Prep Baseball Report

Quick Hits: SoCal Underclass Trials II


Les Lukach and Steve Doherty
PBR California Scouting Staff

EASTLAKE, CA - The SoCal Underclass Trials II were chalk full of talented players as over 60 players in the 2020 - 2022 classes made their way to Eastlake High School on Tuesday to show their skills for the Prep Baseball Report Scouts and the over one dozen colleges coaches in attendance.

Over the next few days we will update all profiles with statistics, pictures and video. As we continue to break down all the data, stats, and videos from the event, we will roll out different pieces of content but first here are some quick hits from what we saw on Tuesday.

+ 2020 RHP Caleb Bennett (Corona Centennial HS) followed up his showing from the previous week where we got eyes on him with another strong showing. At 6'3" 190-pounds Bennett's physicality stands out immediately. Then you see his long, loose, whippy arm action and immediately you take notice of his current abilities and his projection. Bennett shows a true three-pitch mix with late life and action on his fastball (84-86), cut action on the slider (80-81), his best present pitch may be a hammer curveball at 75-76 that he keeps down in the zone.

+ 2021 RHP Lucas Welch (Orange Lutheran HS) immediately caught our attention as he was warming up in the bullpen because of the loud pops coming from down the line. The 6-foot-1 170-pound rising sophomore shows a clean and easy delivery with repeatable mechanics. His fastball has heavy run at 84-85 which he moved around all quadrants of the pitching zone showing off his command. Welch shows above average feel for a changeup (76-77) and average feel for his slider at 72-73 mph.

+ 2021 C/SS Isaac Rodriguez (Murrieta Valley HS) continues to impress with his overall athleticism and athletic build. Rodriguez put together arguably the best round of BP with an athletic, advanced swing where he shows some aggressiveness at the plate. Defensively he shows a quick arm with athletic movements and actions from shortstop. It is behind the plate where he really stands out where he shows soft hands and his athleticism really stands out. He popped 1.98 and was hovering around 2.00 on all throws.

+ 2020 MIF Garret Ostrander (Del Norte HS) is an athletic middle infielder with a big arm and excellent instincts in the field. Shows present arm strength with carry on his throws. Ostrander shows quick feet, clean exchanges with fast hands, and aggressiveness during the defensive portion of the workout. At the plate he shows a slightly open but balanced stance from which he takes aggressive hacks and flashes some power potential with feel for the barrel.

+ 2020 C Ryan Mendez (Ontario Christian HS) showed very well for himself as an athletic and defensive catcher. With a best pop-time of 1.99 all of his throws were on/near the bag with his misses to the first base side. Mendez shows strength through the thighs with loose hips and nimble feet. Has a slightly open stance with fast hands and feel for the barrel that resulted in gap-to-gap line drives. Power should improve as his 6-foot 165-pound frame continues to fill out.

+ 2020 MIF Anthony Mata (Grossmont HS) caught the attention of our scouts the second he stepped into his first hitting station. Mata does an excellent job of driving his backside aggressively through the ball and squaring everything up. Once he got into his BP round it continued with gap-to-gap line drives with fast hands and strong wrists. Defensively he's light on his feet with a big arm that produced carry on his throws. Shows good range to both side with soft hands.

+ 2020 3B/OF Jeffrey Barber (Point Loma HS) caught our eye with his 6-foot-2 195-pound frame that is both athletic and still not done growing/filling out. Barber shows athletic defensive actions with a big, strong, accurate arm. Moves well defensively and shows good range to both sides. Projects as a future power hitting third baseman. At the plate he's aggressive and tall with a slightly open stance. When his timing was right it produced some loud contact with line drives to all fields.

+ 2020 OF Lewis Barnum (Cathedral Catholic HS) has a powerful frame that projects growth over the coming years. Listed at 5-foot-10 165-pounds, Barnum showed the best outfield velocity (83) of the event with throws that were accurate and had carry to both third base and home. The right handed hitting outfielder shows a smooth, easy swing that he keeps on a line drive path with consistency. Great hands with a quick and balanced swing that resulted in all-fields line drives.

+ 2021 SS/OF Ethan Gourson (Point Loma HS) came out ready to make a statement and he did just that from the start by running a 7.07 60 to start the event. He followed that up with a terrific round of BP where he uses his fast hands to drive the barrel through the hitting zone where he shows excellent feel for the barrel from a slightly open stance. At 6-foot 165-pounds with squared shoulders and big feet it's easy to dream on his physical projection which could translate into over-the-fence power down the road.

+ 2022 3B David Horn (Murrieta Valley HS) is a physical specimen at 6-foot-3 185-pounds who mashed during BP and throughout each station of the hitting wheel. Horn uses his lower half very well to generate his current power that is gap-to-gap presently. Has fast hands that cause the barrel to explode through the hitting zone. Shows range with decent footwork making him a no doubt third base prospect. His arm is above average and shows some carry on throws.

+ 2021 OF Jackson Castillo (Rancho Bernardo HS) quietly put together a very strong showcase in all facets. After running a 7.16 60, the rising sophomore took to the hitting wheel stations where his bat really stood out. Using a tall, open stance, Castillo has an inside-out barrel path that shows some pull side pop and projects for future power given his penchant to square balls up. His body, head, and hands are very quiet before he whips the barrel through the zone. From the outfield his arm is accurate and strong for a player his age with an 80 mph position velocity.

+ 2021 SS/3B Kainoa Williams (Westview HS) was a guy whose name kept coming up when talking with our scouts. Williams came out and ran a 7.16 60 to start the event before showing well during hitting stations. From an open stance Williams uses a slight leg lift trigger and his fast hands to generate bat speed and drive balls to all fields. Shows a consistent ability to barrel balls and makes solid contact before a finishing high with his hands.

+ 2020 OF Matthew Conda (Eastlake HS) showed that his tools were deserving of a mention after running a 7.14 60 and showing his fast hands during the hitting stations. Conda has an athletic, slightly open stance that allows him to whip the barrel through the hitting zone on a consistent path with a gap-to-gap approach. Conda has some projection from a power standpoint. Conda has some arm strength in the outfield to go with accuracy on his throws.

+ 2021 OF Lucas Marrujo (Bonita Vista HS) is a highly projectable player who is long, lean, and athletic who appears to have a lot of physical maturity left. Shows a quick handed, attack the ball approach at the plate from a tall and open stance. The swing is compact and solid resulting in barreled balls. Present opposite field approach with bat speed, the swing path can get long at times. An average outfield arm that produced accurate and online throws.

+ 2021 1B Joshua Beecham (Hilltop HS) represented himself very well during the hitting and defensive portion of the showcase. At 6-foot-1 175-pounds he stands out for his physicality which translates at the plate. Using a wide, even stance, Beecham shows the ability to keep his barrel on plane with his quick hands and balanced approach. There's some present bat speed and pop in the bat, and while the swing can get a little long at times he projects for future power.

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