The Prep Baseball Report MN Preseason Underclass event took place on Saturday, March 17, 2018. The event was held at the Vadnais Sports Center in Vadnais Heights, MN. The event featured prospects from the 2020 & 2021 grad classes; and included many breakout performances from this year's participants. 

There were a number of great individual performances this year at the MN Preseason Underclass.

As we drill down into the statistics:

+  38 players ran sub-7.2 60's.
+  29 players recorded 85+ mph exit velocities
+  17 players recorded 80+ mph infield throws
+  24 players recorded 80+ mph outfield throws
+  11 catchers recorded 70+ mph throws to second base
+  11 catchers recorded sub-2.1 pop times
+  39 pitchers were 80+ mph on the mound

CLICK HERE TO VIEW COMPLETE STATISTICS IN PDF FORMAT.

Below we have listed the evaluations for the catchers in attendance at the event. Check back at the end of the week; as we will release a list of the Top Prospects in attendance.

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catcher Evaluations

Jonathan Bunce, C, Edina, 2020
6-foot-2, 210-pound right-handed hitting catcher. Tall physical frame that will continue to add size and strength. 7.5 runner. Square crouched stance, body load, changes eye levels in swing, flashed hard contact, consistently worked middle of field, line drive and fly ball approach, 80 mph exit velocity. Above avg. blocker, projectable frame behind plate, has momentum and direction on throws, above avg. arm strength, accurate to bag, 78 mph arm strength with 1.9-2.03 pop times.

Dominic Dehmer, C, Monticello, 2020
5-foot-6, 140-pound left-handed hitting catcher. 7.51 runner. Square crouched stance, body load, avg. rhythm in swing, slashy line drive approach, consistently squared baseball, 71 mph exit velocity. Flexible behind plate, deeper crouch, low arm slot, elevate throws to bag, some raw characteristics but should continue to improve with reps, 66 mph arm strength with 2.25-2.34 pop times.

Joe Feck, C, Eau Claire North (WI), 2020
5-foot-8, 155-pound right-handed hitting catcher. 7.82 runner. Square stance, body load, knee to knee trigger, line drive swing plane, line drive and ground ball contact, mid/pull approach, 82 mph exit velocity. Present strength, clean exchanges, quicker feet, avg. receiver, late glove presentation and loses low pitch, 71 mph arm strength with 2.00-2.13 pop times.

Nick Friedges, C, South St. Paul, 2020
5-foot-8, 145-pound left-handed hitting catcher. Friedges is still a significant way away physically, but the foundation that he showcases should allow him to make big jumps once he gets stronger. The left-handed hitting catcher has a relaxed rhythm at the plate and a smooth stroke. His load works fluently down and back with a minor leg kick before the barrel works slightly uphill through the zone with a loose, two-handed finish. He demonstrated to hit line drives to all fields. Behind the plate, he featured looser hips and soft hands, and was able to produce pop times as low as 2.0.

Henry Gathje, C, Chatfield, 2021
5-foot-10, 165-pound right-handed hitting catcher. 7.2 runner. Lean frame with wiry strength, leg kick trigger with shoulder load, launch angle oriented swing, spray contact with flashes of pop in bat, 80 mph exit velocity. Flexible with mobility behind plate, blocks ball well, inconsistent receiver, aggressive through plate, low arm slot, elevated throws to bag, 72 mph arm strength with 2.2-2.28 pop times.

Jacob Gorden, C, Farmington, 2020
5-foot-11, 185-pound right-handed hitting catcher. 7.88 runner. Square stance, body load, quiet actions into hitting slot, steep lift in swing plane, looks to elevate baseball with avg. rate of contact, spray contact with fly ball approach, 82 mph exit velocity. Balanced stance, quick feet for size, has momentum through plate, low arm slot, sinking action on throws, strong receiving glove, sticks pitches in zone, 68 mph arm strength with 2.19-2.5 pop times.

Sam Hunt, C, St. Louis Park, 2021
6-foot-2, 190-pound switch hitting catcher. #46 ranked in PBR Overall for the 2021 class. Recent Vanderbilt commit. 7.2 runner. Looked the part from both sides of the plate. Flat barrel through the zone and he has the strength to drive the ball deep into the gap now, and projects for much more power in the future. While the frame is solid, it is not yet mature, with more growth to come. Strong receiver and had pop times of 1.88-2.06. It’s rare to see that much lag in the zone for a young kid, and the fact that he can do it from both sides is very impressive.

Branden Huwe, C, Lakeville North, 2020
5-foot-9, 150-pound right-handed hitting catcher. 7.84 runner. Square crouched stance, rolling hand load, aggressive swinger, line drive contact, solid present strength, spins off at contact occasionally, mid/pull approach,79 mph exit velocity. flexible behind plate, good hands, avg. receiver, balls beats glove to spot occasionally, has momentum through plate on throws, some hitch in arm action, 69 mph arm strength with 2.29-2.47 pop times.

