By John Nolan
Assistant Director of Scouting 

2014 Top Prospect Games participants and James Madison High School teammates Matthew Favero and Pete Nielsen have committed to continue playing together throughout college as both will attend Brigham Young University in the fall of 2016. Favero and Nielsen helped lead James Madison to Conference 6, Northern Region, and 6A State Championships this spring. Favero and Brian Eckert (2015, Radford) formed a dominant one-two punch on the mound for the Warhawks. Nielsen batted leadoff for a potent, deep lineup that also included Owen Socher (2015, William & Mary). Nielsen and Favero are cousins and will team up with their older brothers, both Madison alums and current Cougars, when they arrive in Provo.

Favero stands 6-foot-3 and has an athletic frame. He throws from a high three-quarters slot and has a short, loose arm path. His mechanics are smooth, his shoulders are uphill and closed at power position, and he stays on line through a complete follow through. Favero’s fastball sat 82-83 at the Top Prospect Games in November, touching a few 84s. He showed some run on his fastball that was more prevalent when he threw it to his armside of the plate. Favero also threw a hard breaking curveball that ran 65-70 and a good change-up with full armspeed and running action to it that sat 72-78. Favero commanded all three pitches well and used them effectively to generate a lot of swing and misses and poor contact.

Nielsen is a 6-foot-2, 185 pound, switch-hitting shortstop. At the plate, from the left side, he hits from a balanced stance that is slightly wider than shoulder width apart. He has slight rhythm, a quick load back, and a classic left-handed stroke. He stays behind the baseball and utilizes his backside. From the right side, Nielsen sets up in a more vertical stance with slightly bent knees. He has a smooth load back, line drive approach, good extension. At the Top Prospect Games, he had an exit velocity of 87 mph from the left side and 90 mph from the right side off of the tee. In the field, Nielsen had smooth actions, above-average hands, a quick release, plus range, and the ability to stay athletic with his size.  He showed quickness and accuracy on all throws, with the ability to utilize arm strength when needed.

When they arrive at Brigham Young, both have the potential to be significant contributors immediately. Favero has the stuff and upside to be a weekday starter as a freshman who could also throw out of the bullpen on the weekends. As his career progresses, Favero has the stuff and physicality to develop into a weekend starter for the Cougars. Nielsen will have the chance to hit his way into the lineup and has the ability to stick at shortstop but is athletic enough that he could play any infield position well or even transition to a corner outfield spot to get his bat into the lineup. As his career progresses, Nielsen’s bat profiles to fit into the middle of the Cougar lineup as he should develop the ability to hit for significant power from both sides of the plate without sacrificing his ability to hit for average.

Congratulations Matt and Pete!