By Nathan Rode
National Supervisor

LONG BEACH, CA—LHP Jason Groome (Barnegat HS, NJ) is widely considered the top high school prospect in the 2016 class and is one of a couple names to come up anytime the first overall pick for next year’s draft is speculated. Of course, he has challengers from the college ranks, but there is another prep product lurking that could turn the 2016 spring season into an interesting and exciting horse race and he took the mound Friday at the Area Code Baseball Games. RHP Riley Pint (St. Thomas Aquinas HS, KS) toed the rubber for the White Sox (Midwest) shortly after 8 a.m. PST, a seemingly unfair challenge for the Yankee (Northeast) hitters.

From a lightning-quick arm, his first pitch was 97 mph. His next hit 98. He breezed through the first inning, striking out two, walking one and making an athletic play on a tapper to the third base side of the mound. His fastball ranged from 93-98 out of a 3/4 slot with some arm-side life. He also flashed a nasty slider with hard break at 81-83 and has feel for a good changeup in the mid 80s. In three innings, he allowed just the walk and struck out three.

Coaches have been raving about for Pint for a couple years, since before he was throwing in the mid 90s, and now he’s making his rounds on the summer circuit. Pint will head to Chicago next for the Under Armour All-America Game and then shut down, giving his arm a break until the spring.