Drew Lingen, RHP/C, Rochester John Marshall, 2021
6-foot-2, 178-pound right-handed hitting 2-way player. Longer frame with physical build for age. 7.52 runner. Early body load, hovers over back leg, aggressive swinger, uses gaps well, shows strength in bat with flashes of pop, mid/pull approach with fly ball contact, 84 mph exit velocity. Higher stance, avg. sequence and timing with lower and upper half, quick release, has strength in hands to receive, avg. mobility, projectable frame and strength and should continue to improve as he matures, 71 mph arm strength with 2.06-2.21 pop times.

Derek Marrier, C, Woodbury, 2021
5-foot-10, 150-pound right-handed hitting catcher. 7.5 runner. Crouched stance, pre-set weight, line drive swing plane, tends to push hands through zone, avg. contact with gap to gap approach, 74 mph exit velocity. Long frame with room for continued growth, short guarded arm action, elevated throws, some length to exchange, solid blocking ability, requires additional strength to consistently receive, 66 mph arm strength with 2.26-2.36 pop times.

Aiden Oates, C, Rosemount, 2021
5-foot-11, 150-pound right-handed hitting catcher. 7.12 runner. Open stance, easy load, consistently squares baseball, good hand/eye coordination, whippy swing with line drive and fly ball contact, 75 mph exit velocity. Low stance, clean exchange, good hands behind plate, long arm action, mobile to block, avg. receiver that should improve with strength and reps, 68 mph arm strength with 2.25-2.51 pop times.

Matt Olive, C/RHP, Blake School, 2020
5-foot-11, 185-pound right-handed hitting 2-way player. Olive, a 6-foot, 185-pound, durably-built catcher/pitcher showcased quick hands at the plate and a strong arm throughout the workout. Using a leg kick to work his hands down and back, Oliver works uphill through the zone on a direct path. He demonstrated gap to gap power along with a 91 mph exit velocity off the tee. Still developing some as a receiver behind the plate, Olive’s arm strength allowed him to produce pop times between 2.05-2.10. As he continues to improve his transfer and footwork, that number should go down even lower. On the mound, the strong right-hander ran his fastball up to 85 mph as he remained compact throughout the delivery before giving way to a loose arm swing and quick hand speed out front. I really liked the way Olive swung the bat, and he should continue to progress throughout the spring which will make him a player to follow this summer.

James Pfarr, C/RHP, DeLaSalle, 2020
6-foot, 165-pound right-handed hitting 2-way player. 7.43 runner. Balance stance, strides slightly across body, lower hand slot, gap to gap approach, consistently squares baseball, solid line drive contact, 81 mph exit velocity. Flexible behind plate, shows athleticism and body control, clean exchanges to throw, confident blocker, sticks pitches in zone, 76 mph arm strength with 1.9-2.09 pop times.

Will Rogers, C, Mounds View, 2021
5-foot-11, 170-pound right-handed hitting catcher. 7.6 runner. Athletic build with wiry present strength, body load, slight arm bar, mid/away contact, line drive and fly ball approach, strong for age with solid bat speed, flashes pop in bat, 89 mph exit velocity. Overall one of top 2021 players in attendance, athletic behind plate, mobile to block, receives pitches well, sticks strikes  in zone, works through plate, has body control, clean arm action, accurate to bag, 75 mph arm strength with 1.95-2.07 pop times.

Tyler Rueckert, C, Prior Lake, 2020
5-foot-11, 165-pound right-handed hitting catcher. 7.78 runner. Open stance, leg kick trigger, short to contact, consistent hard line drive and fly ball contact, routinely squares baseball, shows hitting ability, 83 mph exit velocity. Mobile behind plate, solid blocker, sways well centering baseball, inconsistent receiver, should improve with added strength, works through plate, has direction, clean exchanges, online throws to bag, 71 mph arm strength with 2.01-2.2 pop times.

Carter Tibbits, C/RHP, Wayzata, 2020
6-foot, 180-pound right-handed hitting 2-way player. Solid build with present strength. 7.39 runner. Narrow open stance, linear actions, dive bomb hitter, some length to contact with arm bar, above avg. round of bp, hard mid/pull contact, easy actions in box, generates bat speed with pop in bat, 91 mph exit velocity. Sure hands, has body sway and works ball back to middle of plate, smothers ball in front well on blocks, has momentum through plate, long release, shows solid arm strength, 76 mph arm strength with 2.00-2.07 pop times.

Fred Zach, C, Eden Prairie, 2020
6-foot, 188-pound right-handed hitting catcher. 7.52 runner. Square stance, body load, raw strength in bat, hook contact, pull approach, line drive and fly ball contact, clean path with some stiffness after contact, 84 mph exit velocity. Shows receiving ability, strong glove, sticks pitches in zone, has mobility behind plate. Has momentum through plate, long exchange and release, elevated throws to bag, 67 mph arm strength with 2.07-2.27 pop times.