EMERSON, GA: The summer is here and the State Games of Georgia kicks off our summer season at LakePoint. There is nothing better than opening the summer on memorial day weekend with teams from all over the country. Our scouting staff was out in full force watching games all weeekend long. We will be publishing scout blogs at the end of every tournament. Check out notes and videos on players than made an impression on our scouting staff in the 1st weekend back. 

James Brooks, SS/RHP, 2028, South Effingham High School
#50 rank in the state of Georgia. The 2024 Junior Future Gamer featured a lively fastball that sat at 82-84 T85 in his short outing. The ball jumped out of his hand and was his primary S/M pitch. He also featured an impressive BB with 12-6 shape. He was able to land the BB at ease at 70 MPH. This two pitch mix was more than effective in his outing out of the bullpen. There is a lot of controlled aggression in Brooks’ delivery. At 6’ 170 lbs you can only expect Brooks to be trending upward in the future.

Gunnar Ponche, OF, 2026, West Forsyth High School
Uncommitted. Ponche featured an impressive LH swing this weekend. Ponche stands at 6’2” weighing 180 lbs with an impressive amount of juice in the bat at that size. He showcased plus barrel control in every AB. Ponche produced loud contact in what felt like every time he stepped up to the plate. He showed a mature approach shortening up the load in two strike counts, but also showed the ability to ambush early and produce exit velos at 90+. Impressive uncommitted 2026 that is a pure hitter.

Drake Young, RHP/3B, 2028, Fitzgerald High School
Young impressed in his outing on the mound. Showing three plus pitches with the ability to get S/M on all three. The fastball was electric out of hand sitting at 83-85 topping out at 86, with some cut ride action on the pitch. The BB was getting very ugly swings with 11 to 5 break and a lot of vertical movement that snapped down in the zone while sitting around 72-73. His changeup deceived hitters with good arm side movement, and at 70-74, it was locking hitters up after seeing the fastball. Young will be a player to watch this summer and the lively arm will only get better as the games keep going.

Reece Grodeman, RHP/3B, 2026, Model High School
Georgia Southern commit. #20 rank in the state. Lengthy build at 6-foot-5, 192. Pitched an outstanding game in bracket play, showing off his talented arm to prove why he's one of the top pitchers in his class. His pitch set includes a fastball around 90-91, a frequent use of his changeup at around 76-78, and a curveball that comes in around 75-79. Grodeman utilizes his changeup as his more dominant pitch. His changeup is something special to see. It makes hitters shorten up and be out in front, forcing soft contact. Grodeman dominates the strike zone with his slider as well. It played a massive role this weekend in 2 strike counts. With his size, he is able to come downhill effortlessly. Extremely confident and collected on the mound and knows how to hit his spots. Expect grodeman to continue to impress in his baseball career.

Ryder Baldwin, SS/2B, 2028, Cherokee Bluff High School
Uncommitted, #85 rank in the state of Georgia. Class of 2028 and is very impressive for his age. Standing at 5’9” and 170 pounds, Ryder possesses serious athleticism. He has a smooth swing that gets the barrel through the zone to generate hard hit balls. He puts the ball in play and does damage on the base paths. He is very clean on defense with agile abilities. Baldwin is a rising star for upcoming sophomores.

Dillon DuBose, OF/LHP, 2027, Tuscaloosa County High School
Uncommitted, #61 rank in the State of Alabama. 5-foot-10, 140 pounds. This lefty has some next level talent. DuBose has the ability to stay in games for multiple innings and maintain his strike throwing. His fast ball sits mid to low 80’s with a curveball coming in around 72. With a great one-two punch, he gets ahead in the count. He is very confident on the mound and keeps his composure regardless of the situation. He has a smooth delivery, and is what you look for in a solid left handed pitcher. This class of 2027 southpaw out of Tuscaloosa can bring it.

Thomas Hargett, SS/C, 2027, Darlington School
Uncommitted. The 5-foot-11, 165 pound shortstop can bring it. Elite skill set when it comes to having quality at bats. Puts the ball in play, and does damage early in the count. He has sneaky power behind his bat and can be a hard out for a pitcher. With his quick hands and getting the barrel to the ball, Hargett can go on a tear with multiple hit games. On the base paths he uses his athleticism to his advantage, in taking bases any chance he gets. Be on the lookout for this shortstop out of the class of 2027.

