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Strong Performances Highlight Michigan ProCase

YPSILANTI - From the performance of arguably the best prospect in the state to the showing of a young up-and-comer, the Michigan ProCase had a little bit of everything on Saturday

“Overall it was a solid event,” explained PBR Michigan Director of Scouting Adam Goodwin. “A lot of guys showed well and there was a lot of exceptional pitching. It was a good turnout and showing from high-end guys trying to make a name for themselves.

There were 48 participants, including 29 uncommitted players. Among those that have made a college decision, there were five Michigan recruits and two each from Michigan State and Western Michigan as well as players headed to the likes of Mississippi State, Louisville, Memphis, Pittsburgh and Georgetown.

“PBR always runs a quality, organized and efficient event,” explained Dante Nori, the fifth-ranked junior outfielder in the nation who put on a remarkable show. “The staff is helpful, approachable and does a good job of putting you in a position to be successful. The opportunity PBR provides to showcase your individual skills and then to have all those measurements posted to your profile for college coaches and pro scouts to be able to access is huge for all players to be able to pursue their baseball path.”

Kaden Jominy, a freshman from Mattawan who opened up some eyes with his performance, was thrilled to be part of the showcase.

“I was super impressed with the caliber of all the players at the ProCase,” Jominy said. “The event was amazing and it was run extremely well. It went by in a flash and was one of the best events I have attended.”

Others also were happy to be able to put new numbers out there while getting seen by scouts.

Buster Debol: “There were a lot of dudes there, big commits, incredible talent … you can't take a rep off because they're not. PBR guys are welcoming and make the event enjoyable. I had a great time with all the guys who showed up and showed out.”

Sean Latham: “I really liked the event. Being around like-minded people that are all very talented is a great place to be. I liked how it was set up and transitioned quickly between tests.”

Brandon Newland: “The event was a great time. I felt the competitive environment when I stepped into the building and had fun being surrounded by the best in the state.”

Joey Broughton: “I really enjoyed the event and felt like it was run very well. All of the people on the PBR staff are great people that seem to really care about the development and progress of the kids.”

Dominic Minghime: “I had a great time at the ProCase. It was very well run and it was a great opportunity to get out and show your skills.”

Jake Leonard: “The event was very good with a lot of talented players. It pushed me to perform at a high level.”

Julian Harris: “This event was put together very well. PBR did a great job getting all these athletes in the building as well.”

ON THE MOUND

Newland, a 6-6 200-pound junior right-hander, recorded the top fastball at 92.0 mph.

“He’s got an extremely bright future,” Goodwin said of the Michigan commit. “He’s been injured in the past so he doesn’t have a lot of innings on that arm.” 

Newland was just happy to be part of the event.

“The highlight was meeting some players that I plan to play with this summer or even play against,” the Bloomfield Hills junior related. “Seeing future teammates or who I may be up against as well pushed me to want to do the best I could.”

Harris was right behind Newland at 91.5 with his best fastball while adding a 78.8 mph slider to go along with a change.

“My personal highlight was throwing 91.5 this early in the year,” noted the Gull Lake junior. “My velo was where I wanted it to be and everything felt very fluent.”

Left-handers also made an impressive showing led by Kael Gahan, a Lake Orion junior southpaw headed to Memphis, and Broughton, a Northville 2024 lefty committed to Pitt. Gahan reached 90.6 and Broughton 90.5, with each also displaying solid curveballs and changeups.

“I thought Broughton had one of the top arms at the event,” Goodwin explained. “He has pitchability, was loose and clean mechanically. I’m happy he showed well. He’s a good pick up for Pitt.

“Gahan was also really good throwing 88-90 with a three-quarter arm slot. Nothing in his arsenal is straight. He has a lot of pitches that will miss some barrels.”

Broughton was pleased with his performance, which included 2407 spin on a 77.4 curveball.

“The highlight for me was being able to just go out and show everyone what I’ve been working so hard for,” the third-rated 2024 left-handed pitcher in Michigan said. “It felt super awesome to hit 90.5 which was almost a four mile-an-hour increase from what I was last year.”

Broughton’s high school teammate, Dominic Minghine, showed why Northville is considered one of the top teams in the state after the uncommitted junior hit 88.2 with his fastball to go along with a 76.3 change and 75.5 slider.

“The highlight for me was tying my PR on the mound of 88,” pointed out the 6-0 160-pounder who is ranked 21st among 2024 RHPs in the state. “I got to see where I am compared to the best talent in the state and that is something I can take into the season. I talked with Adam Goodwin briefly about my bullpen which was nice to hear what he had to say.”

BEHIND THE PLATE

All six catchers had pop times of less than 2.0, with Noah Miller the best at 1.85. The Monroe senior committed to Michigan also had the top catching velo of 85, one mile an hour better than Max Humphrey, a Mount Pleasant senior headed to Louisville who also recorded the second best pop time of 1.92.

Latham, Carter Gregg of Brighton and Aidan Schuck of Detroit Catholic Central, all juniors, were each at 1.95 with their top pop time.

