Danny
Oriente

4.18.16 - Louisville commit, ranked No. 12 in Illinois. 5-foot-11, 190-pound right-handed hitting outfielder with a solid lower half. Continued to show he is one of the better hitters in the 2016 class. Barreled three balls on the day. Balanced athletic setup, compact swing, short to the baseball and advanced approach; all three of his hits went to different parts of the field and all were line drives. Plays hard and with energy. In the outfield, short arm action with strength; true flight and flashed carry. Final line – 3-for-4, RBI, 2R, SB.

1st Team All State:Oriente, ranked No. 15 in Illinois’ 2016 class, has long been lauded as one of the top hitter’s in the state of Illinois, and college baseball powerhouse Louisville noticed, offering the Downers Grove South catcher/outfielder a scholarship. Oriente led the Mustangs to a 30-6 final record, losing to Plainfield North in the Romeoville Sectional Championship. He hit an astounding .560 this spring, with 25 extra-base hits (15 doubles, eight triples, two home runs), while driving in 39, scoring 35 runs, walking 12 times, and stealing 13 bags. Perhaps the most impressive stat is that Oriente struck out three times all year long in 121 plate appearances. He posted a .614 OBP, .899 slugging percentage, and a 1.515 OPS to boot.

5/1/15 - 5-foot-11, 190-pound right-handed hitting C/OF, strong lower half, quick twitch hands, ranked No. 15 in Illinois’ 2016 class, No. 187 overall. Oriente has drawn comparisons to former Providence Catholic and Indiana standout Sam Travis (Boston Red Sox draft pick) for his hitting prowess. Hits from an open, crouched setup, short stride, slight leg kick, hands start around the letters, load back smoothly, impresses in staying on balance on all types of pitches, at press time had not struck out yet this season, very little swing and miss in his game. Short, compact swing, slightly uphill path, natural lift to swing, power potential. In this game was 3-for-4 at the plate, singled hard on the ground between third and short on a curveball, impressing with aggressive hack at breaking pitch. Singled hard between first and second baseman, also singled hard up the middle on a bad hop to shortstop’s left. Great presence in the box, relaxed, good takes, tracks ball into catcher’s glove each pitch. Defensively, impressed with hands behind the plate. Has the speed (7.08 runner) to play a corner outfield position at the Division-I level. Like Travis, future could also be at an infield corner with power profile. Pop times behind the plate ranged from 2.14-2.23 between innings, not due to lack of arm strength (up to 86 mph this winter from OF). Longer takeaway in arm swing loses some time on throws to second, but good carry and accuracy. Arm would play across the diamond at 3B or in the outfield. If he shortens it up a little, catching could still be a possibility. Oriente is one of the top available bats in the Midwest, and could receive draft interest in the spring of 2016 based on his hitting ability. He’s a potential high-level Division-I impact bat.

8/1/14 - Oriente had a great three days, starting with running a 7.08 60, throwing 84 mph from the outfield, and producing 98 mph exit velocity during Thursday’s workouts.  He took an impressive round of batting practice, spraying line drives from gap-to-gap from an open, crouched stance, where he starts his hands low and crowds the dish.  Oriente went 2-for-6 at the plate over three games, showing a patient approach with three walks as well.  He filled out the stat sheet with an RBI, a run scored, and two stolen bases as well.

6/10/14 - Ranked No. 18 in Illinois’ 2016 class, and No. 63 overall in PBR’s coverage area. 6-foot, 180 pound solid, muscular build. Physically advanced for age, offensive minded catcher. Offensively, hit from a slightly open stance with patient approach. Bat speed uncommon for age, definite power potential.  Two-for-three on the day with barreled line drive single to left in first at bat, and RBI-double down the left field line in third at bat.  Defensively, catch-and-throw skills lag behind bat.  Showed better arm strength than earlier in the year, but throwing error to first on fielded bunt in front of home.  Chased down runner on drop third strike (possibly reluctant to have to throw again).  Crow hops/creates too much distance before throw down to second, taking up valuable time to get rid of ball.  Arm showed improved carry to bases in pregame.  2.18-2.42 in between innings, no shot to throw out Gleaves at second late in game due to bad pitch to handle  Great throw to third, nearly nabbing Piesker on double steal (was 1.8 on throw to third).  High level bat to follow in 2016 class.

4/24/14 Ranked No. 18 in Illinois’ 2016 class, and No. 63 overall in PBR’s coverage area. 6-foot, 180 pound solid, muscular build. Physically advanced for age, offensive minded catcher. Offensively, hit from a slightly open stance with patient approach. Bat speed uncommon for age, definite power potential. Lined out to second in first at bat, grounded out hard to short twice (reached on an error), and singled in final at bat. Looks to lift, but pitched around a majority of the day. Defensively, stuck pitches well, and works to block with men on base. Arm strength wavered in game. In pregame flashed 2.18-2.32 pop times. In game, more in the 2.4-2.5 range as Lyon’s took advantage with several stolen bases. Struggled coming up out of the crouch and keeping his legs underneath him, throwing mostly with his arm. Arm action showed length in back, release appeared quicker in pregame warm-ups.

4/10/14 - One of the top 2016 prospects in the state, the physically impressive Oriente looks very comfortable behind the plate, but his right-handed swing looks to be a difference-maker.  The 6-foot, 180-pound athlete was 2-for-4 on the day with 2 RBI.  Oriente hits from a slightly open setup, he showed smooth rhythm and timing at the plate, facing 86-89 mph fastballs. He laced two singles to left field.

Oriente showed as an impressive Class of 2016 two-way player. On the mound, Oriente sat at 73-75 mph with a clean arm action. Behind the plate, Oriente exhibited an accurate, solid arm with a pop time of 2.41. Oriente also showcased an advanced defensive approach while receiving during bullpens. Offensively, the 5-foot-8, 170-pound player exhibited some bat speed and juice. Oriente found the barrel consistently and hit line drives.