The first of our two Preseason Preview events took place at Showtime Spots Academy in Franklin on January 18, and there were several solid performances turned in. Complete stats and top statistical performers were previously posted shortly after the event. CLICK HERE to view that information.

The following is a look at the group of outfielders who attended the event. This is position analysis only. Those outfielders who also pitched at the event will have their pitching performance featured in a separate article.

Chase Haley, OF/RHP, Creek Wood HS, 2017
6-foot, 170-pound right-handed hitter hits from a fairly balanced and slightly open stance, using a big leg kick and hand drop to begin his swing with a lot of momentum, does a decent job of using his lower half and showed a short but powerful swing that produced an 86 mph exit velocity off the tee, timing was an issue on a few swings with the utilization of the big leg kick . Defensively, showed quick feet and hands that translated to a clean exchange and a quick release, over the top arm angle produced some strong and accurate throws with seemingly good carry. Showcased athleticism by running a 7.07 60-yard dash and popping an 88 mph velocity from the outfield.

Jonathan Giles, OF, Franklin HS, 2017
5-foot-11, 175-pound right-handed hitter hits from a wide and balanced stance with very high hands, uses a small hand load and a quick and short leg kick to initiate his swing, displayed a fairly flat swing plane, solid use of lower half helped produce an 83 mph exit velocity off the tee, definite line drive approach.  Defensively, showed some athleticism in his good feet and above average hands, used a simple exchange and short arm action from an over the top release to showcase an 83 mph position velocity with some accuracy.  Giles also ran a 7.06 60-yard dash.

Lofton Cotton, OF/C, Franklin HS, 2017
5-foot-9, 175-pound right-handed hitter hits from a balanced and fairly upright stance, uses a short and quick stride with a good hand load to get himself started, does okay with lower half and showed a short swing path that will likely produce a lot of ground balls and low line drives, good balance throughout, will drag hands on occasion, line drive approach produced an 84 mph exit velocity off the tee, could be a lead-off type hitter at the next level. Displayed athleticism and versatility by running an event best 6.72 60-yard dash and showcasing two positions.  In the outfield, Cotton showed average hands and quick feet, used a quick exchange and arm action from a high-3/4 delivery to produce a 78 mph position velocity.  As a catcher, used quick hands and feet to his advantage, got rid of the ball very quickly, produced a 2.05 pop time and a 75 mph position velocity from behind the plate. Speed profiles best as an OF at the next level.

Sam Donato, RHP/OF, Father Ryan, 2017
6-foot-2, 165-pound right-handed hitter hits from a balanced stance and uses a short and early stride and a simple hand load to initiate his swing, above average lower half ignites a very good swing path that gets the barrel on plane and keeps it there throughout extension, hit some balls very hard when he got through them and produced an 83 mph exit velocity off the tee.  Defensively, showed above average footwork and a solid glove in the outfield, used a rangy exchange that led to a long arm action and nearly over the top release to hit 84 mph.  Donato ran a 7.31 60-yard dash and showed a lot of potential in many of the things he did at this event.

Ben Clifft, OF, Huntingdon HS, 2017
6-foot, 185-pound left-handed hitter hits from a balanced and upright stance with a very high hand position, uses a moderate leg kick with minimal stride, hands come down and load backwards fairly smoothly, showed an inconsistent swing path but a bit of power potential when he got some elevation and extension going, could be more explosive with his lower half but still produced an 87 mph exit velocity off the tee.  Clifft showed solid hands and footwork in the outfield, used a short arm action from an over the top arm angle to showcase a 77 mph position velocity that has room and potential for improvement.  Also ran a 7.01 60-yard dash.

Luke Reno, RHP/OF, Christian Brothers, 2017
6-foot-4, 175-pound right-handed hitter hits from a tall and athletic stance, uses a conventional stride length with an occasional toe tap in the middle and a very fluid hand load to initiate his swing, good use of the lower half and good rhythm help tremendously, ability to drive through the ball on a fairly level swing plane produced some very prevalent gap-to-gap power and an 87 mph exit velocity off the tee.  Defensively, showed some very good athleticism in the outfield with his solid footwork and sure hands, played through the ball very well and showed a clean exchange, long and loose arm action from a high-3/4 release resulted in an 85 mph position velocity with accuracy and carry.  Reno ran a 7.62 60-yard dash.  Also pitched well, making a case to be a highly recruited 2-way player at many levels.

Sage Warren, OF, Father Ryan, 2017
5-foot-10, 165-pound right-handed hitter hits from a fairly balanced and tall stance with high held hands, uses a conventional stride and a little pushback of the hands to initiate the swing, decent use of the lower half, showed a short but sometimes steep swing path through the ball to produce an 83 mph exit velocity off the tee, could certainly see an improvement in balance and stability with a little widening of his stride/stance.  Defensively, displayed average hands and feet in the outfield, used an extremely long arm action to produce a 77 mph position velocity from an over the top arm slot.  Warren ran a 7.20 60-yard dash.

Hunter Davis, RHP/OF, Gordonsville HS, 2018
5-foot-8, 145-pound left-handed hitter hits from a balanced stance and utilizes a short and rhythmic stride and hand movement to get himself going, does a good job of getting his lower half through the zone, stays fairly balanced but will lean forward a little bit from time to time, when he stayed back he showed a level swing that produced a lot of solid line drives and a 79 mph exit velocity off the tee.  Davis ran a 7.59 60-yard dash.  Showed average footwork and glove in the outfield, short exchange and arm action from a high-3/4 arm slot produced a 76 mph position velocity with some average carry.

Peter Clifford, OF, Ravenwood HS, 2017
5-foot-11, 145-pound right-handed hitter hits from a fairly upright stance and uses a short and early stride to initiate a minor hand load and start his swing, uses some lower half and stays fairly balanced throughout, showed a short and steep swing that produced some low line drives and a 76 mph exit velocity off the tee.  Defensively, used an above average glove and footwork, which led to a clean transfer and a long arm action from a ¾ arm slot, position velocity from the OF reached 73 mph with carry to improve upon.  Clifford also ran a 7.50 60-yard dash.

Cameron Allen, OF, Ravenwood HS, 2019
5-foot-8, 141-pound left-handed hitter hits from a balanced stance and uses somewhat of a small and rhythmic leg kick to get himself going, showed smooth hand load and sufficient use of the lower half, short and compact swing results in a line drive approach that you would expect from a leadoff or nine-hole type of hitter, 69 mph exit velocity off the tee.  Defensively, Allen showed very good hands and feet in the outfield, smooth approach to the ball and ability to work through it were present, funky arm action from a high-3/4 release point produced a 73 mph position velocity.  Exit velocity, position velocity, and 7.53 60-yard dash should all improve dramatically over time and development.