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2026 NC HS Scout Blog: March 30 - April 4

April 8, 2026
Prep Baseball
North Carolina

2026 NORTH CAROLINA SCOUT BLOG

As the 2026 spring season gets underway, Prep Baseball North Carolina remains committed to delivering comprehensive scouting coverage from high school diamonds across the state. Our scouting staff will be on the ground throughout the spring, evaluating top prospects, identifying emerging talent, and providing detailed analysis on the players shaping this season.

North Carolina continues to establish itself as one of the premier talent-producing states in the country, consistently sending players to collegiate programs at every level and into professional baseball. Through consistent in-person evaluations, advanced metrics, and video coverage, our goal is to spotlight the next wave of impact prospects while delivering trusted insight for coaches, recruiters, professional scouts, and fans alike.

Each week, the NC High School Scout Blog will feature in-depth reports from recent looks, breaking down tools, performance trends, and projection. Follow along throughout the spring as we provide inside access to the state’s top talent and the players poised to make noise in 2026.

Games covered this week

Grays Creek 3 Freedom Christian Academy 5

Saturday April 4, 2026

Mac Corney, RHP, Freedom Christian Academy, 2027
Slender, athletic frame with good arm speed. Deliberate delivery with a slight shoulder and hip coil, then works directly down the mound.Fastball sat in the low 80s, touching 85, with mostly true action and occasional life up in the zone. Mixed in a 12–6 breaking ball in the upper 60s with solid feel. Command wavered at times, but he maintained confidence and composure throughout

Damian Taylor, RHP, Grays Creek, 2026
Clean, athletic mover down the mound stays closed well into foot strike.
Fastball worked 80–84, touching 85, with intent up in the zone. Showed feel for an upper 60s breaking ball with occasional late bite. Strike throwing wavered at times, but he competed, limited damage, and kept his club in the game.

Grace Christian 14 Triton 2

Saturday April 4, 2026

Riley Cuddy, OF, Grace Christian, 2026
William & Mary Commit- Physically imposing at the plate with some of the best bat speed in his class. Turned a two-strike breaking ball into a homer over left field and earlier adjusted to a breaking pitch for a single down the left-field line. In the outfield, displayed a plus arm with two accurate, on-line throws.

Reggie Marshall, INF, Grace Christian, 2026
Louisville Commit- The 6'5" middle infielder continues to make strides. Light on his feet with a tremendous first step, he covers plenty of ground in the infield and pairs it with a plus arm that carries. At the plate, found the barrel twice and added a pair of walks. Strength is improving, and the results are starting to show more consistently.

Landon McDonald, RHP, Grace Christian, 2027
USF- Commit. Threw a five inning complete game, retiring the last 10 hitters he faced. Works from a small rocker step with a hip coil, generating explosive rotation down the mound and finishing slightly open. Medium arm swing from a 3/4 slot. Fastball sat 86–90, touching 91, with sinking action. Slider has improved, sitting 76–81 with 10/5 tilt, generating plenty of swing and miss.

Harnett Central 4 Terry Sanford 3

Saturday April 4, 2026

Luke Wallace, Harnett Central, LHP, 2026
CVCC Commit- Athletic frame with a short takeaway from a high 3/4 slot. Battled command at times but worked through traffic and limited damage. Fastball settled 78–84 with occasional arm side run . Mixed in an upper-60s breaking ball with 11/5 tilt, flashing swing-and-miss.

Aiden Gaspar, Harnett Central, LHP , 2027
Entered a tough spot and battled throughout. Works from an over the top slot with a three-pitch mix. Fastball sat 80–82 with late run. Showed feel for a 1/7 breaking ball around 70 and, even in pressure, went to a low-70s fading changeup. Mixed delivery and timing to keep hitters off balance.

Rylan Wester, Harnett Central, MIF, 2026
CVCC Commit- One of the team’s catalysts and leader. Uses a smooth left handed swing with a vertical stance with his hands away from the body, using a simple load. He delivered a big early swing, driving a ball to right field to give the team an early lead. Defensively, made every play at shortstop and flashed a plus arm when needed.

Jacob Moore, Terry Sanford, RHP, 2026
Randolph Macon Football Commit- A lot to like about Moore and his composure on the mound. A true grinder, he worked 8.1 innings on roughly 100 pitches. After allowing 2 runs in the first, he threw seven scoreless innings. Uses a simple delivery from a high 3/4 slot with solid arm speed. Fastball sat 80-85 with feel for both sides of the plate, while a tight low-70s curveball kept hitters off balance. Consistently located strikes throughout.

