The 13/14U National Championships continued the National Championship tournament circuit at LakePoint as the next wave of prospects showed well throughout the well.

Tales of the Quad is an inside look at the tournament from Ian Smith and Avery Fouts featuring different categories that highlight some of the best talent from throughout the week as well as a hot list of different standouts.

This summer is our most extensive coverage with scouts across the complex at all times, so make sure to check out the weekly scout blog that will feature 50+ names at any given time.

13U National Championship Scout Blog: 13u National Championship: Scout Blog

14U National Championship Scout Blog: 14u National Championship: Scout Blog

The Next Wave

Trey Vandergriff, SS/RHP, 2030, Blessed Trinity
East Cobb Astros 14U
Pure athleticism jumps out when watching Vandergriff as he looked the part in nearly every facet. Athletic, high-waisted 6-foot-0, 170-pounds with still so much more to project. Multiple hits throughout with innate bat-to-ball and feel to use the entire field well. Well-connected through the zone in a fluid stroke while staying compact with the ability to match plane. Tons of athleticism in the dirt with quickness in all directions and arm strength present from multiple spots in the dirt. Vandergriff would show extremely well with huge innings out of the pen to pick up the semi-final win. Athletic mover and gets down the slope well with whippy arm speed and advanced pitchability that should add velo in a hurry. Two-distinct fastball with a 4-seam at 85-87 (T88 MPH) and a 2-seam at 82-84 with heavy sink and run. Tighter slider at 72-74 and tunnels for whiffs. Flipped over a 12/6 curveball with late depth at 71-72. Mixed in a changeup to LHH at 78-80 as well. The rising freshman holds some of the highest upside in the peach state for the 2030 class and a breakout ‘27 circuit could certainly be in the cards.

Caden Gabaelwicz, 3B/OF, 2030, Providence Catholic (IL)
Hit Dogs Illinois Busch
Barrels in every single look including an impressive 3-for-3 showing for myself against a pair of strong opposing pitchers. Compact 5-foot-8, 155-pounds with tons of athleticism and present feel to hit as he set the tone in the heart of the Hit Dogs order throughout the tournament. Hitterish makeup with quiet confidence and ability to work line-to-line while always staying within himself in the box. Did damage amongst various different pitch types and showed the ability to handle premium velocity for the age as well as spin. Shows a quick, balanced trigger and stays coiled well while working short-to-long through the zone. Barrel feel and accuracy are backed by great hands with innate ability to adjust. Excellent zone awareness stands out while boasting advanced plate coverage for the age. Zero chase with little to none swing-and-miss as he constantly spoiled at will. Caused havoc on the bases with a strong first step paired with instincts to match. Defensive flexibility as well rounds out the type of gamer profile that could be one to know in due time in the Illinois 2030 class.

Jackson Lasseter, OF, 2030, Colquitt County
Pines Select 14u
Athleticism and gamer intangibles stood out across my look in a strong overall showing. Lean 5-foot-11, 160-pounds with budding tools to project. Looked the part near the top of the order for Pines Select as he came through with a pair of hard-hit knocks. Utilizes an open stance with a forward handset as he stays well-connected throughout. Good incorporation of his lower half and stays coiled well with zero wasted effort. Compact stroke with present bat-to-ball skills and some present impact in the barrel while living up-the-middle of the field. Lasseter also stood out defensively in center field as well as he made a fantastic play ranging to his right deep into the right-center gap to track down a sure fire XBH. Boasts a quality first step with excellent tacking and routes to the ball alike as he offers the type of defensive profile to start right away for Colquitt County come next spring.

Luke Goudie, SS, 2029, Harris County
Atlanta Braves Scout Team 14u
Staggering week would be an understatement for the type of performance that Goudie put together. Felt like a barrel was incoming with each cut as he led the tournament with 16-hits and ten XBHs as well. Physicality stands out at 5-foot-11, 170-pounds with advanced bat-to-ball to match and well-connected RH cut. Mature approach at the plate as he hunts early in the count and effortless juice to all parts of the field that showed throughout the week. Twitchy setup with ability to stay connected and innate barrel feel. Quiet actions as he works from the ground-up with a wider base and impressive ability to rotate. Minimal wasted effort in the potent cut and ball jumps at contact with real impact out front. Compact path with present bat speed and strength in the hands/wrists while showing feel to manipulate for coverage across all parts of the zone. Goudie made an instant impact this past spring with Harris County and has carried it over well into the summer while propelling himself into a must know name in the ‘29 class nationally.

