Crack of the Bat
by Blaine Clemmens
Seniors at National Classic Part 2
Part two of the top seniors at the National Classic… again, I am hoping that a few of the unsigned seniors can get a little additional exposure from these reports. Maybe a program out there will unexpectedly lose a player in the draft and have to fill a newly arisen need… remember, I am only writing reports on the players that I saw perform…
If any of the following seniors are committed to a four year school or a JC, please let me know and we will update the article. I apologize for not being aware of all commitments if I missed any… you can email me at bclemmens@perfectgame.org
There are eight teams to complete reports for, but only seven of them had seniors that are going to get in this report…
Esperanza HS (Anaheim, CA)
Esperanza is traditionally one of the top programs not only in the state of California, but in the nation. They win when they have a number of prospects and they win even when they do not. They play a great brand of baseball and have developed a winning baseball culture. Coach Mike Curran has won 552 games at the high school level… wow.
C Francis Larson (R/R, 6-0, 190) – UC Irvine
Larson is one of the top catch/throw catchers on the West Coast, at any amateur level. He has excellent hands and a very quick release… not to mention + feet. I saw him toss a 1.90 in the game and in his warm-ups he was routinely in the 1.9s to second base. He is built well for the position and also possesses some gap pop in the bat. He should excel in the college game and develop into a top five round prospect after his junior year at Irvine.
Galena HS (Reno, NV)
Galena has had some very good players in the past, particularly in the early 2000’s. This edition won a few games and ended up in the semi-finals of this tourney, but they really did not have any prospects, not in the senior class. A couple of their younger players have some promise… ’07 RHP Eric Maupin and ’08 OF Jacob Anderson.
Jesuit HS (Carmichael, CA)
One of the top teams in the state, the Marauders had the most heavily followed prospect at the tournament, 1B Lars Anderson. There were a few other seniors that are uncommitted and good D-I prospects at a certain level. The junior class on this team was also very strong, headlined by OF Cory Vaughn (Greg Vaughn’s son), RHP Thain Simon, and RHP Jake Morton.
1B Lars Anderson (L/L, 6-4, 220) – California
Anderson was one of the main reasons I covered this tourney. He had a HUGE spring in terms of hitting home runs (14) and rapidly rose on all the draft lists. I saw him at the Area Codes and liked him, but not to the level that he was rapidly moving, so I decided to see him again for myself. I saw a strong player with good hands and an approach that definitely works… for him. He has plus raw power and understands what he wants to hit, with a discerning eye. Around the bag he has soft hands and very good feet and will be a well-above average 1st baseman, if he does not move to the OF. His 4.28 home to first time speaks to his athleticism.
SS J.R. Higley (R/R, 6-1, 170) – Uncommitted
Higley was a player I was not aware of previous to this tourney. He is a fine looking athlete with good skills across the board. He showed good hands at SS and a strong arm. His actions were controlled and efficient, with very little wasted movement. At the plate he showed some bat speed and a line drive, inside-out swing, though was a bit late getting the swing started. His 4.43 home to first time is below average in terms of pro ball but is near average at the D-I level. Looks like the type of player that will head to a local JC and in two years be recruited by many major D-Is.
2B/UTL Marcus Kemp (R/R, 5-11, 180) – Uncommitted
Another interesting athlete…Kemp is strong and has a quick bat. At times he looked like a good defensive 2nd baseman and other times was just average. He is a good athlete that can play all over the field and his offensive talents are pretty good. He would be a solid utility guy in the college game. I saw him play in a showcase as an outfielder last summer and he looked comfortable there too. Again, he looks like the type that has a chance to really develop in a strong JC program.
LHP/OF/1B Andy Oros (L/L, 6-3, 220) – California
Oros is headed to Cal as a pitcher and when this spring started was on all the draft lists as one of the top arms in Northern CA. However, he was dogged by arm troubles all spring, and frankly, those arm troubles looked like they started last summer. In any case, I was surprised to see how well he swung the bat. He is strong, has good bat speed, and a very flat bat through the zone. He drove the ball from gap to gap and the ball really spun well off his bat, the kind of spin that results in carry. If for some reason he never regains his pitching form, that bat just may play… stay tuned.
Long Beach Wilson HS (Long Beach, CA)
Another one of the top programs in Southern California, year in and year out. This year’s edition is no exception. They have some good seniors, but some exceptional underclassmen. ’07 SS Ryan Dent is one of the top players in the state and I believe has already verballed to UCLA. The most impressive young player was ’08 OF Aaron Hicks. At this point, it is not a stretch to say that Hicks will be considered for very early round draft consideration in two years... I have yet to see a more exciting ’08 player. What a special player he is already is and his future looks limitless. Two others sophomores stood out as good young players… 6’5” RHP Ray Hanson and 2B/OF Alec Rosales.
