Preseason All-State: Catching Analysis

Bo Willis, C/OF, Magnolia HS, 2019    
After spending his fall on the gridiron, Willis is back in the full swing of baseball season. Standing 6-foot-2, 195-pounds, the Texas Tech recruit has a strong frame with a well defined lower half, broad shoulders and strong forearms. Willis has a strong arm from the crouch at 80 mph and threw strikes down to second base with pop time ranging from 1.97-2.12. At the plate, the right-handed hitter has a short path with real strength at contact and a loose finish of the barrel with an exit velocity of 91 mph off the tee. On the infield, Willis has soft hands and an accurate arm at 83 mph across the diamond.

Jimmy Crooks, C, Trinity HS, 2019  
Crooks is a left-handed hitting catcher with a smooth hack. The uncommitted junior, standing 6-foot, 190-pounds, and showed increased bat speed and strength in his hands during batting practice, with an exit velocity of 90 mph off the tee. Uses a relaxed leg kick to create leverage and timing. Short path to the ball with natural lift from the left side. Behind the plate, Crooks has a quick exchange and throws from a short arm stroke to post the top pop times of the event at 1.94-2.04, with a velocity from the crouch of 80 mph.

Nathaniel Price, C, Mansfield Legacy HS, 2020
Price is a gritty, athletic player with a fast-twitch, frame at 5-foot-9, 165-pounds.  Behind the plate, he posted some of the most consistent pop times of the day (2.04-2.11) with a quick exchange, ultra-quick footwork, and velocity from the crouch of 75 mph. The right-handed hitter has solid strength for his size, quick-strong hands, high end barrel awareness. Makes hard contact on the barrel with gap power and an exit velocity of 90 mph. In the outfield, Price plays through the ball with an athletic crow hop, throws from a high slot with accuracy with a top velocity of 86 mph. High Academic student.

Mason Speaker, C/RHP, All Saints Episcopal, 2019
Speaker stands 6-foot-3, 205-pounds with a projectable frame. Mason not only launched a home run during batting practice (91 mph exit velocity off the tee), but he also topped out at 88 mph on the mound. The right-handed hitter shows easy rhythm with relaxed hands. Starts from a slightly open stance then loads back, pinching his knees together as he triggers his hands back and down before striding out, landing square. Powerful lower half transfer, natural lift with an uphill path, strong hands at contact with gap power and more to come in the future. Behind the plate, Speaker has a quick exchange and has good carry to second base with a velocity from the crouch of 78 mph and pop times of 2.14-2.26. A two-way player and right-handed pitcher, Speaker was mostly 84-86 mph. He has feel for a 74-76 mph changeup and can spin a curveball at 71-73 mph. Flashed a slider that had more cutter action at 75-77 mph and lateral shape.

Carlos Abello, 3B/C, Kinkaid HS, 2019  
At 6-foot, 190-pounds, Abello has the look of a strong corner bat at the next level, with the ability to play two premium positions. The left-handed hitter starts from a neutral stance before he loads back. Short lift of his front leg to stride forward as he separates and walks away from his hands. Balanced swing, loose hands, barrel gets on plane and stay in the zone with good extension through contact. Ball jumps off the barrel in the middle of the field with a top exit velocity of 91 mph off the tee. On the infield, Abello does a nice job of funneling the ball to the midline of his body as he shuffles his feet to create linear momentum. Accurate arm across the diamond at 77 mph. Behind the plate, Abello threw 77 mph from the crouch with pop times ranging from 2.18-2.3.

Joey Bettencourt, C/3B, Keller HS, 2018  
Weatherford JC commit. 6-foot, 196-pounds. The right-handed hitter has a balanced setup with relaxed rhythm. Uses a short leg-kick to load back, loose hands, lands balanced. Barrel stays in the zone with good bat lag and extension through contact and an exit velocity of 88 mph. Behind the plate he has soft hands, directional footwork, and threw 75 mph from the crouch with pop times of 2.18-2.26.

Jayden Drake, C/OF, Centennial HS, 2018 
The switch-hitter has a lean-strong, twitchy frame at 5-foot-11, 175-pounds. From the right-side, he shows rhythm throughout with a smooth load and loose-quick hands. Open stance with flex in his lower half, barrel stays in the zone a long time, gap approach that flashes leverage to the pull side with an exit velocity of 83 mph. On the left side, Drake starts from an open stance before he turns inward, loading his hands back, then works on an uphill plane with an exit velocity of 83 mph. In the outfield, Drake gains ground on ground balls, working through the catch with quick footwork and clean exchange, throwing with a top velocity of 83 mph. Behind the plate he has soft hands, quick footwork, and a quick, clean exchange into a clean arm swing with a 76 mph velocity from the crouch of 2.01-2.12.

