2015 WWBA Underclass World Championship: Day 1 Notes | Day 2 Notes | Day 3 Notes


Elijah Gill (2017, Jacksonville, Fla.) pitched well for Elite Squad Underclass Prime in the opening time slot of the action at the 5-Plex in Fort Myers on Sunday morning. Gill, a UCF commit, is a primary outfielder, but he sat in the 82-86 mph with his fastball. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound southpaw has a simple, repeatable delivery and he works to a high three-quarters arm slot. His arm stroke is clean and compact and he hides the ball pretty well throughout his delivery, which helps the offering play up. When the heater is located down in the zone, it shows some natural tailing life and was difficult for hitters to consistently barrel the ball and make consistent contact. Gill showed solid feel for his changeup, a fading offering in the upper-70s that is deceptive in part due to a very similar arm action and arm speed as his fastball.

Finally, Gill flashed a low-70s curveball with some sweeping depth that flashed some potential when he was able to get extended and release the offering out in front. He’ll need to locate his fastball down in zone consistently to be successful on the mound, but he certainly has the athleticism and ingredients to pitch at the next level.

Dylan Gentry (2017, Danielsville, Ga.), another 6-foot-1 southpaw, toed the slab on Sunday for Team Elite Prime 17u. Gentry, a University of Georgia commit, is currenly the 187th ranked player in the class of 2017. He also hides the ball well throughout his delivery and has a medium, clean arm stroke that comes through the path quickly. He reached 88 mph with his heater in the early going, settling into a more comfortable velocity band of 84-87 mph in the middle innings of his outing. He also showed quality feel for his curveball. While the offering can sometimes be seen a bit early out of the hand, the breaking ball has impressive depth and power finish with 1-to-7 break.

Tyler Keenan (2017, Clayton, N.C.) was another key cog of the Team Elite Prime 17u squad that fought off a scrappy Chain National 16u team before bowing out to Marucci Elite. Keenan has impressive strength in his imposing 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame. The uncommitted corner infielder has serious raw power potential, and he’s tapped into his power a number of times over the course of the summer, excelling at both the BCS and WWBA tournaments earlier this year. On Sunday, Keenan again displayed some of his bat speed and ability to impact the baseball, comfortably turning on pitches located on the inner half. At times Keenan can get a bit too pull-heavy in his approach, but with his strength and bat speed he’s able to hit the ball hard enough to muscle balls that he’s not able to hit off of the barrel into the outfield for base hits anyway.

Kameron Ojeda (2018, La Mirada, Calif.) has solid potential on both sides of the ball. The 6-foot, 170-pound catcher withheld the heat and humidity that Fort Myers had to offer on Sunday, catching three games and helping the Placentia Mustangs make a deep run in the playoffs before losing in the last time slot on Sunday evening. Ojeda is athletic and moves well laterally with solid blocking skills. At the plate he shows some upside from the left side. Starting with a narrow base and even foot set, Ojeda has his hands close to his body but gets them loaded on time and in a good position to attack the baseball. He maintains good balance throughout his swing mechanics, and he displayed an impressive ability to track off-speed offerings out of the opposing pitchers’ hand for just a sophomore. When he was able to get a pitch that he could hit, Ojeda flashed solid bat speed and natural loft in his slightly uphill swing path, driving an elevated fastball to deep right field for a double. The uncommitted catcher is certainly a player worth keeping an eye on in the coming years.

Donovan Benoit (2017, Pensacola, Fla.) was a Junior National Showcase participant in June and the 6-foot-4, 188-pound athlete flashed some of his impressive tools again on Sunday. The Tennessee commit displayed big arm speed from the mound, coming in out of the bullpen and running his fastball up to 90 mph. Benoit shows good arm speed coming through to his high three-quarters arm slot and he’s able to generate considerable downhill plane. When he located his heater in the bottom half of the strike zone, it was particularly difficult for opposing hitters to do anything with. Benoit also showcased solid hitting tools over the course of the Scorpions South 2017’s three games on Sunday. Benoit has a short, efficient swing for such a lanky player, and he generates solid bat speed in his line drive swing plane. He hit a number of balls hard and also showed an ability hit to the entire field with authority. He’s an interesting two-way talent that will be fun to watch develop.

