The 3rd annual PBR Junior Future Games was held at LakePoint in Emerson, Georgia with some of the top 2024 and 2025 players in the country featured.  Team Carolina featured 17 of the top 14U players in North Carolina and South Carolina.  Players went through a full workout on day, followed by two days of double-headers in pool play.  Team Carolina advanced to the medal round on day four of the event.

Team Carolina was very impressive with a blend of athleticism and strength.  Several player put up eye-popping numbers and have marked themselves as potential follows entering their high school careers.

Below we take a look back at the week that was with the Jr. Future Games at LakePoint.

 

Team Carolina

 

Day 1:  Workout Day

The workout day was covered in full in a previous article with leaders from the pro-style workout, as well as links to the full statistics from the day.  CLICK HERE to see the information.

CLICK HERE to see the full roster and all of the stats compiled throughout the week.

 

Day 2:  Pool Play 1

In what many felt was the “Group of Death”, Team Carolina would play Team Indiana and Team Louisiana on day 1.  Winning the pool would put Team Carolina into the Gold Bracket Pool play on day 2.  Anything else would see Team Carolina into the Silver Pool.

 

Game 1:  Team Carolina 6             Team Indiana 10

Walks and defensive miscues would ultimately lead to a loss for Team Carolina.  Offensively, Team Carolina consistently applied pressure to the Indiana arms and defense.  A back and forth game, Team Indiana would pull away with a big 4^th inning.

Player notes:

Javarius Green (OF, Crest HS, 2024) – Four loud barrels in four at-bats.  Flat path, handled fastball and breaking ball.  One hit on the day, with four good at-bats.  Ran a 4.26 and a 4.33 home to 1^st on separate ground balls to the left side.

Cameron Bagwell (1B/3B, South Mecklenburg HS, 2024) – Two RBI with a single in the six-hole in his first at-bat and a SAC Fly to center in his second at-bat.  Physical, there is strength with some uphill leverage in the swing.  Strength over quickness, but showed an ability to handle good arms at this age.

Anderson Nance (SS, Rockingham Early College, 2024) – Three solid at-bats with nothing to show for them.  Found two hard barrels.  Ran a 4.52 home to first on a ground ball to SS.

Dawson Shelton (SS, Oak Grove HS, 2024) – Advanced hitter for his age.  Direct path.   Simple setup.  Has leverage at contact.  Doubled off the wall in right, showing power potential.  Good defender that makes the routine play, routinely.

Asher Lyerly (RHP, Middle Creek HS, 2024) – Solid two innings of work.  Quick and efficient, was able to keep Indiana off balance with a fastball up to 78.  Good feel for a breaking ball with 11/5 tilt, peaking at 64.

 

Game 2:  Team Louisiana  14           Team Carolina 9

Early walks and timely hitting from Team Louisiana put Team Carolina in an early hole.  Once the pitching settled in, Team Carolina made a run, scoring 5 runs in the 5^th and final inning, due to the time limit. 

Player Notes:

Levi Brown (SS, Alexander Central HS, 2024) – A good looking right handed hitter, Brown showed patience with an ability to foul off tough pitches in earning 3 walks.

Dawson Shelton (SS, Oak Grove HS, 2024) – Two doubles to pace the Team Carolina offense.  Doubled over the left fielders head in the 1^st, scoring two, and into the right centerfield gap in the 3^rd, accruing his 3^rd RBI of the game.

Isaias Moreno (LHP, Nation Ford HS (SC), 2024) – Large frame with loose hips.  Created some discomfort with some of his misses but in large part was around the zone for most of his outing.  Stuff fell off a little as the outing wore on, but sat 75-76 early with a change up at 69 that created swing and miss against the uber-aggressive Team Louisiana lineup.

Dion Brown (2B/RHP, Clover HS (SC), 2024) – Probably profiles as more of a middle infielder but on the mound he attacked with a solid fastball – breaking ball combo.  Fastball up to 78  in this game.  Sweeping breaking ball at 66.  Strike thrower kept hitters on their heels with his aggressive pace.

 

Day 3:  Pool Play 2

With the two losses in Pool Play 1, Team Carolina would be paired with Team Georgia and Team Arizona in the Silver Pool Play action.  To advance to bracket play on Day 4, Team Carolina would need to win the bracket or advance based on record and runs given up.

 

Game 3:  Team Georgia  7             Team Carolina  5

As the event continued, Team Carolina continued to play better, throwing more strikes and playing much more consistently on defense.  Game 3 would be the best Team Carolina has played to date, but another big inning doomed Team Carolina’s chances.

