Prep Baseball Report

Quick Hitters: Athletes Lab Scout Day


Matt Payne
Director of Scouting, PBR of NC

On Saturday January 28th PBR of North Carolina was at the Athletes Lab Performance Center in Maiden, NC for a Scout Day with the Alab Organization. The scout day featured players from the 2024-2027 grad classes. 

The day started with catcher, outfielders and infielders going through a defensive evaluation outside on the 100 yard turf field. Following the defensive evaluations players ran a laser timed 60 then headed indoors for batting practice. Trackman was used during the offensive evaluations collecting ball flight data. The day concluded with pitchers throwing a controlled bullpen with Trackman gathering advanced analytics. 

Below we begin our breakdown of players in attendance. Look for more information to follow in the coming days. 

Click Here to see full roster and stats

Quick Hitters

Zeke Adwaters III, SS/2B, 2026

5-foot-10, 140-pound frame with room for maturation ahead. Loose hands with quickness in a balanced swing. Has feel for the barrel lining balls through the middle of the cage. Top exit velocity at 84.8 mph, average EV at 76.8 mph. Athletic actions on the infield. 

Cale Ball, 1B/3B, 2024

Large frame at 6-foot-4, 225-pounds. Hit several balls hard during his BP rounds. Quiet barrel in the load with some lift to the swing path out front. Hands are strong, peak exit velocity at 94.7 mph, average EV at 85.9 mph. 

Collin Chappel, OF, 2025

Strength in a 6-foot, 180-pound frame. Balanced approach staying through the middle of the cage. Compact swing with loose, quick hands. Peak exit velocity at 91.8 mph, average EV at 82.2 mph. Arm reached 82 mph across the infield. 

Cade Gaither, OF, 2024

5-foot-9, 155-pound frame. Hit several balls off the barrel with a line drive approach working gap to gap. Stays balanced with a short path to the ball. Posted a peak exit velocity of 86 mph, average EV at 77.8 mph. Arm reached 80 mph from the outfield. 

Kilby Hartley, 2B/OF, 2027

5-foot-5, 130-pound build with room for maturation ahed. Calm load with a simple, balanced swing. Flat barrel path with a line drive approach working through the middle of the cage. Exit velocity peaked at 79.7 mph, average EV at 70.3 mph. Above average actions on the infield. 

Jake Henderson, OF/2B, 2024

6-foot, 170-pound frame with room to fill out. Left hand hitter. Controlled load and keeps his barrel through the zone. Hands have quickness using a middle of the field approach. Top exit velocity at 86.5 mph, average EV at 81.8 mph. Accurate arm on defense. 

Jameson Hodges, SS/2B, 2024

5-foot-9, 145-pound frame with room to add strength. Lined balls through the middle and to the right center gap. Short path keeping his barrel inside and through the ball. Exit velocities reached 83.7 mph, average EV at 79.8 mph. Solid actions on the infield. 

Evan Matile, OF, 2025

Strong build at 6-foot-2, 190-pounds. Played football this fall for the 3A State Champion East Lincoln Mustangs. The left hand hitter continues to show feel for the barrel with the ability to use the whole field. Hands are strong with a flat barrel path through the zone. Posted a peak exit velocity at 88 mph, average EV at 77.8 mph. 

Cade Norton, C/OF, 2024

6-foot, 185-pound frame. Has arm strength posting the top catcher and outfield arm velocities at 81 and 87 mph. Consistently squared balls up through the middle of the cage during his BP rounds. Peak exit velocity at 87.3 mph, average EV at 80.7 mph. Hands have strength and quickness with an uphill swing path. 

Adam Rodgers, SS, 2026

5-foot-9, 140-pound frame with projection ahead. Impressed at the plate and on defense during the workout. Switch hitter with barrel feel from both sides. Loose swing with barrel quickness through the zone. Peak exit velocity at 83.8 mph, average EV at 74.8 mph. Fluid actions on the infield. 

Nathan Rollins, SS, 2025

5-foot-7, 158-pound build. Short, compact swing keeping his barrel through the ball. Hit several balls off the barrel lining them through the middle of the cage. Top exit velocity at 84.9 mph, average EV at 76.5 mph. Above average actions on the infield. 

JT Smith, C/2B, 2025

5-foot-10, 165-pound frame with room to add strength. Lined balls through the middle of the cage posting a top exit velocity at 84.5 mph, average EV at 79.7 mph. Keeps his barrel inside the ball with quickness to his hands. Accurate arm from behind the plate with his throws reaching 75 mph. 

Garrett Wagoner, OF, 2025

Lanky frame with room to add strength at 6-foot, 165-pounds. Loads with a leg kick, keeping his barrel quiet, flat swing path working gap to gap. Hands have quickness with his exit velocities reaching 89.9 mph, average EV at 77.9 mph. Accurate arm with some carry to his throws from outfield reaching 82 mph. 

Webb Williams, 1B/3B, 2026

5-foot-10, 160-pound build. Hands have strength with some lift to the swing path. Worked through the middle of the cage during his BP rounds. Top exit velocity at 83.8 mph, average EV at 77.7 mph.