Crack of the Bat
by Blaine Clemmens
Seniors at National Classic
A few weeks ago I promised a follow-up article to my coverage of the National Classic… one that would include mention of the top seniors I saw, including a number of them that as far as I was aware, are uncommitted for college. Hopefully this article will generate some interest in those players.
To keep this simple, let’s go through the rosters, team by team. Remember, I did not see every team play a full game. My main reason for covering that tourney was coverage of some of the higher draft prospects for this upcoming draft. As a result, I missed a couple of teams and therefore, I certainly missed a few of the top seniors. This report will cover half of the 16 teams… it was getting too long to include all 16 in one report… about par for the course for me. The second half of the full seniors report will follow in a few days.
American Fork HS (American Fork, UT)
This was one of the teams I did not see. In past summers I saw a couple of their senior players and for one reason or another, I recall their names. One was SS Austin Haws (R/R, 5-10, 165) and the other was P/1B Hap Holmstead (R/R, 6-3, 225). Holmstead I recall having some juice in the bat and a very physical build, though he was pretty raw. Sorry, that is all I have for you on this club.
Chaminade Prep (West Hills, CA)
This traditional power had some of the best individual players in the tournament. Four of the seniors caught my eye… two whom I was aware of and two that were new to my eyes. Keep an eye out for junior CF Kevin Pillar next year.
1B/P Casey Haerther (R/R, 6-2, 210) – UCLA
Haerther was reported on in the previous articles about the National Classic and also in the ranking of top draft eligible players on the PGCrosschecker.com site. In the games I saw he swung the bat real well, making solid contact from gap to gap. Most impressive to me was the way he can fire his hands and just let them fly. If he is unsigned in the draft, I expect big things from him at UCLA as a middle of the order run producer. He looks like a young hitter that will play early and often in his college career.
P/IF Kyle Thompson (R/R, 6-1, 180) – Stanford
Thompson is a lithely built RHP with at times a very good slider. He was not as good in the game I saw as he was in the Area Code Games, but nonetheless is a good looking college prospect. He has a quick arm with a clean stroke. His fastball topped at 88 mph. The slider was 74-76 mph, though the action was not as tight and darting as I have seen it. Thompson also swung the bat real well. He has a quick bat and is short to the ball. Not sure what Stanford’s plans are for him (likely only a pitcher), but he looked like he can hit.
C Grady Berk (R/R, 5-10, 200) – Uncommitted as far as I am aware
Berk was impressive in all the ways that a college catching prospect should be. First of all, he is strong and durable, well built for the position. He is also tough, evidenced by the couple of times he effectively blocked the plate and handled contact. Berk threw well enough and showed a decent exchange. With a pitching staff that does its job of holding runners, he is an average D-I catch/throw guy. He receives well and has caught legit D-I pitching. Offensively he is strong, has a good hack, and some gap power. Good college catcher.
P/3B Blake Benveniste (R/R, 6-2, 185) - Uncommitted as far as I am aware
Good athletic build, has some decent two-way skills. Looks like a pitcher, showed decent stuff that will have to improve (JC ball would be great for him). FB was 83-85 and he has a 73-75 slurvy breaking ball. Offensively he showed a good swing and some power potential. Likely would get a chance as a two-way guy at JC level, but arm works enough on the mound to figure he is going to develop into an 87-90 type guy in a couple of years.
Charter Oak HS (Covina, CA)
Did not see this team and did not recognize the names of the players. Do not read anything into that, I simply did not see them play and just because I do not recognize the names does not mean they do not have a few fine players.
Cottonwood HS (Salt Lake City, UT)
Good team with good players. They were a bit overmatched in the National Classic, not in talent, but with the crispness and level of play that takes place among the top teams in California. Cottonwood has been dominant this year (especially since getting it handed to them in this tourney) in Utah and they have a number of very high profile players, particularly in the ’07 class (LHP Tanner Robles and C Rem Wilson).
SS Easton Gust (S/R, 5-9, 170) – CC of Southern Nevada
Strong and scrappy is a good way to describe Gust. He won the National Classic HR Derby and is a physical MIF with the bat and he is a gamer. Gust has opposite field power from the left side. As a hitter he should hit for high average with his bat speed, strength, and swing plane that stays pretty flat in the zone. Good all around player will excel at CCSN and should have his choice of colleges after his JC career, if the draft does not come calling.