Dauster Harden, C, 2030, Milton
East Cobb Astros - Orange
I was able to catch a couple of 13u games across the week as well and Harden instantly caught my attention at the top of the East Cobb lineup. Hitterish makeup and athletic actions behind the plate with budding tools in the lean 6-foot-0, 145-pound frame. Came through with a pair of hard-hit barrels while working up-the-middle of the find consistently. Utilizes a slight hip coil to stay balanced and transfers weight well through the zone. Compact path with present bat speed and barrel feel alike. Showed the ability to adjust to spin in-the-zone with great hands and bat-to-ball skills are present as well. Athleticism will be a carrying tool long-term and could potentially profile anywhere across the diamond. Harden has a chance to make an impact right away as a freshman with a top of the order profile and defensive versatility that should get him in the mix.

AJ Bassett, 3B/RHP, 2030, Heritage
Sox Baseball 14U
It was an impressive first look at Bassett as he showed really well on both sides of the ball to open the tournament. Athletic 5-foot-10,155-pounds with present two-way tools and ultra-competitor. Drew the start and generated plenty of swing-and-miss with the mix. Athletic mover down the mound in a longer operation with present arm speed showing from a higher three-quarters slot. Fastball and curveball arsenal kept batters off-balance while missing barrels throughout. Fastball lived 80-83 with whiffs when elevated and some command throughout. Curveball was flipped over at time at 72-73. Also looked the part batting out of the lead-off spot as he picked up a hard-bit base knock back up-the-middle. Shows quality body control with ability to adjust and feel to move the barrel around the zone. Athleticism will carry Bassett's game with plenty more to project as he could make a two-way impact for Heritage come next spring.

James Watson, OF/RHP, 2030, Mount Paran
East Cobb Astros 14U
Just a special week in every aspect for Watson in the midst of winning the 14u National Championship. Eye-opening performance in the box across the week; .526, 1.907 OPS, 5 HR, and 14 RBI. Including an outlandish showing in the championship game as he went 3-for-3 with 2 HR, 3 R, and 6 RBI. Power ceiling is amongst some of the best and rivals anyone nationally with ability to tap into it often. Physicality and athleticism litters the stout 6-foot-1, 205-pound with loud tools throughout. Stays balanced in a toe-tap trigger with minimal wasted effort throughout the potent RH cut. Ability to create loft at ease with real bat speed and advanced barrel feel in a well-leveraged path. On the mound, arm talent showed extremely well across the week including a quality look in the championship game. Dynamic mover with an aggressive drive downhill and body control. Repeats really well with feel to tuck the lead elbow and advanced arm strength from a lower three-quarter slot. Lived in the mid-upper 80s and ran the fastball up to 89.5 with arm-side life through the zone. Flipped over a curveball at 71 with depth as well. It’s the type of week you dream of and Watson has simply cemented himself into one of the household names in the 2030 class nationally.

Wesson Huggins, OF, 2030, East Forsyth
Team Elite Scout Black
Prototypical top-of-the-order bat is evident to see when watching Huggins go through an at-bat. The LHH set the tone near the top for Team Elite all week long and showed well in my lone look while facing a strong opposing pitcher. Lean, athletic 6-foot-0, 160-pounds with tools to project.
Twitchy hands through the zone while staying compact with an accurate barrel and ability to adjust in-zone to various different mixes. Quiet actions and coils into his back hip well with subtle weight transfer and zero wasted effort in the cut. Bat-to-ball is present and consistently works back up the middle of the field in a mature approach at the dish for the age. Quality actions in center-field with a strong first step and chance to profile across the grass long-term. Huggins will certainly have a chance to get in the mix with a Broncos squad in the spring that is fresh off a deep playoff run.