RHP J.D. Haver (R/R, 6-4, 190) – UCLA
Haver burst onto the scene at about the midway point of the spring season. College coaches were running out to Long Beach to see him and get in there as fast as they could… UCLA quickly won those sweepstakes. Haver has a good arm, but is still a couple of years away from real prospect status. The arm is strong but a bit stiff. He showed a FB up to 87, though he had bumped 90 earlier this spring. His mid-70s CB had ok spin but for the most part had late rolling action. All his stuff is decent now and with his frame, he looks like the best is still yet to come.
C Matt McKeon (R/R, 6-1, 180) – Uncommitted
Another catcher I saw in this tourney that simply had a game that fit the D-I game pretty well. He is a good receiver with a nice catch/throw skill set. Nothing truly outstanding about him, but he is solid across the board. His swing was pretty short and compact and he had a nice opposite field approach. I liked that he hit where he was pitched. Look for him to head to a JC if he is not picked up late by a four year school.
3B Tim Patterson (R/R, 6-1, 170) – Uncommitted
He stood out to me as one of the top defensive players in this tournament. I saw him make numerous plays on the move and he was exceptional on the slow roller up the 3B line. He was also very good to his backhand. His offense did not stand out, but that defensive skill set is too good to forget about him. Look for him to be another JC bound player that will get a couple of more development years for the bat and to continue to fill out. But that defense plays at the D-I level right now.
Palm Beach Central HS (Palm Beach, FL)
This team entered the tourney undefeated and nationally ranked. They had a nice mix of good seniors and a few underclassmen that caught my eye. South Florida is obviously a major area for prospects and the Palm Beach area does its job of supplying prospects. The underclassmen that stood out as good players were strong hitting ’07 SS Mikel Alvarez (L/R), physical ’07 OF Gary Gustavson, and switch-hitting ’07 C Matt Kane. Look for those players in the coming year.
RHP Brad Peacock (R/R, 6-1, 170) – Florida Atlantic
Peacock was playing 2nd base in the first game I saw this team play, but when he came in the game to relieve a struggling starter, I saw a very pitching prospect. He has a very quick arm and showed an 87-90 mph FB. However, his best pitch was a sharp hammer CB. The CB had hard downer action and nearly true 12/6 shape. The velocity (71-72 mph) was not as firm as the pitch actually looked. In any case, that breaking ball is a difference maker at the D-I level and he must be getting some pro attention too.
OF Ryan Reilly (L/L, 6-2, 180) – Uncommitted
Speedy, athletic, 6’2” 180, what a profile. Reilly can really run. He was 4.05 home to first. He has a little buggy whip in his swing and the ball came off his bat pretty well. That swing is pretty short but is still a work on progress. Did not look that comfortable in LF and the hope would be that he can move to CF someday. I did not have a chance to see him attempt any steals, but obviously that is a part of the game that would really elevate him as a prospect. Look for him to attend a South Florida JC and continue to develop. That body and speed are too good to forget about, not to mention the L/L profile.
Riverside Poly HS (Riverside, CA)
This tourney was loaded with many of the top programs in California and Riverside Poly is one of them. Two of the top seniors on this team are headed to USC next year and another may have an opportunity to sign on the second day of the draft. The underclassmen are very good, led by ’07 RHP Kyle Ocampo (87-90 mph). Other good underclassmen were ’07 C Sharif Othman, ’07 IF/P Scott Marisnick, ’08 SS Austin Barnes, ’09 2B Blair Moore, ’09 OF Jake Marisnick, and ’09 RHP Brooks Pounders (did not see him, but a scout told me he has a very good arm). This team will be heard from again next year, and the year after that…
P/3B LaCurtis Mayes (R/R, 6-0, 190) – Uncommitted
Mayes is a two-way prospect at the college level. I first saw him on the mound and he was good, with an 86-91 mph FB and a quick arm. At times his slider (78-81 mph) was an above average pitch but too often it spun flat in the zone. However, his arm action is good for the SL. His feel of the CH was pretty good too. Even mixed in a 12/6 type CB in the 70-71 mph range. Offensively he showed a quick bat and an aggressive approach. He is slashing type of hitter and can spray the ball. Another player that could end up very highly sought after out of a JC. He also could be a decent draft/follow prospect (on the mound for me).
SS/P Hector Rabago (R/R, 5-11, 185) – USC
Rabago did not play in the games I saw his team play. I think he was nursing some sort of injury. Will compete as a two-way player at SC, with his pitching being used as a short reliever.