OF Danny Payne (R/R, 5-10, 170) – Uncommitted
Ultra-athletic player with plus speed (6.6 runner). Good hitter with a knack for finding the grass. Will continue to develop as a hitter the more he plays baseball on a full-time basis. Has a strong and + athletic build. Arm will keep him to LF or CF. All-State wide receiver in football, has opportunity to play football at BYU but wants to pursue baseball career. May attend CCSN but has grades to go anywhere (3.85 GPA, 26 or 27 ACT). He is that player that just keeps getting better and better when he focuses on baseball full-time.
OF Cliff Anderson (L/L, 6-2, 190) – Oklahoma State
Has tools that profile very well for the draft and he is projected as a top eight rounds pick. Powerful player has above average run, power, and arm tools. Ability to hit for average is a question, there is some swing and miss in his stroke. He is built the way a prospect is supposed to be built with the level of strength and athleticism that usually does not get passed on by pro baseball.
Cypress HS (Cypress, CA)
One of California’s nationally ranked teams, they had good players in the senior, junior, and sophomore classes. Their top two pitchers are two of the top college bound arms in Southern California, though one of them may not get to school. Their top junior is nationally ranked 3B Josh Vitters, but he is not the only Cypress junior making contributions on this team… SS Brett Tanos is also an outstanding player.
RHP Michael Morrison (R/R, 6-2, 180) – Cal State Fullerton
Morrison made a strong name for himself at Area Codes last summer and has been followed pretty heavily by the scouts this spring. And why not, he will show you a FB up to 92 and a + CB with hard downer action. He is an aggressive pitcher and in the game I saw, he was better in the 4th and 5th innings than he was early. His FB got harder and his CB got sharper. He is athletically built and has a clean arm action that looks capable of pitching for a long time. He is a 4-6 round talent when at his best.
LHP Adam Wilk (L/L, 6-2, 165) – Long Beach State
All Wilk has done in his career is win, win, win. He is not overpowering by any stretch, but he posts shutout after shutout. His pitchability is excellent with all his pitches. Again, he is not overpowering. He has a quick arm and with that thin body, you can bet that he will add 4-6 mph in the coming years. His FB was 82-83 but sneaky and he was masterful on the outer half. His 72-73 mph CB is a bit rolly but he gets hitters to roll it over and hit weak ground balls. His change-up is developing. He is a + fielder and did a great job of repeating his delivery.
C Joseph Cariaso (R/R, 5-10, 160) – Long Beach State
Nothing outstanding about him other than he is very solid in most facets of the game. Solid contact hitter with some gap pop, he was hitting in the 3-hole in front of masher Josh Vitters. He can handle the bat and even showed his drag bunt skills. Behind the plate he is a quiet receiver with pretty soft hands and is capable of handling legit D-I stuff. Good arm too. Should be a solid college player.
De La Salle HS (Concord, CA)
The Spartans won this tourney on the strength of an outstanding pitching staff and very good position players. They were strong with seniors and juniors (Nathan Carter, Nick Hom, Taylor Reid, Tyler Hess). This is a program that will make the national polls for the next few years.
LHP Clayton Tanner (L/L, 6-2, 185) – Pepperdine
This lefty has been rapidly rising up draft lists this fall. He went from an 84-86 mph lefty with a nice breaking ball to an 86-91 mph lefty with a well above average and hard slurve (77-81 mph with + spin). Good body with a very projectable arm stroke. Still likely to end up in school because there just isn’t a lot of history for the scouts to hang their hat on, but don’t be surprised if he is a 4th round pick.
MIF Michael Cipolla (R/R, 6-0, 175) – Saint Mary’s
Gamer and scrapper were the words used on him a year ago but now he is more than that. He has always been a winning type of player, the kind that makes any team better, but not a star type. Still not a star type, but the bat has become much more playable and though he was always an outstanding defensive player at 2nd base, he now looks like he will be able to play SS in college, if necessary. He plays hard all day, everyday and is the type of player that is the reason college baseball is so fun to watch.
