Prep Baseball Report

Quick Hitters: NC/SC Border Battle Position Players


Matt Payne
Director of Scouting, PBR of NC

For the second year, the NC/SC Border Battle was one of the most anticipated events of the summer.  This year saw the event moved to BB&T Point Stadium in High Point, NC, home of the High Point Rockers Independent Professional club.  Hosted at Winthrop in 2019, the 2020 event was suppose to be at UNC Charlotte, but moved to High Point with the ongoing NCAA Dead Period on recruiting. 

With the move, the event saw more of a North Carolina flavor as most players and families are still working to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 issues.  Due to the NCAA Dead Period, the event was live streamed utilizing multiple camera angles to allow college coaches to view from their offices. 

Position players were taken through a full pro-style workout, with a laser timed 60, full offensive workout, and a full defensive workout.  The pro-style workout was followed by a controlled scrimmage with pitchers throwing to live hitters.  PBR Scouts were on hand to evaluate and report on the players in attendance.

CLICK HERE to see the full roster and statistics from the 2020 NC/SC Border Battle

 

By the Numbers:

  • 73 players were a part of the NC/SC Border Battle
  • 61  players went through the pro-style workout
  • 28 pitchers threw in the controlled scrimmages
  • 92 mph was the top fastball thrown on the day
  • 8 arms worked at 87 mph or higher
  • 84 mph was the median fastball for the event
  • 4 players ran sub-7.00 on the laser timer
  • 23 players ran sub-7.20 sixties
  • 14 position players posted a positional velocity of 85 mph or higher in their workout
  • 90 mph was the top infield velocity
  • 91 mph was the top outfield velocity
  • 86 mph was the top catcher velocity, working out of the crouch
  • 2 hitters posted an exit velocity of 100+ mph off the tee
  • 22 hitters worked at 90 mph or higher off the tee with their exit velocity
  • 8 hitters posted exit velocities of 88 mph or higher in live BP

Quick Hitters

 

Payton Martin, SS/2B, 2022 - Hit several line drives throughout his BP rounds. Keeps his barrel in the zone working through the middle of the field. Barreled two balls in the scrimmage. Loose and athletic with solid actions on the infield. 

Trenton Rhodes, OF/SS, 2021 - Showed barrel feel during game play with an aggressive approach. Swing is loose with quick hands. Frame has room to add strength with quickness present. 

Cameron Wiley, OF/LHP, 2021 - Level barrel path with a line drive approach working to his pull side. Consistent finding his barrel throughout his rounds. Accurate arm from the outfield topping at 85 mph. 

Austin Williams, C/OF, 2021 - Made hard contact in all three of his game at bats with one being a laser over the wall in left center. Strength is present, best pop time recorded at 2.01. 

Alec DeMartino, OF, 2021 - Athlete with strength present. Crushed two balls during game action with one being a double to the left center gap. Keeps his barrel through the zone with bat speed. Arm is accurate with carry from the outfield.  UNCW commit.

Bryson Horney, 3B/SS, 2021 - Strong, athletic build. Direct barrel path making plenty of hard contact during his BP rounds. Carried that over to game action barreling balls to both sides of the field. Solid actions on the infield. 

Jaxon Rauber, OF, 2021 - Hands are quick with above average barrel awareness and bat speed. Uses the whole, made hard contact off live arms. Fluid defensive actions with his arm reaching 90 mph from the outfield. 

Kaden Smith, 1B/C, 2021 - Has pop at the plate with lift to his swing path. Exit velocity recorded at 94 mph off a tee. Accurate arm from behind the plate with his best pop time at 2.03.

Alex Levesque, C/OF, 2022 - Wiry strength with some pop to his pull side. Barrel gets extension through the zone. Has arm strength from behind the plate, accurate with his best pop time at 1.98. 

Devin Tonkins, OF/SS, 2021 - Posted the best 60 time on the day at 6.75. Aggressive on the base paths. Simple swing in the box with quick hands and feel for his barrel. Athletic defender with a quick arm. 

Andrew Stephens, SS/2B, 2021 - Left hand hitter with a balanced approach and feel for his barrel. Barreled a ball to center for a hit and lined a ball to the shortstop during the scrimmage. Relaxed hands on the infield. 

Ben Buchman, OF/C, 2021 - Has arm strength from the outfield and behind the plate. Best pop time recorded at 1.97. Relaxed from the left side using the whole field with barrel awareness and strength.  Committed to Swathmore shortly after the event.

Talor Grubbs, 2B/RHP, 2022 - Impressed at the plate throughout the day with lots of loud contact. Left the yard during BP and barreled two balls during game play with one being a triple to the right center gap. Swing is loose with his barrel staying through the zone. 

Bailey Smith, C/RHP, 2022 - Drove the ball from the left side during his BP rounds. Hands are quick with a level swing path. Arm is accurate with carry from behind the plate. 

Jeb Despard, C/3B, 2021 - Feel for the game stands out from behind the plate. Strong hands at the plate with above average bat speed. Left the yard during BP and drove a ball to center off live pitching. 

Cody Chapman, C/3B, 2021 - Large frame with strength stands out. Launched a ball deep over the wall in left center during game play. Aggressive approach with lift to his swing path. 

Sean Donahue, C/3B, 2022 - Showed feel to hit during game action, stayed through an off speed pitch for a double to the right center gap. Has strength and keeps his barrel through the zone a long time. Relaxed behind the plate with an accurate arm. 

Jake Overton, 3B/OF, 2023 - Left hand hitter with bat speed present. Barrel is short to the ball with lots of hard contact to right center during BP. 

Yates Sikes, OF/LHP, 2022 - Barrel awareness stands out during BP from the left side, carried that over to game play with a base knock to center off a left hand arm. Fluid actions defensively. 

William Sword, RHP/C, 2022 - Loose hands with a gap to gap approach during BP. Keeps his barrel through the zone, hard contact to left field during the scrimmage. Best pop time recorded at 2.03. 

Noah Thomas, OF, 2021 - Aggressive approach during BP and game action. Athletic with bat speed. Left the yard during his BP rounds and laced a ball to left off live pitching. 

Clay Clinard, SS/3B, 2021 - Swing is loose with feel for his barrel and bat speed. Lots of hard contact to both gaps during BP and hit a ball hard to right off live pitching. Plays relaxed on the infield. 

Jackson Hull, RHP/SS, 2021 - Has pop from the left side. Consistent barrels to center and right center during BP, laced a ball to first base during the scrimmage. Swing is loose with quick hands. 

Joey Bouck, SS/2B, 2021 - Loose swing with his barrel staying through the zone from the left side. Simple approach lining balls to both gaps. Above average hands on the infield. 

Tyler Cherry, OF, 2021 - Stays through the ball with a line drive approach through the middle and quickness to his hands. Made hard contact on a ball to right during the scrimmage. Quickness present posting a 6.78 in the 60. 

Luke Osteen, OF/RHP, 2021 - Recently re-opened his recruitment.  Athletic switch hitter with bat speed and feel from both sides. Launched a ball over the right field wall during BP. Arm has carry from the outfield topping at 90 mph. 

Tyler Spruill, OF, 2021 - Has raw strength at the plate with bat speed and lift to the swing path. Loose swing with his barrel getting extension. Accurate arm with some carry from the outfield. 

Banks Cox, C/RHP, 2021 - Crushed balls during BP leaving the yard multiple times to his pull side. Barreled a ball to the right side during game play. Has arm strength with his best pop time recorded at 1.95.