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Quick Notes: Diamond Elite PSL and MVP 2021 National

September 24, 2020
John Nolan
Virginia Scouting Director & Managing Editor

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On Tuesday night the fall PSL Diamond Elite and MVP National teams took the field at Riverside High School for a game that saw a tight strikezone lead to a slugfest that MVP ultimately won. The players on the field were almost exclusively 2021s, with a few of them high level commits and a few uncommitted players who have made big jumps over the summer and are among the top uncommitted players left in Virginia at this point. Here are some quick notes on players that stood out in the game:

 

-Westfield 2022 RHP Jason Cheifetz (James Madison) started the game and was 81-83, touching 87 early. He spent a lot of his outing working in the slide step and got squeezed on the edges of the zone. Battled through three innings and gave his offense a chance to rally after the first. Showed two shapes on his breaking ball, velocities were similar, likely his usual curve/slider mix leading to the different shapes. Fastball really takes off to armside when he works it down to armside.

 

-Riverside 2021 LHP/OF Michael Walsh had a good two-way night. On the mound, he struck out four in two innings and was consistently 84-86, touching 87 once and 88 once. Short quick arm from a low slot with deception. Great armspeed on his slider with late hard 10/4 break at 77-79. Showed ability to back foot the pitch to righties. At the plate, had a pair of sharp singles off of Cheifetz, and there is some power potential there from the left side.

 

-Brentsville 2021 SS Mickey Haynes started the game 2-2 off of Cheifetz. In his first at-bat to lead off the game, he kept his hands inside on an 87 MPH fastball that was running in and barreled a line drive to right for a single. In his second at-bat, he hammered a triple to deep left-center. He still has plenty of projection left in his lanky frame, but some of his power potential is starting to show.

 

-Loudoun Valley 2021 Aaron Lautenschlager also started the game with a pair of barreled balls off of Cheifetz. He lined a double up the RC gap in the first and then adjusted to an offspeed pitch to line out to center for an RBI sacrifice in his second at-bat. Also was solid defensively, does the little things right at short and is always moving to where he should be.

 

-Annandale 2021 SS/RHP Daniel Salisbury (Marymount) followed Cheifetz on the mound and was impressive. Fastball was 81-83, touching 85 twice with some late ride. Curveball was 71-73 with good armspeed and hard 11/5 break. Works very fast and pounds the strikezone, moved fastball around. Struck out the side in his first inning and got quick weak contact on all three hitters in his second inning.

 

-James Madison 2021 C Colin Tuft (Virginia) had a strong day in my first look at him. Has a ton of speed for his position and is an aggressive baserunner who had a couple good jumps on stolen bases. Quickness on display when he basically ran himself out of a rundown he had no business escaping. Walked once and then mashed a pair of balls in his other at-bats, and bullet single to center and then came about 2 feet short of going long ball to dead center.

 

-Briar Woods 2021 CIF Evan Smith (West Virginia) got hit by a pitch in his first at-bat and singled sharply to right in his third at-bat. Sneaky quick for his size and position, very natural baserunner who can steal and is good at taking an extra base. Plenty of power present but prefers to work gap to gap.

 

 

-Riverside 2022 RHP Nick Ciliberti has an athletic frame with strength already present and some projection left. His fastball was 82-84 and was mostly up in the zone, it had some late life to it. Curveball had good armspeed and downer 12/6 break at 66-70, getting a few swing and misses. Showed one change-up at 74 with good armspeed and fade.

 

-South Lakes 2021 RHP Ian Babey faced two batters and struck both out. Fastball was 80-82 with some late run and he got some swing and misses up in the zone. Threw one curveball at 63.

 

-Robinson 2021 SS Warren Holzemer (Army) absolutely demolished a home run to left-center. Strong athletic frame with a lot of pop.

 

-James Madison 2022 SS James Triantos (North Carolina) didn't get a chance to do much at the plate in his first two at-bats courtesy of a walk and some interesting strike calls. In his final at-bat, behind in the count, he was able to get barrel on ball to the warning track that would have gone for a SAC fly except it was misplayed allowing him to reach. Batspeed and strength are on display in the swing, he was just a hair under it. Hands and feet are quick and smooth at short.