Trevor Brooks (2018, Acworth, Ga.) went 1-for-2, with a two-run home run, two RBIs and a run scored. Brooks is an uncommitted junior with an athletic frame and solid catch and throw skills behind the plate. He swings with a slight leg lift trigger in an upright stance, with his knees slightly bent. He does a great job of creating solid contact and utilizes his hips and hands well with his swing. His home run traveled 333 feet with an exit velocity of 92 mph off the bat.
Jeremy Adams (2017, Seminole, Fla.) is a Bethune-Cookman commit who has a lanky frame with plenty room to grow. Adams throws with an over the top arm slot and has good, tight arm action as he able to produce a solid fastball with good life in the mid- to upper-80s, reaching up to 89 a few times, but staying consistently at 85 and 86. He throws a slider and curveball, both at the same velo in the low-70s. His curveball flashes potential with good depth and good 11-to-5 break, while his slider is his better pitch with good depth and continuous run away from righties and has the ability to break both planes. Adams threw three innings, allowing one earned run on four hits, two walks and struck out two.
Austin Gardner (2017, Fayetteville, Ga.) threw an inning in relief today, allowing one earned run on one hit, two walks and struck out two. Gardner has an electric arm that pumps out a quality fastball with great life in the low-90s and tight spinning slider at 80 and 81. Gardner has a strong, mature and filled out frame and throws with a high three-quarters arm angle. He will be attending Alabama State in the fall.
Hunter Brittain (2017, Brewton, Ala.) showed excellent ability to drive the ball the other way with hard contact as he went 2-for-3 on the day with a single and double to right field for three RBI and two runs scored. He has a medium, stocky frame and good arm strength behind the plate. Brittain has a strong, compact swing and does an excellent job of keeping his hands inside the baseball. Brittain was drafted in the 15th round in this year’s draft by the Angels.
Garrett Brown (2017, Madison, Ala.) threw two scoreless innings in relief today, giving up just one hit and struck out four. Brown has an above average fastball with great life as it sat in the low-90s in his first inning of work with a spin rate as high as 2600 and he paired it with a nice 12-to-6 breaking ball , with great depth and sharp break as it reaches the plate. It also had a spin rate in the high 2600s. he throws with a quick. Online delivery and uses his long lower half to push off the mound and get good extension out front. He throws effortlessly and has a solid over the top angle. Brown is headed to Wallace State in the fall.
– Brandon Lowe
The Chi Town Cream put on a hitting display Wednesday stringing together 17 hits in just four innings. The bulk of the offense came from the Purdue-Calumet commit Kevin McCune (2017, Munster, Ill.). The first baseman went 3-for-3 with a double down the left field line and two hard hit singles up the middle. McCune has a patient and confident approach looking to hit the ball to the middle of the field. He never tries to do too much and does a good job of hitting the ball where it is pitched. The primary catcher has a big build with more room to fill with added strength. At the plate, McCune stands with a wide base, open stance, and low hand load with the barrel staying in the hitting zone for an extended amount of time that shows the ability to produce lots of contact.
The other standout bat in the slugfest for the Cream was the University of Iowa commit Zion Pettigrew (2017, Chicago, Ill.). The shortstop went 2-for-4 with two squared up singles in the contest. Pettigrew shows very good tools both at the plate and at shortstop. Pettigrew does not get cheated at the plate taking hard swings that produce regular hard contact and good bat speed. His glovework at shortstop is very good. The future Hawkeye reads hops well and attacks the ball well with a strong arm and online carry. Both players for the Chi Town Cream impressed all game long and are fun to watch play.
Lawson Hill (2017, Canton, Ga.) is a 5-foot-11 185-pound catcher who showed very good blocking ability on Wednesday morning. Hill’s footwork is very quick behind the plate. The arm is playable and shows standout quickness in both his transfer and release. The Wofford College signee also has a solid bat at the plate with present strength. The power is potentially there with more regular contact to all fields. Hill bats with an open stance, toe tap trigger and high hand set. Hill, overall, is a high level catching prospect for the Wofford Terriers.
Probably the most impressive bat speed I have seen so far this tournament goes to Wake Forest commit D.J. Poteet (2017, Johns Creek, Ga.). The switch-hitting shortstop showed the ability to drive the ball with regular contact from both sides of the plate, but most impressively from the left side. Poteet, lefthanded, has a narrow base and open stance that is very relaxed and comfortable. He has a Gary Sheffield-like bat waggle with a leg kick trigger and low hand load. The swing has a slight lift in it with big-time power potential. Poteet just missed a home run to right in Wednesday’s contest that was caught up against the wall. The future Demon Deacon will be a fun player to follow as he begins his Division I career in the fall.
