Prep Baseball Report

The Rode Show: One Last Day In Jupiter



By Nathan Rode
National Supervisor

JUPITER, FL—Sunday in Jupiter marked the beginning of the playoffs of the World Wood Bat Championship with the Round of 32 kicking off at 8 a.m. After spending the first three days chasing pitchers, I used my last one to collect at-bats on guys I missed or wanted another look at. Early in the event, several scouts asked if I had seen a certain shortstop from Florida yet. SS Austin Martin (Trinity Christian Academy, FL) was creating some buzz—after standing out at the Florida Diamond Club showcase last weekend—so I made sure to catch at least one of his games. He didn’t do anything major, but I caught a glimpse of the actions and athleticism he possesses in his wiry, 6-foot, 170-pound frame. His hands work well at shortstop and he moves easily, though he could benefit from added arm strength. At the plate, he has a quick, loose swing and line-drive path. He was 1-for-4 with two RBIs and two strikeouts in the game and went 4-for-14 in five games with three runs scored and five RBIs.

Also in that game was OF Heliot Ramos (Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy, PR), who was 0-for-1 with a walk and sacrifice fly. Ramos is a free swinger, but has strength and can drive the baseball with authority.

In other highlights…

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