Austin Preseason ID - Quick Hits
January 10, 2022
Austin, TX - This past weekend we started our 2022 season in Austin for our 1st of 5 Preseason ID’s in January. While the weather was a little chilly at St. Edwards University, the talent came out hot. Here are some of the notable standouts from this past weekend.
 |
Jake Duer (TCU SIGNEE)OF / Marcus, TX / 2022Rankings StateRank: 74 / POS: 16
It’s fun to watch a player’s progression through his high school career, and Duer has turned himself into one of the top Outfielders in the state. The sweet swinging Lefty turned in another solid performance on Saturday. He has added considerable strength to his frame and the balls that were once gap shots now leave the yard with ease. He creates good leverage in his swing and has the ability to drive the ball to all fields. Defensively, he profiles as a CF/LF at the next level. He is a 6.7 runner with an average arm that continues to improve. |
 |
Robby Lopez C / 3B / Canyon, TX / 2022Lopez had himself a solid day all around. At the plate he has a short stroke and really focused on driving the ball with authority from gap to gap. Where he really shined was behind the plate. He was consistently at that 2.0 range on his pop times and was accurate with all of his throw downs. Was a good receiver of the baseball and will stick behind the plate at the next level. |
 |
Trevor Sebek 3B / SS / Cy Fair , TX / 2022Sebek had maybe the most impressive round of batting practice during the event. The LHH had a very efficient and short swing that produced hard contact all over the field. He drove multiple balls out of the yard during his round and squared up balls consistently. Defensively he profiles as a 3B/2B and showed soft hands and enough arm to handle both. |
 |
Benjamin Merriman (TEXAS ST. COMMIT)OF / James Bowie, TX / 2023Rankings StateRank: 102 / POS: 11
Merriman continues to show why he was one of the better players in the state for his grade. He has some serious whip in his swing and the ball explodes off the bat. He drove a couple balls out to his pull side and every swing has intent behind it. He shows an above average arm from the outfield with good carry on all of his throws. Merriman has been a high performer throughout his HS career and we expect big things for this future Texas State Bobcat. |
 |
Ace Reese (HOUSTON COMMIT)SS / OF / Canton, TX / 2023Reese took some of the best bp of the day. The LHH hitter out of Canton, TX drove multiple balls out of the yard pull side and also showed the ability to hit the ball with authority to the Left Center Gap. While he has some present strength there is plenty more room on his frame to add to it. Defensively, he could play all 4 corner spots down the road. He showed good footwork and soft hands on the dirt and handled the outfield with ease. |
 |
Noah Kendrick 3B / RHP / Nederland , TX / 2023Rankings StateRank: 94 / POS: 9
One of the more physically impressive looking players on Saturday was Kendrick. The 6’4 righty has an imposing presence on the mound. He showed a simple clean delivery that had his fastball top out at 86. He paired his fastball with an above avg. change up. He threw it with good arm speed and it came out of the same slot as his fastball. He also had an avg. breaking ball as well. As the velocity rises, I expect Kendrick to be one of the more talked about uncommitted 23’s this Spring/Summer. |
 |
Will Broderick C / OF / Alamo Heights, TX / 2024The rising sophomore looked like a seasoned vet behind the plate on Saturday. Showed soft hands receiving and the ability and willingness to block the ball. But his catch and throw skills were what really stood out. No wasted movement and was very technically sound. He had pop times in the 2.0 range and every throw was on the bag. Good defensive catchers are tough to find, but Broderick stood out in all areas. He is also a LHH that shows some promise. |
 |
Mitchell Morton C / 3B / Plano West , TX / 2025Morton has some of the quickest hands at the plate for his grade in the state. He has strong wrists and the ball explodes off his bat when he connects. As he learns to use his legs more at the plate, he could be a power hitting catcher down the road. He has a confident approach at the plate and took a very mature round of BP. Behind the plate, he had a good presence about him catching pitchers he has never seen before. The Jr. Futures Game participant has a high ceiling and will be an exciting follow. |
 |
Carter Rutenbar C / SS / Midlothian Heritage, TX / 2025Rankings OverallRank: 217 / POS: 30
The Midlothian Heritage Freshman did a little bit of everything on the day. He played in the field, caught and hopped on the mound as well. He has some present strength in his left handed swing and the bat speed to go with it. He consistently hit the ball hard to the pull side and drove a couple to Left Center as well. He showed his arm strength on the mound as well with a low to mid 80’s Fastball. That velo will continue to improve as he learns to get his lower half more involved on the mound. Behind the plate is where Rutenbar has a chance to be a star. Showed soft hands receiving and the arm strength carries over as well. Once he shortens his arm patch catching, I could see him consistently sub 2 with his pop times. |
 |
Ed Small OF / SS / Anderson , TX / 2025Rankings StateRank: 13 / POS: 1
Small showed up on Saturday and showed off some of the best athleticism at the event. He had the best 60 time there in less than ideal conditions. The two sport star is a very twitchy athlete and it's easy to see why he is one of the best WR’s in the state for his grade. |
 |
Cooper Rummel RHP / OF / Dripping Springs, TX / 2025Rankings StateRank: 12 / POS: 4
The 6’4 righty from Dripping Springs had himself quite the day. He has the frame of a future Friday night Starter. On a day where it was chilly, he displayed a Fastball that sat 86-87 T88 and there is plenty more in the tank. He also featured a spike curveball that had good depth and paired nicely with his fastball coming out of the High ¾ arm slot. The upside on Rummel is immense and has the chance to be a national recruit. He will definitely be one to keep an eye on moving forward. |
UPCOMING EVENTS
| SHOWCASE | STATE | DATE | LOCATION |
| San Antonio Preseason ID | TX | 01/16 | Cornerstone Christian - San Antonio |
| Fort Worth Preseason ID | TX | 01/17 | Weatherford College - Weatherford |
| Houston Preseason ID | TX | 01/22 | Houston Baptist University - Husky Field |
| Dallas Preseason ID | TX | 01/23 | John Paul II - Plano |
CREATE A FREE PBR PROFILE CLICK HERE
RELATED CONTENT