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By Jerry Shank
Maryland Scouting Director

The Top Prospect Games took place on June 21st at the University of Maryland. Close to 80 of the top prospects in the state took part in the event in front of 20 colleges from across the Mid-Atlantic region. Our evaluations are going to take place in alphabetical order starting with last name Q through Z  today.

Eric Raley C Patterson Mill 2017
Solid athletic frame with room for strength. Hits from slightly open set up. Slighlty uphill swing path with some extension. Shows rhythm throughout and balance. Quick feet behind the plate and a short arm action. Accurate throws from behind the dish. Sound exchange and release. Pop time in the 2.09 – 2.20 range.

Zane Richard OF Indian River 2017
Athletic frame with strong base. Hits from a balanced set up. Smooth load with level swing path and some extension through contact. Simple set up at plate with nice fluid rhythm. Active feet in the outfield. Sound actions with clean exchange. Sound arm action from the outfield throwing from a high ¾ arm slot. Moves well.

Miguel Rivera SS/RHP Polytech (DE) 2017
Athletic frame at 6-foot, 170-pounds. Hit from a slightly open setup. high leg kick into swing. Shorter swing path with some bat speed at the plate and shows some extension through contact. Exit velocity of 91 mph. Pitches in a controlled delivery with slight corkscrew at lift. smooth lower half working down hill. Loose arm action with some arm speed throwing from a high 3/4 arm slot. Fastball has run on the pitch up to 85 mph. Breaking ball shows tight 11/5 shape and change up has slight fade on the pitch. More in the tank and still has plenty of untapped potential while being a potential two-way prospect.

Will Sass RHP Stephen Decatur 2017
Lanky, tall frame at 6-foot-4, 205-pounds. Build up type delivery. Compact lift with nice hip load. Free arm action with pause after hand break. Nice lower half usage. Throws from an almost over the top arm angle. Fastball has nice cut and sink on the pitch up to 82 on the day. Big breaking ball with 12/6 action and gradual break. Change up has nice fade on the pitch. at 71 mph. As he continues to build and add to his frame, should be able to get more out of the prospect.

Trent Saunders 2B St. Michaels 2018
Athletic frame. Very interesting middle infield prospect with a nice swing. Hits from a slightly open set up at the plate. Short simple load, short to the ball with slight uphill path. Nice rhythm and quick hands at the plate. Sound fundmentals in the infield. Active feet, clean hands, short, quick arm action throwing from a ¾ arm angle.

Isaac Schlotterbeck RHP Saint James 2017
Projectable pitchers frame at 6-foot-3, 205-pounds. Controlled fluid delivery. Nice hip load and gets nice lower half involvement and drive. Long, sound arm action throwing from a high 3/4 almost over the top slot. Pitches with regular effort. Could get more posture toward the plate. Fastball has slight sink on the pitch aup to 83 mph. Breaking ball has short action on the pitch with down action. Change up is a split change with nice sink and fade on the pitch with fastball arm speed. Nice pitch-ability and command of three pitches.

Arley Shepherd SS/OF Patuxent 2017
Athletic frame at 6-foot-3, 185-pounds. Hits from an open, taller set up. Slight double tap in load with a short path to the ball. Stays inside well. Simple swing, direct to the ball. Sound actions in the infield. Moves well at short, clean hands and has loose arm action throwing from a high ¾ slot.  

Connor Shockley SS Parkside 2017
Athletic frame at 5-foot-11, 175-pounds. Hits from an athletic, slightly open set up. Smooth load and will open up sometimes when landing to hitting position. Short bat path, slightly up hill at times, quick hands, some extension through contact, nice lower half and rhythm throughout. Smooth actions from teh infield. Active feet clean hands, nice exchange and throws across diamond are accurate and have some carry at  79 mph.

Tyler Shockley C James M. Bennett 2018
Compact frame at 5-foot-8, 150-pounds. Hits from a slighlty open, athletic set up at the plate. Smooth load with double tap to hit. Level swing path that can elevate the baseball. Shows quick hands at the plate and should develop some power as he gains strength. Quiet receiver behind the plate with soft hand, nice body control, with a clean and quick exchange. Short arm action with a pop time as low as 1.99…build up delivery with quick tempo. Little corkscrew In delivery. Shorter, quick arm action throwing from high ¾ slot. Lands athletic square to the plate. Fastball has late sink to the pitch at 81 mph. Breaking ball nice depth on the pitch with 10/4 movement. Change up has slight fade to the pitch.

Hunter Spalt C Loyola Blakefield 2017
Athletic frame at 6-foot-1, 185-pounds. Projectable catching prosepct with some pop and untapped potential. Hits from an athletic, slightly open set up. Quick knee turns with short lift to hitting position. Slightly opens up at footstrike. Level swing path with a barrel that stays in zone. Shows pull side pop and exit velo of 87 mph. Quiet receiver, sticks ball well and quiet movement. Quick exchange throwing from behind with good footwork and short arm action. Throws were accurate and had had some carry with throws in the 1.97-2.01 range.