Jack Britt 0 West Johnson 3

Saturday April 4, 2026

Payton Forrest, LHP, West Johnson, 2028
Small-framed lefty who competed throughout a complete-game, 88 pitch performance. Worked from a 3/4 slot and kept hitters off balance. Fastball sat 70–74 with the ability to command both sides of the plate. Primary secondary was a low-60s breaking ball, thrown with confidence in any count.

Aaron Daniels, RHP, Jack Britt, 2027
Athletic frame with a short takeaway from a high 3/4 slot. Battled command at times but worked through traffic and limited damage. Fastball settled 78–84 with occasional glove side cut. Mixed in an upper-60s breaking ball with 11/5 tilt, flashing swing-and-miss.

Leesville Road 2 Holly Springs 4

Friday March 3, 2026

Caleb Renn, LHP, Holly Springs, 2027
Complete game, 11 strikeout performance; settled in after the first and allowed just one baserunner the rest of the way, with no hits after the opening inning. Worked primarily off a fastball/curveball mix, flashing an occasional changeup. Fastball sat 82–85 with arm side run and command to both sides. Curveball showed 2/8 tilt at 70–72, thrown with confidence in any count. Elite pitchability for the 2027 class

Jack Fields, RHP, Leesville Road, 2026
Uncommitted 2026 arm with an athletic frame and broad shoulders. Works from an over the top slot, creating extension down the mound and giving the fastball riding life. FB sat 82–85 throughout with late ride. Mixed in a big, looping breaking ball in the mid-60s to keep hitters off balance. Filled the zone.

Riverside 3 Willow Spring 10

Friday April 3, 2026

Gio Tafalla, C/1B, Willow Spring, 2027
Physical switch hitter who found the barrel twice. Tall, upright presence in the box with a clear intent to drive the ball to the pull side. Creates strong extension through contact and shows a disciplined approach, working deep into counts.

Video - Preseason All-State East - FEB 2026

Tommy Collins, INF/OF, Willow Spring 2026
Virginia Peninsula Commit. Jump-started the offense with a two-run homer to left. Shows present bat speed and strength in the swing. In the field, displays solid actions with an average arm across the diamond.

Video in CMS

Eli James, OF, Willow Spring 2027
Big offensive winner on the day with three hits, including a triple to right center. Upright stance with an all fields approach; shows the ability to stay on pitches to the back side. Drove in three runs and came up big in key spots.

Griffin Kovalesky 1B , Riverside 2027
Limited opportunities with three walks, but made his lone swing count roped a ball to left with authority. Physical presence in the box with easy strength and a simple, controlled rhythm. Defensively, shows good footwork around the bag.

Video - Preseason All-State Central - FEB 2026

Wake Forest 15 Northern Guilford 0

Friday April 3, 2026

Carson Crider, RHP, Wake Forest HS, 2026
Iowa commit. Average build. Strength in the lower half. Listed at 6-foot, 175 pounds. Works from the stretch. Simple delivery that he repeats. Closed into his leg lift, coiling around the back hip. Works level, landing on-line with a square or slightly open toe at foot strike. Long arm action, reaching out of the glove. Low-3/4 slot with solid arm speed. At times on the fastball the arm looked to force pronation. Much more whippy with the arm through the slider action. Fastball ranged 83-85, holding through the 4th inning. Early run and action out of the hand. Solid feel for the arm side throughout. Slider presents a lot of issues for hitters. At its best, there is a late, hard turn as hitters are working to make their decision. Ranged 70-75, spinning up to 2250rpm. Out pitch profile at its best, creating swing and miss and awkward freeze takes. The ability to manipulate the length will create further issues for hitters. Good feel and confidence in a "kick" change at 75-77. Turned to the change on several big pitches, getting swing and miss to end sequences.


Hunter Kisse, OF, Wake Forest HS, 2027
Average frame. Athletic presence. 6-foot-1, 160 pounds. Frame will continue to handle strength gains. Right handed hitter has extremely fast hands and creates strength at contact. Ball jumps off the bat. Very loud for his size with with easy projection as he continues to grow and mature. Four barrels on the night. Narrow stance. Tall and even. Hands off his chest with a vertical bat. Loads into the back side with a leg kick. Hands load with a barrel tip. Lots of whip through the zone. Strong hands. Pull side strength. Ran 4.44 on a ground ball to the pull side. Good athlete with power projection. High level follow that will standout with his production.


