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 - PITCHERS

Reidar Carlson RHP / OF / Lexington, SC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 22 / POS: 4 One of the top rising arms in the 27 class showed why durnig his outing.  After watching multiple this spring Reidar continued to impress anddid the same durning the Border Battle.  Attacked hitters with his FB that sat 85-88 mph and topping at 88.5 mph while having plus extenstion and hop to it.  Developing cutting that he can throwing to both RHH anf LHH for strikes as well as a put away pitch up to 79.9 mph.  Also showing good feel for a CB and a CH.

Bryce Baxter RHP / RHP / Riverside, SC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 33 / POS: 10 Athletic right hander that shows good clean mechanics down the mound while shwoing a the abilty to mix his pitches well.  FB was up to 88.2 mph while really showing the ability to spin his breaking ball up to 77.5 mph and a max spin of 2489 rpm.  Going to be a stel of a pick up for a school!!

Jackson Ownbey 1B / RHP / DW Daniel High, SC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 23 / POS: 3 Another big riser this spring and proved it agian at the Border Battle.  Jackson is a big strong projectable frame with good stuff.  Attacked hitters with a good FB while sitting 84-87 mph while showing the ability to mix in a CB and CH.  Both showing good developing action to the.

Worth Lundy SS / RHP / HAMMOND, SC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 86 / POS: 18 Athletic lean frame with lots of projection.  Worth came out and showed good stuff on the mound.  A longer arm swing and athletic movements, FB was up 86.9 mph with good life to it, while showing a good firm SL down in the zone up to 78.6 mph.  Lots in the tank for this athletic right hander!!

Sully Townley RHP / Fort Mill, SC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 40 / POS: 6 Continuing to trend upward, Sully is a strong framed right hander that operates with a compact, up-tempo delivery and a short arm action from a high three-quarter slot, generating above-average arm speed. Townley’s fastball was up to 85.4 mph, with late life and arm-side run.  He mixes in a good SL up to 75.8 mph, a CB up to 74.5 mph, and a CH at 77.9 mph.  As his pitchability and command continue to sharpen, Townley remains a high-upside arm to follow closely.

Mac Berry LHP / OF / Chapin, SC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 30 / POS: 5 Lean, athletic left-hander with present strength and room to grow. Shows explosive movement down the mound with a long arm action from a near over-the-top slot. Fastball sits 81-84 mph (T85) with life and occasional cut/run. Curveball flashes big shape at 69.6 mph, while the changeup 76.8 mph shows good fade and tunnels well off the fastball.  High-upside arm with raw traits and developing feel.

Aiden Culler LHP / OF / Oceanside Collegiate Academy, SC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 81 / POS: 12 Aidan features a fluid, repeatable delivery with smooth tempo.  His clean, loose arm action and slight delay add to his deception, helping his fastball play up sitting 82-83 mph T84.3 mph with life and ride through the zone.  Really good feel for his CB while throwing it at 72-73 mph with good spin and also mixes in a solid changeup.

Brayden Studebaker LHP / Lexington High, SC / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 75 / POS: 8 Lean, projectable left-hander with athleticism and a twitchy delivery. Works from a low ¾ slot with a short, quick arm action. Fastball up to 83.4 mph with occasional life.  Shows good feel for 75 mph curveball, and a developing changeup at 73.2 mph with fading action.  Intriguing upside as he continues to mature physically and refine his arsenal.

Frank Pepe Jr. LHP / OF / St. James, SC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 49 / POS: 8 Strong, physical left-hander with a mature frame and repeatable delivery.  Works from a high three-quarter slot with a shorter arm action and elbow spiral off the back hip, generating decent arm speed. Fastball sits 78-89.9 mph T81.3 with natural sink and run. Slurve-like breaking ball at 68-71.3 mph shows good shape.  Changeup at 75 mph tunnels well with average fade.

McClain Knight LHP / OF / A.C. Flora, SC / 2028 Rankings  StateRank: 6 / POS: 1 McClain is a 6-foot-1, 152-pound left-handed pitcher with a lean, wiry, and highly projectable frame. A smooth, controlled delivery paired with a loose, quick arm from a three-quarter slot highlights his athleticism.  His fastball sat 77-79 mph, topping at 80, and he mixed in a 67-69 mph curveball and a 72.8 mph changeup.  With plenty of physical development ahead and natural athletic ability, McClain is a high-upside arm to watch for significant jumps in the near future.