P/1B Anthony Aliotti (L/L, 6-2, 200) – Saint Mary’s
Another player that was always pretty good, but he has jumped to another level this year. His bat has become a middle of the order bat with pull side power. On the mound he has a strong arm and very good feel for the ball. With a sneaky FB that topped at 88, a 74-75 mph change-up with + fading action, and a good breaking ball, he is a weekend type of guy on the mound now. Everything out of his hand has good rotation and life on it.
1B Chris Lynch (R/R, 6-6, 260) - ?? maybe football
Have to admit that I was not sure if this player that looks like an offensive lineman (I believe he is one) was much of a baseball player. Still not sure if he can contribute on the defensive side, but I am convinced that he can hit. He has good bat speed and the ball gets off his bat real well. He is big but has a pretty lively swing and gets the barrel to the ball, not to mention that he is very strong. His hands were very impressive at the plate.
Deer Valley HS (Antioch, CA)
The Wolverines had a decent showing in the tourney, sneaking up on Long Beach Wilson in the first round. Ultimately they did not go very far due to a less than stellar offense that was made even less effective when one of their two aces came up with a bad hamstring in that game vs. Wilson. In any case, this is a program that wins a lot of games in Northern CA and produces a lot of D-I and MLB draft talent.
RHP Matt North (R/R, 6-5, 180) – Long Beach State
Long and lean, North has a very quick/lively arm and lively stuff. He was good last year at Area Codes and this spring is being considered in the top 6-8 rounds for the draft, maybe a bit better. He has an 88-91 (T92) FB with good arm side action and on his best days two very usable secondary pitches (CB and CH) that both have late action (the CH is very good). He still needs to add strength to his thin frame but his arm works and he has solid pitchability. His Dad Jay is a scout for the Cardinals.
RHP Taylor Stanton (R/R, 6-3, 215) – Saint Mary’s
Yet another top Bay Area player heading to Saint Mary’s, that is if he does not get nabbed in the draft. His arm gets great downhill leverage and he can really torque the curveball, which is his best pitch. He has shown FB up to 92 this spring but pitches 87-90 with that tight and big 70-72 mph CB. His body is strong and durable but still agile. If he stays healthy there are 94-95s in his future and if that CB gets a few more mphs, it will be a + pitch at the pro level. Throws a lot of strikes with both the FB and CB.
SS Ryan Williams (R/R, 5-11, 170) – Uncommitted
Nothing flashy, but he is solid all-around. Makes plays in the infield and has above average hands, with a good arm. Good contact hitter, he sprays the ball around and would make a very good two-hole type. The more he plays and the more he physically develops, the better he will be. Look for him to be a starter at the D-I level by his junior year. He knows how to play and again, his hands are an asset in this game that requires good hands. Has a chance to walk-on at BYU.
C Travis Higgs (R/R, 6-2, 195) – San Francisco
Has both the power arm and raw power in his bat that makes him attractive as a prospect. Still raw with the bat and not a very consistent hitting approach, but the juice is there. Arm is a plus, though catch/throw skills are still developing. There is some coaching to do with him but heading into college he has the two tools that profile well to the pro game for catchers… power arm and potentially a power bat.
El Dorado HS (Placentia, CA)
It must be stated the El Dorado HS is one of the top HS fields I have ever been to. What a great feeling to sit there and watch a game. Kudos to that program. There is a strong history of El Dorado HS players in the pros, including the namesake of the tournament, Phil Nevin. Dodgers RHP Brett Tomko is also from El Dorado HS. This year’s edition was good, but there weren’t too many impact/standout players among the seniors. I was intrigued by a couple of underclassmen (’08 OF Brandon Ertle, ’07 C Derek Hall).
RHP Taylor Equitz (R/R, 6-2, 185) – Not sure on commitment, but I think there is one
Good looking athletic build for a pitcher. Not great stuff yet, was 83-85 with the FB and showed a 67-68 mph CB that will have to tighten up. His arm worked pretty well and he is likely to gain natural velocity in the coming couple of years. If he is uncommitted, look for him to attend one of the outstanding SoCal JC programs and develop into a prospect.
The next report on the top seniors from the Phil Nevin National Classic will include players from Esperanza HS, Jesuit HS, Long Beach Wilson, Palm Beach Central HS, Riverside Poly HS, Servite HS, and West Boca HS.
This column represents the thoughts and opinions of the author and are not necessarily those of Perfect Game.