2021 North Carolina State Games: Workout Day Quick Hitters
June 28, 2021
The 2021 BodyArmor State Games of North Carolina is taking place June 28 - July 2nd. The Workout took place at Durham Athletic Park on Monday with games following throughout the week at Boshamer Stadium on the UNC campus. The state is broken up into 8 Regions. Players tryout for their region and the teams are selected by the high school coaches of that region. The State Games is heavily scouted by college coaches and pro scouts in the region.
PBR of North Carolina was on hand as each region went through their pro-style workout on Monday. Below we highlight a few guys from each region who stood out during their workout.
Workout Day - Quick Hitters
Region 1
Davis Halstead, CF/2B, John A. Holmes HS, 2022
Large frame at 6-foot-one, 185 lbs. Balanced approach at the plate. Barrels balls with power potential. Makes consistent contact through the zone. Controlled throws in the field.
Ashton Rodes, 1B/3B, Northern Nash HS, 2023
Strength present in a 6-foot-5, 230 lbs. frame. Stays smooth and easy at the plate. Long swing with enough speed for bat head to get to balls.
Alex Bouche, SS/P, South Central HS, 2022
Athletic. Pure swing with pop potential to all fields. Loads from an open stance and rotates swing around the body through the zone. Arm has some carry in the infield.
Tanner Thach, 1B/P, Perquimans C. HS, 2022
Strength and athleticism apparent. Maintains bat speed for power through the zone. Has a large presence at first base with a quick arm on throws.
Region 2
Blake Crawford, CF/RF, North Lenoir HS, 2024
Barrels balls with power. Consistent contact through the zone. Long swing that carries balls off the bat. Maintains quick transfer with hands.
Trent Murchison, CF/LF, Jacksonville HS, 2022
Athletic. Swings with power to all fields, finding gaps. Hard, consistent contact. Smooth transfer and glove work in the field.
Aubrey Smith, P/1B, South Brunswick HS, 2022
Large frame with athleticism and size. Stays loose and easy at the plate with a level swing. Power is present with consistent contact.
Cameron Burgess, 3B/1B, South Brunswick HS, 2022
Large frame and aggressive at the plate. Creates bat speed with a long swing. Hits barrels hard to pull side. Arm has hard carry when clean footwork is present.
Region 3
Aidan Rice, SS/2B, Riverside, 2022
Room to gain size and strength at 6-foot, 165 lbs. Quickness present. Has feel for his barrel with a gap to gap approach. Balanced with better than average bat speed. Fluid actions on the infield.
Michael Gupton, OF, Rolesville, 2022
Made tons of hard contact in BP. Hands are fast and strong. Barrel stays through zone with the ability to use the whole field. Accurate arm with carry from the outfield.
Jordan Overton, OF, Rolesville, 2022
Fluid swing with above average bat speed. Barrel stays through the batl with some lift to the swing path. Ball comes hard off the barrel.
Brock Wills, IF, Holly Springs, 2022
UNC-Wilmington commit. Loose, fluid swing. Left hand hitter. Hands are quick with barrel feel and the ability to use the whole field. Athletic defender.
Region 4
Parker Byrd, SS/2B, Scotland HS, 2022
Athletic approach. Stays aggressive at the plate with power potential. Leveraged swing that generates some bat speed.
Ty Lawson, P/1B, Whiteville HS, 2022
Tall with room to add strength at 6-foot-5, 185 lbs. Loose and easy at the plate. Long, upper swing that rotates body. Ability to hit opposite field. Throws carry in the field.
Malachi Gales, 1B/RF, Fairmont HS, 2023
Open, wide stance. Flat bat path with a long extension on the back side of the swing. Pop potential with control. Throws carry on-line from infield and outfield.
Finley Spicer, 3B/LF, Union Pines HS, 2022
Large, lean frame with potential to gain size. Hits barrels hard to pull side. Wide stance with a long swing that adds distance on balls. Loose arm in the field.