Quinton Peterson Jr., 1B/3B, 2027, Baconton Community Charter School
Uncommitted. This right here is the definition of strength and power. The 6-foot-3, 230 pound corner infielder will bring his A-game every time he enters the box. Throughout his at bats, he makes sure to find his pitch and barrel it up. Quinton has a smooth load that generates immense power to then bring the hands straight to the ball. This is what you look for as a 3-4 hole hitter. His size and natural strength will allow him to further progress and be something special. This 2027 graduate will continue to impress.

Evan Malone, RHP, 2026, Northridge High School
Alabama commit. The 6-foot-2, 230 pound right handed pitcher is extremely well-rounded. His velos range from a 90 to 92 mph fastball, with a 71 to 75 mile an hour curveball. He also has a slider that sits around 79 to 80, and a changeup around 82. He has the ability to take control of games and set the tone for his teammates. His motion is loose and powerful as he generates great strength with his legs. His fastball is his set up pitch, which allows him to get ahead in counts and use his off-speed. Because of this, he forces a lot of weak contact and swing and misses. Malone pitched a gem in bracket play with 9 strikeouts in 6 innings. Expect him to have a monster senior year.

Burton Moore (TN), RHP, 2026, Columbia Central High School
Uncommitted. Standing at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, this physical right-hander delivered one of the most dominant outings of the day. He showcased a three-pitch mix and commanded the zone with confidence. His fastball sat 88–90 mph and topped at 92 with high spin, blowing it by hitters early in counts. He paired it with a tight 75–78 mph slider and a sharp 84–85 mph curveball, both of which generated swings and misses and weak contact later in at-bats. He worked six strong innings, looking very smooth and relaxed all outing, racking up 10 strikeouts in the process. Expect him to be off the board sometime this summer.

Josh Streeter, OF/2B, 2026, North Springs High School
Uncommitted. Streeter continues to do what he does this week. Coming off of an impressive HS season for North Springs, Streeter rarely misses barrels. Throughout the weekend he showed the ability to work deep into counts, fighting off tough pitches frequently until he finds one he can handle. It’s hard not to love a smooth LHH swing and that is what Streeter has showcased this weekend. He is direct to the ball with some quick hands, and does a good job matching plane. He has also shown the ability to lay down a bunt with his plus speed. Streeter is a very versatile hitter, and just a gamer.

Gavin Smith (AL), 1B/3B, 2026, Vestavia Hills High School
Southern Miss Commit. The 2024 Future Gamer has landed himself at #7 in the Alabama state rankings and it is easy to see why. Smith stands in at a sturdy 6’1 225 lbs. The LHH CIF swings with intent to do damage on every pitch, and it is loud when he connects. He recorded an absolute laser for a double that left the bat at 102 EV. Smith seems to swing angry. He has an impressive amount of barrel control for how hard he swings. He does a good job of creating separation with his hands and lower half. He has a smooth and quiet load with a longer stride, but still stays in the back side well. It is a scary sight when Smith’s swing comes together and a good get for USM.

Jaylon Allen, SS/2B, 2026, Chapel Hill High School
Uncommitted. Allen has been an electric player to watch this weekend. Primarily at SS this weekend, he has been a pitchers dream to have in the infield. He has made some tough plays look easy all weekend, robbing the opposing team of multiple hits. At the plate Allen has a relaxed demeanor in the box. He has been a table setter all weekend for 634, nearly always finding a way on to start the game. Allen is a 6.79 runner and it seems to play even faster on the bases. He puts extreme pressure on the defense beating out balls in the infield, as well as turning singles into doubles. He has been all over the barrel frequently, and has a knack for winning long ABs. His quick hands and compact swing create some sneaky pop for his frame as well. If you enjoy watching good baseball then Allen is a must see.

Houston Buck, MIF/RHP, 2026, Chamblee Charter High School
Uncommitted. Buck showed some promising stuff on the bump this weekend. His CB was by far his most impressive pitch. A true S/M offering to the tune of a 12-6 breaker that he threw 70-72 MPH and spun it all the way up to 2700. His fastball was 84-85 T86 that showed riding life at times. He was able to flash the CH at 70 MPH to LHH which was just another pitch to keep the opposing offense off balance. Buck has a long and loose arm action that creates a whippy arm. He showed good tempo down the mound and is aggressive at foot strike. Buck is a promising arm with plenty of projection as he is only 6’ 145 lbs. Everything about Buck is promising and he is going to be a fun arm to watch progress throughout the summer.

