Burton's Scout Blog: Week 1
March 20, 2025
Follow @PrepBaseballVA
Facebook + Instagram
The Prep Baseball Virginia/DC staff makes their way across the Commonwealth and DC throughout the spring to assist high school players in gathering evaluations, including video and some data, that allow our staff to assist in the potential recruitment of student-athletes.
Take a look at a few games and players that stood out over the past week of play.
*All team/players are listed in alphabetical order*
Cape Henry
 |
Noah Hummel LHP / 1B / CAPE HENRY COLLEGIATE SCHOOL, VA / 2026A couple of inning of relief work for the XL framed 6-foot-4 left hander that possesses a durable , thicker frame. Higher leg lift, the hand break works in rhythm, and lands on line down the mound. The delivery has normal to slightly above normal effort, especially late, and he has a longer arm swing, working from a low three-quarter arm slot. Showed three pitches in warmups, but was exclusive fastball/changeup in game. The fastball sat 86-87 for the majority of the outing, showing just two 85's and touching 88 three times. The changeup sat 77-80 mph and is a separator for Hummel. He collected whiff after whiff, bad swing after bad swing on the changeup. It is an elite high school offering, especially when you pair it with his ability to crowd right handed hitters and open up the arm side of the plate. Outside of a three to four hitter stretch on the backend of his outing, Hummel's control was above average, especially when talking about the changeup. Really solid early look of the Navy commit.
|
 |
Christopher Martinez SS / CAPE HENRY COLLEGIATE SCHOOL, VA / 2026Compact frame, above average runner, and plays with energy. Had the best day at the plate for either dugout. Three hits, two doubles, and put together solid at bats from start to finish. At the plate he starts balanced and slightly open. Hands are preset back, medium leg lift, and simply replaces to stride. Direct to contact, level path, and has average bat speed. More of a contact bat that can work from gap to gap and produce line drives. The run tool allows him to stretch into more doubles than the strength plays towards. Long term more suited for second base, but has the footspeed and actions to plug and play at times at short.
|
 |
Harley Matela OF / RHP / Cape Henry Collegiate, VA / 2028Listed at 6-foot-1, 172-pounds, it is a longer frame. Played left field on the day and the arm showed more average to slightly above for his age/class. Right now, more corner outfield projection, but really really early to etch that one in stone. Average runner that turned a 4.45 and 4.47 home to first on two groundballs. Matela reached base three times, including a loud double in his third at bat. Toe taps on his stride back into a medium leg lift, lands on line with a wider base, and the hands have some rhythm in the load. The lower half tends to drift into the stride, but does a nice job of firming up and staying behind the front side. Some strength in the hands and wrists and above average bat speed for the class. Offense first profile that we will continue to follow closely throughout the spring.
|
Cosby
 |
Hayden Fries RHP / Cosby, VA / 2026
|
 |
Blake LaMattina SS / RHP / Cosby, VA / 2027Not a ton to take away in his two at bats. Four pitch walk in his first at bat and then taking a two strike fastball to right center field for a double in his second AB. On the mound it is lighter effort, fairly upright, and it is like he is just playing catch. He sat 85-87 mph during his inning of work, but he showed the ability to add two or so mph whenever he wanted, touching 88-90 a few times. The breaking ball is soft, in shape and velo, sitting 72-74 mph, but he did show the ability to land it in the zone. For me, position > arm for a few reasons. First, it is more athlete on the mound than pitcher, not a bad thing, but just the feel I get. Secondly, the offense, strength, and athleticism will be so much more valuable to a team than a right handed arm. There is certainly plenty of time for that to change, or for there to be a jump on the mound, but right now, in his sophomore year, I would go third base if I was placing probability on where the talented sophomore would land positionally. Regardless, one of, if not the most well rounded positional players in this class in the state.
|
Douglas Freeman
 |
Drew LeVasseur LHP / OF / Douglas Freeman, VA / 2027Lanky 6-foot, 150-pound frame with room to add. Medium lift in the delivery with fairly normal effort and a slight head knock at the end. Longer arm swing and works from a high three-quarter arm slot. The command was average, but the best part about it was he appeared to have some feel to pitch. He had a presence on the mound and was not afraid to compete. The fastball was low to mid 80's, touching 85 mph. It is a bigger and gradual 1/7 curveball that sat at 70-71 mph and would try to bring it back to the arm side half versus right handed hitters. Also showed a few changeups at 78-79 mph.