Raymond Gil (2017, Miami, Fla.) was also a Junior National Showcase participant that hit a number of balls hard on Sunday. Gil, a Miami commit, is a sturdily-built 6-foot-1, 200-pounds third baseman that is ranked as the 96th overall player in the class. Gil stays very quiet at the plate with impressive balance and an ability to keep his hands back on tough breaking balls and off-speed pitches. When he sees a pitch that he likes, Gil attacks the ball aggressively with good bat speed and a notable ability to whip the barrel with authority. When everything is on time and in sync, Gil can really put a charge into the ball, as he did when he drove a ball to deep center field that just caromed off of the fielder’s glove for a double.

Fellow Marucci Elite infielders, Taylor Young (2017, Calhoun, La.) and Gabriel Holt (2017, Bonaire, Ga.) are also solid players that are fun to watch play. Holt, a Winthrop commit and the 75th ranked player in the class, has an impressive array of tools with plus speed and good range and actions at shortstop. Young, currently uncommitted, is also a very good defender of his own, and he made a number of solid plays to both his left and right while patrolling second base.

Ryan Sublette (2017, Lemont, Ill.) toed the rubber for Elite Baseball Training Chicago 2017 in front of a number of college coaches on Sunday evening. The uncommitted righthander should have his fair share of suitors after a strong performance. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder has an athletic frame and good pitcher’s build with long arms, sloped shoulders and some more room to fill out. Sublette has solid athleticism, body control, and arm speed and he works to a high three-quarters arm slot with a medium, compact arm action. Running his fastball up to 89 mph, and sitting in the 85-87 mph range, Sublette was able to induce weaker contact when he kept the pitch down in the strike zone, which he did well enough in the early innings.

At times Sublette struggled to repeat his delivery, specifically having some inconsistencies with foot strike and getting lower and upper halves out of sync. Sublette also flashed a 69-75 mph curveball with varied 12-to-6 to 11-to-5 shape. While the tightness and bite of the breaking ball also varied, the pitch has real potential with the righty snapping off a number of quality offerings with good finish and late downer depth.

A number of other righthanded pitchers also impressed on Sunday. Lyon Richardson (2018, Jensen Beach, Fla.) came out of the bullpen for Chain National 16u and ran his fastball up to 87 mph, sitting in the 84-86 mph range for most of his brief stint. He has some deception in his delivery with later hand separation and a slight pause, which help the offering play up even further.

Chain National 16u’s starting pitcher, Boyce Kobluer (2018, Perry, Ga.), didn’t flash quite the same velocity, working in the 80-83 mph with his heater, but he showed quality feel for his slider. The slender 6-foot-1, 155-pound sophomore righty used the mid-70s breaking ball with great success, and the offering flashed quality two-plane depth, tight rotation, and late glove-side finish.

Blake Baker (2017, Clermont, Fla.) came on in relief for FTB55 Elite and the 6-foot-3, 185-pound righthanded pitcher displayed a quick arm and some quality fastball velocity, working in the 86-88 mph range, and topping out at 89 mph with his fastball. He has a slender build with plenty of room to fill out, and if he uses his lower half more consistently in his delivery he could see even more velocity in the next few years.

– Andrew Krause



The seeding process left two of the most successful programs of the last decade matched up against each other in the 8:30 a.m. game at Clemente Field. If the Dirtbags 17's vs. Scorpions 2017 Prime matchup had been in the finals instead it would be have been an instant classic, as the Scorpions emerged with a 3-2 victory in nine innings.

Catcher/third baseman Brady Smith (2017, Niceville, Fla.), a Florida commit and the No. 152 ranked player in the PG class rankings, was unquestionably the star of the game for the Scorpions. A righthanded hitter with a short and very quick swing, Smith doubled hard up the left-center field gap but was left stranded. In the bottom of the sixth with the Scorpions down 2-0, he doubled down the right field line to plate a pair of runs and tie the game. In the bottom of the ninth under the tie-breaker rules, Smith's check swing single plated the winning run.

