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Tournaments  | Story  | 9/19/2017

PG Elite Championship Notes

Greg Gerard     
Photo: Perfect Game

2017 PG Elite Upperclass Championship: Daily Leaders
2017 PG Elite Underclass Championship: Daily Leaders
2017 PG Elite Freshman Championship: Daily Leaders

Justin Wrobleski (2018, Canton, Ga.) started the evening game for Team Elite Prime 18u on Saturday and threw very well. The lefthander tossed two perfect innings and struck out five. Wrobleski sat 87-91 mph with a short-breaking low-80s slider as well. The slider is sharp and helps Wrobleski create swings and misses. The  Clemson commit works quickly with excellent tempo and urgency on the mound. He shows feel for both of his pitches and all-around pitchability. The southpaw is an interesting prospect at 6-foot-2, 180-pounds for both Clemson’s 2018 class as well as the 2018 MLB Draft.

Parker Meadows (2018, Grayson, Ga.) continued his hot hitting into this weekend’s tournament as Meadows squared up a pair of doubles in Saturday’s game. The first of which he ripped down the right field line and showed off his long strides with good 4.3-second home-to-first base speed with a turn. The next double was a deep driven ball to the left-center field gap that, when first struck, looked like a home run. The Clemson commit has shown that he can really handle the bat of late and consistently barrels up the baseball.

Dawson Sweatt (2018, Fayetteville, Ga.) came out firing on all cylinders for Team Elite 18u Prime as he and his team earned a 12-0 win. Sweatt is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound lefthander with athleticism and projectability throughout the frame. His fastball sits in the upper-80s and reached 89 mph twice. The delivery is relatively similar to that of Chris Sale except Sweatt lands more open and online than the crossfiring Sale. Sweatt’s arm angle is slightly higher than Sale’s as well, throwing from an extended three-quarters arm slot. The Auburn commit throws with decent effort and tight arm action, but the arm works well. Sweatt’s go-to secondary pitch was his curveball. The 1-to-7 curveball is tight in the mid-70s and shows good potential. Sweatt’s abilities on the mound will be displayed down on the plains next fall.

On eight quick pitches, Ryan Suppa (2019, Acworth, Ga.) retired the side in order for a perfect fourth inning for the East Cobb Astros. The very recent University of Georgia commit was up to 90 mph with his fastball mixing in a low-70s curveball that he showed feel for. Suppa struck out two of the three batters he faced and was consistently flashing short sink on his fastball as well. The righthander has a unique delivery with a high hand separation and three-quarters arm slot. The ball comes out cleanly with loose arm action that is mostly clean as well.

Ryan Murphy (2019, Alpharetta, Ga.) blasted a no-doubt home run to right field that turned a few scouts’ heads. The homer had a 5.45-second hang time before landing over the second fence in right field on field 11 at LakePoint. Murphy is a primary catcher that was the designated hitter in Friday night’s contest and is a lefthanded swinger with power on the profile and solid bat speed. The uncommitted prospect finished the day 2-for-3 with three RBI.

Zach McManus (2019, Canton, Ga.) was his usual self again on Friday night as he tossed three masterful innings filling up the strike zone with strike after strike. McManus’s fastball sat at 86-88 mph consistently with pinpoint command. He also showed a curveball in the low-70s with lots of feel as his go-to secondary pitch. He throws with a loose and easy arm action. McManus is an uncommitted righthander who recently re-classified from a 2018 graduate to 2019. Standing at 6-foot-1, 198-pounds with his velocity and outstanding command, McManus could bolster a 2019 class for a Division I program.

Team Elite 17u Prime brought to the mound two righthanders that showed that they have the potential to play at the next level. Both Bradley Blalock (2019, Lawrenceville, Ga.) and Mark McLaughlin (2019, Johns Creek, Ga.) showed solid pitchability.

First, Blalock is 6-foot-2, 176-pounds with an athletic frame that projects well with fillable room throughout the profile. He throws strikes with a clean arm action from a high three-quarters arm slot. His fastball is mostly straight sitting in the 83-87 mph range. His arm is pretty quick that projects for more velocity with added strength as he continues to mature into his body. Blaylock also has a curveball that shows potential in the low-70s and good depth with 11-to-5 action. The uncommitted righthander has lots of upside and projects really well.

McLaughlin came in after Blalock for one inning of relief work. He works with a long arm action from a three-quarters arm slot. His fastball flashed signs of short, sinking action while sitting in the 85-87 mph range and touched 88 mph once. The uncommitted righthander creates plane downhill with a very good curveball in his repertoire. The secondary pitch has really good late-biting action in the low-70s. The two-pitch mix for McLaughlin helped him to strike out the side in his game-ending inning.




