Prep Baseball Report

2018 Southern Academic Games - Corner Infielder Analysis


Brandon Hall & Matt Payne
North Carolina Director of Scouting & PBR Assoc Scout

Wednesday June 20th, at Davidson College, Prep Baseball Report of North Carolina hosted the 2018 Southern Academic Games, featuring high academic players from as far away as Texas and West Virginia, with a majority of the players from North Carolina.  On an unbelievably hot day, position players took part in an extended workout prior to controlled scrimmages. Pitchers were able to throw to live hitters with the staff of PBR controlling the length of the innings as most players were gearing up for another weekend of contests.  


With close to 40 high academic players in attendance, several took the opportunity to separate themselves in front of college coaches in attendance and the PBR staff.  As part of the event, PBR will be breaking down each player, presenting the statistics from the day, with an evaluation from a PBR scout and video.

 

The corner infield group featured several players with physical frames and the chance for future power. The group also flashed solid athleticism with several hovering around the 7.20 sixty marker.

Each of the seven corner guys are evaluated below with notes, stats, and a link to their video from the Southern Academic Games.
 

CLICK HERE for a complete look at the Southern Academic Games Roster

CLICK HERE for a comprehensive look at the statistics collected on every player in attendance.


QUICK HITTERS
+ 5 Players ran a sub 7.10 sixty, with 2 under 7.00… 11 ran under 7.30 seconds.
+ Accuracy was on display from the OF and INF workout sessions with several players showing carry as well.  Two outfielders were 84 or better and 6 infielders touched 79 across the diamond
+ 5 catchers turned in POP times of 2.10 or better, with three catchers carrying their throws out of the crouch at 75 mph or higher.
+ 4 hitters with exit velocities of 90 mph or higher… 11 above 85… 23 above 80.
+ In game action, 6 arms touched 80 or better with two 2019 grads working at 86 and 87.

 

Southern Academic Games - Corner Infielder Analysis

 

 

 

Nolan Cochran 1B / 3B / South Point, NC / 2019


Physical 6-foot-3, 225 pounder with strength present.  Feet surprise with their nimbleness. Right handed hitter is balanced and athletic.  Slight load down with the hands as the bat head works to a vertical position. Leg kick loads the weight.  Short stride. Works for extension. Pull side emphasis with some uphill leverage in the swing. Better than average feel for the barrel.  Strength over bat speed, with average bat speed, lead to an exit velocity peaking at 86 mph off the barrel. Athletic feet on the infield with soft hands.  Good rhythm between the feet and hands. Lacks some bend through his hips. Medium arm swing to a high-¾ slot produces accurate throws. Average carry with the positional velocity peaking at 67 mph.  Ran a 7.91 sixty.

 

 

Caleb Fluno 3B / 1B / Home Schooled (Wake Cty Warriors), NC / 2019

 

Long, lanky 6 feet 5, 185-pound athletic, projectable build. Strength is present, with plenty of room to add more to the frame.  Hits from the right side using an athletic, balanced setup. Smooth load with his feet and hands working in sync, getting to a good launch position. Looks to drive the ball working mostly middle to pull side. Fluid swing, with above average bat speed and some barrel whip with exit velocity recorded at 92 mph. Average barrel awareness that may improve as he continues to see velocity.  When on the barrel the ball jumps. Future power is evident. Plays through balls on the infield with soft hands and fluid feet. Transfers to the center of his body after catch, using a short arm action and the ability to throw from different slots. Athletic actions. Quickness may improve as he finishes growing. Arm peaked at 79 mph across the diamond. Ran a 7.56 in the laser timed 60-yard dash.
On the mound he uses a long arm action throwing from an over the top slot. In the windup he takes a short step to the side with his hands working to his belt and back up during his leg lift. High leg lift, landing slightly across his body as he drives to the plate.  FB sits 77-80 mph, topping at 82 mph. Has feel for his CH with sink and fade at 69-72 mph. CB has 12/6 break at 62-66 mph.


 

Nick Leonard 1B / OF / Ronald Reagan, NC / 2019


6 feet 1, 200-pound build. Large frame with broad shoulders.  Strength is present. Nimble feet for a big guy, running a 7.20 in the laser timed 60.  Hits from the right side using a balanced setup. Smooth load with a short stride and quiet barrel. Looks to stay in the middle of the field, with feel for his barrel using a line drive approach. Barrel works short to the ball and stays in the zone with ball of the bat topping at 94 mph. Strength over quickness in the swing, with average batspeed present.  Soft hands at first base with feel for the position. Good rhythm between the feet and hands. Hips lack some bend at times, but did not influence routine plays at all. Solid footwork as the ball transitions to the midsection. Short arm action, throwing from a high ¾ slot. Accurate arm topping at 70 mph.

