Spring Forward: Central VA Arms To Watch
December 19, 2018
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Last week as snow hit the commonwealth, there was no greater time than to bring back our Spring Forward series. We continue this week moving to central Virginia and take a look at arms to see this spring from around the area. We travel from WilliamRichmond to Charlottesville to Lynchburg with this installment.
In Alphabetical Order
Griffin Agee Jefferson Forest 2019 (Virginia)
Agee is a 2019 UVA commit. With one of the more projectable frames and makeups the senior left-hander is going to be intriguing to watch this year. With the help of his 86-90 MPH fastball and his mid 70's breaking ball the 6'5 200-pound pitcher undoubtedly looks, and is, the part. Agee will be the key piece in assisting Jefferson Forest to make a deep run in the spring.
One of the more interesting uncommitted seniors is RHP Eric Anderson. Anderson has shown a fastball that will comfortably pitch around 83-85 with occasional flashes of more. Anderson's biggest asset may be his breaking ball that has a sharp late 12-6 look to it that can gain plenty of swings and misses. He may very possibly be "the guy" this year for Hanover as they have unloaded almost all of their top arms from the last few dominant Hanover teams. This team may not be as experienced as years past, but Anderson may be the key to their success this spring.
Zane Eggleston Manchester 2019 (Longwood)
The Longwood commit brings some fire when he comes to the mound. Not only does he carry an 85-88 MPH fastball with him, he brings a certain presence or moxie as well. Eggleston likes to work quick on the mound and is very efficient with his mechanics. Pair those attributes with his competitiveness and he is going to be fun to watch for Manchester this year.
Brandon Eike Powhatan 2020 (Virginia Tech)
For the past two seasons Powhatan has been loaded with talent and upperclassmen, but there was one standout that is still left from the mass exodus of seniors. Brandon Eike. Eike is a true power pitcher that gets the most out of the body and arm. He is going to compete and come at you with his 85-88 MPH fastball, but still remains to be seen if he can be efficient enough to go deeper in games. The Virginia Tech commit is going to play a huge role on both sides of the ball for Powhatan this year.
Buck Forbes Prince George 2019 (Charleston, WV)
Forbes, a Charleston (WV) commit, isn't going to light up the radar gun, but he is going to challenge and force you to beat yourself every single pitch all game long. He is going to sit around 79-81 and touch a few 82's and 83's with a sweeping breaking ball. Coming off of a state championship win on the mound, Forbes is going to be very important if PG wants to make another run. With the losses of Tevin Tucker (WVU) and Michael Peterson (Longwood) the run totals may be down and it may be up to Forbes to help keep Prince George in a lot of games with his ability on the bump.
Camdton Furman Midlothian 2019
The Randolph-Macon commit has a big opportunity in front of him this year at Midlothian. With Conference 20 rebuilding off of talented senior classes at Powhatan, Dinwiddie, and Hanover, Midlothian could be poised to make a run for the 4B regional title. Furman possesses a fastball that sits around 85-86 with a 71 MPH breaking ball and a hard 75 MPH changeup. Midlothian will challenge this year if Furman can produce consistency on the mound.
Christian Gordon Liberty Christian Academy 2019 (Liberty)
With the loss of some key parts for LCA, Gordon will be looked upon to help carry them back to the state tournament after an early exit in regionals last year. The Liberty commit made a good jump in velo-over the last year and is now up to 90 MPH from the left side. With his ability to command two off-speed pitches with his plus fastball, look for Gordon to have a big year for LCA.
Casey Green Benedictine 2019 (Coastal Carolina)
Want to see a can't miss arm in Virginia? Well Green, a Coastal Carolina commit, is the guy you want to see. The 2019 RHP stands 6'5" and boasts an electric 88-91 MPH fastball with some room to gain velocity with added strength. Green has the ability to carry the Benedictine team deep into the tournament with his ability on the mound.
Zack Kennedy LC Bird 2019 (Randolph Macon)
Kennedy, a Randolph-Macon commit, has a heavy fastball that he throws around 82-85 MPH. Zack hides the ball well and is very deceptive in his drop and drive delivery. He is a big kid that has some room to add some strength on an already strong body. Zack uses his sharp late breaking curveball at 72-74 as his second best pitch. His ability to attack hitters will ultimately be an important factor to the type of year that Kennedy and the Skyhawks have.
Patrick Routsis St. Christopher's 2019 (ODU)
Routsis, an ODU commit, is coming off of a great summer where he climbed in the velocity up to 90. He is going to sit around 86-88, but will definitely touch some 90's and maybe a little higher come spring. He is an athletic young man that carried a quick arm to allow for his pace while on the mound. There is some effort in the delivery, but Routsis has shown the ability to carry the velocity deeper in games. If he can be efficient with the offspeed and spin the breaker consistently he will be one to watch when the VISAA tourney comes around.
Andrew Weight Cosby 2019 (JMU)
There aren't many times in high school baseball that you can go see a pitching prospect that is able to spin multiple breaking balls consistently with effective arm speed, but Weight gives us a chance to see that when he toes the rubber. While he has a fastball that has flashed an 87 before he is going to pitch in the 83-85 range, but it is his ability to repeat his offspeed pitches and pair them with the fastball that makes him so effective. The JMU commit has a good curveball; however he will turn to the slider as his out pitch. Cosby should be the head of the class in the old central region this year as long as they can get some good outings from their pitching staff and that should start with Andrew Weight.
Andrew Ward Fluvanna 2020 & Kevin Ward Fluvanna 2020
Andrew and Kevin, identical twins, stand around 6'2" 225 pounds and are LHP's. Both are exceptional two-way players for Fluvanna who will spend most of their time on the mound for the Flucos. Andrew, the harder thrower of the two, has a fastball that sits around 84-87 MPH and has flashed 88 MPH at times. Andrew possesses a swing and miss slider that is his go to pitch. Kevin on the other hand cannot run it up on the radar gun as well, but has great pitchability. He has a good understanding of the game and handles himself well when the lights are on. Fastball stays consistently around 82-85. Kevin's biggest attribute is his ability to throw three pitches for strikes and use them in any count. These two will be vital to the success of the Flucos if they are looking to make a run in Division 3.
Woolfolk, the #1 ranked 2021 in Virginia, is easily one of the most exciting two way players in the state, but it will be his ability on the mound that will be a huge help to Benedictine this spring. The 6' supreme athlete has a fastball that sits 86-88 and can run it up to 90 at times, but his efficiency on the mound and feel for a swing and miss breaking ball is what separates him from the pack.
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