Smith's teammate, shortstop Chris Seise (2017, Winter Garden, Fla.) is one of the most projectable position players one is likely to see. He has a very loose and live 6-foot-3, 175-pound build with a smooth athletic grace to all his actions. Seise was especially impressive on defense Sunday, turning a couple of double plays with flair and skill, including one where he barehanded the feed from the second baseman and whipped it to first base in one motion with the runner bearing down on him. At the plate, Seise is a switch-hitter with much more advanced bat speed and barrel skills from the right side of the plate.

Righthander Jack Leftwich (2017, Maitland, Fla.) was outstanding in relief for the Scorpions, throwing three hitless innings, striking out five and easily pitching out of two tie breaker innings. The uncommitted junior worked in the 86-89 mph area with a long and loose arm action and plenty of downhill angle from a high three-quarters arm slot. His 73 mph curveball was an effective secondary pitch with good depth.

The Dirtbags reliever, righthander Jacob Brown (2017, McLeansville, N.C.) was just as impressive in taking the loss, working in the same 86-89 mph vein with very good life and complimenting his fastball with a sharp upper-70s slider and a rare but nice changeup. Brown, like Leftwich, does not have a college commitment per the PG database.

Richmond Braves righthander Conner Nurse (2017, Charles Town, W.Va.) is listed at 6-foot-5, 190-pounds but that measurement appears to leave off about two inches of his long legs. He's not only extra tall but has a young look to him as well. Nurse throws from a busy windup with a big side step start that needs to be simplified, as he not surprisingly had better command with no drop in raw stuff from the stretch. He has a compact arm action in back that hides the ball very effectively and makes his fastball velocity, which was 86-89 mph, touching 90 in this outing, play up for hitters. He flashed some depth on a mid-70s slurve but mostly pitched with his fastball. It's easy to imagine Nurse as a high velocity righthander once he physically matures.

Florida Burn infielder Alex Arauz (2017, Sarasota, Fla.) has received plenty of attention from college coaches this week as an uncommitted junior. He's played all over the infield for the Burn and was the starting shortstop for the powerhouse Sarasota High School team as a sophomore, a rarity at that program. Arauz' best tool is his righthanded bat. He has a fluid swing with very good extension through contact and lots of present bat speed with more to come.

– David Rawnsley



It may have been a consolation game but righthander and University of Georgia commit Cole Wilcox (2018, Chickamauga, Ga.) came out attacking the zone, showing some of the better stuff on the mound that I’ve seen all weekend. A durable 6-foot-4, 200-pound sophomore, Wilcox is only going to continue to get stronger which is scary to think about given the fact he opened the first inning sitting at 89-90 mph and bumped a 91 then proceeded to work comfortably in the 87-89 mph range for the next couple of innings. Ranked as the 32nd best prospect in the entire 2018 class, Wilcox joins several other arms from the state of Georgia to form what has the potential to be an impact crop of arms.

His front side opens early when driving to the plate but he does a nice job of staying online with his upper body and works on top of the ball, creating subsequent downhill plane with late and hard sinking life. As you could imagine Wilcox proved to be a difficult at-bat to square up even if he didn’t have the late sink as he lived in the bottom of the strike zone and was able to induced steady ground ball contact and swings and misses with both of his offerings. To complement his fastball the future Bulldog showed a hard and powerful slider up to 81 mph with late tilt from the same short and fast arm action giving him a quality 1-2 punch with which he could miss bats.

A recent commit to the University of Louisville, young lefthander Carter Lohman (2018, Fishers, Ind.) made an impression over his quick appearance, something he’s continued to do since the summer tournament season. Listed at 6-foot-2, 180-pounds, Lohman has a young and very projectable build with long, lean limbs and solid room to fill out over the next couple of years. With nice balance through his delivery and a measured leg lift, Lohman showed a short and quick arm action that produced an easy 82-85 mph fastball featuring late and subtle life to his arm side. He does a nice job of repeating his arm action through the back and creates angle from the first base side and mixed in both a curveball and changeup from the same release point.