 

Robert Reidy-Bialobok 1B / OF / Reagan, NC / 2019

 

6 feet, 180-pound build. Wide shoulders and some strength in the lower half.  Hits from the left side using a tall setup. Smooth load using a leg kick, creating momentum going to the ball. Looks to stay gap to gap with his barrel working level through the zone.  Works for extension out front. Gets long a times when he drifts to far forward during his load, not staying behind the ball. Exit velocity peaked at 80 mph. Soft hands at first base, easy catches, with clean exchanges, and a short arm action throwing from a high ¾ slot. Feet can be heavy as they work to gain ground.  Some accuracy to his throws with positional velocity topping at 59 mph. Ran a 7.91 in the 60-yard dash.


 

Shane Russell 1B / 3B / Charlotte Christian, NC / 2019


6 feet 2, 200-pound strong build. Physical presence.  Strength is evident. Quickness is evident in the body.  Ran a 7.31 sixty, with a strong finish in the sprint. Works from the right side offensively using an athletic, slightly open setup. Quiet barrel as the hand start near his right ear.  Leg kick in his load with his barrel working level through the zone and getting extension out front. Works mostly middle to pull side with a line drive approach. Above average bat speed with strong hands and exit velocity peaking at 88 mph. Loose body and hands.  Looks to do damage on as many pitches as possible. As barrel awareness improves, the power numbers should impress. Quick, active feet on the infield. Soft hands work with some rhythm with the feet. Clean exchanges. Accurate arm with carry to his throws. Long arm action hahs some stiffness as it gets to an over-the-top slot.  Positional velocity topping at 79 mph.
On the mound he throws from a sidearm slot with his fastball working at 72-77 mph and topping at 78 mph. FB has sink when arm side. Throws across his body creating good angle going to his glove side. Sweeping breaking ball at 63-66 mph with gradual break. Tough view for right handed hitters with solid hand speed coming out of a lot of arms and legs, from behind the hitter.  Around the zone with fastball but with some erratic misses at times.

 

Logan Sylvester 3B / 1B / Wesleyan Christian Academy, NC / 2020

 

Average 6 feet, 183-pound build. Still maturing with growth still ahead.  Some quickness exists, running a 7.39 sixty with a good burst off the line.  Hits from the right side using a balanced, slightly closed setup. Vertical bat with some waggle.  Toe tap in his load with his weight going back. Gets stuck on his back leg at times, not getting his lower half through the ball causing his barrel to loop slightly as he starts to the ball and work uphill through the zone. Has looseness to his hand during his swing and works to stay in the middle of the field with ball off the bat topping at 86 mph. High finish with his hands creating some uphill leverage in the swing.  Average barrel awareness and bat speed. Average hands on the infield, playing through the ball. Active feet on the transition, working to gather as the ball funnels to the midsection. Worked himself out of some bad positions with his hands. Some stiffness in his arm action, throwing from a high ¾ slot. Some accuracy to his throws across the diamond topping at 79 mph.


 

Gage Smith 3B / 1B / Lake Norman, NC / 2019

 

Hulking 6 feet 3, 210-pound frame.  Wide shoulders with power built into the lower half.  Shows quickness in his large frame, running a 7.23 sixty with a good burst off the line.  Hits from the right side using an athletic, tall, balanced setup. Short stride with his hands and feet working in sync during his load. Waggle in the bat head working to get to a lagged position at launch.  Launch position can alter based on the waggle increasing the difficulty to find the barrel at contact. Simple swing with his barrel working short to the ball and staying in the zone. Uses a line drive approach, working gap to gap with loose hands and feel for his barrel. Strength over quickness with average bat speed that may increase as the launch position is repeated.  Exit velocity recorded at 90 mph. Plays through balls on the infield with fluid feet and soft hands. Hips can be high at times. Works to exchange at the midsection, occasionally raking to his arm-side shoulder. Accurate arm with the ability to throw from different slots. Medium arm swing. Some effort in the release with a slight head wack. Carry to his throws topping at 79 mph across the diamond.


 

 

Byron Younts 3B / SS / Alexander Central , NC / 2019

 

Athletic 6 feet 2, 185-pound build. Lanky torso with room in the frame to continue to add strength.  Hits from the right side using a balanced setup with a strong base. Gets his weight and hands going back in his load. Little to no stride.  Some pre-pitch waggle in the bat head but calm through the load with the bat working from a flat position. Above average bat speed with feel for his barrel and strength in his swing. Good approach looking to drive the ball in the gaps and keeping his barrel in the zone. Exit velocity recorded at 82 mph. Shows soft hands on the infield with fluid feet, playing through the ball. Good rhythm between the feet and hands.  Trust his hands. Clean exchanges, transitioning at the mid-section. Long arm swing has some stiffness as it works to a high-¾ release. Accurate but lacked premium carry at 64 mph across the diamond. Ran a 7.47 60-yard dash.