KNOXVILLE, TN - The Prep Baseball Knoxville Preseason ID was held on Saturday, January 25th at BC Athletics in Knoxville, TN. Players went through an extended pro-style workout that included batting practice using Trackman, ran the 60-yard dash using Vald Performance, and much more. Pitchers were able to get numbers and metrics on TrackMan during a bullpen setting. There were some players who showed up and continued to build off of prior performances, but there were also some new names who jumped onto our radar with a strong showing at the event.

Continuing our post-event coverage for the event, we take a look at the scouting reports on all catchers from the Knoxville Preseason ID.

Click HERE to view all position stats from the event.

 

+ To view the updated Player Rankings, CLICK HERE.
+ See more news across the Volunteer State HERE.
+ Interested in a Prep Baseball Subscription, CLICK HERE.

---

CATCHER REPORTS

Mason Shelton, Hardin Valley Academy (TN), 2027
Positional Profile: C/3B
Body: 5-11, 155 pounds. Proportionate frame with present athleticism, will add size and strength very well as he continues his physical development.
Hit: LHH. Begins tall and slightly open in his stance. Big but controlled forward motion and maintains rear hip hinge well. Hands resist the forward move very well prior to the swing launching. Very good path through the zone with a gap to gap approach and present power to the pullside. 68.6 mph bat speed with 11g of rotational acceleration.
Power: 94 mph max exit velocity (86.6 avg.); 339-foot max batted distance.
Arm: RH. C - 70.00 mph. Quick and compact arm action with a low 3/4 release.
Defense: 1.95-1.96 pop time range; Very quick out of his crouch while staying in his legs. Smooth transfer out of his glove.
Athletic Testing: runner in the 30-yard dash.
Vizual Edge: 65.15 Edge Score.

Kole Carter, Cumberland Gap (TN), 2028
Positional Profile: C/3B
Body: 5-10, 170 pounds. Physical frame with present strength, athleticism should continue to develop.
Hit: LHH. A simple shoulder width stance leads into a quiet load rearward with his hands, into a controlled forward move. Swing rotates around his back leg well with feel for launching well. Lives towards the middle of the field with low line drives, short path into the hitting zone and does a good job staying through it. Showed a tendency to get around the ball but should lower as he develops into his body and swing. 57.7 mph bat speed with 6g of rotational acceleration.
Power: 82 mph max exit velocity (76.5 avg.); 285-foot max batted distance.
Arm: RH. C - 58.00 mph. Bigger swing behind the body into a compact 3/4 arm action.
Defense: 2.10-2.17 pop time range; Great job getting out of his crouch towards second. Should see a drastic drop in poptime as his arm gets stronger.
Athletic Testing: runner in the 30-yard dash.
Vizual Edge: 66.53 Edge Score.

Conner Turpin, Lenoir City (TN), 2027
Positional Profile: C/OF
Body: 6-0, 170 pounds. Present athleticism with a very good frame. On the leaner side presently but a lot of room for added size.
Hit: RHH. Sturdy wide stance with tall posture and hands high above his head. A toe tap/hover loads his hands down into a good launch position, with minimal loading of the backside. Works well through the middle of the field with well hit line drives. Can live gap to gap as he develops strength. 63.6 mph bat speed with 9g of rotational acceleration.
Power: 85 mph max exit velocity (71.1 avg.); 293-foot max batted distance.
Arm: RH. C - 63.00 mph. Very short arm action with an over the top release.
Defense: 2.13-2.15 pop time range; Developing feel for blocking with solid mechanics on throwdowns.
Athletic Testing: runner in the 30-yard dash.
Vizual Edge: 65.11 Edge Score.

Preston Skeens, Boyd Buchanan (TN), 2028
Positional Profile: C/RHP
Body: 5-11, 175 pounds. Proportional build with solid size at present and still developing athleticism.
Hit: RHH. Wide stance with knees bent, his hands begin behind the body. Hands stay quiet during a weight shift and small leg lift as a load. Decent position at footplant as the swing goes. Has intent to drive the ball the other way with solid contact. 64.6 mph bat speed with 17g of rotational acceleration.
Power: 87 mph max exit velocity (79.5 avg.); 275-foot max batted distance.
Arm: RH. C - 64.00 mph. Low 3/4 release with a short swing behind the body.
Defense: 2.18-2.33 pop time range; Traditional setup with good mechanics out of the crouch to second. Time will greatly drop as his arm develops.
Athletic Testing: runner in the 30-yard dash.
Vizual Edge: 70.55 Edge Score.

