High Desert Summer ID: Preview

Steven Genovese III RHP / 1B / Valencia High, CA / 2028

4/2/26: "Genovese took the ball to open the game for the Vikings, and as a name who had been generating some buzz for me with people I know in the Santa Clarita area, the talented sophomore showed plenty to love about his profile on the mound. First and foremost, it starts with a sound delivery that has low effort with a clean move down the mound to foot strike. He stays taller in his posture with a short, but clean arm path that allows him to pitch downhill, suiting the shape of his pitch arsenal. Genovese consistently was able to repeat his move down the mound, the sequence of his body operates at foot strike, maintains his arm slot/release point on his trio of pitches, and was in or near the strike zone at a high rate. The pitch arsenal for Genovese is fronted by a sound FB that lived at 84-87 MPH with arm side life and sinking action when at it’s best, he touched 88-89 MPH early in the outing, but settled more into that 84-87 range for the duration of his 4+ innings of work. The CHG was the more effective of his secondaries with the shape/velocity on it tunneling off the FB shape and coming in the 76-78 MPH range, which should separate more as he adds velocity to his FB in the coming years. Genovese demonstrated a solid feel for the pitch, landing it for strikes, keeping it down with the misses, and using it to both RHH and LHH with confidence. His breaking ball has a solid shape to his glove side, but the life on it can be improved in the coming years, as it lived at 68-72 MPH, but does flash potential at its higher velocities. As noted earlier, Genovese does throw strikes at a high rate, but his command of where he is locating those strikes will be something that will need polishing in the future to find more outer/inner thirds of the plate and less of the middle of the plate, which resulted in some hard contact. But, to his credit, he limits the ball getting in the air, producing more GB contact and soft GB contact than anything hit hard in the air off him. As well, he competed during traffic on the bases, not losing control of the strike zone, under- or over- throwing under pressure, but rather executed his pitches to the best of their present qualities. The foundation for Genovese is sound at present, but there is plenty more to come as he matures, and he will be another name I keep tabs on as the 2028 class keeps developing."

Jack Sweeney C / SS / St. Augustine Academy, CA / 2027

From 1/11/26: 

Positional Profile: SS/C Intriguing hitter and emerging power potential with the body still maturing.
Body: 5-10, 142-pounds. Wiry, long levered frame with room to fill out.
Hit: RHH. Narrow, balanced stance. Utilizes a drastic back hip coil and inward rotation to store power and create tension. A heavy forward move is braced by the front leg. Level bat path gains depth through the zone and squares up line drives. Hands whip through the zone and find consistent barrels. 65.1 mph bat speed with 7 G's of rotational acceleration.
Power: 96 max exit velocity, averaged 91.3 mph. 306' max distance.
Arm: RH. C-75 mph. INF-82 mph. C: Short, repeatable arm motion that stays close to the ear. Arm whips into extension. INF: Arm gets longer and more extended and finishes from a 3/4 slot.
Defense: 2.08-2.11 pop times. C: Explodes out of the squat and utilizes lower half and upper body rotation for power. Clean glove transitions. INF: Slow, controlled approach and clean hand actions.
ATH: 7.72 runner in the 60.

Oliver Price 1B / LHP / Castaic High, CA / 2027

From 4/2/26: "This was my first time getting eyes on Price, and I came away interested in the future potential for the wiry-built LH hitter from the Coyotes program. Mainly locked in on his at-bats for the day, Price showed a smooth swing with the ability to sequence his turn and hand path effectively to give him adjustability, plate coverage, and bat-to-ball feel. Price uses his lower half to go down and get lower pitches with a direct hand/barrel path that is geared for contact. He stung a trio of balls through the middle while still getting solid contact on a chopper through the middle when he was out front on a low and away CHG from the Vikings righthander. I got some hitterish vibes from Price, and with a frame that has plenty of room to add strength in the coming years, he may grow into more impact in the future. His actions are sound at 1B with some athleticism to be a solid defender at the spot or enough in the tank to play a corner OF spot. Plus, in discussions with people at the game, he adds a solid pitching profile working into the mid-80’s with his FB and has some upside there. Price will be a name I will keep tabs on in the coming future and want to get eyes on again."

Parker Medlin C / OF / Paraclete, CA / 2028

From 1/11/26:

Positional Profile: C/OF Developing catcher with contact swing.
Body: 5-7, 142-pounds. Wiry, lean frame with room to fill out and add strength.
Hit: RHH. Wide stance stacked on back leg with heavy foward move. Quiet hands with noticeable bat wrap. Excessive dowhill bat path results in line drives or back spun pop ups. 62 mph bat speed with 9 G's of rotational acceleration.
Power: 89 max exit velocity, averaged 80.3 mph. 263' max distance.
Arm: RH. C-74 mph. Works from a high over the top slot. Arm is quick and efficient.
Defense: 2.07-2.18 pop times. Starts in a one knee stance and uses athletic footwork to maintain direction towards 2B. Clean transfers out of the glove.
ATH: 7.65 runner in the 60.

Gavin Gorman 3B / RHP / Paraclete, CA / 2028

From 1/11/26:

Positional Profile: 3B/RHP Athletic INF with keen defensive skills and a simple gap-to-gap approach at the plate.
Body: 5-10, 171-pounds. Athletic build with room for additional strength.
Hit: RHH. Wide base with no forward stride. Utilizes an inward turn and back hip coil to generate tension and power. Hands stay quiet and close to shoulder. Fluid, compact and repeatable swing. Quick hands fire the barrel and produce consistent line drives. 64.1 mph bat speed with 5 G's of rotational acceleration.
Power: 88 max exit velocity, averaged 82.8 mph. 323' max distance.
Arm: RH. INF-83 mph. Simple and loose arm action that finishes in a 3/4 slot. No excessive movement and quick release. Can throw from multiple arm angles.
Defense: Demonstrates athletic footwork and comfortable range to both sides. Throws easily on the run. Creates consistent gathers.
ATH: 7.65 runner in the 60.

Hunter Rich C / 3B / Harvard-Westlake, CA / 2029

From 12/30/25:

Positional Profile: C/3B Powerful presence behind the plate. Looking to do damage in the box, sound defender with an accurate arm.
Body: 6-1, 162-pounds. Lengthy and wiry player, high-upside.
Hit: RHH. Simple swing with a traditional load. Hands stay back throughout the load. Stays inside the ball well. Line drive approach and catches the ball out in front. 65.9 mph bat speed with 10 G's of rotational acceleration.
Power: 89 max exit velocity, averaged 82.3 mph. 334' max distance.
Arm: RH. C-70 mph. Arm is whippy and will improve naturally with added strength.
Defense: 2.15-2.23 pop times. One knee down during his pop times. Quick transfers and a short arm.
ATH: 7.99 runner in the 60. 1.82 in the 10 yard split. 17.20 max vertical.