Cruz Dawson, SS, 2030, Houston County
Pines Select 14u
Dawson looked the part throughout as he took really good swings across the tournament. Wiry 6-foot-0, 131-pounds with strength to project and some feel to hit. Shows a fluid LH stroke with body control and transfers weight well through the zone. Stays coiled into his back hip well and maintains balance in a positive move forward while creating good separation at the plate. Great hands in-zone with barrel length and ability to find contact across multiple parts of the zone. Bat-to-ball skills stand out while working from line-to-line with ease. Athletic actions with a chance to stick up-the-middle as he is armed with quality instincts and range alike. The Houston County pipeline continues to churn out high-level talent year after year and Dawson looks poised to be the next in line to step into a huge role right away.

Whitten Percy, 1B, 2030, Walton
East Cobb Astros 14U
The hit/power combo has shown at a rapid rate for Percy over the course of this past calendar year in multiple settings. With more of the same continuing at the 14u National Championship as he caught barrels at will amongst various different members of staff. Huge strength shows often in the ultra-physical 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame and boasts a present feel to hit. Quiet setup and stays well-connected as he lets the hands work through the zone in an efficient path. Approach always stands out with present accuracy in the barrel and excellent feel for the zone Easy juice with real impact at contact and feel to spray the ball to all parts of the field with authority. Athletic actions with fluid footwork and tons of flexibility in the dirt at 1B. Ability to pick it as well while showing the potential to be a future plus defender down the line. It’s the type of profile that can make an instant impact for the Raiders come next spring as they aim for another deep playoff run.

Standouts:

1. Colton Ison, OF, 2029, MI

DBacks Elite Alexander

2. Luke Rohlfs, 3B/RHP, 2030, Mount Paran

Atlanta Braves Scout Team 14u

3. Maddox Soler, C/3B, 2030, Whitewater

Sox Baseball 14U

4. Coleman Conner, C, 2031, Harrison

East Cobb Astros 14U

5. Jeremiah Kilgore, SS, 2030, Saltillo (MS)

DOC 3031

6. Nathaniel Choe, OF, 2031, Buford

Valor National 2031

7. Maddox Shirley, 2B, 2031, Creekview

Georgia Jackets 13U - Nationals

8. Kyeler Brunson, 3B/RHP, 2031, Blue Ridge (SC)

USA Prime SE Select 13u

9. Malik Levy II, 2B, 2029, Harris County

Atlanta Braves Scout Team 14u

10. Andrew Brooks II, OF, 2029, Sandy Creek

Sox Baseball 14U

11. Sawyer Beegle, RHP, 2030, Ohatchee (AL)

Excel Blue Wave National 14U

12. Walt Smith, OF, 2030, Ware County

Pines Select 14u

13. Cohen Ward, 3B, 2030, Harrison

East Cobb Astros 14U

14. Cooper Bowley, 1B, 2030, Homeschool (VA)

Atlanta Braves Scout Team 14u

15. Andrew Davis, OF/C/RHP, 2030, North Gwinnett

Atlanta Braves Scout Team 14u

16. Avery Langford, SS, 2029, Langston Hughes

Sox Baseball 14U

17. Christian Houston, RHP, 2030, Southside (AL)

Excel Blue Wave National 14U

18. Charlie Camp, 1B, 2031, SC

USA Prime SE Select 13u

19. JP Manton, 1B, 2030, Kings Ridge

East Cobb Astros - Orange

20. Canon Mallette, 1B/LHP, 2030, West Laurens

Pines Select 14U

21. Grant Dallam, OF, 2030, Wesleyan

SmarTense 14u

22. Bear Richardson, C/OF, 2030, Harrison

East Cobb Astros 14U

23. Grayson Liddle, C, 2030, St. Albans (DC)

East Cobb Astros 14U

24. Jameson Carter, LHP, 2030, Milton

Top Tier Georgia 14U

25. Miles Roach, RHP/OF, 2030, Riverside (TN)
Memphis Tigers 14u- Henson

26. KJ Hatfield, RHP/1B, 2030, Center Grove (IN)
Indiana Bulls 14u Black

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