The Friele 5: Tournament 12 Edition
September 24, 2019
The Friele 5: Tournament 12 Edition
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Owen Caissie OF / Notre Dame, ON / 2021Report: The recent University of Michigan commit was easily one of the best players in the tournament and stood out the whole week. He is 6-foot-3 and 190-pounds and oozes athleticism. There is still considerable room on the frame to add strength but there is a solid base already. He is a high IQ player and always seems to be in the right place on the field. Batting from the left side, it’s an advanced approach with sound swing mechanics. There is not a lot of wasted movement in the transfer and he gets on time and on plane very effectively. There is a slight uppercut to his swing and the ball jumps off the bat. There is projectable power to all fields as the bat speed is apparent. Defensively, he has the range and first step quickness to cover a lot of ground in the outfield. He gets solid reads on balls and has the closing speed to go deep into the gaps. There is real arm strength with most throws on target with zip and carry. Cassie had one of the best 60 times on scout day clocking in with a 6.49 on the turf with easy strides that look like he was gliding. He uses that speed very effectively on the base paths and can go first to third with little effort. Cassie has all the tools and makes you take notice each time he steps on the field. He has made huge strides over the last few years and there is still room to improve. There is projectability in all aspects of his game and he has a very high ceiling as the top ranked Canadian position player in the 2021 class.
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Calvin Ziegler RHP / OF / St. Marys, ON / 2020Rankings StateRank: 2 / POS: 1
Report: Appearing in T12 for a second time, Ziegler displayed once again why he is one of the best Canadian pitchers in the 2020 class. The UConn commit is 6-foot-1 and 190-pounds with strength throughout. It's an athletic frame with some further room to develop. The power comes from the lower half in a pretty smooth delivery. The arm action is a tad abbreviated but the motion works with a pretty quick arm. At times, his delivery is a little rushed but he has the ability and athleticism to self correct over the course of an at bat. The fastball sat around 90, touching 93 with spotty command. When he was around the zone, there were a lot of swings and misses. There was some natural movement from a 3/4 arm slot and he was comfortable pitching in and out. More velocity could come because of the quick arm and athleticism. He also threw a hard curveball that is very projectable. It sat 77-79 with hard, downward break. When it was right, hitters could not get close to it. A true strike out pitch potential. Although Ziegler struggled a bit in his outing at T12, he battled well and did not get discouraged when he could not find the zone. He has the physical tools to command his pitches but also the ability to make the needed adjustments when he looses his command, which is something you don't see in many amateurs. This is a guy you want on the mound and there is still room to grow.
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Austin Gomm SS / 2B / Port Credit, ON / 2020Rankings StateRank: 3 / POS: 1
Report: Austin Gomm had another great performance on the big stage at this year’s tournament proving once again why he is the number one ranked position player in the 2020 Canadian draft class. He has a medium built would strength throughout. He’s a good athlete with a very high baseball IQ. He has a terrific feel for the game and it is evident each time he is on the field. He has a very good approach at the plate and does not chase bad pitches. It’s a sound swing with a small load and big leg kick. He stays on time effectively and does a good job keeping the barrel of the bat in the strike zone resulting in consistent hard contact. He uses all fields and is comfortable in two strike counts. Some power is present and more should emerge, as there is a good combination of bat speed and strength. Gomm is a sound defender at short with smooth glove actions. He has a very quick step and is comfortable going to both sides. He has advanced footwork and is never caught off balanced. There is enough arm strength with most throws on target. He ran a 6.79 60 during scout day with effortless strides. The speed plays in game as he can steal bases at will and has not problem taking the extra bag. Gomm excels at all aspects of the game and displayed that all once again during the tournament. He remains uncommitted and would be a fantastic addition to any program looking for a middle of the diamond player that will impact each game he plays.
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Nicholas Thibodeau C / Notre Dame Catholic, ON / 2020Rankings StateRank: 9 / POS: 1
Report: Thibodeau performed nicely at T12 really impressing behind the dish. Standing 6-foot-1 and 180-pounds, it's an athletic frame with some strength throughout. Batting from the right side, he has a compact swing with decent rhythm. Using a short stride, the bat stays in the zone well and he gets on time effectively. There are some extra hand movements that impede the path to the ball. He showed gap power to both sides throughout the tournament and with some added strength some of those could turn to home runs on the pull side. He performance behind the plate was noteworthy all tournament. Very quick reflexes and he moved well side to side. Apparent arm strength that can get to above average with most throws on target. All of his throws are crisp with zip. Best pop time was 2.07 but runners quickly learned he was not one to run on. Blocking technique was a little spotty but he has the athleticism and quick twitch movements to improve his receiving. Thibodeau has a very intriguing skill set that will play all over the field. He displayed a presence that you want from your backstop and handled catching new pitchers well. There is upside here and he would be a great addition to any school looking for a field general.
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Loreto Siniscalchi RHP / Langley, BC / 2021Rankings StateRank: 2 / POS: 2
Report: Siniscalchi has been a known commodity in Canadian baseball circles for some time and he did not disappoint at this year’s T12. At 6-foot-2 and 185-pounds it’s a medium build with good proportions and room to add a little strength. He uses his lower half well in his delivery and really drives towards the plate. He’s an average athlete with a pretty good feel on the mound for his age. The fastball sat 85-86, touching 88 with some life. His command came and went but he was able to self-correct and get back into the zone pretty quickly. He pitched to both sides of the plate and was able to get swings and misses off the fastball. His curveball sat 70-73 with some bite. It had a bigger break but hitter’s had trouble picking it up out of his hand. Some further development is needed on the breaking ball but the pieces are there to be an average secondary pitch. Siniscalchi is still on an upward trajectory as there is plenty of upside to his game. Look for him to continue to make strides in 2020 and become one of the best pitching prospects in the 2021 Canadian class.
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