The 16u BCS Finals tournament got off to a terrific start on Thursday morning. On the backfields behind Jet Blue Park a number of players, including some recent Junior National participants, impressed.

Cole Brannen (2017, Elko, Ga.) is an ultra-athletic outfielder that is currently committed to Georgia Southern. The 6-foot, 170-pound rising junior has been clocked as low as 6.52 in the 60-yard dash at a Perfect Game Event (the Sunshine Southeast Showcase in late May), and he carries that athleticism out with him in the field. He performed well at the Junior National Showcase over a week ago, and on Thursday morning he again displayed strong instincts in center field, making a good read off the bat and taking an efficient route to chase down a sinking line drive in right-center field. Brannen then had the wherewithal to throw back to first base to nab the baserunner who had been running on contact for a double play. Brannen also swung the bat well from the left side, showing the ability to sting the ball to all parts of the park, with a lineout to shortstop, hard fly ball to deep center field, and a sharp groundout to second base.

Brannen’s Chain National teammate, Zack Brockman (2017, Savannah, Ga.), was not a Junior National participant, but the righthanded pitcher was very solid in his six innings of work. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound rising junior has an athletic build and a well-paced delivery. While there is some late energy at release, Brockman maintains solid balance for much of his delivery, and offers a clean, loose arm-action to a high three-quarters arm slot. His fastball, clocked up to 85 mph, and sitting in the 81-84 mph range, had good arm-side run and showed good sinking action when located down in the zone. It was a very tough pitch for opposing hitters to barrel, and when he got into a rhythm and started to command the offering it showed the makings of a very effective pitch. Brockman also showed a pretty good feel for spinning in a curveball with 11-to-5 shape and good depth and developing confidence and good arm speed in a mid-70s changeup that showed solid potential when located down in the strike zone. He struck out six over his six innings, earning the win.

On an adjacent field, a number of Lakeside Legends played very well. Brendan Murphy (Mundelein, Ill.), another Junior National Showcase participant, took to the mound for Lakeside to start the game. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound southpaw is extremely projectable as he offers long limbs and a loose, clean arm action on an athletic, well-proportioned frame. Working from a three-quarters arm slot, the currently uncommitted Murphy uses a slight hip turn and shows a good feel for repeating his deceptive delivery. While his fastball sat more in the 80-84 mph range on Thursday, he has more in the tank, and the ball really jumps on hitters late as he has a deep stride off of the rubber. The heater shows really good life in the lower half of the strike zone, with arm-side run and late sinking action. Murphy also worked in a very good changeup in the low- to mid-70s. He did a great job of maintaining fastball arm speed on the pitch, and the offering showed good fade and dive below the zone—it showed the potential to be a true out-pitch. Finally, Murphy also showed good feel for spinning a breaking ball, a sweeping pitch with 2-to-8 break and some depth. He was able to locate all three pitches effectively and work to both sides of the plate, allowing him to strike out seven batters in his start.

Lakeside Legends’ center fielder Brad Czerniejewski (2017, Lake Forest, Ill.) was yet another Junior National Showcase participant. While he wasn’t really tested in center field on the day, Czerniejewski, like the aforementioned Cole Brannen, has top-notch athleticism, turning in a 6.64 60-yard dash time last week. The athleticism was clearly evident last weekend, but he showed solidly the plate on Thursday morning. Czerniejewski was thrown a lot of breaking balls early in the count, but he did a solid job of keeping his hands back and staying balanced. He was able to serve a slider on the outside part of the plate into right field for a single, showing an aptitude to make adjustments within game action that should excite both the coaches at TCU (where he is currently committed) and scouts alike.

Tyler Esplin (2017, Lake Bluff, Ill.), another Junior National Showcase participant, and Kevin Donahue (2017, Northfield, Ill.) also both swung the bats well for the Lakeside Legends. Both Esplin, a primary pitcher, and Donahue, a middle infielder, showed an aggressive approach at the plate, attacking fastballs early in the count. Donahue hit a double to left-center field and roped a single to center field. Both players warrant watching as the tournament continues.

At Terry Park in the later morning games the Easton Rockets 16u team really stood out. The team certainly looks the part, with 13 of the 20 players listed on the roster listed at 6-foot-1 or taller, an astounding number for players at such a young age.