OF Mike O’Neill (L/R, 5-10, 170) – USC
Not a real standout tool, but he is a good baseball player. He runs pretty well and has some bat speed (though a long swing), but for him, the key is the way he plays the game. A hard nosed competitor and a scrapper, he is the type that will probably play solidly for four years in college and his opponents will feel like he was at SC for about eight years.
OF/IF Matt Jenkins (L/R, 6-0, 190) – Uncommitted
A classic cripple hitter. Jenkins hit in the 3 or 4 hole and banged each mistake that came his way. Not tool really stands out, but there is a place for strong hitters that do not miss mistakes. He is that guy. I do recall an opposing coach yelling at his pitcher for hanging a pitch that got hit hard by Jenkins… “that is why he is hitting over .400!!”
Servite HS (Anaheim, CA)
This team is another Southern California power that routinely sends a lot of players onto D-I baseball. This year’s team is no different and as per usual, they have a strong crop of underclassmen. The underclassmen are led by ’08 starting SS Chris Amezquita who has already verballed to UC Irvine. ’07 P/IF Dan Klein is very good on the mound and has already verballed to UCLA, choosing the Bruins baseball program over playing quarterback at Cal. ’08 C David Peterson is also a nice looking young player.
OF/P Scott Schauer (R/R, 5-11, 185) – California
Schauer can hit and he is pretty dirty on the mound too. At Cal he should fit into the line-up pretty quickly with his bat and get late innings on the hill with his big and sharp hammer CB. With the bat he is short and quick to the ball and hits hard line drives all over the field. He did not have the greatest spring in terms of average but for a solid couple of years has been one of the better HS hitters on the West Coast. His bat will play well in college and possibly beyond. That is if he does not end up on the mound as a closer. Not a big FB, but sneaky in the mid-80s with that big hammer.
MIF Ryan Aguayo (R/R, 5-10, 180) – Uncommitted
I really liked Aguayo and have since I saw him two summers ago. He is headed to a JC if he is not drafted and signed. His grades kept him from signing with a D-I because it certainly was not his baseball ability. He is a + defensive 2nd baseman with some pop in his bat. He reminds me of what I saw of Edgardo Alfonso when he was going well. Aguayo has a quick bat and gets to the inner half well. He is short to the ball and is also a strong contact hitter. His defensive instincts at 2B are very good and his arm would play at SS.
RHP Greg Grenier (R/R, 5-11, 170) – Uncommitted
Was being recruited late as a recruited walk-on by a team in the WCC, not sure if that got done or not. His best days are ahead of him but he has a chance to be a pretty good reliever in college. His FB is short right now (83-85 mph) but the ball comes out of his hand easily. He also has a pretty big CB from an over the top slot. Look for him to emerge in about two years and to be throwing a lot harder.
West Boca Raton HS (West Boca Raton, FL)
The best players I saw from this talented team were underclassmen, but I think there are some senior pitchers that I missed. In any case the name of ’08 LHP Brian Busch will be VERY well known by the end of this summer. He is a 6’3” 225 lefty with a FB already up to 88 and a big slurvy breaking ball and very good change-up. ’07 CF Zach Marcus was also a very good looking player and ’07 LHP Joey Ozarowski looks to be a solid middle relief guy at the college level. ’08 C Rick Versace also performed well, particularly behind the plate and ’08 RHP Sean Adelman showed a mid-80s FB.
3B Ryan Whelan (R/R, 6-1, 180) – Indian River CC
Long and lean, pretty athletic. Whelan was a good looking player but still has some development to gain with the bat. Saw him hit a dinger but the swing is a bit long and a little late. However, when he was on-time, his swing did stay in the zone and he has some power. Nice looking player at 3B too.
RHP Justin Dechert (R/R, 6-0, 165) – Stetson
Quick arm and a lithe build. Dechert will need to pick up some velocity in the coming years on his FB (84-86 mph in this tourney), but his curveball is a legitimate pitch. His command of that snappy 74-76 mph hammer was very good. With that pitch alone, it is safe to say that he will pitch quite a bit in college. The velocity gains will come with his natural physical maturation. Look for him to pan out around 87-91 with a 77-81 mph CB.
LHP Cory Adelman (L/L, 6-3, 185) – Seminole CC
Did not see him but wanted to note him as he committed to one of the top JCs.
Ok, that’s a wrap on my coverage of the 2006 Phil Nevin National Classic. Hopefully some of the unsigned seniors mentioned in this report get some exposure that helps them out.
This column represents the thoughts and opinions of the author and are not necessarily those of Perfect Game.