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Preseason All-State North 2025: Quick Hitters Upperclass Pitchers

February 6, 2025
Sammy Esposito
PB SC Director of Scouting

On Saturday, Januray 26th Prep Baseball of South Carolina hosted its Preseason All-State North at The Hit Mill in Rock Hill, SC. The Preseason All-State leads to identifying prospects for some of the summer’s biggest invite only events like Boarder Battle, PB Senior Games, Top Prospect Games, PB Super Sophomore Games, PB SR Future Games and the PB Future Games. The event featured players from the 2025-2028 grad classes. 

During the event, position players participated in a professional-style workout that included a comprehensive defensive evaluation. Infielders and outfielders fielded ground balls and made throws, with arm strength recorded using a Stalker radar gun. Catchers executed throws to second base, with both arm strength and pop times measured.

Hitters underwent swing analysis with Blast Motion, while all ball flight data was recorded using TrackMan. Speed and explosiveness were assessed through Vald Performance lasers, capturing 10- and 30-yard sprint splits, along with jump metrics.

Pitchers threw a controlled bullpen session, where each pitch was tracked by TrackMan to analyze ball movement and overall performance. 

Below we will look at the statistical breakdown for the event.

CLICK HERE to see full stats and roster

QUICK HITTERS - UPPERCLASS PITCHERS

CJ AuBuchon, Southside Christian, 2026

6-foot-4, 194-pound left-handed pitcher with long projectable athletic frame with present strength and room to add on.  Features an uptempo delevery with clean mechanics while throwing from a L 3/4 arm slot with a loose whippy arm action.  Gets good arm speed while wworking down the mound with good direction.  FB sat 81-83 with good armside run and action to it.  CB was 71-72 mph with good depth and break.  SL was 73-76 mph with good spin and shorter sharper break.  CH with good fading and sinking action down in the zone at 79-81 mph.

Bryce Baxter, Riverside HS, 2026

 A 5-foot-11, 168-pound right-handed pitcher with an athletic, well-proportioned frame. He features a well-paced delivery with sound mechanics, allowing for quality extension and a flat back through release. His short arm action from a high three-quarter slot helps him hide the ball well while generating solid arm speed. His fastball sits 86-88 mph (T89) with big carry and occasional cut, paired with a CB at 71-74 mph, a SL at 73-74 mph, and a CH at 76-78 mph.  Continues to improve each time we see him!!

Will Fountain, Fox Creek HS, 2026

6-foot-2, 185 pounds, this right-handed pitcher has a long, strong frame with present strength and room to add more. He features a controlled, upbeat delivery with a high leg lift and solid direction down the mound. His medium arm swing and high three-quarter slot generate good arm speed, allowing his fastball to sit 82-83 mph (T84) with a slight downhill angle and arm-side run. His curveball 69-71 mph has an 11/7 shape with depth, while his slider 70-72 mph offers a sharper, lateral break. 

Taylor Jakubchak, Spartanburg HS, 2026

6-foot-2, 160 pounds, this right-handed pitcher has a long lean frame with a projectable frame.  High 3/4 arm slot with a longer arm swing has a fastball that was 76-78 mph, mix in a curveball that sat 64-66 mph and feel for a changeup with sinking and fading action down in the zone at 67-70 mph.  

Joshua Kanipe, Boiling Springs HS, 2026

6-foot-1, 165 pounds, this left-handed pitcher has a lean frame with a projection and room to add on.  High 3/4 arm slot with a longer arm swing has a fastball that was 79-80 mph, mix in a slider that sat 68-70 mph and feel for a changeup with sinking and fading action down in the zone at 75-76 mph. 

Ethan Ranucci, York HS, 2026

5-foot-11, 165 pounds, this left-handed pitcher has a athletic frame with present strength.  High 3/4 arm slot with a short arm swing has a fastball that was 66-71-80 mph, mix in a curveball that sat 59-60 mph and feel for a changeup with sinking and fading action down in the zone at 64-65 mph.