Burton's Scout Blog: 3/28/24
March 28, 2024
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Lightridge
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Jimmy Burpoe SS / 2B / Lightridge, VA / 2025It has been a while since we have seen the Lightridge MIF. Biggest takeaway from the two games I took in, the improved bat to ball and impact at contact. The swing is simpler, repeatable, and has added some strength that has translated into improved production. Wider base, hands set high, and delivers a quick level path through the zone. Has shown a pretty consistent middle/gap to gap approach with an accurate barrel. Really like the uptick in the offensive production.
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Ben Drinkwine OF / 3B / Lightridge, VA / 2026This sophomore right handed hitter continues to grow, physically and in productivity. He is aggressive from the time he steps in the box and the barrel accuracy continues to improve. Last year you could see the power potential flash occasionally, but there was some swing and miss that needed to be cleaned up. That is exactly what he has done. Drinkwine shows some potential ability to hit for average and has maintained that power potential. Playing third for the Bolts, I still see him long term as corner outfield, maybe more specifically right field, or first base. 6-foot-2 frame that is not done growing. Will be a bat to watch as he continues to mature.
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Dylan Herr RHP / SS / Lightridge, VA / 2026Herr got the start on Monday versus Champe. Five innings and one unearned run given up. He allowed three scattered hits and struck out six along the way. Herr is a pretty good mover on the mound and a clean arm stroke. Lean and lanky in frame, repeats the delivery, and has pretty normal effort. Getting down the mound, Herr really closes himself off at footstrike and blocks off some of that potential velo. The fastball worked 79-82, but there is definitely more there for him to grab in his future. The breaking ball was the winner in the fall at State Games and he did nothing to disprove that thought process on Monday. While it is softer in terms of velo, it is a bigger shaped breaking ball with above average spin metrics and plenty of depth. Above average feel for that pitch. The sophomore right hander also landed an average to above average changeup that I had not really seen yet. Three pitches for strikes, some pitchability, and he's just waiting for that next jump in the velo department.
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Jared Mitchell 2B / SS / Lightridge, VA / 2025Mitchell is an athletic framed, versatile defender. Last year was a starter at second base when I saw them, this year he played a little bit of left field, some first base in pregame, and most importantly saw some offensive production for the Bolts. Versus Dominion he had a tough day, but bounced back on Monday versus Champe. Had a big triple in his final at bat on the day. Got an elevated pitch on the inner half and did a nice job matching the plane and turning on it to drive in a run. Had what appeared to be a hit and run earlier in the game where he showed some bat control and just slapped an outside pitch through the right side.
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Donovan Newell OF / RHP / Lightridge, VA / 2024Last year when I saw Newell he was a really good defender in center, but lacked impact on offense. Solid bat to ball, above average runner, solid defender, just did not barrel up baseballs when I saw him. This year, he has added that to his tool bag. While he did not have some of the results of others in the lineup, he put together some solid at bats and produced loud contact in a handful. It is a mature frame that has added strength while maintaining his run tool and defensive abilities. CNU commit.
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James Nunnallee OF / Lightridge, VA / 2024Quickly becoming a household name in the scouting community these past few weeks/months. Bat to ball/hit tool type of bat. Above average bat to ball skills and showcased some of the improved raw power in BP at Dominion. While some of the BP results were wind aided, you could see an improved ability to impact the baseball, especially to the pullside. In game he was pretty patient early in bats. Does not swing and miss much, but the in game quality of contact was average in the two games I have seen in the past week. May have handled the ball down the best of any pitch location. Seemed a bit late on pitches in the upper half of the zone. Run times were up and down, but has still shown the ability to be an above average runner. While he was a step slow out of the box on a few balls, showed a 4.28 turn on a ball up the middle last week at Dominion. Tends to have a wider turn out of the box on base hits and could use tightening up the path just a bit, which would shed some time on his turn. Has shown solid hand-eye coordination and athleticism behind the plate, but I still think he will be an outfielder long term. Virginia commit.
