By: Brandon Hall
Director of Scouting, PBR NC

Follow us on Twitter: @PrepBaseballNC

Name:  Josh Tolson
High School: Manteo
Summer / Fall Team: Chesapeake Rays
Position: SS – also RHP & OF
Grad Year: 2017
PBR Events: Triangle Open Prospect Showcase – August 23, 2016

 

Scouting Notes:  Showed the ability to play shortstop and stick in the middle of the field moving forward.  Ran a 7.03 sixty and worked 86mph across the infield with his throws.  An average build at 5-foot-11, 150 pounds, there is quickness and strength.  Short arm action worked in to a high-3/4 slot, that did occasionally float higher, flashed good carry.  Average hands, fluid feet, and a quick, clean exchange worked to produce good accuracy.  Offensively, average to above bat-speed came from a fluid, gap-to-gap approach that did produce extension.  Limited early movement and a short stride created consistency to the barrel.  Strength plays to the gaps, but hard contact is the advantageous approach.  Tolson worked from the mound as well sitting 81-83 from an over-the-top slot, coiled lower half, and whippy arm.  The curveball ranged 66-67, while the change worked from a stiff wrist, sitting 75-77.

PBR: What Schools have you been hearing from?

JT:  Hampden Sydney, Patrick Henry, Slippery Rock University, Georgetown, William and Mary and Randolph Macon.

PBR:  Have you developed relationships with any particular coaches on the recruiting trail?

JT:  Yes. Hampden Sydney Coach Jeff Kinne and myself have been exchanging emails and I plan on taking a visit this Fall. I have also talked with Tripp Faulk at Patrick Henry several times and plan on taking a visit there this Fall too.

PBR:  Have you taken any visits? Do you have any visits planned?

JT:  I am planning on visiting Hampden Sydney, Campbell University and Patrick Henry this Fall to see if the colleges are a fit for me both academically and athletically.

PBR:  Is there a timeline for your recruitment in place?

JT:  I would like to have a commitment before the end of my senior season.

PBR:  What has been the most interesting aspect of being a recruited athlete?

JT:  Getting to take a look at different colleges in North Carolina and Virginia and seeing how their programs fit with what I am looking for in a college program.

PBR:  Any academic interests that will drive your decision

JT:  I would like to attend a school that has a good academic record in business and pre-law which would prepare me for law school after graduation.

PBR:  From a baseball standpoint, what are your top priorities, when looking at potential schools?

JT:  I would like to be part of a program that has a strong history in developing quality players both on and off the field. I would also like to be part of a program that builds not only good athletes but has a strong academic record and graduation rate.

PBR:  Anything you would offer up to the 2018 & 2019 classes as they begin their process?

JT:  Study hard, play hard, and treat every game like it's your last.