The Top 5 Stories from NC in 2017
January 6, 2018
The past year brought a lot of growth to a lot of players on the field. For Prep Baseball Report, its growth could be seen first hand in North Carolina. In the first full year of PBR being on the ground in the Tarheel state, it was obvious how quickly players, coaches, and scouts were checking in for all of their North Carolina baseball news. With over 28 million page views in 2017 on the PBR site, more growth is expected.
North Carolina focused its growth by becoming the No. 1 source for high school baseball news and player evaluations. The numbers suggest the goal has been accomplished. As we look back at 2017, North Carolina Director of Scouting looks back at the top 5 stories from 2017 on the PBR North Carolina site.
2017 – Top Stories
No. 5: A Pitch Count Comes to NC High School Baseball
In December of 2016, the North Carolina Baseball Coaches Association laid out plans and rules for a pitch count that would be enforced in 2017. Prep Baseball Report was able to report the news of the Pitch Count and how the pitch count regulations were installed. In January and February of 2017, PBR spoke with high school coaches across the state to get their feeling on how the pitch count would effect high school baseball and their programs. Throughout the 2017 season, PBR was on hand, reporting at games, and speaking with high school coaches as they implemented the new rules.
North Carolina HS Coaches Look at the Pitch Count Regulations
No. 4: The PBR NC Scout Blog
Each season during the year, Prep Baseball Report of North Carolina has its team of scouts on the road watching games. Scouts are reporting back on teams and players, taking down statistical information and posting video. All of the efforts are designed to give the over 800 college coaches and pro scouts another source of trusted information. One of the more popular blogs on the PBR NC site, the NC Scout Blogs have been a hit across the country. As the scout blogs are updated, information is posted to social media outlets. The scout blogs are filled with individual player assessments, giving detailed reports on game play, velocities, and run times. With over 300 players profiled on the scout blogs in 2017, it was a huge hit.
NC Insider: 2017 High School Scout Blog
NC Insider: 2017 Summer Scout Blog
NC Insider: 2017 Fall Scout Blog
In 2017, Prep Baseball Report of North Carolina introduced its invite-only events. PBR events are a supplementation to the coverage its area scouts are able to provide. PBR events allow prospects to update and complete their PBR Profiles, allowing college coaches and pro scouts to see an independent evaluation, verified statistics, and a professionally cut video. The three invite-only events in NC included the Preseason All-State event in January, the Top Prospect Games at UNC in July and the Top Underclass Games at Campbell in August. Each event soldout rather quickly, with one event having as many players turned away from the event as registered. Each of these events had a large scout and college coach following and several prospects eventually committed following the events. From the three 2017 events, 69 players have made their commitment to attend the school of their choice and continue their baseball careers.
Preseason All-State – January of 2017
Top Prospect Games – July of 2017
Top Underclass Games – August of 2017
*There are events posted for the 2018 calendar already, including the 2018 Preseason All-State event
No. 2: Increased High School Coverage for North Carolina
The 2017 year began with a very ambitious goal to cover every school in North Carolina during the high school season. With PBR scouts stationed throughout the state, the staff worked to report on games, trends, players, and teams. The year started with previews on every NC HS team where the coaching staff took the time to fill out the PBR Preseason Questionnaire. In coordination with the North Carolina Baseball Coaches Association (NCBCA), PBR ran and reported the PBR / NCBCA Coaches Poll for each of the four NCHSSA classifications. Daily coverage included a scoreboard with highlights entitled, Around the Bases. The Around the Bases segment reported every score in NC nightly, with highlights from as many as 100 games per night. As PBR scouts were able to be on the road, individual games had in-depth reporting with player evaluations.
NC State Playoff Notebook
Around the Bases: North Carolina State Championships
PBR / NCBCA Team Polls
PBR NC High School Player of the Week
No. 1: The 2017 MLB Draft has a Heavy NC Presence
Two North Carolina players were taken in the 1st round and 39 players with NC ties were taken overall. Of the 39, ten were North Carolina high school players. MacKenzie Gore (LHP, Whiteville HS) and Austin Beck (OF, North Davidson HS) made the biggest splash going No. 3 and No. 9 overall. Gore was named the PBR North Carolina Player of the Year and the PBR National Player of the Year, after his spring season. Each signed and began their professional careers this past summer. Justin Bullock (RHP, South Granville HS) and Jacob Brown (3B, Northeast Guilford HS) each signed after being selected in the 16th and 18th rounds, respectively. Greg Jones (SS, Cary HS) was the highest selected player in NC to decide to go to school. Jones was selected No. 518 overall in the 17th round and is currently a freshman at UNC Wilmington.
North Carolina Draft Recap
2017 MLB Draft: Day 1 Thoughts
North Carolina MLB Draft Preview
2017 Draft Blog