But it was also what the backstops did when not behind that plate that helped some stand out.

Miller had 99.5 exit velocity, including a 370 max, while Humphrey was at 97.4 and Latham 95.3, the best of underclassmen among the catchers.

“My highlight of the day was hitting a personal best exit velo of 95,” related Latham, a Lakeland High School uncommitted 16-year-old. “I also liked talking with all the guys from all over the state.”

YOUTH SHINES

If anyone had not heard who Jominy was before the ProCase, they should know now. The Mattawan freshman made a big impression with five pitches on display - fastball (85.1), slider (76.6), change (75.9), curve (68.1) and cutter (75.6). 

“He showed good pitchability and breaking balls at that age,” Goodwin said of the 5-11 160-pound right-hander. “He will be somebody that college coaches will want to key in on this summer. I’m definitely excited about him.”

The uncommitted 15-year-old, rated 48th in the country among high school freshmen, was pleased with his performance.

“Some of the highlights for me were meeting a lot of the players I have followed and looked up to the past few years, and pitching in an environment where everyone was a high-level pitcher competing,” Jominy said. “Performing in front of scouts puts you in a competitive mindset and makes you want to succeed even more.”

Two other freshmen were on hand with Jax Racht of Niles topping out at 85.3 with his fastball and 70.3 with the curve and Keegan Malley of Midland Dow posting numbers of 84 outfield velocity, 7.05 time in the 60 and 89.9 exit velo.

From the sophomore class, Jayden Pydyn of Detroit Catholic Central, the third-rated 2025 outfielder in the state, had a 93.4 exit velo, 91 outfield velocity and ran a 6.97 60 while also showing his two-way potential on the mound. Anchor Bay’s uncommitted Isaiah Domey, the top-rated sophomore first baseman in Michigan, had a 6.88 clocking in the 60 to go along with 93.4 exit velocity.

UNCOMMITTED

While a couple of the catchers previously mentioned are uncommitted as well as all of the ninth-graders that took part in the event, there are older participants that remain in search of a college home, many that were able to display how they can help at the next level.

None stood out more than Debol, who also happens to be a two-way prospect. The Romeo junior threw 88.0 with the fastball while adding a 78.2 change and 76.4 curve. In addition, the 6-2 205-pound switch-hitting third baseman had 95.2 exit velo with the bat including an average distance of 283, best among all participants.

“He’s another kid that’s big physically,” Goodwin said of the 19th-ranked junior in the state. “He’s easily one of the top uncommitted guys in the 2024 class with juice in the bat and a bright personality.”

The third-rated uncommitted junior in Michigan was happy to produce better numbers than a year ago when the two-way prospect had a 1.97 pop time with 77 velo at catcher to go along with 92 exit velocity and 85 fastball, 77 change and 69 curve.

“I have had significant improvements from the previous year's ProCase,” Debol said. “I worked hard and saw my numbers jump.”

A number of others that are uncommitted stood out including Fenton’s Nolan Alvord, Northville’s Evan Deak, Paw Paw’s Jake Hindenach and Edison’s Jordan Jones.

Alvord had 88 infield and 92 outfield velocity to go with 6.92 speed in the 60; Deak 6.95 in the 60, 90 outfield and 90.7 exit velocity; Hindenach 94.5 exit; and Jones 95.2 exit.

Additionally, Matt Pomaville of Warren Woods Tower, the only uncommitted senior at the ProCase, recorded a 90 mile an hour fastball. Chase Schwierking, an uncommitted junior from Walled Lake Western, showed off an 88.7 fastball.

FAMILY AFFAIR

For the second year in a row, there was a trio of Leonard’s at the ProCase, two brothers - Brett and Scott - along with a cousin Jake.

“It’s awesome to compete against them,” admitted Jake, like his cousins all sophomores at Sterling Heights Stevenson. “We push each other but are happy for each other when they do well.”

Each stood out in different areas.

Jake had a 6.85 time in the 60 and 85 infield velocity while Scott recorded 90.9 exit velo. Brett had 25.2 hand and 79.3 bat speed.

“Performance-wise I was happy with my EV and throwing velocity,” noted Jake, a left-handed hitting middle infielder. “I’m only a sophomore so my numbers will climb each year.”

Goodwin sees a bright future for each.

“They’re all baseball junkies that live at the cages,” the PBR Michigan Director of Scouting said.

While there were three Leonards on hand, there were four players representing Northville at the ProCase in Broughton, Deak, Minghine and Nori.

“It was awesome to be there with a number of my teammates,” related Minghine. “I threw with my teammate Joey Broughton and then Dante and Evan came later for position evaluations. I think it says a lot about our program and the talent we have as well as how hard we work everyday to be the best team in the state.”

BIG IMPRESSION

Nori put up the best overall numbers on the day with 101.9 exit velocity, including an average of 94.1, to go along with 6.38 speed in the 60, 97 outfield velocity and 23.7 hand speed average, all best on the day among the participants.