Jack Fennell, Bearden (TN), 2026
Positional Profile: C/3B
Body: 5-11, 185 pounds. Muscular build with good athleticism and strength throughout.
Hit: RHH. Repeatable actions in his swing with a balanced, slightly open stance. A small leg lift grabs the back hip prior to a powerful launch of the swing. Does a very good job staying in his back leg and creating natural launch driving into the front leg. Looks to catch the ball out front and drive it with authority. Produces well hit line drives, lives in the left to left center range. 65.3 mph bat speed with 6g of rotational acceleration.
Power: 91 mph max exit velocity (82.2 avg.); 309-foot max batted distance.
Arm: RH. C - 74.00 mph. Short swing behind the body with a 3/4 release.
Defense: 1.92-1.96 pop time range; Works out of a 1kd stance with good ground gain towards second on throwdowns. Tendency to drop hands during transfer.
Athletic Testing: runner in the 30-yard dash.
Vizual Edge: 55.97 Edge Score.

Ethan Bales, Powell High School (TN), 2027
Positional Profile: C/1B
Body: 6-1, 210 pounds. XL frame with present size and strength throughout. Athleticism should continue to develop.
Hit: RHH. Wide stance with his knees bent and slightly hunched over. A rock rearward loads the swing as it pushes his hands into a loaded position. Solid separation from such little movement. Inconsistent bat path through the zone leads to varied contact. Hard barrels from gap to gap when he stays through the zone. 64.7 mph bat speed with 15g of rotational acceleration.
Power: 88 mph max exit velocity (82.1 avg.); 279-foot max batted distance.
Arm: RH. C - 58.00 mph. Still developing arm with a short 3/4 release.
Defense: 2.18-2.28 pop time range; Has a tendency to go into the right handed batters box on throwdowns losing some time on direction. Stays in legs well.
Athletic Testing: runner in the 30-yard dash.
Vizual Edge: 64.91 Edge Score.

Jack Hamilton, The Kings Academy (TN), 2026
Positional Profile: C/3B
Body: 6-3, 213 pounds. XL frame with a strong lower half presently. Great projectability in his frame.
Hit: RHH. Tall posture with a slightly open stance, hands are loose on the rear shoulder. A controlled leg lift allows the swing to work around the back leg prior to launching. Rotates well with easy appearing effort to it. Is aggressive with his intent to catch the ball out front. Wants to get the ball in the air with natural lift to his line drives. 67.1 mph bat speed with 19g of rotational acceleration.
Power: 98 mph max exit velocity (88 avg.); 336-foot max batted distance.
Arm: RH. C - 64.00 mph. INF - 70.00 mph. OF - mph. Short and compact arm action with a 3/4 release.
Defense: 2.22-2.25 pop time range; Shows present feel for blocking with good ability to kill it off of the chest. Stands up as first move during throw downs, decent ground gain to second. Moves well in the INF, with movements that profile to a corner spot.
Athletic Testing: runner in the 30-yard dash.
Vizual Edge: 64.59 Edge Score.

 

Follow on X: @PrepBaseballTN
Follow on Instagram: @PrepBaseballTN
Follow on Facebook: Prep Baseball Report Tennessee
 

Upcoming Events

SHOWCASE	DATE	LOCATION
Tennessee Preseason All-State: Underclass	2/8	Liberty Creek HS Indoor - Gallatin, TN
Tennessee Preseason All-State: Upperclass	2/9	Liberty Creek HS Indoor - Gallatin, TN
Memphis Rising Stars ID	3/16	Lausanne Collegiate School - Memphis, TN
Knoxville Rising Stars ID	3/30	Knoxville Catholic HS - Knoxville, TN
Nashville Rising Stars ID	4/6	Lipscomb Academy - Nashville, TN

 

Click HERE to purchase a subscription which gives you access to additional information on the site, including 10,000+ Player Prospect Videos, State and National Rankings, Advanced Data Metrics and much more.

Click HERE to create a free profile.

 

More Content