Post by ghostball on Jul 26, 2018 10:20:12 GMT -8
The up-the-middle combo of shortstop Spencer Shipman (2020, Newman Lake, Wash.) and second baseman Jordan Donahue (2020, Milani, Hawaii) is one that Oregon State fans will see in the near future as both are committed to the Beavers. Shipman made his presence known immediately with his athleticism on the defensive side of the ball, showing loose actions and a solid arm across while utilizing a short, contact oriented approach at the plate. It was with the bat and his speed where Donahue stood out, staying back on a curveball well which he hooked just inside the right field line for a bases clearing triple, giving Baseball Northwest an early lead. Later in the game he showed the looseness to his hands again with a handle for the barrel, shooting a pitch over the head of the third baseman for a single into the opposite field.
One of the more impressive position prospects this week has been Baseball Northwest middle infielder Jordan Donahue (2020, Mililani, Hawaii) as the Oregon State commit has a very loose, whippy swing and solid defensive actions with athleticism to boot. The 5-foot-9, 145-pound has good instincts defensively and bursts out of the box nicely with some speed that he can use to exit the lefthanded batter’s box quickly. The swing itself is super whippy, with very loose hands that generate good momentum through contact with plenty of bat speed to impact the ball. The swing plays to all fields as he will shorten up with two strikes and work to the opposite field as he did for a double down the line during the game on Wednesday. Donahue certainly looks the part of one of the top prospects in Hawaii with a very good swing and solid feel all around.
Oregon State commit Jaren Hunter (2020, Damascus, Ore.) was simply masterful during his complete game shutout effort on Monday night, establishing command of the strike zone and blowing his stuff by hitters to the tune of a seven-inning shutout with 12 strikeouts on the day.
Hunter is a broad-shouldered, physical righthanded pitching prospect, listed at 6-foot-2 and 195-pounds, with well-proportioned and advanced strength throughout, all qualities that allow him to take his stuff deep into the game. He did just that as he worked up to 89 mph in the first inning and sat 86-89 mph for the entirety of the start, still bumping 88 mph late in the sixth inning of the game. The arm stroke is loose and online through the back and works well through release as he was very on time throughout the start, working the fastball to either side with intent and command. The breaking ball flashed the makings of a true swing-and-miss offering and he got a lot of that during the start with some wild chases down and out of the strike zone. He could add or subtract to the breaker effectively anywhere between the low- to high-70s and could even manipulate shape of the pitch. The twelve strikeouts are going to jump out immediately in the box score but the way Hunter pounded the zone, mixed his pitches, and held his quality stuff deep into the game is certainly noteworthy.
Making his Perfect Game debut in the 15u World Series, shortstop Jabin Trosky (2021, Carmel, Calif.) stood out in a big way defensively and it’s easy to see why the Oregon State coaching staff picked him up as early as they did. While Trosky may not be as physical as some of the other players on the field with his 5-foot-9, 150-pounds, his athleticism will match anybody’s between the lines and his defensive actions were on full display. The first play Trosky made to stand out was on a ground ball hit sharply to his right, taking him into the hole. With runners on first and second, Trosky simply went with his momentum, picked the ball and delivered a strike to third base mid stride to get the runner. The looseness and fluidity to his hands continued to shine throughout the game, whether it be on a ground ball or coming across the bag to complete the double play with comfort dropping his arm slot to finish on to first base. He was held hitless on the day but did show his speed component, swiping a bag and accelerating well to come around and score the first run for Trosky Baseball.
One of the early commits for the Oregon State class, Mason Guerra (2021, Beaverton, Ore.) has had a fairly good week in the 15u World Series and showed out again on Tuesday. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound frame gives him ideal size and projection with a very young build and lots of room for growth. Guerra is hitting a hot .357 on the tournament and his day was capped by a 96 mph triple that he hit to the pull side. The approach is very patient at the dish, though the swing itself is fluid and generates some barrel whip at contact. There are a lot of foundational pieces there to project upon going forward, good hands and feel defensively with present hitting tools, and Guerra looks to have a high ceiling in the class of 2021.
Starting and turning in a very impressive effort during Baseball Northwest’s opening game win was righthander Heith Rasica (2020, Klamath Falls, Ore.) and the Oregon State commit showed a lot of things to like out of the 6-foot-4, 185-pound prospect. Rasica tossed six strong innings while only allowing one earned run and striking out five batters while doing a really good job at limiting hard contact on the day.