While he’s able to stay off barrels with his fastball life Lohman showed tight rotation on his 1-to-7 breaking ball with short bite though it’s his changeup that has the potential to be one of the best in his class. Thrown rather firm at 78-79 mph, the pitch shows similar life to his fastball which as to the deception, maintaining his arm speed very well on the pitch while turning it over.

There are certain arms who show very consistent from start to start and second baseman Alec Sanchez (2018, Jacksonville, Fla.) is similar in the sense that he squares up at least one to two balls a game and seems to find the barrel more often than not from the left side. Yesterday afternoon was no exception for the Florida State commit as he turned on an inner half fastball to his pull side gap for a standup double, plating two runs. He employs a high leg lift trigger which serves as a timing mechanism and never disrupts his timing, evidenced by the consistent barrel feel and ability to put the ball in play.

Logan Allen (2017, Deltona, Fla.) won’t be the biggest player listed on a roster but the Alabama State commit doesn’t need to be as his feel on the mound is as good as any pitcher in attendance this tournament. At 5-foot-11 Allen showed an excellent feel for the strike zone, evidenced by the opposing team having to wait until about their fifth inning to pick up their first base hit. He sat comfortably in the 84-86 mph range with his fastball from a short and quick arm action with very strong command to either side of the plate.

Allen was able to take some off the fastball with intent and frequently lived in the lower quadrants of the strike zone, only going up in the zone to change the hitter’s eye level and get a swing and miss. While moving the fastball throughout the zone with ease Allen also showed a nice breaking ball in the low-70s and complemented both with a changeup that peaked in the upper-70s coming out of the same arm chute.

Altoon Coleman (2017, Sanford, Fla.) again showed why he’s one of the top righthanded arms in the 2017 class as he cruised through five innings of work in the playoffs and showed the same quality stuff that he seems to show every start. Committed to Florida State University, Coleman came out and worked in the 88-91 mph range, bumping 92 while showing a short and easy arm stroke through the backside. With the ability to work to either side of the late while showing arm-side run, Coleman allowed just a single hit over his five innings while strike out eight. With a strong and broad shouldered 6-foot-2 frame Coleman did a nice job of mixing in his mid-70s slider for strikes, a pitch that has continued to evolve as a go to offering since the summer time. And while he usually pitches off his fastball and goes to his slider when he needs to either finish a batter or escape a jam, Coleman flashed a changeup at 80 mph yesterday, giving him a third pitch moving forward.

Blaze Alexander (2018, Cape Coral, Fla.) is a young 6-foot, 160-pound infielder who has shown high level arm strength over FTB Black’s first six games which will allow him to stay on the left side of the infield at the next level. And while the arm strength stands out the righthanded swing played yesterday as well and the bat speed projects nicely for the Bishop Verot sophomore as he continues to physically develop. Showing a handle for the head of the barrel Alexander got extended and went with an outer half fastball which he deposited into the right-center field gap for a standup double then went that way again in his next trip to the plate to collect a single.

Jonathan Gates (2018, Brooksville, Fla.) was featured in the recap earlier in the tournament for his exploits with the bat despite being a primary lefthanded pitcher and yesterday he took the mound, showing true two-way potential at the next level.

One of the top lefthanded pitchers in the entire 2018 class, you only need about an inning to see what the uncommitted Gates is all about on the mound and what makes him such a commodity amongst college coaches. Listed at 6-foot-2, 170-pounds Gates obviously projects physically and will continue to fill out over the next couple of years of his school, though his stuff already stands out. Along with arguably some of the best pitchability for a pitch his age, Gates also showed some of the best fastball command as he was able to repeatedly pound his 84-87 mph to his glove side with an equal amount of comfort going to his arm side.

His delivery is very balanced with steady tempo throughout and he works with a short arm action through the back before driving to the plate and filling up the strike zone. To exemplify the type of feel he has for his overall stuff Gates is able to manipulate the ball and create a distinct difference in terms of life and velocity on his breaking ball showing hitters both a curveball and a slider, each for strikes.

