South Houston Preseason ID: Quick Hits

Victor Coronado SS / RHP / Lutheran South Academy , TX / 2025

Cameron Kern RHP / OF / Clear Falls, TX / 2026

One of the pitchers that stood out on the day was Kern. The freshman from Clear Falls HS did the entire workout and did well, but when he stepped on the mound you could tell that is where he is most confident.  He filled up the zone with his fb that topped out at 80.3. It is a clean motion that he repeated well and the arm works well. As he continues to get stronger that number will make some big jumps.  He showed supreme confidence in his changeup that he threw in the 75-76 range with good sinking and fading action on it. He could throw it for a strike whenever he wanted it to.  He mixed in an upper 60’s breaking ball that had good shape.  As he gets stronger and can throw the pitch with more power, it will become a real weapon for him.  It will be fun to follow Kern as he continues to get stronger, as he has a good feel for pitching already.

Justin Pitcher RHP / OF / Clear Brook , TX / 2026

Another freshman arm that really stood out was Pitcher. The Righty from Clear Brook has broad shoulders and a frame to dream on. He had good mechanics, with a clean, efficient arm path.  His fastball topped out at 85.2, and there is more coming. He has a quick arm and generated his velocity with minimal effort.  He threw a slider as well, it is still inconsistent but when he gets out front with it, he throws it in the mid 70’s and has late bite to it.  His best secondary offering was his changeup. He threw it in the mid 70’s and showed quality command of it.  He threw it with good arm speed and out of the same slot as his fastball. Pitcher also took a good round of BP, showing his twitchiness in the batter’s box.  Pitcher is going to see his stock rise as he continues to get in front of people, as he is a good athlete on the mound with a good frame.

Kolin Swindall RHP / SS / Alvin, TX / 2025

I saw Swindall at the end of the fall and he showed a good arm and had the potential for 3 above avg pitches.  He showed up this past weekend with cleaner mechanics and was in the strike zone much more consistently. He peaked at 86.1 with his velocity on his fastball, and sat 84-85 the entire time.  He generated spin numbers up to 2450 rpm on his fastball and had a max IVM of 22.9''. His breaking stuff as taken a big jump since the fall. He spun some north of 2700 rpm's  with good two plane movement.  His changeup also showed progression. He commanded it better and threw it in the upper 70's with good arm speed.  Swindall has all the tools to be a high end arm, as he continues to refine his mechanics and consistently be in the zone, his stock will continue to rise 

Luke McLeod OF / RHP / Hardin-Jefferson, TX / 2025

Another player I got my first look at was McLeod, and the sophomore from the Golden Triangle area was impressive on the mound.  The 6’1 RHP has broad shoulders and frame to dream on.  His fastball got up to 86.2 and stayed 85-86 the entire time.  He threw a 4 & 2 seam fastball, they held similar velocities but they played differently. His 4 seam had good riding action and played up the zone, while his 2 seam showed good ASR and he was able to sink it some.  He mixed in a breaking ball and split as well. He threw the breaker in the high 70’s with quality depth and shape.  He also threw a split, that he commanded well for his age, was able to kill the spin, and he buried it at the back of the plate.  McLeod also ran a 7.17 60 and was 91 from the OF during defensive drills.  At the plate, McLeod had a max exit velocity of 92.4 with some loft in his swing.  McLeod does a lot of things well on the baseball field, and as he continues to fill out his frame, he is going to see his velocity have a big up tick.

Matthew Scott C / 3B / Paetow, TX / 2025

Scott had a quality day on both sides of the ball. The LHH catcher from Katy showed really good receiving skills and the willingness to block.  He registered pop times in the 2.07-2.18 range with quick feet and a good transfer. As his arm continues to get stronger that number will continue to improve.  Offensively, Scott had a quality round of bp, hitting multiple balls 90+. He has a repeatable swing, that he stays balanced with throughout.  There is some slight loft in his swing, and as he gets stronger should develop some pull side power.  Scott is a high energy player who wants to keep getting better, and I am excited to check in on him later in the spring/summer. 

Devin Nunez 2B / OF / Navasota, TX / 2024

The biggest winner on the day for me was Nunez. It was my first time seeing him, and he showed well in all areas. He started by running a 6.83 60 showing good athleticism, and then during the defensive portion he looked good in both the outfield and infield.  The infield is his primary home and he showed the range and footwork to stay up the middle, and showed a quality arm that was 85 across the diamond.  He also looked clean in the OF and could play there comfortably if needed.  At the plate Nunez showed + bat speed from the left side and produced mid 90’s exit velo’s. Nunez is a strong kid with a lot of twitch in his game.  I expect he will be one of the bigger risers throughout the spring and summer.