The summer recruiting and evaluation season officially kicked off in June, and one of the marquee events in the Carolinas continues to be the annual NC/SC Border Battle.  Returning once again to the pristine Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium on the campus of UNC Charlotte, this year’s event brought together close to 130 of the top players from North Carolina and South Carolina for two highly competitive and scout-packed days. The talent did not disappoint.

Tuesday, June 10 featured the full evaluation circuit for position players. South Carolina’s group opened the day with offensive testing—multiple rounds of batting practice—followed by defensive evaluations and athletic testing.  Once SC concluded, the North Carolina group ran through their own athletic testing, defensive showcase, and offensive performance.  Coaches and scouts were treated to extended looks at each player’s skill set in a pro-style format, offering insight into their tools, movement patterns, and overall feel for the game.

Wednesday, June 11 was reserved for gameplay, with each player participating in one simulated game contest.  Over the course of the day, North Carolina and South Carolina squared off in four live games, allowing pitchers to throw against live hitters and players to compete in a true game setting.  As expected, the top talent from both states put on a show in front of a strong contingent of college coaches and professional scouts.

We now begin the process of breaking down all the action from the event. From advanced metrics and scouting notes to standout performers and analytical takeaways, we’ll unpack everything that happened over the course of the two-day Border Battle.

👉 To view the full roster and statistical breakdown, CLICK HERE.

QUICK HITS - 2026 Position Players 

Zeke Adwaters III SS / 3B / TC Roberson, NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 71 / POS: 10 Athletic infielder continues to impress when in front of Prep Baseball scouts. Good mover, especially laterally.  Transitions from athletic actions into fundamental exchange and release with some ease on the infield.  Good rhythm between the hands and feet.  Has continued to get stronger with the bat. Exit velocity peaked at 97.5mph.

Cole Blevins OF / RHP / West Rowan, NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 31 / POS: 8 Committed to UNC Wilmington shortly after his performance at the NC/SC Border Battle.  One of the top Left Handed bats in the 2027 class.  Excellent rhythm and barrel feel.  Drives the baseball with pop to both gaps.  Max exit velocity of 103mph with a 96.6mph average exit.

Jordan Bonner OF / Pro5 Baseball Academy , NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 103 / POS: 20 One of the top athletes in the 2026 class.  Flooded the stat sheet throughout his workout.  Ran 6.73 on a slow track with a 3.73 thirty yard split.  Top run speed of 21mph.  Jumped 27.8 inches. In BP, max exit of 100mph.  Athletic presence at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds with room to his ceiling as he continues to mature.

Jacob Cesarz SS / 2B / Pro5 Academy, NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 70 / POS: 9 Advanced twitch and quickness.  Very confident middle infielder with trust in his hands and feet.  Ran 6.62 with a 3.75 thirty yard split on a slow course. Top run speed at 21.4mph. Vertical jump of 29.4in.  Right handed hitter has made big strides in the past year.  Calm working from a flat launch position. Flat through the zone. Excellent bat speed.

Daniel Eber OF / LHP / William Amos Hough, NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 145 / POS: 30 Strength present in a 5-foot-8, 188 pound frame.  Left handed hitter works with intent.  Strong hands. Wants extension.  Some natural loft through contact. Peaked his exit velocity at 97.3mph.  Ran a 6.87 sixty.  Intriguing combination of strength and quickness from the left side.

Evan Hogg SS / C / Southlake Christian Academy, NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 166 / POS: 25 Strength present at 5-foot-11, 175 pounds. Good feel for the game. Showed well in the workout but plays faster during the in-game situations. Right handed hitter. Ran a 7.11 sixty. Max exit of 94.5mph with an average exit of 87.5 during BP. Good barrel fee lin the game action.

Gavin Jackson 1B / RHP / AMERICAN LEADERSHIP ACADEMY - JOHNSTON, NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 158 / POS: 9 Physical presence with broad shoulders. Stands 6-foot-3, 222 pounds. Right handed hitter. Good rhythm. Simple load.  Works for extension.  Strength present at contact.  Exit velocity peaked at 101mph with an average exit velocity of 92.4mph throughout BP.  Solid feet and some nimbleness around the bag.

Tucker Martin OF / RHP / North Davidson, NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 106 / POS: 22 Athletic build. Stands 5-foot-8, 171 pounds. Has quickness. Right handed hitter.  Solid rhythm. Works flat through the zone.  Average to above bat speed. Max exit velocity at 95.1mph.

Gavin McElhinny OF / RHP / Corvian, NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 262 / POS: 56 5-foot-6, 168 pounds. Balanced and even.  Simple load and launch.  Average to above batspeed with good barrel feel.  Max exit velocity at 95mph. Turned in a solid 4.07 thirty yard split. Played faster in game action than his sixty time read from the workout.

Vincent Pannutti C / 3B / East Surry High, NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 309 / POS: 43 Solid athlete at 5-foot-9, 187 pounds. Showed accuracy out of the crouch. Pop times ranged 1.99 - 2.11 in the workout. Carried similar times between innings in the live game action. Right handed hitter works with a simple plan. Direct path. Solid bat speed. Max exit at 97.7mph.

Luke Ponczka 1B / 3B / West Rowan, NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 162 / POS: 10 Big power from the right handed hitter. Physical build with broad shoulders at 6-foot-1, 232 pounds. Exit velocity peaked at 107.3mph with a 96.2mph average exit.  Peak distance in BP at 372 feet.  Moves well around the bag at 1B.  Nimble for the size.

Andrew Riedel C / OF / Cardinal Gibbons, NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 81 / POS: 10 Continues to impress with his bat.  Right handed hitter has advanced bat speed and has continued to show solid barrel feel in the workout and game play portion of events. Exit velocity peaked at 102.1mph. Solid catch and release. Pop times ranged 2.02 - 2.11 in the workout setting.

Brady Robinson OF / RHP / Sanderson, NC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 148 / POS: 31 Intriguing athlete that seems to play with more pace than some of those around him. Stands 5-foot-8, 157 pounds. Turned in a 3.97 thirty yard split and a 29.3in vertical. Tall in his base from the right side. Direct path.  Gap to gap approach.  Average bat speed with solid barrel feel.

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