On Tuesday, June 2nd, Prep Baseball North Carolina hosted the Charlotte Rising Stars ID at UNC Charlotte's Robert & Mariam Hayes Stadium. Held in conjunction with the Charlotte Summer ID, the event featured players from the 2030 and 2031 grad classes, providing some of the region's youngest prospects an opportunity to begin building their Prep Baseball profiles while gaining experience in a showcase environment.

The Rising Stars Series serves as an early onboarding event for players entering their high school baseball journey. For many attendees, it is their first exposure to the showcase process, allowing them to become familiar with professional-style workouts, measurable testing, statistical analysis, and player evaluations. The event also plays an important role in identifying prospects for future opportunities, including the selection process for Team North Carolina at the Junior Future Games.

The day began with individual assessments, including height, weight, and grip strength testing, before players moved into offensive evaluations. Hitters participated in multiple rounds of batting practice with TrackMan technology collecting batted ball data and performance metrics. Prep Baseball's scouting staff evaluated swing mechanics, bat speed, strength projection, and overall offensive potential throughout the workout.

Following batting practice, players worked through defensive evaluations at their primary positions, allowing scouts to assess athletic actions, footwork, hands, arm strength, and defensive instincts. Timed 60-yard dashes were then conducted to gather running metrics before the event concluded with controlled bullpen sessions. Pitchers threw in front of TrackMan technology while video captured each bullpen, providing detailed information on velocity, pitch movement, spin characteristics, and overall arsenal development.

Over the coming days, Prep Baseball NC will release scouting notes, statistical leaderboards, and player reports from the Charlotte Rising Stars ID as we highlight the top performers and emerging young talent from the event.

More information, including the full roster and event leaderboards, can be found here:

• Charlotte Rising Stars ID

---

Pitching Quick Hitters - Charlotte Rising Stars

Class of 2030

Cason King, SS/RHP, Christ School, 2030
Short arm action and high-¾ slot. Quick arm. Heavy fastball with significant arm-side run, and showcased high-end arm strength, running the fastball up to 79.0 mph. Athletic mover. Good body control.
Key Stats: Fastball at 79.0 mph | Curveball Spin at 1860 rpm

---

Class of 2031

Caleb Barksdale, 2B/RHP, Lake Norman High, 2031
Clean arm swing. Athletic release with average feel for the zone. Breaking ball has downer action and solid depth.
Key Stats: Fastball at 66.0 mph | Curveball Spin at 1795 rpm | Fastball Spin at 1763 rpm

Jayce Cloninger, 1B/RHP, Gaston Christian, 2031
Long arm path into an over-the-top slot. Average arm speed. Breaking ball has depth.
Key Stats: Fastball at 75.0 mph | Curveball Spin at 2164 rpm | Fastball Spin at 1987 rpm

---

North Carolina News