Hank Ray, RHP/1B, 2026, North Forsyth High School
Uncommitted. Hank has a very projectable frame at 6 foot 2, 185 pounds and throws the ball effortlessly. He confidently threw all his pitches, fastball, slider, and changeup in all counts. His fastball sat in the mid-low 80’s while topping 86 multiple times. His slider constantly provided weak contact while the changeup caused ugly swings. Hank tossed 4 innings of 1 run baseball while striking out 5 in his first start for Service baseball. Ray has a smooth arm action, ASR on his fastball, and controls the outside corner. He got out of two big jams and kept his composure during both. Hank has a lot of upside and will be an arm to look out for in the future.

Fuller Carver, RHP/OF, 2029, Harris County High School
Uncommitted. Fuller Carver is a high-ceiling right-handed pitcher with impressive early velocity, already reaching 85 mph at just 14 years old. His projectable frame at 6-foot-0, 160 pounds and current performance level make him one of the more intriguing young arms in his class. Developing feel for a breaking ball—currently a slurvy shape in the low 70s with flashes of bite. Changeup is still a work in progress but shows potential with arm-side fade when thrown hard enough. If he continues to develop command and secondary stuff, he could be a high-follow prospect in the coming years, extremely high-ceiling!

Austin Tamborra, OF, 2027, North Cobb Christian(GA)
Uncommitted. Tamborra has a projectable frame at 5 '11, 185 pounds and has power to all parts of the field. He has been a fun player to watch over the weekend with the ability to play any position in the outfield and play with confidence at all positions. He also has an explosive bat with a home run on the weekend and an exit velo of 94 it is easy to see how he will be a rising player in the coming years. Tamborra is smooth in the field with the ability to track down just about any baseball that is in his reach.

Jonathan Campbell, LHP, 2028, Vestavia Hills HS(AL)
Uncommitted. Campbell standing at 6’ 165 with a large frame and still room to fill out throws an impressive pitch that had hitters constantly chasing all day. His delivery appears to be effortless and has a great approach from the mound. He likes to work his fastball across the plate and can work it high or low on right handed batters. He has an impressive curveball that tends to stay to the right side of the plate. In the game against USA scout he pitched 5 innings only allowing 1 run on 1 hit.

Rush Faulk: C, 3B, RHP, 2027, Sonoraville HS(GA)
Uncommitted. Faluk standing 5 '10, 195, the primary catcher brings a lot of power when stepping into the box he has the ability to turn on the ball and drive it down the line he has had a terrific weekend swinging the bat. He had a triple and a double in the game against HOJO where he was able to show off speed along with power. Faluk also got the chance to come in and pitch where we saw him throw low to mid 80s with movement. Faluk has an electric arm that really stands out when on the bump. Faluk was able to mix in a curveball along with his fastball that had a late break and was throwing off hitters throughout the day. It's easy to see why he was batting at the top of the lineup and is easy to understand why he is a must to have in the lineup at all times as he is able to bring power at the plate as well as the ability to step into multiple roles on the field as well.

Joshua Malucci, SS/3B, 2026, River Ridge HS
Uncommitted. Malucci is a 5’10, 175, pure athlete who plays aggressively with the bat and with the glove. Pitchers have had a tough time getting any strikes by him because he is ready to swing it from pitch one of the at bat. He has hit every first pitch strike hard and makes pitchers try to work around him, leading to great at bats. Has a strong lower half in the box that creates easy power, with good rotation that stays connected with the upper half. Defensively his hands work quick and the footwork is there for him to be able to make any play necessary. Malucci is going to be a guy to watch to have a breakout summer with his aggressive approach to how he plays the game.

