Canes Scout Weekend Notebook - Position Players
October 4, 2023
Over 300 players within the Canes Baseball organization traveled to Championship Park in Kokomo, IN for the annual Canes Scout Weekend. This is the third year we have hosted this event and the talent level seemingly improves each year. 25 teams competed in the event in 2023, with prospects ranging from the 2024 class to the 2028 class. Read below to find scouting notes on position players who stood out to our staff throughout the weekend.
LISTED ALPHABETICALLY
‘26 SS Luke Baker (Canes Midwest) - Athletic, 6-foot, 150 pounder. Tall, athletic stance - starts slightly open. Loose hands load down & back as he makes his forward move to create linear stretch. Multiple hits in gameplay. Stood out in the middle of the diamond with solid actions.
‘25 SS Mason Barth (Canes Midwest National) - Notre Dame recruit. Compact, 5-foot-9, 200 pound frame. Advanced physical strength, built like a running back. 6.71 runner with quick feet in the infield. Strength translates to the barrel, event-best 99 mph exit velocity. Short, compact swing - simple operation. On the barrel often including multiple hits in gameplay. One of the best pure hitters in Indiana's '25 class.
‘25 1B Brady Benjamin (Canes Kentucky) - 6-foot-3, 185 pound RHH. Some strength, still room to add strength/size within the frame. Starts in a wide setup - pre-pitch rhythm in the hands flows into a compact load. Small stride. Rotational swing, bat works level through the zone with some strength. Used the whole field with multiple hits in-game.
‘27 C/INF Bo Blondi (Canes Midwest) - Lean, 5-foot-7, 132 pounder. True switch hitter with fluidity from both sides. Fundamentally sound actions in the infield & behind the dish. Plays with energy.
‘25 C Jadon Burnau (Canes Michigan) - Physical, 6-foot-3, 205 pound backstop. Strength in the bat that produced a 96.5 mph EV. Tight, compact load - strength creates bat speed. Present power to the pull-side. Some arm strength from behind the dish, pop times ranged from 2.00 - 2.09.
'25 C Evan Burns (Canes Midwest) - 5-foot-8, 165 pound backstop with compact strength. Sets up in a wide stance at the dish - simple, repeatable movements & works short to the baseball. Found some hard contact during gameplay. Athletic backstop, quick lateral movements with above average receiving abilities. Was 77 mph from the crouch, 1.99 - 2.05 pop times.
‘27 OF Peyton Brown (Canes Indiana) - Athletic, 6-foot-1, 175 pound outfielder. Uses a quick leg kick stride with quiet hands in the load. Lands in a good position to hit. Handsy swing - showed feel for the barrel with multiple hits during gameplay.
‘27 CF/SS Liam Delp (Canes Midwest National) - Present twitch in the 5-foot-8, 140 pound frame. Has the ability to play both CF & SS at an advanced level, creating an interesting profile. 7.00 runner with arm strength. Minimal negative movements in the load - quick hands & line drive oriented approach. Catalyst type at the top of the order, dynamic baserunner. Showed ability to drag.
‘26 UTL Floyd Dodwell (Canes Tennessee) - Projectable, 6-foot-4, 185 pounder. Looks the part - frame has significant room to add strength. Sprayed line drives in his batting practice round, whips the barrel through the zone with bat speed. Peak exit velocity of 90.3 mph.
‘25 OF Ethan Frye (Canes Midwest) - 5-foot-10, 180 pound frame, compact strength. 7.07 runner - LHH pulls the bat through the zone with bottom hand. Short to it with lift after contact. Shows feel in the box, accurate barrel.
‘25 OF Brayden Giesler (Canes Midwest) - Physicality is present in the 6-foot-3, 195 pound frame. LHH sets up in a tall stance. Toe tap stride, early gather. Tight upper half, turns the barrel with some authority. Abv-avg runner with upside.
‘27 OF Henry Haley (Canes Midwest) - 5-foot-11, 165 pound OF with arm strength (85 mph OF Velo). Turns an upward barrel, should grow into more power as he adds strength & matures. Patient approach at the dish.
