Nicholas
Castellana

Niagra commit. 6-foot-3, 190-pound right-handed hitter starts from a slightly open stance and utilizes a lift-and-replace stride to begin. Stays in legs well with a middle of the field approach while consistently creating back spin. Registered a bat exit velocity of 92 mph and ran a 7.56 60-yard dash. Displayed athleticisim behind the dish with quick feet and pop times of 2.07-2.11 on throws of 80 mph from the crouch.

Call to the Hall (July 24, 2018)

Well built 6-foot-2 190 pound frame; the RHH catcher ran a 7.27 60.  Offensively- Slight lean over the belt from the waist up; uses a toe-tap from a shoulder width setup; slight take back for a load with hands starting close the head. Compact to the ball with positive extension and weight transfer through the zone. Plenty of line drives with a mix of power. Raw exit velocity was 90 MPH. Defensively- Athletic setup behind the plate; gains ground on transfer with throws maintaining carry out of the hand. Clean exchange and release with on-the-bag accuracy. Pop times ranged from 2.06-2.12 with arm strength at 73 MPH. The Niagara commit continues to be a steady all-around performer.

Preseason - West (February 19, 2018)

Standing 6-foot-2, 190-pounds with a strong athletic appearance, ideal size behind the plate. In the box he uses a slightly open stance, very relaxed setup, strides back to even on the pitch. Hands are strong and aggressive, powers inside the ball on a mostly level barrel plane, at times there is some slight lift, full shoulder high extension, 90 mph exit velocity off a tee and he is just scratching the surface with the bat, chance to be a very special catching prospect with the bat. Behind the dish it's very clear he has put the time in to become one of the top 2020 catchers in the state. Wide soft setup, quick footwork and glove to hand transfer, throws have plenty of strength behind them at 75 mph with an impressive 1.93 pop-time. Sky is the limit for the WNY catching prospect.

WNY All-Star Games (September 24, 2017)

Checks in at a physical 6-foot-2 190 pounds. Offensively- Slightly open setup, getting back to event with stride. Explosive lower half with some lift in his swing to the pull side. Exit velocity was 83 MPH.  Defensively- Quick feet on his pop step; accurate throws with a bit of a recoil after release limiting his arm extension and carry. Peak velocity was 69 MPH.

Future Games (August 2-5, 2017)

Physically impressive 6-foot-2 190 pound catcher who ran a 7.44 60. Offensively- Upright setup with feet event and some moderate bat waggle early on. Short take back of the hands while gaining ground on the stride. Flashed some gap ability; exit velocity of 82 MPH. Defensively- Exchanges feet well gaining positive ground. Slight delay after transfer into throwing action but was accurate with throws. Pop times ranged from 2.14-2.25 with a peak arm strength of 72 MPH. Wide base setup in secondary, able to chest balls in the dirt with ease. Strong physical presence behind the plate.

NY Games (June 25-27, 2017)

Sturdy 6-foot-1, 170-pound catcher, ran a 7.31/60. Offensively - short to the ball with quick hands, brings bat through zone on level path, evidence of counter rotation that engages hips, further use of lower body will create more power. Defensively - sound fundamentally, squares well to the pitcher, stays low through the receiving process, accurate arm at 71 MPH with a POP times of 2.02-2.09.

WNY Travel Workout (January 16, 2017)

Castellana has a nice frame at 6-foot-1, 170 pounds. Registered a time of 4.39 seconds from home to first base. Offensively- Begins with a wide base and knees slightly bent. Hands are just above back shoulder with bat laid on shoulder. Uses a toe tap stride as hands load back. Weight shifts forward through contact. Hand path is short to ball and has strong extension through contact. Swing plane is flat and conducive to line drives. Had an exit velocity of 84 MPH off the tee. Defensively- Sets up low and comfortable in crouch. Quick feet that go directly towards target. Glove to hand transfer is quick and throws with a short arm action. Pop times ranged from 2.06-2.22 and 70 MPH throwing velocity. 

Preseason All-State (February 20, 2017)

Castellana, a 2020 right-handed hitting catcher, currently ranked as the 2nd best catching prospect for the class of 2020, stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs 170 pounds, 7.38 60. Offensively- Starts from a square balanced lower half, weight even with some slight bend in the knees, with the hands above the back shoulder and barrel of the bat parallel to the ground. Gets into the launch phase of the swing using a subtle shift of weight to the backside with the lead foot slightly lifting and striding moderately towards the pitcher while the hands are loaded straight back slightly getting outside the back shoulder. Displayed an ability to drive the ball well to the middle of the field, keeping the hands behind the rotation of the hips as well as showing glimpses of being able to be short and compact to the ball with the hands. At times allows the front hip to dominate causing a pulling action to the lead side which allows the hands to castaway slightly from the body on approach to the ball. Recorded and exit velocity of 83 MPH, impressive for a 2020 grad, and will surely continue to improve with some mechanical adjustments as the years go on.  Defensively-  Works from a hexagonal primary stance, knees wide angled out towards the bases, the receiving elbow is slightly outside the thigh area with the glove placed above the left shin guard. Received the ball with a quiet hand, however, could benefit from more hip and ankle movement on pitches to the corners. Uses a funneling technique on pitches to the lower third of the zone. On throws to second base, transfer was quick, efficient while taking place from the center of the body chest height. Throws were accurate but could improve carry with an ability to stay stronger with lead arm during the transition from the power position to release. Recorded and arm velocity of 71 MPH to go along with a top pop time of 2.06 on the day.