Brett Thomas (2019, Atlanta, Ga.) has one of the better curveballs in the 2019 class. The righthander’s swing-and-miss pitch has a 2,800-rpm spin rate with true 12-to-6 action around 78 mph. On top of the curveball, the South Carolina commit’s fastball sits in the upper-80s with cutting action. He throws with an effortless arm action that is mostly clean from a high three-quarters to almost over-the-top arm slot. At 6-foot-5, 220-pounds, there is a lot to like about the tools the big built righty brings to the table. The downhill plane and extension that Thomas gets is pretty impressive. Making his fastball get on hitters quickly and using his wipeout curveball, Thomas creates a lot of uncomfortable at-bats for hitters.

Chase Dejean (2019, West Monroe, La.) did it all for Team Louisiana in the PG Elite Underclass championship game. Making play after play both at shortstop and at third base when he moved to that position mid-game. Dejean is an all-around great athlete for his size at 6-foot-3, 175-pounds with good range and quickness. The primary third baseman made an over-the-shoulder, Willie Mays-type catch at shortstop and later made a Chipper Jones-type barehanded play at third base coming in on a groundball. Not only did he impress with the glove, but also with the bat. In his first at-bat of the game he sent a home run out to left field that left his bat at 94 mph and traveled 354 feet. Currently uncommitted, Dejean would be a good commitment for a Division I program.

Tyler Franks (2021, Dublin, Ga.) is a young athletic lefthanded pitcher with a lot of potential. His fastball sits in the low-80s and touched as high as 84 mph in Sunday’s relief appearance. Franks stands at a believable 6-foot-4, 180-pounds, and, at such a young age, projects extremely well. He came into the game with runners on base so he pitched completely from the stretch. His stretch delivery is very balanced for his size with an over-the-top arm slot. He threw strikes, but when he did miss it was consistently down in the zone to glove side. Franks faced three batters and never did show a secondary pitch, which will be something to look for going forward, but all the projections are there for Franks to be a big-time arm in the 2021 class.

– Gregory Gerard



Andrew Nobles (2019, Elmore, Ala.) was up to 87 on the mound in his Friday start and showcased the ability to add some cut to his fastball. Noble stands at 6-foot-2, 185-pounds and has a solid, quick arm action that produces good life and occasional cut on his fastball, which sat from 85-87, and worked mostly in the mid-80s. He has an online delivery, where he lowers his body slightly when bringing his leg up before committing to the plate that creates some deception in his delivery, but can be hard to repeat as it lead to some command issues. He paired his fastball with a good 11-to-5 curve that still needs development, but has good depth and wide break. Nobles has some projectable stuff and with development, will be a talented righthanded arm for a top university.

Samuel Simpson (2021, Carrollton, Ga.) is a young freshman pitcher who shows a lot of promise on the mound. He was up to 81 mph with his fastball, but mostly worked in the mid-70s. His fastball had good life with occasional run and he’s able to produce pretty good, quick, short arm action with a quick release by his ear that should see an increase in velocity as he gets stronger and older. Simpson also has advanced ability to throw inside on righties for strikes and pitch to contact that created weak groundballs. He has some feel for a curve, with the ability to throw for a strike as it possesses 11-to-5, long break and good depth. He has plenty of room to grow and build muscle. There are currently many top schools interested in this talented righthander pitcher.

Nathan Price (2018, Peachtree City, Ga.) is a righthanded pitcher at Starrs Mill High School, with a thick, strong frame and big arm. He threw well for the OTC Ballers Red Friday night, striking out five in 2 2/3 innings. He showed solid feel and command for all three of his pitches. Price has a solid, tight slider with good compact, late horizontal break and a solid change up that sat in the low-70s, with excellent, slow fade that forced hitters to try and stay back to hit the pitch. He can throw both pitches in any count to establish the strike zone and produce swings and misses. He was up to 88 with his fastball, nut mostly worked in the mid-80s.

Ben Ferrer (2018, Alpharetta, Ga.) struck out six in three innings of work in his Friday night start for the East Cobb Colt 45s 17u team. He worked from the half and throws with very fast arm action and max effort with an over-the-top arm slot. He flashed a plus curveball, with good depth and quality, sharp, late 12-to-6 break. His fastball was up to 88, but he sat mostly in the mid-80s, with excellent life on his fastball and also showed a hard changeup at 80 mph with good fade action. He has pretty solid command and good feel for each pitch.

Zander Sechrist (2020, Buford, Ga.) was very impressive on the mound in his Friday start, as he pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only one hit and two walks while striking out sixteen. Sechrist has a lanky, projectable frame as he stands at 6-foot-1, 150-pounds and has plenty of room to grow. He has a high energy delivery and throws with max effort with fast arm action in a high three-quarters arm slot. He is able to produce some very quality run on his fastball and commands his curveball exceptionally well, with the ability to miss plenty of bats. His curveball has 1-to-7 shape, with big depth and long slow break that hitters are unable to wait back on and pick up. His fastball touched up to 85, but sat mostly in the low-80s. Sechrist will be an interesting arm to follow as his high school career progresses.