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Tyler Rowling 2B / SS / Lightridge, VA / 2024I have always liked Rowling's ability to defend in the middle. Hands work, feet are in sync, and is an accurate arm across. While the arm is not a big arm, he shows some added arm strength across. Most importantly, he makes plays. On Monday I thought there were a few balls that were slower paced and he showed a really solid internal clock for runners and was under control throughout, getting each runner by a step or two. He did not try to ramp it up, he has an instinctive feel for when he needs to get it out, and he does it with ease and fluidity. At the plate, he has always been a little light on offense. Contact bat, line drives, spray it around, and just want him to hit for average to add to his defensive upside and ability. This is really our first consistent look of him on offense in probably 8-10 months and it seems to be much improved. Still not a big extra base, power potential bat, but the quality of contact has increased. Versus Dominion he launched a ball over the centerfield fence in his final at bat of the night. While it was probably wind aided just a touch, it was good to see him elevate something and turn it loose a little. While I still think there is room to grow on the offensive side, it appears much better and more consistent than our previous looks.
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Mason Sproat RHP / 1B / Lightridge, VA / 2025Like last year, we got an early season look at Sproat in '24. Night and day in terms of the quality of the appearance. Body is stronger, better mover down the mound, and just looks comfortable. Last year he worked pretty much exclusive fastballs at 83-85 and this year he featured the breaking ball earlier in the outing, as well as the velo was 84-87 and touched 88. In addition to the fastball/breaking ball combo, Sproat showed a changeup. The breaking ball was firm at 75-77 mph and had some late depth. The feel for that pitch was average , but the shape and quality was much better. Threw five innings with nine strikeouts and only allowed one hit.
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Potomac Falls
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Caden Bell RHP / 3B / Potomac Falls, VA / 2026Taller setup at the plate. Evenly distributed weight, small lift to stride, and is more hands first swing. Level path swing that is contact driven. Had two singles in this game and was one of the few offensive bright spots for Potomac Falls.
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Nick Pierson OF / 2B / Potomac Falls, VA / 2026Balanced and square setup at the plate. Medium lift to stride and lands on line. Hands have minimal load and movement pre-pitch and are short to contact. Contact driven/hit for average approach. Had two singles from the leadoff spot. 4.7 and 4.68 turns at first.
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Brentsville District
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Aaron Caughlin RHP / OF / Brentsville District , VA / 2025Big day on Monday from the junior. Had four hits, two runs scored, and four RBI. Wider base, hands are preset back and with a lower setup. Smaller hand load and weight shift back with a heal lift and no stride. Simple level path through the zone with solid bat to ball skills. Caughlin was very aggressive in even, plus, and negative counts. He saw only eight pitches in four at bats, with all of those at bats resulting in a barrel and hit. Mostly middle to pull in approach. Overall, Caughlin had a really strong showing in this one.
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Lucas Johnson OF / Brentsville District, VA / 2024Johnson, like Caughlin, had a big day at the plate. Two for three on the day with two hard doubles to pull and jump started the Brentsville offense. Methodist commit.
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Charles McCullough OF / SS / Brentsville District, VA / 2027This was our first time seeing the Junior Future Games alum since late July. Athletic, above average runner, defends, and was aggressive at the plate. Did not have anything to show in the box score for the offense on the day, but just watching the approach and at bats, he seemed comfortable in the box and put together some solid at bats. Had two flyouts and a groundout to go with a walk. Started in left field and had a nice diving catch in the middle innings. Athletic two-sport athlete who competes.
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Charlie Monfort LHP / OF / Brentsville District, VA / 2024Monfort dominated this game from start to finish. Six innings of work, scattered three hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts. Working in the 78-80 range, Monfort is not an overpowering arm, but he pitches. Moves it in and out, uses his secondary effectively, and attacks the strikezone. He was not afraid to use the secondary in any count, especially the bigger breaking ball. The Tigers' offense would get a big inning, or extend the lead, and Monfort would answer the bell for the team and roll back out with a quick shutdown inning. Strike thrower that competes in the zone and allows his defense to work for him.