Poteet’s teammate on the Georgia Giants, Will McGillis (2017, Hattiesburg, Miss.), had a standout day at the plate going 3-4 with two deep home runs. The first home run, and most impressive, came on the very first pitch of the game that left his bat at 96 mph and traveled 350 feet. McGillis is a very athletic and projectable shortstop with the ability to hit the ball hard with regular contact and obvious power. The University of Southern Mississippi commit has a very big leg kick with incredible balance in his swing that generates torque in his hips and bat speed. He also showed good speed down the line running a 4.37 home to first time and on the bases swiping second once in Wednesday’s game. McGillis is an impressive athlete with lots of tools and a high energy gamer.
The theme of the day in the 18U WWBA National Championship was lots of very good arms on the mound. Pitchers that stood out were Weston Bizzle (2017, Memphis, Tenn.), Luke Bartnicki (2018, Marietta, Ga.), Sean Hunley (2017, Mount Juliet, Tenn.) and Jack Friedman (2018, Decatur, Ga.). Each one of them pitched very well in their respective matchups and is headed to big-time collegiate programs.
The best individual performance came from Bizzle. He went six innings for the Chi Town Cream allowing just one run over five hits and striking out 9. I saw the Chipola Junior College commit throw earlier in the week as well and has continued to impress me. Bizzle has a deceptive delivery that really makes it difficult for hitters to pick up the ball. His arm is quick and the fastball works in the 88-92 mph range that he maintained well over his six innings. He pitches with good tempo and repeats his unique delivery well. Bizzle throws from a three-quarters arm slot and mixes in a good 11-to-5 curveball in the mid-70s that showed good depth. The arm speed is maintained well on his curveball. Bizzle is a high energy pitcher with good stuff, an excellent addition for the defending Junior College National Champions.
Luke Bartnicki (2018, Marietta, Ga.) was on the tough end of a losing effort Thursday, but still showed excellent ability. He started the game for the East Cobb Colt 45s 17u and faced a very good Game On West Braves team. The tall, athletic lefthander sat 90-92 touching 93 effortlessly with arm-side life. He also showed a good sinking changeup and sharp short-breaking slider. I thought he should use the changeup more as it was very deceptive with frequent sink. The slider sat in the low- to mid-80s. The Georgia Tech commit has a very high ceiling with more velocity, potentially, in the tank and continues to get better each time I see him.
Sean Hunley (2017, Mount Juliet, Tenn.) also had a very good outing opposing Bartnicki throwing six innings, allowing one hit and striking out six. The University of Tennessee commit showed an effortless delivery and good fastball. His fastball sat 88-89 in his first inning, but did drop. His body, specifically, stood out to me. His large athletic body is incredibly projectable with even more room to fill for added strength and likely velocity increase. The fastball tended to be straight but located well to both sides of the plate. The 6-foot-5 230-pound righthander also mixed a slider and curveball that created swings and misses. The slider was long-breaking with late action in the upper-70s. Hunley showed good feel for his 11-to-5 curveball in the low-70s. The University of Tennessee commit knows how to pitch and should make an impact when he gets there in the fall.
The final standout pitcher of the day was Georgia Tech commit Jack Friedman (2018, Decatur, Ga.). Friedman came in for the East Cobb Yankees in relief and pounded the zone without allowing a hit in his inning off work. His fastball sat 88-90 touching 91 with occasional sinking action. The 2018 graduate gets very good drive off of his back leg with a glove pump in his delivery. Friedman throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and showed good balance in his delivery. The future yellow jacket has a plus 11-to-5 curveball with good bite in the mid-70s. The rising senior is a high follow pitching prospect with good upside.
I have been impressed with the tools of Korry Howell (2016, Lockport, Ill.) all week long. What first stood out to me was his glove earlier in the week. He made all plays at second base especially with slow rollers and throwing from several arm angles. The Kirkwood Community College middle infielder is very athletic and lean with lots of room to fill with added strength and soft hands in the field. Today he showed his plus speed getting down the line well with a 4.08 home to first time on a bunt single. Howell stands with a wide base, toe tap trigger and the bat resting on his right shoulder. He has a good eye at the plate with impressive speed. Howell is a high follow as he continues his second year of junior college ball and very projectable with his 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame.
– Gregory Gerard