His slider is the more advanced of his two off-speed pitches at present and on more than occasion he successfully back doored it to a righthanded hitter showing solid command of the 76-78 mph offering. Gates does a nice job of maintaining his arm slot on his curveball just as he does his slider and shows more depth on the 1-to-7 shaped 73-75 mph breaker, giving him three pitches that can be thrown for strikes in any count at any time.

Grant Lavigne (2018, Bedford, N.H.) has been making noise with his big lefthanded stick ever since the summer time and not much as change as the young New Hampshire native continues to draw in college coaches from all over the country. Listed at 6-foot-3, 215-pounds Lavigne dug right in against Wilcox and twice barreled the ball up for hard and loud contact. He did a nice job of staying balanced in each of his two at-bats as he showed rhythm and incorporates his strength well to create standout bat speed. In his first trip to the plate Lavigne collected a ground ball single up the middle then proceeded to turn on a fastball his second trip that he squared up and gave the first baseman little time to react, reaching base for the second time on the day.

Bryce Reagan (2018, Amherst, N.H.) is another young and very interesting player from the Granite State and recently made his verbal commitment to Virginia Tech roughly one month ago. Listed as a switch-hitter, Reagan took his reps from the left side as he faced Wilcox and put a couple of quality swings on the ball, coming away with a single. With two at-bats, Reagan’s swing that resulted in an F9 was impressive as he shifted his weight well and showed fluidity and leverage at contact and just missed squaring up the ball to his pull side. With a projectable 6-foot-1 build Reagan put his defensive chops on display with two different plays, the first of which showed his foot speed and athleticism as he came charging in on a difficult play and just narrowly missed getting the runner at first base. With runners on first and third Reagan showed off his reactions as he made a diving snare down the line on a hard hit ball that looked like extra bases and a couple of runners driven in instead of the lone run that came across the plate.

He may not stand out physically but shortstop Jaylon Dyer (2017, Horn Lake, Miss.) will grab your attention with the athleticism and fast-twitch muscle throughout his 5-foot-7 frame. Situated at the top of Marucci Baseball’s lineup Dyer showed a short and quick hand path to the ball, exhibiting some bat speed and is able to really put the pressure on the defense with his straight line speed. That same speed translates defensively with his footwork and actions as he moves freely and possesses big time arm strength across the diamond which helps him make the long throw on the play deep in the hole.

– Jheremy Brown



Playoff day at CenturyLink Sports Complex, spring training home of the Minnesota Twins, was a high profile, high emotion day with many close games and even better pitching matchups.




Brandon Knarr (2017, York, Pa.) started for US Elite 17’s in their matchup with Tri-State Arsenal, and while Knarr didn’t get the results he wanted, the Notre Dame commit showed why he’s certainly a quality Division 1 talent. Working 85-86 and touching 87 with good life, Knarr’s fastball is a quality pitch that he can deliver to both sides of the plate with angle and plane. He mixes in a 1-to-7 shaped curveball and a shorter, harder slider to give varying looks to hitters.

Opposing Knarr was Brandon Neeck (2018, Chappaqua, N.Y.), a loose and projectable lefthander who was up to 83 on this day with excellent extension through release. The looseness and easiness of his arm, when combined with the projection of his body, certainly speak to the potential for serious velocity gains in the future.

Adam Holland (2017, Erial, N.J.) hits leadoff and plays center field for Tri-State, and the uncommitted junior was impressive in both spots across all three games that the Arsenal played on Sunday. He takes clean, direct routes in the outfield and has the above average speed necessary to track down balls in the gaps, like any good centerfielder should. He’s very compact and quick at the plate, with a swing built for hard contact that shows off his gap-to-gap power. He has the tools needed to hit at the top of a collegiate lineup for years to come.

Brian Morrell (2017, Wading River, N.Y.) came on in relief of Knarr, and quickly impressed with his athleticism on the mound, as well as his obvious arm strength. He worked 88-90 early but couldn't quite harness it like he wanted to, so he backed off to more 86-88 and found significantly more success. He liked to elevate the fastball to gets swings and misses, and he certainly fits the profile of a future power reliever for the Fighting Irish.