Travis Hamrick (2020, Banner Elk, N.C.) a talented corner infielder with a thick, large frame. He swung the bat well during the tournament and does not get cheated with his swing. Hamrick hits with an open stance and high leg kick trigger that helps build solid momentum for his swing. He has a big, uppercut swing and looks to hit the ball as hard as his body will allow, making consistent hard contact. The sophomore is headed to the University of North Carolina in the fall of 2020.

Luke Daniel (2020, Muscle Shoals, Ala.) was amazing in his outing on Saturday, as he struck out eight in three innings of work. Daniels has an online delivery and throws with long arm action from the over the top arm slot. Daniels is able to repeat his mechanics well and possesses a solid frame that will help him maintain his fastball velocity. He was up to 90, but sat mostly from 86-88. His fastball has great riding life and explodes out of his hand. He paired it with a 11-to-5 curve that possesses sharp, late break that hitters are not able to pick up. Daniel throws his curve with medium depth to establish the strike zone, but will add more depth and continuous break away from righties when needing a swing and miss. This is definitely an arm to follow, as he has already committed to Auburn and looks like a top pitching prospect with a high ceiling.

Noah Ledford (2018, Buford, Ga.) continues to swing a hot bat and is really impressive with the bat as he has stepped up big with runners in scoring position and has shown, he can consistently hit the baseball hard and create great leverage for quality and consistent line drives to both gaps of the field. He also has hit quality pitching and showcased great bat speed and his power will be on display at Georiga Southern next year, as he is able to get his weight back firmly on the back side creating a lot of pop and has shown he can handle above average fastballs with good velocity. It will be fun to see the damage he can do at the plate for the Eagles next spring.




Keyshawn Askew (2018, Powder Springs, Ga.) is a talented lefty and Clemson commit who continues to throw well for the East Cobb Astros. He has a lean frame and throws from a three-quarters arm slot, with a quick and loose arm action. He throws a sweeping curveball with good depth from the same slot and a good deceptive change with solid fade. He worked consistently in the upper-80s with his fastball in three scoreless innings of work and struck out six. He’s able to get good run and sink from his arm slot which produces an above average fastball that’s hard for hitters to square up. 

Cain Tatum (2019, Dacula, Ga.) looked good on the mound Saturday morning as he was up to 88 with his fastball. Tatum sat from 85-88 and has an effortless, long arm action from the high ¾ arm slot. Tatum has a very long frame, as he’s 6-foot-8, 185-pounds. His velocity will increase as he puts on more muscle and works on getting more extension towards home with his lower half. He paired his fastball with an above average curve that possesses tight spin and medium depth with 12-to-6 break. Tatum is a UGA commit.

Marist High School’s Lincoln Parker (2021, Atlanta, Ga.) and Tyler Hare (2021, Atlanta, Ga.) are two players to watch as they enter their freshman year of high school baseball.

Parker has an advanced, strong frame for his age that already shows signs of physicality in his frame. He has a quiet load, with a slight lift of the foot for a trigger and wiggles the bat around firmly as the pitcher works in his motion. He has a long, hard swing with a good ability to find the barrel and drive the ball to the outfield with solid contact.

Hare has a fluid stroke from the left side and flashed some decent bat speed at the plate. He hits with an open stance and high hand-set. He does a good job of rotating his hips to produce a solid swing and finishes high and long. Both players already have top schools currently interested in them.

Garret Wade (2018, Hartselle, Ala.) has a medium, athletic build with lots of physical projection and has added some muscle to his frame. His arm works very well and he has great command of both of his slider and fastball. He throws with very quick arm action and snaps his wrist hard to produce an above average fastball with good run that touches up to 91. He pairs that with a plus slider that has very sharp and tight break that breaks both planes. Wade will be a pitcher to follow as the 2018 draft nears next year. He is an Auburn commit.

Tyler Tolve (2018, Marietta, Ga.) is swinging the bat very well and showcasing some quality bat speed and pop at the plate as he’s hit quality pitching and high velocity fastballs hard and often this fall. Tolve is an excellent catching prospect, as he uses, his lanky, athletic frame to his advantage to move very well behind the plate and has excellent catch-and-throw skills. He will be an interesting follow this coming spring and he has committed to play college baseball at Kennesaw State.




Cooper Stinson (2018, Peachtree Corners, Ga.) has the build and stuff to become a solid relief arm for a MLB bullpen one day. He has a large, strong frame with broad shoulders and mature build. He throws a plus slider, with quality horizontal, tight break that misses plenty of bats and gets hitters off balanced. His fastball has great life and he throws it with quick arm action and is able to command both pitches and move them to both sides of the plate. Stinson struck out six in four innings of work in is Sunday night championship game start and is headed to Navy in the fall of 2018.

– Brandon Lowe



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