Over the past few weeks our staff has had the opportunity to cover games between Winder-Barrow and Apalachee, in addition to Hillgrove and Etowah. Below you can find reports and videos on standout prospects from each school

Winder-Barrow

Brady House, SS, Winder Barrow, 2021
Tennessee commit. No. 1 ranked 2021 in GA, No. 4 in the country. 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-handed hitting shortstop, physically advanced for age, muscular upper and lower halves with obvious athleticism. Hit in the leadoff position, going 3-for-4 with three singles. Offensively, balanced, wide setup, short stride, loads hands down and back, maintains good balance. Gap-to-gap type hitter, strength in frame translate to swing with hard contact, with more loft in swing could see big power numbers. Hands work athletically, good hand eye coordination, puts the ball in play routinely. Defensively, has plenty of arm to stick on the left-side, presently footwork and agility allow to cover SS, continued development of frame could force move to 3B at next level. High follow 2021 prospect.

Hunter Marsh, 1B/3B, Winder Barrow, 2020
Walters State commit. 6-foot-1, 210-pound right-handed hitting corner infielder, strong frame, thick lower half. Offensively, balanced setup, short up/down leg kick, hands drop and load back, maintains average balance. Takes a power approach, when he squares it up ball jumps off the bat, fouled off a number of pitches. Hit fourth in the lineup, went 1-for-3 with an RBI double down the left field line, made hard contact in other two at-bats, a line drive straight at the third baseman and a fly ball caught on the warning track by left field.

Zack Smith, 3B/RHP, Winder Barrow, 2019
Mississippi recruit. 6-foot-2, 195-pound, left-handed hitting two-way prospect, athletically built, strong lower half, room for additional physicality. Hit third in the lineup, stood out offensively. Wide setup at the plate, short stride, hands drop on load, maintains good balance. Gap-to-gap type hitter, creates driving contact with easy effort, consistently made hard contact. Went 3-for-3 with one double, two RBI and one run scored. On the mound, works from an over-the-top slot, short arm action, shows low on back-side. Smooth rhythm, works on-lnie, lands  square, finishes in an athletic position. Fastball worked 87-88, gets downhill with, flashed armside run. Changeup, change-of-pace pitch, mostly straight, feel for, 79 mph. Curveball, 11/5 shape, 76 mph.

Cain Tatum, RHP, Winder Barrow, 2019
Georgia recruit. 6-foot-8, 205-pound right-handed pitcher, long, lanky frame, lean build. Got the start for Winder-Barrow v. Apalachee, went 5.0 IP, allowed five hits, zero runs, struck out eight, hit one batter. Worked out of the stretch only, long arm action, gets extended on draw, shows low on the back-side, ¾ slot. Picks up and strides, smooth rhythm, works on-line landing square. Fastball sat 89-91 in first inning, 87-89 in third touching 91, heavy armside run. Slider, 10/4 shape, flashed late break, 74-75, go-to out pitch. Changeup, slowed arm speed, fade action, 82-83.

Trevor Maddox, 2B, Winder Barrow, 2020
6-foot, 155-pound right-handed hitting middle infielder, lean frame with room for continued development. Hitting out of the nine hole, put together two quality at-bats in his first two plate appearances. Worked long counts, fouling off pitches to stay alive. Resulted in two singles, one run batted in and one run scored. Offensively, open setup, long stride, hands load back. Line drive approach, looks to make contact and put the pressure on the defense.

Trace Jeffers, OF, Winder Barrow, 2019
Uncommitted senior. 6-foot-1, 200-pound left-handed hitting outfielder, strength throughout frame. Hit fifth for Winder-Barrow as the DH. Offensively, takes aggressive swings at the plate with a power approach. Went 1-for-3 with a double driven into the right center gap.

Apalachee

Hunter Parks, RHP, Apalachee, 2020
6-foot, 150-pound right-handed hitting two-way prospect, average frame. On the mound, worked out of a ¾ slot, more thrower than pitcher right now. Fastball sat 79-82 with armside ride. Changeup, sinking action, 73 mph. Sweeping breaking ball. Offensively, hit in the leadoff position, takes a line drive approach, makes solid contact. Went 2-for-4 with two singles to right field against Winder-Barrow

AJ Forbring, OF, Apalachee, 2020
5-foot-10, 170-pound right-handed hitting outfielder, athletically built. Defensively, covers ground well in the outfield, gets good reads, above average arm strength. Offensively, takes a line drive, barrel control approach at the plate. Went 1-for-3 with a single to left field and a hit-by-pitch.

Hillgrove

Ethan Wright, OF/LHP, Hillgrove, 2019
Wright is 5-foot-8, 165 pound senior, who has power beyond his stature. The Flager recruit takes a simple approach to the plate; one that results in frequent hard hit balls to all fields. Wright utilized his lower half well to get leverage on balls that he can put in the air. A good athlete, Wright has the ability to be a solid player at the next level.

Wade Richardson, INF, Hillgrove, 2019
At an untapped 5-foot-10, 160 pounds, Richardson will surely add some size to his frame over the next couple of years at Columbia State CC. He plays the game with a high baseball IQ and has the ability to play both middle infield positions. While the talent is surely there, Richardson will look to develop at the plate to match his advanced defensive skill set, which features sure hands, good glove presence, and a strong arm across the diamond.

Deion Walker, OF/RHP, Hillgrove, 2019
Walker has a long-limbed, lanky frame at 6-foot-4, 180 pounds. He is headed to Chattahoochee Valley next year and will have a chance to be a standout two-way player. Walker put that potential on display with a fastball ranging anywhere from 81-85 with loopy breaking ball that he looks to keep hitters off balance with. Along with a short, solid outing on the mound, Walker went 3-5, with 2 RBI. He showed a good approach at the plate, taking outside fastballs the other way and finding the barrel all night.

Mason Curtis, 1B/OF/LHP, Hillgrove, 2019
The Georgia Highlands recruit stands in at a very athletic 6-1, 190 pounds. Curtis shows the ability to keep his hands back on off-speed pitches, and use his raw ability to find success at the plate. At times, Curtis loses his posture, which is something that will continue to develop as he gets to the college ranks. Curtis came in relief to close out the last two innings of the game. His fastball sat 82-85, with a curveball that is sure to continue to be his out pitch. The lefthander shows good feel for a very tight breaking ball and has confidence to throw it in any count.

Trace Cate, INF, Hillgrove, 2020
Cate had a solid night at the plate, going 2-4, which could have very easily been a perfect 4-4. The uncommitted, 5-foot-10, 160 pound second baseman used a calm, but high leg kick to generate hard hit balls in each of his at-bats. Cate will be an interesting follow as the spring closes and we get to see him a few more times.

 

Etowah

Jacob Fletcher, RHP, Etowah, 2019
Uncommitted, 6-foot-4, 160 pound senior. Fletcher is a high-waisted, lanky, build, who uses a short arm action and three-pitch mix to make up for what he lacks in velocity. Fletcher worked both sides of the plate equally well with all pitches. His curveball was 70-72, and found success when it was down in zone and thrown with conviction. Fletcher showed a changeup to LHH that induced weak contact.

Nick Block, OF, Etowah, 2019
At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, Block possesses a strong, physical build that stands out among his peers. The senior headed to Walters State uses a pull-side approach and battles when down in the count.

Cole Ellis, MIF, Etowah, 2021
Ellis is a hard-nosed player who has adopted the personality of the Etowah club. The Eagles leadoff hitter went 2-4 on the night and showed that he is an interesting player to follow in the future. The 5-foot-8 infielder uses a compact swing and gets the most out of his size.

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