In the 10:45 a.m. time slot, the world-renowned East Cobb Astros 16u took on the Easton Rockets in a playoff matchup. James Marinan (2017, Boynton Beach, Fla.) was absolutely explosive in his first couple innings, shutting down the Astros by working 87-90 to both sides of the plate with heavy, bowling ball sinking action on his fastball. The University of Miami commitment is cut from the ideal “future power righthander” mold, standing 6-foot-4 inches tall and weighing in at 210-pounds, with the type of durable frame that will be able to hold up over lots of innings. The arm works well despite a mild hook in the back of his arm circle, and when consistently on top of his stuff, he showed three very solid offerings with the potential command profile of a high quality weekend starter.

Lefthander Kevin Dowdell (2018, Montevallo, Ala.) is a primary outfielder with big time quick twitch athleticism, but he also projects as a potential two-way player at the collegiate level due to his upside on the mound. He runs his four seam fastball up to 87 mph from the left side, but seems to prefer working with his heavy, sinking two seam fastball in the 82-84 mph range. He mixes in a slider in the low-70s with good spin and shape, but the primary out pitch is his dynamic splitter. Thrown in the 75-77 range, the splitter has outstanding tumbling action with deception and velocity differential from his fastball. The pitch, when turned over well, absolutely falls off the table at the plate, generating lots of swings and misses from both righthander and lefthanded hitters.

Cal Conley (2018, Loveland, Ohio) is one of the best defensive shortstops in his class, and he put those defensive tools on display for the Midland Redskins on Sunday. He’s very athletic with the quick-twitch actions needed to stay at the position long term to go along with excellent range to both sides and an above average arm that projects to get even stronger. He’s a switch hitter with projectable hitting tools from both sides, staying on plane well in his swing with consistent barrel control. He’s more gap-to-gap right now with good contact skills, but as he continues to fill out his 5-foot-10, 160-pound frame, he’ll certainly add some more power.

Jordon Adell (2017, Louisville, Ky.) has been well documented in these recaps, as the toolsy junior outfielder has a case for being the highest upside player in the entire class. He’s always been known for high-level bat speed, raw power, physicality, and arm strength, but in Sunday’s games he seemed to start taking a step forward in terms of approach and pitch recognition. He worked several walks throughout the three games EvoShield played, and by doing so he endeared this scout even more to his skillset. He laid off tough borderline pitches, didn't chase breaking balls down and out of the zone, and overall seemed more comfortable in his approach at the plate. As he continues to refine his approach and become a more selective hitter, the closer he gets to his tremendous ceiling as a power/speed outfielder.

Adell’s EvoShield Canes teammate Noah Campbell, a 2017 prospect from Durham, N.C., hits leadoff for the Canes, and shows more power than you’d expect from a leadoff hitter. He can backspin balls into the gaps from both sides of the plate, generating lots of torque via separation in his swing, and then puts his plus speed into play by turning would-be doubles into triples. He’s committed to South Carolina and will almost assuredly play early once he gets on campus.

In the final time slot of the day, the Evoshield Canes and Tri-State Arsenal met in a heavyweight matchup for the right to make it to the elite 8 on Monday morning. Evoshield prevailed 4-2, but it was a back and forth game the whole way.




One of the most highly ranked players in attendance, D.L. Hall (2017, Warner Robbins, Ga.) took the mound for Tri-State, and while he ended up on the losing side, it was very apparent very early what makes the Florida State commit so highly regarded. His arm speed immediately stands out, and when the first pitch of the game is 93 mph from an underclassman lefthander, people stand up and take notice. He worked consistently in the 87-91 range with his fastball before tiring a bit in the late innings, but also consistently missed bats with the pitch, especially when commanded down in the zone. His curveball projects to plus already, with tons of depth with professional quality spin and tightness. The arm is loose and highly projectable, and while he cuts off some by landing with a closed toe resulting in crossfire, the arm is fast enough for him to still be able to get to the glove side with his fastball.

– Brian Sakowski