The lengthy righthander has a very lean and physically projectable frame, while he throws from a lower three-quarters arm slot which creates a ton of run on his fastball which, when coupled with the present velocity in the 86-89 mph range, made it a tough pitch to square up. The fastball had tremendous arm side life, varying between riding and sinking life depending on the location, and helped him to get a good amount of roll overs on the pitch. Rasica also mixed in a frisbee breaking ball with nice break and 10-to-4 shape that worked nicely with a straight sinking changeup in the upper-70s. The looseness of the arm stroke and projection of the frame are strong positive indicators moving forward and it certainly looks like he could get outs in the Beavers’ bullpen tomorrow.
One of the more impressive position prospects this week has been Baseball Northwest middle infielder Jordan Donahue (2020, Mililani, Hawaii) as the Oregon State commit has a very loose, whippy swing and solid defensive actions with athleticism to boot. The 5-foot-9, 145-pound has good instincts defensively and bursts out of the box nicely with some speed that he can use to exit the lefthanded batter’s box quickly. The swing itself is super whippy, with very loose hands that generate good momentum through contact with plenty of bat speed to impact the ball. The swing plays to all fields as he will shorten up with two strikes and work to the opposite field as he did for a double down the line during the game on Wednesday. Donahue certainly looks the part of one of the top prospects in Hawaii with a very good swing and solid feel all around.
Oregon State commit Jaren Hunter (2020, Damascus, Ore.) was simply masterful during his complete game shutout effort on Monday night, establishing command of the strike zone and blowing his stuff by hitters to the tune of a seven-inning shutout with 12 strikeouts on the day.
Hunter is a broad-shouldered, physical righthanded pitching prospect, listed at 6-foot-2 and 195-pounds, with well-proportioned and advanced strength throughout, all qualities that allow him to take his stuff deep into the game. He did just that as he worked up to 89 mph in the first inning and sat 86-89 mph for the entirety of the start, still bumping 88 mph late in the sixth inning of the game. The arm stroke is loose and online through the back and works well through release as he was very on time throughout the start, working the fastball to either side with intent and command. The breaking ball flashed the makings of a true swing-and-miss offering and he got a lot of that during the start with some wild chases down and out of the strike zone. He could add or subtract to the breaker effectively anywhere between the low- to high-70s and could even manipulate shape of the pitch. The twelve strikeouts are going to jump out immediately in the box score but the way Hunter pounded the zone, mixed his pitches, and held his quality stuff deep into the game is certainly noteworthy.
Making his Perfect Game debut in the 15u World Series, shortstop Jabin Trosky (2021, Carmel, Calif.) stood out in a big way defensively and it’s easy to see why the Oregon State coaching staff picked him up as early as they did. While Trosky may not be as physical as some of the other players on the field with his 5-foot-9, 150-pounds, his athleticism will match anybody’s between the lines and his defensive actions were on full display. The first play Trosky made to stand out was on a ground ball hit sharply to his right, taking him into the hole. With runners on first and second, Trosky simply went with his momentum, picked the ball and delivered a strike to third base mid stride to get the runner. The looseness and fluidity to his hands continued to shine throughout the game, whether it be on a ground ball or coming across the bag to complete the double play with comfort dropping his arm slot to finish on to first base. He was held hitless on the day but did show his speed component, swiping a bag and accelerating well to come around and score the first run for Trosky Baseball.
One of the early commits for the Oregon State class, Mason Guerra (2021, Beaverton, Ore.) has had a fairly good week in the 15u World Series and showed out again on Tuesday. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound frame gives him ideal size and projection with a very young build and lots of room for growth. Guerra is hitting a hot .357 on the tournament and his day was capped by a 96 mph triple that he hit to the pull side. The approach is very patient at the dish, though the swing itself is fluid and generates some barrel whip at contact. There are a lot of foundational pieces there to project upon going forward, good hands and feel defensively with present hitting tools, and Guerra looks to have a high ceiling in the class of 2021.
Starting and turning in a very impressive effort during Baseball Northwest’s opening game win was righthander Heith Rasica (2020, Klamath Falls, Ore.) and the Oregon State commit showed a lot of things to like out of the 6-foot-4, 185-pound prospect. Rasica tossed six strong innings while only allowing one earned run and striking out five batters while doing a really good job at limiting hard contact on the day.
The lengthy righthander has a very lean and physically projectable frame, while he throws from a lower three-quarters arm slot which creates a ton of run on his fastball which, when coupled with the present velocity in the 86-89 mph range, made it a tough pitch to square up. The fastball had tremendous arm side life, varying between riding and sinking life depending on the location, and helped him to get a good amount of roll overs on the pitch. Rasica also mixed in a frisbee breaking ball with nice break and 10-to-4 shape that worked nicely with a straight sinking changeup in the upper-70s. The looseness of the arm stroke and projection of the frame are strong positive indicators moving forward and it certainly looks like he could get outs in the Beavers’ bullpen tomorrow.