Jaggar Hebeisen, C/3B, Colleyville Heritage HS, 2021
Hebeisen is a switch hitter with a strong, projectable frame for a freshman at 6-foot-3, 210-pounds. From the right side he uses a toe-tap load to create a lot of leverage in his lower half with powerful weight transfer, loose-strong hands, and gap power with an exit velocity of 91 mph. Drive the ball really well to deep centerfield. From the left side, he creates lift from the middle to opposite field gap with a strong bottom hand and uphill path. Behind the plate, he has soft hands, clean exchange, in-line footwork, and loose arm swing with a 71 mph velocity from the crouch with 2.14-2.26 pop times. On the infield, Hebeisen has soft hands, quickish footwork and threw 74 mph across the infield.

Jacob Odom, C/SS, Anna HS, 2020
Odom has an athletic, lean-muscular frame at 5 foot 10, 162-pounds. The right-handed hitter starts from an open, crouched setup, then uses a quick leg kick while his hands stay relaxed. Simple weight shift to rotate to contact. Slight front arm bar, uphill path,  and quickish hands produced a mix of line drives and ground balls from the middle to pull side with an exit velocity of 81 mph. Behind the plate he posted pop times of 2.22-2.4 seconds. Good carry in a loose arm swing with a velocity from the crouch of 75 mph. Blocked really well during the bullpens, moves with athleticism and bounces on dirt balls.

Cole Ketzner, C/1B, Magnolia HS, 2020  
6-foot, 195-pound, strong, sturdy frame. The right-handed hitter starts from a tall, relaxed stance. Smooth load back into a short stride. Lands balanced, loose hands, slight from arm bar, flat path, good extension through contact with strong hands, gap power with more to come, and an exit velocity of 92 mph. On the infield, Ketzner has soft hands, quickish footwork, and throws from a short arm stroke with accuracy at 74 mph across the diamond. Behind the plate, Ketzner has directional footwork, a quick exchange, throws with a short arm stroke from a high slot, and pop times of 2.11-2.26 with a velocity from the crouch of 76 mph.

Noah Kirkpatrick, C/OF, Marcus HS, 2020
6-foot, 175-pound, projectable frame. The right-handed hitter starts from a tall, open stance, simple load, short stride, quick-strong hands, hard contact, line-drive power with an exit velocity of 84 mph. Behind the plate, Kirkpatrick has good mobility in his lower half, soft hands, relaxed exchange, directional footwork, and a clean arm stroke with a 73 mph velocity from the crouch and 2.15-2.35 pop times.

Keaton Urioste, C/RHP, Cinco Ranch HS, 2020
6-foot, 165-pounds. Urioste has a smooth left-handed swing, starting from a tall stance then pushing using and early load with a relaxed leg kick, landing balanced. Short, inside-out path with quick hands, line drive power, and an exit velocity of 76 mph. Balanced swing, simple weight shift, good barrel awareness, and loose finish. Behind the plate, Urioste has a clean exchange, quick footwork and accurate, loose arm with a 74 mph velocity from the crouch with pop times of 2.18-2.25.

Ian Collier, C/3B, Trinity Christian Academy, 2021
5-foot-11, 160-pounds. The right-handed hitter starts from a wide stance, then pushes back into a leg kick as his hands trigger back and down. Loose hands, inside-out path, good barrel lag through the zone with an exit velocity of 88 mph. On the infield, he has quickish footwork, soft hands, and does a nice job of playing out in front. Clean exchange to the midline, accurate arm with a clean arm swing from a ¾ slot at 73 mph. Behind the plate, Collier has good lower half mobility with easy footwork. Throws with high end accuracy to second with a 70 mph velocity from the crouch and pop times of 2.22-2.38.

Johnny Follett, C/RHP, Prestonwood Christian Academy, 2020
5-foot-11, 170-pounds. The right-handed hitter starts from an open, crouched stance with deep flex in his lower half. Loads back with a reverse leg lift as he pinches his knees together and triggers his hands back into a slight front arm bar before striding forward. Gains ground with his back leg to transfer weight as he slots the barrel in the zone with lag. Maintains upper body posture as the barrel works on an uphill plane to create lift and leverage. Aggressive approach, strong hands, and an exit velocity of 80 mph. Behind the plate, Follett has good mobility in his lower half, gains ground with directional footwork as he exchanges the ball into a quick arm swing with top velocity of 77 mph from the crouch and pop times of 2.12-2.2.

Ryne Godbey, C/OF, Whitewright HS, 2020
Godbey has a strong frame for a sophomore at 5-foot-11, 170-pounds. The left-handed hitter starts from a balanced setup with the bat sitting on his back shoulder. Loads back with a high leg lift as he triggers his hands back and up, slightly coiling his upper body before getting his front foot down early. Hip slide weight transfer, fast hands, uphill path with strong contact and an exit velocity of 83 mph off the tee. Shows some pop to the pull side gap with more to come in the future. Behind the plate, Godbey works through the ball with rhythm, soft hands, an 83 mph velocity from the crouch and pop times of 2.25-2.39 with accuracy.