By Chris Fuller
PBR Kentucky

The annual Preseason All-State Showcase at Champions Baseball Academy in Nicholasville included more than 120 players from all parts of the state looking to showcase their abilities prior to the high school season. In what is the premier preseason scouting event in the state, there were many standout performances which we will feature over the next week.

Complete stats for all players were posted a few days following the event.

CLICK HERE to view the stats from the event.

The following is a look at the Class of 2017 middle infielders who particpated in the event.

2017 Middle Infielders

Thomas Bennett, SS, Western Hills, 2017
60 Time: 6.90, Position Velocity:  IF-86, Exit Velocity: 88
Bennett is unquestionably the top uncommitted SS in the 2017 class. RHH hits from a balanced stance, short stride, quick hands generate good bat speed made consistent hard contact and shows flashes of power, runs well. Stands out among the crowd defensively with premium athleticism, soft hands, fluid feet, good body control, high-3/4 release, accurate throws, strong arm across the infield. Bennett will be a true SS at the next level.

Blake Benz, 2B, North Bullitt, 2017
60 Time: 7.19, Position Velocity:  IF-77, Exit Velocity: 92
5-foot-9, 165-pound LHH, showed his best arm strength and exit velocity to date. Hits from an open stance and squares up with a mid-length stride, shows good power for size, generates very good bat speed through the zone. Moves well defensively in both directions with good athleticism, soft hands, good body control and ability to throw on the move, long high-3/4 release produced accurate throws across the infield. Benz’s ability to hit from the left side to go along with solid defensive ability make him one of the top 2B in the 2017 class.

Dane Wilson, SS, Ironton (OH), 2017
60 Time: 6.89, Position Velocity:  IF-83, Exit Velocity: 86
5-foot-11, 170-pound RHH impressed with overall athleticism. Hits from a wide base with minimal stride, swing can get long and has some element of rawness but has quick hands, line drive type hitter with gap to gap approach. Moves athletically and shows above average hands, long high-3/4 release produced accurate throws, showed good arm strength across the infield, interesting athletic prospect with good upside.

Austin Dick, SS/RHP, Somerset, 2017
60 Time: 7.01, Position Velocity:  IF-73, Exit Velocity: 84
6-foot-1, 160-pound RHH, open stance, short stride, repeatable swing that produces consistent mid-field line drive contact, loose hands, good bat speed, excellent balance throughout swing. Impressed with defensive actions and athleticism, soft hands, excellent body control, ability to throw accurately from multiple arm slots, average arm strength may mean a move to 2B at the next level. Dick is a solid 2017 prospect with room to continue to get stronger.

Collin Teegarden, SS, Campbell County, 2017
60 Time: 7.13, Position Velocity:  IF-79, Exit Velocity: 81
5-foot-10, 150-pound LHH improved all measurables significantly from previous event. Open stance, short stride gets to square, solid/repeatable line drive swing plane, shows quick hands on the inner half, gap to gap approach. Shows athleticism defensively with good lateral movement, soft hands, works through the ball with fluid footwork, long high-3/4 release, accurate throws with solid arm strength across the infield. Very solid 2017 prospect.

Jonathan Beymer, RHP/2B, Hopkinsville, 2017
60 Time: 7.11, Position Velocity: IF-83, Exit Velocity: 86
6-foot-1, 170-pound RHH hits from an open stance, uses a leg kick and short stride to get to square, foot gets down late at times, works the middle of the field with a line drive approach, showed some bat speed in exit velocity testing. Has some athleticism on the infield, average hands, long high-3/4 release, arm is loose and athletic, good arm strength with carry across the infield.

Gabe Sherman, SS, Kentucky Country Day, 2017
60 Time: 7.49, Position Velocity:  IF-83, Exit Velocity: 84
6-foot-1, 165-pound RHH showed solid overall improvement from his previous event. Balanced stance, short stride, above average bat speed, solid plate approach looks to use all fields, line drive type hitter. Showed his most improvement defensively where he stood out with soft hands and much better range than straight line speed indicates, loose/athletic arm produced a significant jump in arm strength, made accurate throws across the infield. Impressed with the strides Sherman has made in his game.

Chase Keller, SS, Bishop Brossart, 2017
60 Time: 7.11, Position Velocity:  IF-78, Exit Velocity: 83
5-foot-10, 155-pound RHH hits from a balanced stance, slight leg kick trigger with minimal stride, flat path through the zone produced consistent line drive contact in good round of BP, gap to gap approach, flashes some bat speed. Athletic defender, soft hands, fluid footwork, showed an increase in arm strength but less accuracy than previous event, good body control and ability to throw on the move.

Thomas Emberton, 2B, Western Hills, 2017
60 Time: 7.48, Position Velocity:  IF-77, Exit Velocity: L-82, R-81
5-foot-10, 155-pound switch hitter has a similar approach from both sides of the plate but took better rounds of BP from the right side, balanced stance, short stride, occasional pop from the right side, registered best exit velocities to date. Solid defender with soft hands, has a very good ability to throw from multiple arm angles, showed an increase in arm strength, accurate throws across the infield.

Andrew Spalding, SS/RHP, Marion County, 2017
60 Time: 7.41, Position Velocity:  IF-78, Exit Velocity: 84
6-foot, 165-pound switch hitter hits from an open stance from both sides and gets to square with a short stride, has an arm bar that creates some length in swing but quick hands gets the barrel through the zone from the right side, less bat speed from the left side, flashes some gap power from the right side. Soft hands and solid lateral movement defensively, short ¾ release, good body control, accurate throws with some arm strength present.

Sam Seahorn, SS/RHP, Sayre, 2017
60 Time: 7.85, Position Velocity:  IF-77, Exit Velocity: 80
5-foot-10, 155-pound RHH, balanced stance, short stride, smooth load back, short swing path can get steep at times, line drive type hitter with a gap to gap approach, made some hard contact in his round, average bat speed. Solid fundamental defender, sure hands, quick exchange, accurate throws across the infield from a short high-3/4 release, slightly above average arm strength. Has a solid foundation and will continue to improve with strength gains, would like to see improved foot speed.

Tyler Elkins, 2B, Pikeville, 2017
60 Time: 7.45, Position Velocity:  IF-73, Exit Velocity: 82
5-foot-8, 170-pound RHH hits from a balanced stance, short stride, showed improved bat speed from previous event, arm bar creates some length in swing, made consistent  hard contact in BP, shows some gap power. Shows average hands, can work through the ball more aggressively, long high-3/4 release produced some accurate throws, current arm strength is average.