Prep Baseball Report

The Triangle Open Prospect Showcase: Infielder Evaluations



By Brandon Hall
Director of Scouting, PBR NC

Follow us on Twitter: @PrepBaseballNC


The Triangle Open Prospect Showcase featured players from around the capital area, and further, showcasing their talents in a pro-style workout.  Today we take a look at the infielders at the Holly Springs event.

+25 players took part in the infield evaluations
+9 uncommitted 2017 grads
+16 underclass grads
+7 players registered positional velocity of 76mph or better
+8 registered exit velocities of better than 80mph

CLICK HERE to view the complete Triangle Prospect Showcase, with links to each player’s profile
CLICK HERE to view all of the statistical results.


INFIELDER EVALUATIONS: 

Dyllan Baranchak, SS, Knightdale HS, NC (2018)
Athletically built at 6-foot, 165 pounds and ran the sixty in 7.50.  The arm works long and turns the ball over a little early getting to the over-the-top slot, touching 72mph across the infield.  Hands work aggressive to the ball and funnel to the right hip.  Offensively, a balanced setup, low hands, and short stride with a leg kick work into an uphill approach.  The exit velocity worked to 78mph. 

Reid Celata, SS, Atlantic Shores Christian School, VA (2018)
Arm strength flashed from shortstop, along with average hands and a fluid, quick exchange.  The positional velocity measured at 85mph across the infield.  Offensively, an advanced approach and feel for the barrel allowed his strength to be maximized.  Level with a gap-to-gap approach and produced an exit velocity of 83mph.  Sixty was measured at 7.74.  

RJ Conner JR, 2B, Statesville HS, NC (2017)
Flashed athleticism and strength throughout the day, with an average build at 5-foot-10, 145 pounds, that can continue to add strength.  Ran a 6.90 in the sixty and topped at 83mph on the exit velocity test.  Offensively worked out of a tall stance with a short stride and above average batspeed.  Decent approach that worked gap-to-gap, featured a swing that was thin through the zone at times but produced consistent back-spin and showed strength and awareness with the barrel.  Defensively there is some stiffness that overshadows his athleticism at times as his hands work to his right hip, but still creates a quick exchange, as he plays through most balls.  The arm worked with a long arm action to a high-3/4 slot, showed some accuracy, with average carry, and a top velocity of 74 across the infield. 

Kyle Ehlers, 3B, Broughton HS, NC (2018)
A strong build at 6-foot, 180 pounds, the infielder plays through the ball with a clean exchange, funneling to the right hip, while loading up for an over-the-top slot.  The arm shows better carry than the registered 74mph across the infield, but lacked some accuracy at times.   Offensively, slightly closed and crouched with a long aggressive stride that produces average to above bat speed.  Some coiling and moving parts created some barrel issues, but the fluid aggressive swing is fluid and works gap-to-gap with extension.  Exit velocity topped at 79mph. 

Cooper Fandel, 3B, Independence HS, NC (2017)
Physically strong at 5-foot-11, 205 pounds and produced an exit velocity of 86mph.  Tall stance and slightly barred at foot-strike, Fandel produces an aggressive, flat stroke with average to above bat speed in a gap-to-gap approach.  From the infield, produced a positional velocity of 78mph with a short, high-3/4 slot.  Accuracy and carry flashed.  Hands worked well and he caught balls within his range.  Sixty time measured at 7.73. 

Randy Floyd, SS, Fairmont HS, NC (2018)
Flashed a quick exchange and short release from the infield.  In the box, he showed barrel awareness from an athletic stance, short stride with decent batspeed.  He ran a 7.69 in the sixty and registered 74mph in the exit velocity test. 

Grant Frye, 2B, Lee County, NC (2017)
Infielder that works with a long, high 3/4 slot, showing some accuracy and average carry.  Clean exchanges worked from a funnel to the right hip.  Velocity across the infield topped at 78.   Offensively, Frye starts in an athletic stance with a leg kick to a short stride.  Fluid, gap-to-gap approach that showed some strength when on the barrel.  Exit velocity topped at 69mph.  His sixty registered at 7.55.  

Lance Lockamy, 2B, Pine Forest HS, NC (2020)
Offensively works from a slightly closed stance, vertical bat and loads downward, featuring a swing that is geared to the opposite field.  Exit velocity registered 60mph.  On defense, a long arm action worked to a high-3/4 slot touching 67mph across the infield.  There should be some growth as strength increases.  Currently at 5-foot-8, 125 pounds, Lockamy ran a 7.69 in the sixty. 

Kyshawn Lomas, 2B, Gray’s Creek HS, NC (2020)
A fundamental, young player that should make strides as he continues to grow and mature.  Working with a small build at 5-foot, 90 pounds, Lomas showed decent hands and a clean exchange with accuracy on his throws.  Long arm action to a high-3/4 slot with throws registering 62mph across the infield.  Offensively there is a balanced setup with a small load back and aggressive stride.  Decent balance resulted in some barrel awareness with a level swing and gap to gap type BP.  The exit velocity topped at 60mph. 

Michael Misenheimer, SS, Piedmont HS, NC (2019)
A balanced approach offensively begins with an athletic stance, good load back, and a short stride.  The short bat path created an inside-out type swing.  The exit velocity peaked at 72mph.  On the infield, fluid footwork and clean exchanges worked to a long arm action into the high-3/4 slot that showed accuracy.  Arm strength peaked at 66mph across the infield.  At 5-foot-10, 155 pounds, there is room in the thin frame to add strength. 

Myles Rohleder, SS, Rockingham County, NC (2017)
A physical 5-foot-11, 170 pounds with a strong lower half.  BP produced barrels to all fields and showed some strength with average to above bat speed from a fluid, line-drive approach that does work through some uphill tilt.  The exit velocity topped at 80mph.  Defensively, Rohleder works through some stiffness to flash decent hands and a clean exchange.  The arm works with a short stroke to a high-3/4 slot with average accuracy.  Throws measured 73mph across the field.  The sixty was timed at 7.57.

Joshua Tolson, SS, Manteo HS, NC (2017)
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.  

Dillon Ward, 1B, East Columbus HS, NC (2019)
An athletic stance with a load down and in, produced a pull oriented swing and a flat bat path.  At 5-foot-8, 155 pounds, and a strong lower half, strength can develop.  Exit velocity peaked at 68mph.  On defense, he showed some feel around the bag.  The arm works with a short action to a high-3/4 slot and some carry that topped at 61mph.  His sixty time came in at 8.84.

Heath Yow, 1B, Lee Christian, NC (2019)
A young player with some strength developed into his 6-foot-1, 235 pound frame.  Offensively, used a leg kick and short stride to produce a good approach that worked gap-to-gap with some uphill tendency.  From first base, it was a shorter arm action, leading to a high-3/4 slot producing a positional velocity of 61mph.  Sixty time was measured at 8.96.