Steve Spencer 2B/SS Patterson Mill 2018
Compact frame at 5-foot-8, 175-pounds. Hits from a narrow open set up. Short path to the ball with some extension and average bat speed. Barreled ball well during bp. Showed rhythm throughout. Strong hands at plate. Sound actions from the infield. Solid exchange and quick throwing from a high ¾ arm slot. Short arm action and quick release.

Connor Stevens C/OF Middletown (MD) 2017
Athletic frame at 5-foot-11, 165-pounds. A very raw athletic player with quick twitch. hits from a square set up. Short load with slight arm bar to hitting position. Level swing path with bat speed. Sprays to all fields. Gets out of the box quickly with a 4.12 in game home to first. Very athletic behind the plate, soft hands, clean exchange, and quick release. Nice body control and moves well on dirt balls. Pop time got as low as a 1.88. Moves well in the outfield with a quick and confident first step. Throws have carry up to 85 mph.

Reilley Tate SS Harford Christian 2018
Frame with room to grow at 5-foot-9, 135-pounds. Interesting athletic prospect in 2018 class. Hits from balanced set up at plate. Siple load at the plate, level bat path that getsuphill at times. Quick hands through the zone. Shows rhythm and balanced throughout. Active feet in the infield. Sound actions with quick exchange, throws from low ¾ slot. Athletic and moves well defensively. Raw potential and ability.

Treyvell Toppin OF Sussex Central (DE) 2017
Toppin has a solid frame at 5-foot-9 202-pounds. Hits from an open set up. Simple load with balance and rhythm in swing. Gets lower half involved. Fast bat speed with a level path. Power to pull side and sometimes gets slightly uphill in swing. Has nice rhythm and strength at the plate. Exit velocity of 95 mph. Has a short arm action throwing from a ¾ arm angle. Throws had some carry on them at 83 mph. Still some question as to what position he will end up at, but the offensive ability is there.

Avery Tunnel 2B Dover (DE) 2017
Athletic frame at 5-foot-10, 160-pounds. Hits from an athletic slightly open set up. Smooth load with double tap feet. Short, level swing with some extension through contact. Showed nice rhythm during his BP and squared ball well. Exit velocity up to 89 mph now. Gap-to-gap type hitter. Moves well in the infield with sound actions. Slight pause in arm action throwing from a high 3/4 arm slot. Throws were accurate across the diamond. 

Aaron Vargas OF Gaithersburg 2017
Compact frame. Hits from balanced set up with short and simple load. Level swing path with quick hands to the baseball. Spray hitter. Could get some more extension through contact and does a nice job getting barrel on the ball.  Active feet in the outfield works thru well. Throws from a high ¾ slot with a short arm action. Throws ar accurate and have average carry on them. Confident, quick first step.

Zack Vargas RHP/SS Gaithersburg 2018
Hits from an open setup. Short load with leg kick. Quick hands with a swing that gets in and out of the zone. Shows average bat speed. Some balance and gets off balance at times. Has sound actions from the infield. Clean exchange and throws from a low three-quarter arm slot. Throws have some carry across the infield..Has a quick tempo windup with rhythm. Sound, shorter arm action throwing from a ¾ arm angle with some arm speed at finished. Lands square to the plate in athletic position. Get some lower half involvement. Fastball is straight up to 81 mph. Breaking ball has 11/5 shape with gradual break at 70 mph.Change up shows some fade at 68 mph.

Nick Vermillion C Archbishop Spalding 2017
Solid frame at 5-foot-10, 235-pounds. Hits from an athletic setup with strong lower half. Smooth load to hitting position. Short bat path that gets in and out of the zone. Consistently gets barrel on the ball. gap-to-gap type hitter with pull side pop. Shows off strength with 92 mph exit velocity. Active feet in infield, with clean hands and good exchange. throws are accurate across the diamond. Raw behind plate and quiet reciever, sticks ball well. Clean exchange behind the plate that is quick with a short arm action. Pop time as low as 1.99.

David Willis OF Red Lion Christian (DE) 2018
Strong athletic frame at 6-foot-2, 190-pounds. Explosive athlete and will make an impact in the 2018 rankings. Hits from an athletic slightly open set up at the plate. Short swing path to the ball with some extension through contact. Gap-to-gap hitter with some power potential. Active feet in the outfield. Clean hands and exchange, throwing from a high 3/4 arm slot. Works thru ball and throws do have some carry on them. Quick and confident first step, covers ground very well in the outfield. 

Jarvis Worthy Jr. OF Dover (DE) 2018
Athletic frame at 6-foot, 170-pounds. Hits from a balanced set up. Simple load with nice balance. Short swing path with some extension through contact. Show rhythm throughout and some balance. Active feet in the outfield with a quick and confident first step. Clean exchange and throws from a high ¾ slot. Interesting raw athletic prospect in the 2018 class with a high ceiling.

Michael Yuille 1B Northwest 2017
Hits from an open setup. Strong hands and power potential at the plate. Nice extension through contact and wants to elevate the baseball to use strength well. Shows rhythm throughout swing and has pop to the pull side. Active feet in the infield. Clean hands and exchange from the infield. Sound arm action throwing across the infield. Throws have some carry and covers the bag well at first base.