By Toby Bicknell
Texas Scouting Director

The Battle of the Borders took place Sept. 9-11 at Quick Trip Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. The tournament hosted six teams from five states, including Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and New Mexico. All levels of high school were represented with players ranging from the 2017 class to 2020. Here are seven of the top Texas seniors from this event.

Zachary DeLoach, OF/RHP, Hebron HS
Texas A&M recruit. 6-foot-1, 200-pound strong, athletic frame. Showed some of the best all-around tools at this event. DeLoach showed above average arm strength from center field during In-and-Out. He covered a lot of ground during games getting to balls in both gaps. Offensively, he has an athletic set-up, showing smooth rhythm and hand strength through contact in the middle of the field. His best home-to-first time was 4.25 on full swing ground ball to shortstop. Zach had a couple of base hits up the middle and was active on the bases after a couple of walks, stealing second base as well as going first to third t on a wild pitch.

J.J. Montenegro, RHP, Jesuit College Prep
Arizona recruit. 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame. Works from a ¾ slot with an athletic delivery showing a fastball at 85-87 mph with good arm-side run and sink. Has a repeatable delivery that allows him to fill up the strike zone with command of both his fastball and slider. His slider is a true out pitch that he spins at 77 mph. Showed a feel for the occasional changeup throwing it twice at 78. Worked out of two jams in consecutive innings, both times getting ground balls to end the inning.

Canaan Smith, C/1B, Rockwall Heath HS
Arkansas recruit. 6-foot, 215-pound frame with strong build with well defined lower half and solid upper body strength. His pop times were 1.97-2.1 between innings, while he showed 2.15 pop during one in-game throw. He has an athletic open stance in batter's box. Squares ball up routinely making hard outs. Had an opposite field RBI double that was hammered to left field was 4.75 on the turn.

Asa Lacy, LHP, Tivy HS
Texas A&M recruit. 6-foot-4, 195-pound frame, long, lean body. Works from high-3/4 slot with long, easy arm action. He threw his fastball from 85-88 mph. He showed a 72 mph curveball with good downward action. He threw his changeup from 77-79 mph with heavy downward action. Showed the ability to command offspeed in second and third inning of work.

Ryan Stuempfig, RHP, Flower Mound HS
Wichita State recruit. 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame, strong build with well defined lower half. Throws from a high-3/4 slot. His fastball was 87-88 mph and showed some arm-side run. Threw his slider 73 mph.

William Adair, RHP, Highland Park HS
Air Force recruit. 5-foot-10, 170-pound frame. Worked from a high-3/4 slot with a fastball ranging between 85-88 mph. His curveball was 70-71 mph consistently, while his changeup 74 mph. Showed fastball command and the ability to spin his breaking pitch in and out of the zone.

Nick Ellis, LHP, Keller Central HS
Texas-Arlington recruit. 5-foot-10, 170-pound frame. The lefty sat 84-86 mph with his fastball. He threw his slider 73-74 mph and flashed a changeup at 70 mph. His second inning was better than his first, as he settled in and got weak ground balls on his offspeed pitches.

Be on the lookout for more scouting notes from the Battle of the Borders event.

Top Uncommitted 2018's
2018 Standouts
Top 2019 Grads
Top 2020 Grads

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