Harris Turner, OF/2B, 2028, Cartersville HS
Uncommitted. Turner is a pure athlete with a strong, physical 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame. The two-sport QB standout showcased he can swing it as well. He made his presence known in a big way displaying his power in bracket play for DC Academy with a big time 3-run home run, registering a 93 mph exit velocity. He features a smooth right-handed swing with quick hands and a mature, disciplined approach at the plate. He showed he can have an aggressive swing while also staying patient in all of his AB’s. In the outfield, he displays a rocket arm and really good speed, further showing his all-around athleticism. A ton of upside and potential for this 2028 grad.

Reid Olivier, RHP, 2029, Siegel HS (TN)
Olivier already projects well with a 6’1 190 frame going into his freshman year of high school. His delivery and mechanics are very smooth, and he moves down the mound in a hurry. He has very impressive control of his lower half, from leg lift to rotation there is no wasted movement in his motion. He has effortless velocity sitting at 80-83 topping out at 84 across seven innings of work, where he struck out twelve batters. His off speed pitches are both plus offerings, with his slider being a great putaway pitch. His mix of pitches keeps hitters off balance and he pounded the zone with his stuff, making hitters have to swing. This is an impressive arm in this class that will be a player to watch this summer, with a ton of upside as a premium pitcher going forward.

Nash Davis (AL), RHP/1B, 2028, Spain Park High School
Coming in as the #7 ranked player in AL for his class, Davis frequently showed why this weekend. He shows extreme 2-way upside up to 91 on the bump and frequently all over the barrel at the dish. Davis stands out on the field with a 6’5 205 lb frame. In his outing this weekend he was 87-90 T91 with the FB, threw the SL at 75 and the CH at 81. The CH might be his best offering in the near future with live tail that will surely give LHH problems. Davis rarely worked behind in counts and threw primarily heaters. At the plate Davis looks extremely comfortable. He stands tall in the box, creates good separation with his hands. He showed good adjustability at the dish as well, working some long ABs and fighting off some tough pitches. It’s hard not to be excited about the future for Nash Davis. With so much upside both on the bump and at the plate, he is a low risk high reward player. Will be a big pickup for a college program in the future.

Jude Carter, RHP/1B, 2027, Hickory Christian Academy
Uncommitted. Carter stands at 6’4 185 with a large frame and still plenty of room to fill out. Carter showed an impressive outing in the semi final game where we saw him show his arsenal. He was able to rely on his curveball as his knockout pitch where it had a sharp drop off with 2400RPM. Carter was steady in the 83-86 MPH range reaching up to 86.7MPH. He has a long delivery where he is able to accelerate downhill. His fastball shows plenty of movement with the ability to paint the corners on either side. Carter has a great delivery and it shows striking out 5 and having the ability to make batters swing and miss very often.

Jordyn Triplett, OF, 2027, North Cobb
It was shaping up to be an emphatic start to the summer with a potential walk-off in the works. With two runners on and down one, Triplett would step up to the dish looking to damage early. As on the second pitch of the at-bat he would deliver a towering pull-side three-run walk-off home-run for the win. Triplett stays well-balanced through the zone and well-leveraged to the pull-side with present bat speed. As well as staying simple in a well-connected swing with excellent length and accuracy in the barrel. Projectability is clear to see throughout the lean, athletic 6-foot-1 frame.

Dominick Hopkins, RHP/1B, 2027, King’s Academy
It was a really good first look at the two-way profile of Hopkins. The right-hander would toe the slab and projection was obvious standing a physical 6-foot-5, 195-pounds. In a brief, effective start Hopkins would cruise through 3.0 IP as he struck out 7. Fastball lived 84-86 T87 with life through the zone. Curveball was flipped over at 65-67 with ability to bury for swing-and-miss. Changeup was worked sparingly at 74-76. Batting in the clean-up he would find a barrel for a base-hit at an exit-velocity of 95.6. Displayed explosive hands through the zone with budding impact in the barrel. As well as maintaining great balance throughout with present strength in his lower half.

Jonah Winton, SS/RHP, 2027, Silverdale Baptist (TN)
The rising junior continues to make strides towards a significant two-way ceiling. Winton would come in out of the pen for a brief, efficient relief appearance. An easy mover with athleticism throughout and huge arm speed, Winton would show a potent 2-pitch arsenal. Fastball showed easy life through the zone at 88-90 and topped 91. Pairing nicely off the fastball was the curveball that showed sharp depth at 74-76. There is big-time projection remaining within the frame/profile for Winton who only continues to perform in each setting we see him.