Player Notes:

Dawson Shelton (SS/RHP, Oak Grove HS, 2024) – Righty was up to 83 with feel for four pitches.  Pitched with emotion, at times getting himself into trouble. 

Brady Williams (INF/RHP, Currituck County HS, 2024) – Very fundamentally sound across the board, Williams consistently produced quality at-bats with barrel contact.  On the mound, Williams rolled a couple of zeroes, giving Team Carolina a chance for a late run at a win.  Fastball up to 70.  Showed feel for three pitches, attacking the zone.

 

Game 4:  Team Arizona  2             Team Carolina  6

Needing a win and to keep Team Arizona off the board, four Team Carolina pitchers accomplished the task.  A tight game early, Team Carolina would score in the 3^rd and bust the game open in the 6^th.  The win and total runs against for the day of 9 would push Team Carolina into the medal round for the Silver Bracket.

Player Notes:

Anderson Nance (RHP, Rockingham Early College, 2024) – Righty worked up to 85 with angle out of the hand.  Late, short breaking ball peaked at 70.  Above average arm speed and athletic frame suggest more will come as Nance continues to add strength.

Cameron Bagwell (RHP, South Mecklenburg HS, 2024) – Large frame and over-the-top slot create some downhill angle.  Fastball at 82-84 with a hard, downer 11/5 breaking ball at 71.

Dion Brown (2B/RHP, Clover HS (SC), 2024) – Slim build that will mature over the coming years, Brown bounced back after throwing 8 pitches the day prior.  The fastball worked up to 80, again pounding the zone.  Short, late breaking ball at 66 kept hitters off balance.

Kaden Hart (OF/RHP, Oak Grove HS, 2025) – Hart profiles as a hitter with elite hand strength and quickness through the zone.  The ball rockets off the barrel.  There is a pull emphasis now, creating a swing that can be in and out of the zone quick, but when he is on time, the ball flies off the barrel.  On the bump, the righty works with some effort and intent.  The fastball is up to 76, playing harder out of the hand with swing and miss when elevated.  Flashed a 12/6 spinner with a slight hump out of the hand at 65 that kept hitters off the fastball when needed.

Brady Williams (INF, Currituck County HS, 2024) – Three solid at-bats in three plate appearances.  Two singles in the 6-hole, working the count and showing an ability to find the barrel with two strikes.  SAC Fly in the 6^th put the game away for good.

Everett Johnson (OF, Franklinton HS, 2025) -- Left handed that is advanced in the box.  Direct with barrel feel.  Handled velocity, spin, and left on left challenges.  Hard, barrel contact in six of ten at-bats throughout the tournament.

 

Day 4: Silver Bracket Medal Round

Game 5:  Team Carolina  2            Team Louisiana  5

A rivalry from the original pool play round, Team Carolina would get another shot at Team Louisiana in the medal round.  Team Louisiana made its way to the medal round after beating its two opponents in the Silver Pool Play by a combined 21-0 score.

Tightly contested throughout, Team Carolina cut an early lead with a two run second.  Louisiana would answer right back, opening a 5-2 lead after 3 innings.  In the fourth, Levi Brown came in to throw.  Brown an infielder that can pitch, worked 3 solid innings, keeping Louisiana off balance with a ton of strikes with the fastball and just enough breaking balls the offensive group would have to honor it.  Team Louisiana would answer with several good arms that kept the potent Team Carolina offense at bay, ending the tournament for Team Carolina.

Player Notes:

Levi Brown (SS/RHP, Alexander Central HS, 2024) – Fastball up to 77.  Athletic with a long arm swing and over-the-top slot.  Above average arm speed.  Breaking ball ranged 62-64 with a slow arcing break.  Threw the breaking ball for a strike consistently.

Seth Moon (C, SouthLake Christian, 2024) – Three solid at bats with a double and hard out to right field.  Also reached on a hit-by-pitch.  Quality at-bats throughout the tournament.

Brady Williams (INF, Currituck County HS, 2024) – Two more quality at-bats with two singles to left, finding the barrel in both at-bats.

Anderson Nance (SS, Rockingham Early College, 2024) – Two good at-bats.  Hard single to left and a hard ground ball to short.  Ran a 4.58 down the line.

Dion Brown (INF, Clover HS (SC), 2024) – Baseball player.  Played 3B, SS, 2B, CF, and RF throughout the week, showing quality feel and actions at each spot.  Also threw on multiple days on the bump.  Needs to add strength in the box, but the swing path and approach are quality.  Single to right in this game.