average hands and footwork. At the plate, he starts in an athletic stance. Uses a short stride. Hands tend to get away from his body in his load. Takes level path to the ball. Opposite field production in his swing.

Jacob Dennis, LHP/OF, Licking Valley HS, 2016

5-foot-10, 175-pound left-handeder with thick, solid frame. Projects best on the mound. Throws through ¾ to high ¾ arm slot with short arm action. Tall and fall type delivery. More velocity to come with additional use of his lower half. Fastball ranged between 76-77 mph with straight action. Showed a 67 mph breaking ball with good depth. Also used a 70 mph changeup with some sink to it. In the field, he uses long arm action through a high ¾ to over the top arm slot. At the plate, he starts with an open stance. Takes a short stride with decent use of his lower half. Showed pull tendencies in his swing with line drive production. Registered a 8.05 60-yard dash. 

Julian Williams, 1B/RHP, Newark HS, 2015

6-foot-2, 195-pound prospect with big, solid frame. Registered a 8.2 60-yard dash. In the field, he shows short arm action through an over the top arm slot at first base.  Reached a top velocity of 70 mph. Needs to continue improving his footwork. At the plate, he starts with a slightly open stance. Tendency to wrap in his load. Uses a short stride. Shows pull tendencies in his swing. Consistently hit the ball to the left side with occasional pop. On the mound, he throws through a high ¾ arm slot with short arm action. Uses regular effort. Fastball sat 72-74 mph with run. Also uses a 58 mph breaking ball with gradual break down in the zone and a 56-57 mph changeup. 

Michael Long, OF, Newark HS, 2014

6-foot, 160-pound outfield prospect with athletic, thin frame. Registered a 7.4 60-yard dash. Uses short arm action through a high ¾ arm slot to reach a top velocity of 72 mph. Showed accuracy on his throws. Plays through the baseball. At the plate, eh starts with a slightly open stance. Shows some length to his stride. Takes long path to the ball. Registered a top exit velocity of 68 mph. 

Mitch Lohr, C, Newark Catholic HS, 2016

6-foot, 160-pound catcher. Registered a 7.4 60- yard dash. From the crouch, he uses short arm action. Tendency to get tall out of the crouch. Shows quick hands and transfer. Registered pop times between 2.00 to 2.09. Will only decrease these times as he improves footwork. Reached a top velocity of 70 mph. At the plate, he starts with a balanced setup. Uses a short stride and decent use of his lower half. Takes short, level path to the ball. Created consistent contact and will only improve as his body physically matures.

Mitch Weideling, C, Upper Arlington HS, 2015

5-foot-11, 175-pound catching prospect with athletic frame. Registered a 7.79 60-yard dash. Behind the plate, he uses short arm action through high ¾ arm slot. Footwork is fluid. Pop times sat between 2.10 to 2.23. Will improve with quicker transfer and increased arm strength (66 mph from the crouch). At the plate, he starts with a slightly open stance. Tendency to get heavy on the front side. Takes short, level path to the ball. Line drive type production at the plate.

Rob Engle, SS/RHP, Newark Catholic HS, 2015

5-foot-9, 165-pound prospect with average frame. Registered a 7.41 60-yard dash. Uses short arm action through high ¾ arm slot. Reached top velocity of 76 mph. Likely projects as a second base or third base type at the next level. Needs to continue improving footwork and playing through the baseball. At the plate, he starts with a slightly open stance. Tendency to wrap in his load. Uses a short stride with a small leg kick. Shows pull tendencies in his swing. On the mound, he throws through a ¾ to high ¾ arm slot with long, stiff arm action. Fastball sits 79-80 mph with some run to it. Uses a 64 mph breaking ball with gradual 11/5 break. Tends to slow down his arm speed on a 67-68 mph changeup.

Ryan Jurden, SS/3B, Heath HS, 2016

5-foot-9, 155-pound infield prospect with athletic frame. Registered a 7.17 60-yard dash. Uses short, stiff arm action in the field through a ¾ arm slot. Shows accuracy to his throws with a top velocity of 72 mph. Displays average hands and footwork. At the plate, he starts with a slightly open stance. Tendency to bar his arm in his load. Uses a small leg kick. Takes long path to the ball. Shows pull tendencies in his swing. Registered a top exit velocity of 80 mph.

Tanner Thomas, OF, Reynoldsburg HS, 2015

5-foot-10, 170-pound outfield prospect with a strong, solid frame. Registered a 7.01 60-yard dash. Uses short, stiff arm action from the outfield through a ¾ arm slot. Showed accuracy on his throws and a top velocity of 74 mph. Shows average hands and footwork. At the plate, he starts with a tall, open stance. Tendency to wrap in his load, which creates some length to his swing. Line drive type production with a short path to the baseball.

