Prep Baseball Report

State Games Of North Carolina: Day 3 Notebook



By Brandon Hall
PBR North Carolina Director of Scouting

The State Games of North Carolina entered Day Three on Friday with the second day of games. With the event taking place over the course of five days, hitters become comfortable in the setting and with their teammates. This can lead to a higher level of play. Below are some of the players that stood out on Friday at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.

Dylan Patrick, RHP/3B, J.A. Holmes HS, NC (2017)
The highlight of the day came off the bat of the 6-foot-2, 185 pounder’s bat in the bottom of the seventh, for a walk-off win. His triple to left-center field registered 98mph off the bat, per Trackman. Patrick has strength in his swing when he’s on the barrel.

Jared Leins, RHP, Leesville HS, NC (2017)
Leins showed command of his fastball, which ranged from 85-86 mph and touched 87. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound righty has strength in his frame that allows him to fight through his delivery. He has a high-3/4 slot with a little shoulder restriction through the arm action. He produced a 70-71 curveball and a 72-75 changeup, flashing pitchability with all three pitches.

Bennett Nance, LHP, Morehead HS, NC (2018)
Nance has a thin, wiry frame at 6-foot-1, 165 pounds and a short, strong arm action into a high-3/4 slot. His fastball sat 82-84 and his slider was 76-79. He attacked hitters with the two pitches and showed better feel for his slider over the fastball. The slider is hard, with depth, and could develop into an out pitch with time. He has a slow delivery that built into a quick arm and provided some deception when the fastball was located.

Jeremy Whitehead, OF, Lake Norman Charter, NC (2017)
White head is an East Carolina recruit and fast-twitch player that forces defenses to adjust to his speed. He ran a 6.69-second 60 on the workout day and ran consecutive 4.23 and 4.11 home to first times on infield ground balls. Defensively, the speed is ahead of his range and arm. This can improve with reps and time.

Owen White, RHP/SS, Jesse C Carson HS, NC (2018)
White is a premium arm in the 2018 class. He sat 86-88, touching 89 multiple times from a high-3/4 slot. His curveball sat at 76 with depth and late action and is thrown with the same arm speed and slot. At 6-foot-2, 165 pounds, there is plenty of room for added strength. He has some effort, but is able to repeat his delivery.

Shane Connolly, LHP, Pine Lake Prepatory, NC (2017)
A lanky, 6-foot-2, 175-pound southpaw, Connolly has an intriguing combination of arm strength and secondary stuff. His fastball reached 86 and sat in the 83-85 range. His changeup produced swing-and-misses with fading action and was thrown with good hand speed. It sat at 78-75. His curveball was 67-68, working out of the same slot as his fastball, which provided deception. It was a little soft, though it showed some depth. Connolly pitches with a high-3/4 slot that comes with some effort as the works behind his bodyline. His front side closes off toward a left-handed hitter. His command waivered later in the outing, but should stabilize as he continues to add strength.

Zach Franklin, RHP, McDowell HS, NC (2017)
Frankling is wiry at 6-foot-2, 170 pounds. He pitches with a high-3/4 slot and bit of a segmented arm action. His fastball touched 89 and sat 86-88. His pitched to both sides of the plate and showed the ability to pitch in and finish hitters. His slider has average pitchability, sitting at 73-74 with some sweeping action. It’s consistently in the zone, as he is a strike thrower and has made a jump in recent weeks.

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