Easton Boozer, SS, Wake Forest HS, 2028
Athletic build with strength in the lower half and a tapered waist. Listed at 5-foot-9, 160 pounds. Plays with a ton of pace and energy. His pace of play stands out on a field of good players. Switch hitter is balanced, quick, and direct from both sides of the plate. Advanced bat speed and feel for the barrel. Excellent feel for the strike zone. Recognized spin early and stayed on plan. On base twice from the left side, drawing a walk and getting hit by a pitch - both excellent full at-bats. Single to right from the right side. Defensively, plays with good leverage. Excellent bend in the hips. Good rhythm in the feet and hands. Has quickness. Has trust in the hands. Flashed elite range to the 6-hole with plenty of arm, plus some, to carry the throw from deep in the hole. High level follow.


Antonio Parrino, OF, Wake Forest HS, 2027
Athletic stature with strength present. Listed at 6-foot, 180 pounds. Left handed hitter sprayed the ball around the field with some authority. Tall and open in his stance. Waggle in the hands, just off his back shoulder. Small kick loads him back. Flat bat head loads up to a slightly tipped position. Strong and stable at the launch position. Quick bat. Solid leverage. Hands have strength. Pull side power with solid exit velocity to the oppo side of the field.


Video - Preseason All-State Central - FEB 2026

Riley Gladwell, SS, Northern Guilford HS, 2027
Average frame. Listed at 5-foot-10, 170 pounds. Athletic mover. Flashed defensively. Solid lateral movement. Good rhythm in the hands and feet. Quick, easy exchange and release. Short arm action, loading the scapular with some ease. High-3/4 slot. Excellent carry with solid accuracy. Right handed prospect. Balanced and works to be direct. Average bat speed. Defense leads the prospect. Athleticism suggests there is plenty of room to his ceiling.

Austin Brewer, RHP, Northern Guilford HS, 2029
Length in an average frame. Lean, listed at 6-foot, 160 pounds. Good mover with whip in the arm. Coils around the back hip. Lands across his line creating some crossfire. Squared foot at the foot-strike. Long, clean arm stroke through a 3/4 slot. Quick arm. Fastball ranged 81-84 from the stretch and 84-87 from the windup. Breaking ball at 71. Short look in this outing but a very intriguing arm. Frame has plenty of maturation ahead. The arm is very quick.


Southeast Guilford 1 Southern Lee 4

Friday April 3, 2026

Sam Taylor, OF, Southern Lee HS, 2028
Smaller frame. Young. Still maturing. Solid runner. Showed the ability to get to both gaps, patrolling centerfield. Ran a 4.40 on a drag from the left side. In the box, setup balanced and even. Tall in his base. Hands above the back shoulder and quiet. Hangs with the front leg, striding with some aggression. Linear drift with good hands through contact. Setup for success as he continues to add strength. Flat, showing good barrel feel.

Christian Cox, RHP, Southern Lee HS, 2026
Average frame. Thin build. Simple delivery with solid athleticism over the rubber. Slight coil around the back hip. Closed through balance, striding out to a slightly close landing. Closed toe at foot-strike. Medium arm swing actively loading the scapular with some ease. High-3/4 slot. Cross-fire creates some deception. Fastball worked 80-82 throughout 5 innings of work. Advanced feel for moving the ball side to side with good command for long stretches to his glove side. Breaking ball at 71-73, 2500rpm. Late 10/4 tilt. More barrel miss than swing and miss. Fielded his position and showed feel for controlling the run game. Punched 6 without giving up a run in the win.

Nathan Jarrett, SS, Southeast Guilford HS, 2029
Slender build at 6-foot, 155 pounds. Good lateral quickness. Lacked straight ahead foot speed but is young and the quickness suggests the speed will develop. Good rhythm in the hands and feet. Average to above lateral range for the age. Easy catch and exchange. Athletic release with accuracy. Has trust in his hands. Right handed hitter. Average bat speed and positioned to see strength add to his production. Worked the middle of the field with 2 hits on the day. Competitive at-bats throughout the game. As he continues to mature the frame and competitiveness suggest there is plenty of room to his potential ceiling.