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John Champe
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Dan Kim RHP / OF / John Champe, VA / 2027Long and thin 6-foot-3 frame. Low three-quarter slot for the freshman right hander. Works outside of the low 80's fastball and tends to work mostly to the gloveside with some angle. Has some solid arm speed for a young arm and there is fairly normal effort in the delivery. The breaking ball sat at 70-71 in the select few he threw. It flashed some depth, but he lacked feel for the tight breaker. Younger features and still has a ton of room to fill out and has a chance to throw hard one day.
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Bryce Munchel SS / 3B / John Champe, VA / 2026Munchel has really taken off physically in the last 6-8 months. Up to 6-foot-2 and still has room to fill that frame. Thought the swing has taken a step forward in terms of the operation and the production of in game results. Hands and lower half are in sync, foot gets down on time, works behind a firm front side, and does a nice job delivering the barrel. Had a single in his first at bat where he went backside on a breaking ball and then later barreled up a lineout to left field. As he continues to add strength, his ability to impact the baseball will continue to pick up.
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Nick Warner C / 2B / John Champe, VA / 2026Cannot say enough about the way Warner plays the game. It was my first real in game look at Warner and the thing that stood out were the instincts. He just seems to know where to go with the ball and is just a heady, high IQ player. Compact 5-foot-9 frame, average runner, average arm strength, and more gap to gap/doubles bat. Stance is square, small lift and stride on line, hands are pretty quiet pre-pitch, and does a nice job staying inside at contact. It is a pretty simple and quiet operation and he stays balanced throughout the swing. Warner is not some big, loud tools, type of player, but he is a guy you want on your team and in the lineup. Versatile defender, bat to ball/hit tool type of bat, and instinctive traits between the lines.
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Riverbend
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Jordan Higgins UTILITY / , VA / 2025Wider base at setup, heal lift, and no stride at the plate. Hands are fairly short to contact and barrel was level through the zone with average to above average bat speed. Biggest takeaway that I got out of the day was the arm strength from Higgins. Easy above average arm strength from right field and was very accurate to the bag. Had a tag play where he showed off the strength with an absolute dot to home plate to throw out a would be run. Got behind the ball well and worked into the throw. Stands around 6-foot with a proportional, athletic frame.
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Ben Neal C / 2B / Riverbend, VA / 20255-foot-10, 165-pound frame. Slight crouch in setup at the plate, small lift and replace, hands are quiet and short to contact. Had a backside double in his second at bat that drove in two. Contact, gap to gap offense. Average runner with a 4.7 turn on the double.
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Courtland
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Nathan Jackson SS / 2B / Courtland, VA / 2025Athletic defender that has added solid strength in the lower half since the last time I saw him. Average arm strength from short with some lateral range. Was a little up and down defensively in this look, but showed some solid hands, especially on a tough top spin line drive. Most high school short hops would sit and get an in-between hop on that particular play. The Longwood commit attacked it and killed a short hop to make the out at first. In the box Jackson loads into the backside, balance in the lift and throughout the swing, and hits against a firm front side. Minimal moving parts that allow him to repeat the process pretty easily. Flew out in his first at bat and would later hit a hard hit liner that was right at the left fielder. Energy guy at the top of the lineup that kind of sets the tone for Courtland.
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Stedman Lewis OF / SS / Courtland, VA / 20265-foot-10, 175-pound athletic frame with proportional strength. Square and evenly distributed setup. Small glide to stride landing on line. Hands are pretty quiet in load and is level to contact. Tends to come up out of his legs and causes a slightly uphill finish with the barrel that gets out of the zone pretty quick. Could stand to stay in his legs a bit longer and utilize some of that lower half strength. Had a hard hit line drive single in the fourth inning.