“He’s one of the best players in the country and is only a junior,” Goodwin said. “His outfield velo is up to 97 and it comes out of his hands nicely. He’s an exceptional athlete, very gifted tool-wise and the ball jumps off his bat. He’s loose in that swing. He’s really special.”

The left-handed hitting Mississippi State commit, who is the top-rated 2024 in Michigan, found the ProCase very enjoyable.

“There were a couple highlights for me,” Nori explained. “First of all, it is alway good to reconnect with players and the staff. I have built relationships competing with and against some of these players in high school and the travel ball circuit. The other highlight is having the opportunity to put my skills on display and get instant feedback on the work I have put in throughout the year based on where the numbers end up.

“The feedback that I can take with me is simply the numbers I post and try to work to come back next time and improve on them.”

Another that had an impressive showing was Tyler Inge, a junior from Detroit Country Day. The Michigan commit had the best infield velocity at 94, ran a 6.80 time in the 60 and recorded a 95.1 exit velo.

“The biggest surprise for us to get excited about was Inge,” Goodwin said of the fourth-rated 2024 shortstop in the state. “His defense is always consistent and his BP round was good. He’s really developed and going to be a good college player.”

While Nori was the fastest at the ProCase, three others had outstanding times in Detroit Edison’s Marwynn Matthews Jr. (6.58), U of D Jesuit’s Dylan Larkins (6.77) and Lamphere’s Amare Curran (6.77). Matthews is a junior going to Western Michigan, Larkins a junior headed to Georgetown and Curran a senior signed with Kellogg CC.

LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Competing with so many outstanding players can certainly be a learning experience. That was the case according to the participants.

“One thing I took away from my performance was, the more effortless I use my body, the more explosive I am,” pointed out Harris, the 14th-ranked junior RHP in Michigan.

Another pitcher had his own viewpoint.

“By competing in this event and watching others throw, I can gauge myself and see what I excel at and what I need to work on,” explained Broughton, the number 10 rated 2024 in the state.

Newland is hoping more improvement is in the future after his outing.

“I can take my performance to apply areas of growth in my pitching performance,” Newland said. “I feel like my offspeed could’ve been more efficient and I want to increase my spin rate on my fastball as well. The metrics that were provided allowed me to come to this, and find ways to be better.”

The youngest pitcher at the event also found a lot to learn.

“Performing at the ProCase makes you hungry to do your absolute best,” related Jominy, the fourth-ranked freshman in Michigan. “You know everyone there is good and feel like you have to prove yourself. This is a great feeling to carry with you to every performance. You want to perform like you have something to prove.”

There was more Jominy ascertained.
“I think being one of the youngest players at the event was good for me because it made me step out of my comfort zone and prove myself to all of the older guys,” Jominy explained. “I also talked to the older guys about their experiences and learned what they went through during the recruiting process.”

SCOUTS LOOKING ON

The chance to be seen by scouts was a blessing to the participants.

“As others may know, throwing in front of scouts is always a pretty cool experience,” Broughton said. “You get so amped up and ready to go out and compete as soon as you see them.”

Nori agreed.

“Performing in front of scouts is something I look forward to,” the 29th-ranked junior in the country said. “It’s more of an excitement rather than nervousness for me as I know how much time and training I have put into being the best baseball player I can be. At the end of the day, a showcase setting lets you go out and show that to people. Gotta remember, it’s a controlled setting.”

That means enjoying the opportunity.

“Performing in front of everyone there was a fun experience,” Newland noted. “I do my best to not let what was on the outside affect me internally but that’s always a challenge. However, I’m glad I can experience this at a young age so I can get used to the pressure and handle my nerves the best way I can.”

Of course, it is not the first time to show what they can do to scouts.

“Playing at a high level of baseball for a long time and being in this position often, I cut to the fact that there were scouts there and I did what I could do,” Harris said.

Some had the chance to converse with scouts.

“I talked casually with a few of the scouts at the ProCase,” Jominy related. “Talking about life and not just baseball made me more comfortable around them.”

For Jake Leonard, one focus beyond the scouts is on finding a home at the next level.

“I’ve been talking with a handful of schools,” Leonard said. “My goal is to play college baseball and I will do it!”

Latham was happy to get noticed.

“I had someone ask me about one of the college coaches I have been talking to and just talked to me in general,” Latham explained. “What that meant to me was that the people running the showcase were talking to all sorts of coaches across Michigan and updating college coaches as the event was going on.”

It was no surprise that Nori drew attention.

“Some scouts did talk to me,” the 5-11 190-pounder said. “Some complimented the size that I have put on over the last year and asked about how I have been doing in general.”

CLOSING TIME

All were appreciative when it was said and done.

“I want to thank the staff of PBR Michigan for hosting yet another great ProCase,” Nori said.

Added Latham: “I always have a great time at showcases with PBR.”

Newland summed it up well.

“I haven’t been to a PBR event in awhile and it was great being back in that environment,” Newland said. “It was highly competitive and a great experience to be with the best players in the state.”

Leonard said what many were thinking.

“I would like to thank PBR for having me and I look forward to the next one,” Leonard concluded.

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