Taylor Cave, 1B/RHP, Brecksville Broadview-Heights, 2015

6-foot-1, 185-pound prospect solid, physical frame. Registered a 7.37 60-yard dash. In the field, he uses short arm action through high ¾ arm slot. Throws downhill. Average footwork and hands around the bag. At the plate, he starts with a slightly closed stance. Uses a short stride. Will only get better with more use of his strong, lower half. Takes uphill path to the ball. Showed opposite field production in his swing. On the mound, the righty sat at 75-76 mph. He throws through a high ¾ to over the top arm slot. His breaking ball tended to be up in the zone with spin at 67-69 mph. Also uses a 71-72 mph changeup with some fade to it.

Trevor Mye, RHP/SS, Newark HS, 2015

5-foot-11, 165-pound with average frame. Registered a 7.35 60-yard dash. Uses long arm action through low ¾ to ¾ arm slot in the field. Reached a top velocity of 69 mph. Shows average footwork and hands. At the plate, he uses a short stride with more use of his lower half to come. Takes long path to the ball. Registered top exit velocity of 73 mph. On the mound, he throws through a ¾ arm slot. Tendency to open his front side early in his delivery. Fastball sits 76-78 mph with arm side run. Also shows an erratic 64-67 mph curveball and a 66 mph slider with spin.

Thomas House, RHP/OF, Ross HS, 2017

5-foot-10, 130-pound with lanky frame. Registered a 8.21 60-yard dash. From the outfield, he uses long arm action while reaching a top velocity of 77 mph. Shows some length to his exchange. Needs to continue improving accuracy. At the plate, he starts with a balanced stance. Uses a short stride. Overall fluid rhythm to his swing. Generated consistent line drives off the bat. On the mound, he throws through a high ¾ arm slot with long arm action. Delivery requires regular effort. Smooth rhythm and tempo. Showed command of a 74-75 mph fastball with occasional run. Relies on a 60-63 mph breaking ball with 11/5 action and a 68-70 mph changeup with occasional fade.

Zach Dickson, 2B/OF, Newark HS, 2015

5-foot-9, 160-pound prospect with thin, athletic frame. Registered a 6.85 60-yard dash. From the outfield, he uses long arm action through a low ¾ to ¾ arm slot. Showed some accuracy to his throws with a top velocity of 77 mph. Needs to decrease time of his exchange. In the infield, he throws from ¾ arm slot. Reached top velocity of 74 mph. Throws uphill. Projects as a second base type. At the plate, he starts with a slightly open stance. Tendency to wrap in his load. Still shows some quickness in his hands. Registered a top exit velocity of 81 mph off the tee. Showed line drive production to the whole field. Interesting follow as he gets physically stronger

Zack Ward, C, Williamsburg HS, 2016

6-foot, 160-pound prospect with average frame. Uses short arm action through high ¾ to over the top arm slot. Showed top velocity of 70 mph from the crouch. Starts off balance in his setup. Registered pop times between 2.06 to 2.09. Will get better as glove to hand exchange improves. At the plate, he starts in an athletic stance. Uses a short stride with good balance in his swing. Takes short path to the ball. Generated consistent line drives with pull tendencies in his swing.

Zack Witzberger, 1B/RHP, Heath HS, 2015

6-foot-1, 180-pound prospect with athletic frame. Registered a 7.45 60-yard dash. Showed good feel for first base. Moved around the bag well. Uses short arm action through high ¾ arm slot. Reached top velocity of 74 mph. Quick transfer and exchange. At the plate, he starts with an athletic stance. Uses a short stride with good use of a strong lower half. Consistently squared up the baseball with slight uphill path to the ball. Overall fluid rhythm to his swing. On the mound, he threw through a high ¾ to over the top arm slot with short arm action. Tall and fall type delivery. Fastball sat at 76-77 mph with some cut. Breaking ball was gradual and soft at 63-64 mph, but he located it for strikes. Tended to slow down his arm action on a 65 mph changeup.

Zachary Vanderkink, OF/1B, Granville HS, 2016

6-foot, 185-pound prospect with thick frame. Registered a 7.47 60-yard dash. Uses long arm action through an over the top slot to reach a top velocity of 73 mph from the outfield. Also uses similar arm action around first base. Needs to quicken his exchange and transfer, but bounces off the bag well. At the plate, he starts with a closed stance. Uses a short stride. Tendency to be on his front side. Linear type hitter with average bat speed. Takes short, level path to the ball.