NorCal Rising Stars ID: Takeaways & Statistical Analysis
April 13, 2026
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On Sunday, March 29th, the Prep Baseball California team hosted the NorCal Rising Stars ID at Islanders Field in Lathrop, Cal. This was an open event for all players in the rising stars classes of (2030-31), and gave our staff an ample look at some of the next wave of top players in the region. For a closer look at the showcase details and the technologies we'll have on-site to assist our in-person evaluation for all in attendance, click here.
To start the day, all position players in attendance ran a 60-yard sprint, which was then followed by defensive evaluations at their primary and secondary position (OF, C, SS, 1B) with arm strength being measured via a Stalker Radar gun and skill evaluations by our staff on hand. Upon completion of the defensive workout, the players went into offensive evaluations with multiple rounds of batting practice, where Trackman Technologies were in use to gather batted ball data on each player in attendance. Once the batting practice portion of the event was completed, we shifted into bullpens with pitchers throwing between 12-15 pitches as two-way players to gather Trackman Technologies pitch data and evaluations from our staff on hand.
Today, we will take a look at a few standout performances from the day.
TAKEAWAYS
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Dylan DiBenedetto C / 3B / Elk Grove High, CA / 2030DiBenedetto was the only Catcher that attended the event, coming from the Elk Grove area, he stands at 5’11 158.5 lbs. His size and athleticism really made him stand out with clean transfers and accurate throws to the base. During BP, he managed to use the middle of the field, with a max EV of 83.8 mph and a max distance of 300ft. His performance at the Rising Stars ID was enough to earn him an invitation to the NorCal Rising Stars Game. Highlights: Pop Time: 2.12-2.20 | C Velo: 71 | 60 YD: 7.80 | MAX EV: 83.8 mph |
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Gianni Donati OF / 2B / Jesuit High School, CA / 2030Donati is headed to Jesuit High School next year and is very talented. He primarily plays outfield and can hop in the infield if needed. To start his day off he ran a 6.94 60 yard dash, putting him at the event 2nd best. Donati has an advanced approach, during his rounds of BP, he scattered the field with base hits, and then showed off his pullside/middle pop. Donati moves well around the outfield, and his speed translates into the diamond. He’s a top of the lineup type guy, excited to see how he will start off his high school career. Highlights: 60 Time: 6.94 | Max EV: 91.4 MPH | OF Velo: 79 MPH | Max Distance: 317FT |
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Kyle Kelley OF / RHP / Destiny Christian Academy, CA / 2030Kelley by far had the strongest arm of the whole event, he came to the Elite League Scout Day last year as a 7th grader, and had one of the best arms out there. Fast forward to a couple weekends ago, Kelley reached a PR of 87mph from the outfield. He didn’t get to hop on the mound at all, but he will surely be getting a chance during the Rising Stars Game later in May. Kelley also ran an impressive 7.24 60 yard dash during the first part of the workout. Standing at 6’0” 137.6 lbs there's a lot of room to grow for this upcoming prospect.
60 Time: 7.24 | Max EV: 88.4 MPH | OF Velo: 87 MPH | Max Distance: 311FT |
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Benjamin Wallace OF / RHP / Central Catholic High School, CA / 2030Wallace had had an older brother come to some events over the course of the Fall and Pre Season, but this was Benjamin's first one and he opened up a lot of eyes. Athletically, Wallace is a kid that does it all right now, starting off with his 6.79 60 yard dash. He moved around in the outfield with ease, showcasing a strong arm at 83mph. He’s got some quick twitch like his older brother, he even hopped on the mound at the end of the workout, definitely an exciting young one to keep eyes on in the upcoming years.
60 Time: 6.79 | Max EV: 89.3 MPH | OF Velo: 83 MPH | Max Distance: 332FT | Max FB: 78.3 MPH |
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Gavin Middleton RHP / 1B / University Preparatory, CA / 2030Middleton was the biggest kid at the event, standing at 6’2 160.7 lbs, who came down all the way from Redding, CA. He’s still got some growing to do, his 60 yard dash was a 7.86, offensively he swung it well with a max EV of 89.9 mph. On the mound is where he stood out the most, he’s tall and lanky, so there's some immediate projection in his frame. Middleton topped out at 80mph on the mound mixing in a curveball and a changeup.
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STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
FASTBALL VELOCITY (MAX)
FASTBALL SPIN RATE (AVG.)
60-YARD TIME
EXIT VELOCITY (MAX)
TOP INFIELD VELOCITY
TOP OUTFIELD VELOCITY
TOP CATCHER VELOCITY
TOP POP TIMES
+ CLICK HERE for a look at the complete statistics from the event.