‘28 SS Brody McGaha (Canes Midwest National) - Despite being one of the youngest at the event, McGaha showed some of the best pure defensive actions of any player. Feet work downhill & on-time on a consistent basis. Soft hands with feel to funnel. Can quick release & play downhill. LHH with short path, works inside-out.
‘28 CF Andrew Noble (Canes Midwest National) - Athletic, 6-foot, 170 pound LHH CF. Advanced runner for age, turned in a 7.12 60 yard dash. Simple, relaxed setup - turns the barrel on a level plane through the hitting zone. Multi-sport standout.
‘26 SS Vincent Painter (Canes Indiana) - Lanky, athletic 5-foot-10, 155 pounder. Fundamental actions in the infield, showed quicker lateral movements and soft glove actions. Played with instincts. Simple operation in the right-handed batter’s box - loose, level swing plane with quick hands.
‘27 1B Dawson Paulus (Canes Midwest National) - Projectable, 6-foot-3, 185 pound RHH. Long-levered frame creates natural lift within the swing, easy to project future-power potential. Produced an exit velocity of 92.4 mph.
‘25 C Nick Pietromonaco (Canes Kentucky) - Twitchy, athletic backstop standing at 6-foot, 165 pounds. Wide stance at the dish, no-strider with quiet hands in the load. Turns the barrel direct to the baseball, contact-oriented approach. One of the best runners at the event, turning in a 60 time of 6.66.
‘26 OF Zach Rhoden (Canes Indiana) - Undersized, gamer-type standing at 5-foot-5, 145 pounds. LHH with a quick toe tap stride and rhythmic hands. Swing works inside-out, working short to the baseball. Contact-oriented approach.
‘24 1B Brandon Smith (Canes Great Lakes) - XXL, 6-foot-3, 310 pound LHH. Present pull-side strength, produced a max exit velocity of 94.6 mph. Compact load of the hands with short stride forward. Barrel works uphill.
‘26 UTL Hudson Stewart (Canes Indiana) - 6-foot, 185 pound LHH. Sets up in a wide, grounded stance. Gets the front foot down early for consistent timing. Some strength, room to add more. Produced exit velocity of 93 mph - showed adjustability in-game.
‘26 OF Chandler Taylor (Canes Midwest National) - Highest ceiling of any player at the event, potentially a special talent. Natural athleticism, oozes feel in the box. LHH sets up in a relaxed stance with a consistent timing mechanism. Well-sequenced swing. Hands are quick and whip an accurate barrel through the hitting zone. Multiple pull-side home runs in BP, also homered in gameplay - still substantial room to add strength within the 6-foot-1, 170 pound frame. Athletic gait with plenty of arm strength (89 mph OF Velo).
‘28 SS Ty White (Canes Midwest National) - Compact, 5-foot-8, 145 pounder with strength for his age. High leg kick stride, turns the barrel on a level plane with fast hands. Athletic MIF with arm strength.
‘25 SS Carter Wilkinson (Canes Great Lakes) - 5-foot-10, 155 pound LHH SS. Showed the ability to work the count against quality arms, patient approach. High leg kick stride, keeps weight in the back leg. Handsy swing with feel for the barrel. Solid actions in the middle infield.
‘24 OF Kaiden Williams (Canes Illinois) - Athletic RHH standing at 6-foot-4, 170 pounds. Good runner (6.92) with an athletic gait & significant upside. Sets up in a wide, balanced stance - pulls the knob tight across the chest to create a short bat path, present bat strength.
‘25 SS Jordan Williamson (Canes Midwest) - Lanky, athletic 6-foot-1, 170 pound SS. Athletic movement patterns in everything that he does. Fluid feet in the infield to go along with soft hands. Carries the ball across the infield with above average arm strength. Short, inside-out swing - contact-oriented approach with room to develop strength that will translate to the barrel. 6.81 runner.