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By John Nolan
Assistant Director of Scouting/Content Management 

Prep Baseball Report hosted its annual Super 60 on Sunday, February 7 in the suburbs of Chicago. Over 60 of the top high school seniors from around our coverage areas showcased their talent in front of well over 100 scouts and player development personnel. Unfortunately, none of the Class of 2016 from Virginia/DC participated in the event this year after Nate Eikhoff (MIF, Virginia) and Stevie Mangrum (OF, Virginia Tech) represented us in well 2015. With next year already on our minds, we want to think ahead to some members of the Class of 2017 who are likely to be good candidates to participate in the Super 60 as well as a few sleepers.

Conor Hartigan, OF, Millbrook (Coastal Carolina)
Hartigan is toolsy outfielder who can pretty much do anything that he wants to on the field. He is tall with a big, athletic frame. He has very real speed, a big arm, and the ability to hit for average and a lot of power potential.

Hunter Perdue, RHP, Grassfield (Virginia)
Perdue has a prototypical pro prospect’s frame and showed velocity and stuff during the 2015 that would have fit right in at this year’s Super 60. For Perdue to be a good candidate for the 2017 Super 60, he will simply need to continue along the path of his development.

Mikey Polansky, 3B, Hickory (Virginia Tech)
Polansky has an incredibly fast bat and can put on a show in a batting practice round. He has the ability to be a solid third basemen, but his most valuable tool is the power projection that his left-handed swing offers.

Anthony Simonelli, RHP, Millbrook (Coastal Carolina)
Simonelli has a prototypical pro pitcher’s frame. The big righty throws from a higher arm slot and has already show upper-80s velocity with the potential to tick up into the 90s this year. He has advanced stuff and will push Perdue for the honor of top ranked arm in Virginia’s Class of 2017 this year.

Tyler Solomon, C, Battlefield (Vanderbilt)
Solomon is currently the ninth-ranked catcher in the Prep Baseball Report overall Class of 2017 Rankings. Solomon is a switch hitter with big power potential from both sides of the plate. His bat would have played at this year’s Super 60 and the next step for him in his development is to continue to refine his skills behind the plate.

 
Sleepers
Andrew Abbott, LHP, Halifax County (Virginia)
How can the state’s sixth ranked player that is committed to the defending National Champions be a sleeper for the Super 60? Because he hasn’t shown the velocity that we expect to come yet. Abbott has a great frame, is very athletic, and has a good arm action. He has an advanced feel for how to pitch and the makings of very good stuff. If his fastball velocity kicks up a notch this year as we expect it to, then he will be a strong candidate for the 2017 Super 60.

Will Liverpool, RHP, McLean (West Virginia)
Liverpool has a lanky frame and a lightning fast arm. He has shown consistent mid-80s velocity in the past with the potential to pack on more as he fills out. Liverpool has flashed the makings of a pair of good off-speed pitches in his changeup and breaking ball. If his velocity ticks up and his secondary offerings continue to develop and improve in consistency, then Liverpool immediately becomes a pro prospect and a candidate to make the trip to Chicago in 2017.

Nick Stewart, RHP, Rock Ridge
Stewart is young for the 2017 class and he has one of the most projectable frames in the Commonwealth and a quick arm action to go with a very good breaking ball. He currently works in the mid-80s but has the potential for a lot more velocity than that. If his velocity ticks up in the next year, he fits the definition of what pro scouts look for in big righties.

Kyle Whitten, RHP, Osbourn Park (Virginia)
Whitten rounds out this group of pitchers and follows the same theme that they have. He has shown mid-80s velocity with a very clean delivery and a quick arm action to go with a lanky, projectable frame. He has a plus-potential offspeed pitch in his slider. If Whitten’s fastball, like those of everyone else in this group of sleepers, can tick up a couple notches in the next 51 weeks, then he too would be a strong candidate to make the trip to Chicago for the Super 60.