Region 5
Fluid actions on the infield with soft hands. Has arm strength across the diamond. Hands have quickness with better than average bat speed. Hands load down and back, uphill swing path working mostly to his pull side.
UNC-Wilmington commit. Left hand hitter with fluidity to his swing. Hit several balls off the barrel working through the middle of the field. Made hard contact to his pull side. Hands have softness on the infield.
Georgetown commit. Switch hitter with looseness in his swing. Barrel stays through the ball lining several balls to his pull side. Quick feet on the infield with better than average hands.
Duke commit. Barrel is short to the ball with quick hands. Made hard contact to his pull side. Above average bat speed.
Left hand hitter with quickness to his hands. Barrel stays inside the ball with an uphill swing path, worked gap to gap in BP.
Hands are strong with his barrel working flat through the zone. Balanced through the swing. Lined balls through the middle of the field.
Virginia Tech commit. Balanced swing with his barrel staying through the zone. Made lots of hard contact in BP. Ball has carry off his barrel. Strength and bat speed present. Has arm strength from behind the plate.
Has pop to his pull side. Legs drive through the swing with above average bat speed. Arm has carry from the outfield.
Direct barrel path to the ball with a mostly flat swing path. Hands are quick with a gap to gap approach, Has arm strength from the outfield
Region 6
Balanced stroke with his barrel staying through the middle of the field. Line drive approach with the ability to use the whole field. Hands have quickness. Hands have softness on the infield.
Turns through the ball with a compact swing. Quick hands with his barrel staying through the ball. Lined several balls to his pull side in BP.
NC State commit. Tons of barrel feel with a balanced, compact swing. Lined balls to both sides of the field in BP. Advanced actions on the infield with soft hands.
Fluid swing gliding into the ball. Uphill swing path with a mostly pull approach. Hit several balls hard with above average bat speed.
Left hand hitter with feel for his barrel. Line drive approach working gap to gap. Solid defensive actions. Arm is accurate with some carry to first base.
Short, compact swing with his barrel staying inside the ball. Uses the whole field with a line drive approach. Fluid actions on the infield, gets the ball out quick to first base.
Virginia Tech commit. Left hand hitter. Drove the ball to his pull side. Bat speed and strength present. Barrel stays through the ball with slight lift to the swing path.
UNC-Wilmington commit. Balanced with his barrel working short to the ball and staying through the zone. Lined several balls through the middle of the field. Has arm strength defensively.
NC State commit. Loose balanced swing with quick hands. Short to the ball with feel for his barrel. Made hard contact through the middle of the field.
Region 7
Balanced in the box with his barrel working short to the ball. Hands are quick with a middle of the field approach. Hands have softness, gets the ball out quickly to first base.
Hits from the left side with a gap to gap approach. Hands have quickness with his barrel getting extension out front. Better than average feel for his barrel.
Has feel for his barrel with a compact swing. Balanced with his barrel staying through the zone. Uses the whole field. Accurate arm from behind the plate.
Left hand hitter with a flatter swing path. Worked mostly to his pull side with better than average bat speed. Has arm strength from behind the plate.
Region 8
Lined balls gap to gap. Barrel is short to the ball and stays through the zone. Some strength to his hands. Solid actions defensively.
Left hand hitter who uses the whole field. Barrel stays inside the ball and gets extension through the middle of the field. Advanced actions on the infield. Has arm strength with accuracy and carry.
Physical presence in the box. Has pop to his pull side. Above average bat speed. Arm is accurate with carry from the outfield.
Left hand hitter with strength in his hands. Can use the whole field. Hits balls off the barrel when his hands and lower half work in sync.
Loose hands with quickness. Has strength in his swing. Has lift to his swing path with his barrel getting extenion out front. Accurate arm across the diamond.
Quick hands with his barrel working direct to the ball and staying through the zone. Lined balls gap to gap. Accurate arm with carry from the outfield.
Athletic in the box with quick hands. Lined balls to both sides of the field. Short to the ball and keeps his barrel through the zone.