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Miller School
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Mandela Browman OF / RHP / Miller School, VA / 2026Lean and athletic frame, above average runner, and a really solid defender in center field. Above average arm strength that has carry out of the hand. The stance has seen some changes since our last look. More narrow and upright, hands still fairly high in setup, and a bigger lift to stride. Does a nice job getting into the back hip on load and still maintaining balance. Gets the foot down on time and the lower half turn is more aggressive, delivering the barrel with more force. Had a couple of loud barrels on the day with a hard hit sac fly to right center and then a hard hit lineout right at the shortstop. One of the best outfielders in the '26 class. Will be a hot commodity come August 1.
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Noah Gray OF / 2B / Miller School of Albemarle, VA / 2027First time seeing Gray in game and really liked the maturity in the box. It was just the fact that he never looked overmatched or uncomfortable. He was not facing a bunch of overpowering arms in terms of velo or stuff, but he was not effected by spin or counts, which is tough to do for a freshman. Had a few hard hit balls on the day and put together some complete at bats.
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Evan Hankins LHP / 1B / Miller School, VA / 2025Not a ton to add to how much we have covered on Hankins in the past 6-8 months. Did not see many pitches over the plate on the day and definitely not many fastballs. The approach on how they were gonna pitch Hankins was pretty evident. Soft, soft, more soft, and stay away. He was pretty patient and did not expand much, even when in two strike counts. This is probably going to be a common theme, especially versus certain teams and versus certain types of arms, so he will need to continue to be patient and make some minor tweaks in approach on those days and when he faces some of those arms.
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Drew Lucy C / Miller School of Albemarle, VA / 2025Have not seen Lucy a ton in the past, but really liked what I saw on Tuesday. The receiving was some of the best that I have seen in the past year. Relaxed, beats the ball to the spot, average to above average hand strength, and controlled the bottom of the zone well. Very active thrower and accurate on the bag. The arm has taken a small step forward and shows improved arm strength to pair with the accuracy on the bag. The offense is still second, but continues to show improved bat to ball and contact quality.
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Dillon O'Connor RHP / Miller School, VA / 2025Very short outing for the junior right hander. Four outs in ten pitches is pretty efficient, especially when you add a strikeout in there. Not much to add other than still plenty of projection left and a lot to dream on here. Short and quick arm with a fairly easy 85 and up to 88 on the last pitch. Will get out to see him again at some point this spring.
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John Michael Szefc SS / 2B / Miller , VA / 2026In our month of being on the road so far, this may be one of the more impressive days and looks that I have gotten of an uncommitted player. Have loved the bat to ball and hit tool for a bit, but obviously ran into one this day and showed some added ability to impact the baseball. Results on the day: groundout, RBI single, bunt single (4.01 H-1st), and then a solo homerun. Versatile offensive piece that can handle the bat at the top of the order. Has a solid feel for the zone and does not do much swinging and missing. In the infield he is a solid defender. Moves well laterally and has a quick exchange and release. Arm is average in terms of strength, but is accurate to the bag and can throw from multiple slots. This one has a chance to take a sizable jump come the end of spring updates. Another one we will be back out to see again soon.
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Kason Wagner 3B / RHP / Miller School , VA / 2026Wagner is one of those arms that when you show up and he is throwing, you know exactly what you are going to get. Typically working in the 82-84 range when we have seen him, was more 81-83 on this day. Efficient in the zone, mixes secondary, and challenges hitters. Gets ahead in the count and forces the action early in counts. Had a six pitch inning in the first and set the tone for the rest of the day.
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St. Christopher's
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Wally Jones 3B / St. Christopher's, VA / 2025
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Henry Knighton RHP / SS / St. Christopher's School, VA / 2025
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Bennett Vaccarino 3B / St. Christopher's, VA / 2025
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