However, the Easton Rockets 16u were not just “5 o’clock hitters” as their physicality showed up in game action. Michael Rothenberg (2017, Boca Raton, Fla.), a Duke commit and Junior National participant, had two solid hits. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound catcher doubled to left field in his first at-bat and showcased good balance and strong hands in his second at-bat, a single to right-center field on a breaking ball.

The physical, 6-foot-2, 205-pound Tarik Latchmansin (2017, Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) did well to lay off pitches outside the strike zone, walking in one plate appearance, and showcased his big-time strength when he did get a ball over the plate, ripping a double to left field with an exit velocity (measured by TrackMan) at 95 mph.

Also, Kristofer Armstrong (2018, Jupiter, Fla.) displayed potential on both sides of the ball, as the switch hitter stung a ball into left field for a single, and made a nice play at shortstop, rounding a slowly hit ball and working through it easily. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Armstrong is also a switch-pitcher, although he did not toe the rubber on Thursday.

Two other uncommitted Easton Rockets 16u players also impressed. Jerbari Brooks (2017, Jensen Beach, Fla.) was a rarity in the lineup, as an outfielder standing under 6-feet tall, but the compactly-built athletic lefthanded hitter shows a sweet stroke and ripped a double off the right field fence, rounding first base at 4.9 seconds.

Jack Iervolino (2017, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) ran his fastball up to 86 mph, working comfortably in the 80-84 mph range. The physical, 6-foot, 210-pound righty has a deceptive, compact arm-action and generates solid downhill plane from his overhand arm slot.

In the afternoon session, FTB Pride stole the show. Lefthander Logan Allen (2017, Deltona, Fla.) and righthander Altoon Coleman (2017, Sanford, Fla.) combined to throw a no-hitter in FTB’s win over the Florida Canes.

At 5-foot-9, 150-pounds Allen won’t often be mistaken for recent Boston Red Sox draftee Logan Allen of IMG Academy, but he showed a similarly advanced feel for pitching. Allen, an Alabama State commit, worked very quickly and got into a tremendous rhythm in the early going. He has a simple yet deceptive delivery with a hip turn, and a long, loose arm action. Working with a fastball in the 82-86 mph range, Allen pounded the strike zone often, and showed an advanced ability to locate the pitch to both sides of the plate. The compact southpaw also worked in a very good breaking ball with solid depth. At times the offering showed 1-to-7 shape with more traditional curveball break and at others it was a more sweeping pitch with 2-to-8 tilt, but both varieties showed good, sharp bite and solid potential. He struck out nine over his four innings of work largely based off of the quality of both offerings, and his ability to locate and mix pitches effectively.

Coleman offers a different look than Allen, as the Florida State commit is listed at 6-foot-2, 215-pounds. The strong-bodied rising junior missed the Junior National Showcase with a minor injury, but he showed little rust on Thursday. Coleman showed solid command of his fastball, which ranged from 86-91 mph and generally sat in the 87-89 mph band, and good feel for a breaking ball with three-quarters slider tilt and good bite with gloveside finish.

In the evening dozens of players, a couple from each team, competed in a Home Run Derby and Fastest Man Challenge—measured by a 60-yard dash.

The Home Run Derby format allowed for each entrant to have ten total swings. While a number of players were able to muscle out one home run, Trey Becerra of Frozen Ropes Thornton and Mario Feliciano of FTB Pride were the only participants to hit multiple dingers. Becerra (2017, Coppell, Texas) hit two, showing off really quick hands, and it looked like that would be enough to capture the crown. However, just one batter later Feliciano (2016, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico) displayed his big-time raw power and launched out three, including one that cleared the City of Palms Stadium entirely and landed in an adjacent field.

There were a number of speedy runners in the Fastest Man Challenge/60-Yard Dash, but after everybody ran there were just three players that warranted another round—Brad Hudson of Frozen Ropes Thornton, Gunnar Ricketts of eXposure Baseball, and Datren Bray of East Cobb Pride. All three finalists turned in blazing times in the final heat, but it was Bray that won by a hair as he turned in a time of 6.39, besting Ricketts (6.42) and Hudson (6.43) by just hundredths of a second.