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By Greg Williams
Pennsylvania / West Virginia Director of Scouting

The 2017 Underclass Preview brought together 32 prospects from across the state on January 14th at Keystone State Baseball Academy. Today we begin our analysis of all prospects in attendance by reviewing those prospects in the Class of 2021.

- FINAL MEASURABLES for all prospects in attendance

Class of 2021

Jason Batista, 1B/C, Lehigh Valley Academy
5-foot-7, 160-pound left-handed hitter starts from a square stance and utilizes a heel raise stride to initiate his swing from a deep load position. His hands work well through contact and Batista displayed the ability to routinely barrel the baseball with a bat exit velocity of 71 mph. Defensively the current 8th grade prospect showcased 59 mph arm strength across the diamond from first base and displayed pop times of 2.76-2.90 on throws of 56 mph from the crouch.

Rockford Kopac, LHP/1B, Knoch HS
6-foot-4, 210-pound 8th grade prospect appears to be far from finished growing as evidenced by the size 19 shoes he currently wears. The two-way prospect sat 66-67 from a high 3/4 arm slot with a head snap that leads to some command issues. The lefty also showcased a developing 64 mph slider and a 66 mph changeup. He starts his swing from a square stance and utilizes a lift-and-replace stride to initiate his hands. An arm bar leads to length in his swing and difficulty being on time to the hitting zone routinely. His 79 mph bat exit velocity will improve as he learns to incorporate his lower half more fully. Kopace displayed capable defensive actions around the bag at first base with accurate 65 mph arm strength across the diamond.

Jack Nugent, C/3B, Central Bucks East HS
5-foot-8, 155-pound right-handed hitter starts from a slightly open stance and initiates his swing with a toe-tap stride. Displayed a solid feel for the barrel with above average barrel whip (82 mph bat exit velocity) and a pull oriented philosophy. Ran a 7.45 60-yard dash and showcased pop times of 2.50-2.65 on throws of 65 mph from the crouch. Defensive skills will improve with improved arm strength and work to shorten his transition.

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