|
 |
Michael Sellers RHP / 3B / Freeman, VA / 2026May not have been an arm that showed more confidence in spin than Sellers did during the game. Slurvy breaking ball at 72-74 mph that he could land essentially whenever he wanted. The fastball was 83-85 mph and touched 86. It is a whippy arm and the fastball had some ride and played up just a touch with the breaking ball being as consistent as it was.
|
Greenbrier Christian
 |
Jack Bonney 3B / SS / Greenbrier Christian, VA / 2025
|
 |
Ryan Watson 1B / RHP / Greenbrier Christian Academy , VA / 2027
|
James River (Midlothian)
 |
Wil Camera LHP / 1B / James River, VA / 2028
|
 |
Jayden Grant SS / RHP / James River, VA / 2026
|
Nansemond Suffolk
 |
Cole Goodman 2B / OF / NANSEMOND-SUFFOLK ACADEMY, VA / 2027Slightly compact and athletic 5-foot-9, 161-pound frame. Goodman is an above average athlete that has shown the ability to impact the baseball and can be a fairly explosive athlete in a variety of ways. While he did start behind the plate, long term he is certainly more suited for outfield, but as it is in high school sometimes, you play the role that helps the team the most. His athleticism, strength, and competitiveness, I am sure will serve him well back there. In addition to that, sometimes playing another position can bring out some other skillsets or qualities that can make a player more well-rounded. He did get a few innings in center later in the game and did a nice job of using his 6.7 speed to track a ball down in left center. Average arm strength will more than likely find him in left or center long term, with center being the more valuable of the two, as long as he can show the instincts and abilities for the position. Struck out in his first at bat and then struggled with spin early in his second at-bat, but ended up making an adjustment and lining a slider to left field in a two strike count. Will continue to be a '27 that we keep close eyes on throughout the spring.
|
 |
Joseph Petry OF / RHP / NANSEMOND-SUFFOLK ACADEMY, VA / 2026Every time we see Petry, he hits. It is a slightly wider base, higher set hands, and is fairly short to contact. Level path and stays inside at contact. Is more contact/doubles that has shown the ability to hit from line to line and will show some occasional power. Average to maybe slightly above average runner. While he started in center for NSA, long term it is probably more corner outfield projection.
|
North Cross
| |
Tristan Lange RHP / North Cross, VA / 2026Large 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame. Above average athlete, especially for his size/frame. Has some rhythm and pace to how he works on the mound. The delivery has slightly above average effort, leaks a little bit moving down the mound while falling off to first base side, and lands slightly open with an open toe. Shorter arm swing and works from a three-quarter arm slot. The fastball was pretty consistent in the 86-88/89 range in the first few innings, touching 90 three times in the first. It worked pretty consistently in the upper half of the zone and had some ride through the zone. While I did see a deeper pitch arsenal last spring, it was mostly fastball/slider during this outing. The slider was the separator on the day, landing it fairly consistently and was definitely the pitch he used to get a swing and miss or strikeout when he couldn't get a chase on the fastball up. Lange did show a changeup or two in the middle innings, sitting in the 74-75 mph range. Was not as efficient or crisp as he was when I saw him last spring, but it is a little earlier and he was facing a better lineup this weekend. He is a competitor and certainly pitches with emotion on his sleeve.
|
PDG Academy
 |
Hayden Green RHP / SS / sabino, AZ / 2025Listed at 6-foot-2, 190-pounds, Green looks a little stronger/thicker than 190. Lands slightly closed getting down the mound. Full arm swing and throws from a three-quarter arm slot with above average arm speed. Green worked with two fastballs, using the two seam a bit more than the four seam. The 2S was 88-90 mph and worked mostly arm side half of the plate, while the four seam was 92-95 mph. The slider was 77-78 mph and was third best pitch. It did get a few swings and misses, but did not show consistent shape. Solid changeup that he had best feel for in the zone at 78-82 mph. Killed spin from his general fastball range of 2000-2100 RPM down to the 1400-1500 range with the changeup. With the velo alone, it takes him at/near the top of the list of uncommitted 2025's remaining in the country.
|
 |
Dylan Singleton LHP / PDG Academy, UT / 2025Longer and lanky 6-foot-2 frame. Works from a lower three-quarter slot. Longer arm swing and can create some angle on the fastball in on right handed hitters. It was a heavy dose of fastballs on the day, sitting 89-91 and touching 92 mph. Have seen the Notre Dame commit twice (once in the fall and last week) and both times his best secondary has been the changeup. The changeup sat 78-81 mph and he got multiple swings and misses, as well as two strikeouts with that pitch. Still projection left and spin will need to improve (shape and feel).
|
Powhatan
 |
Rhett Boyer 3B / SS / Powhatan, VA / 2025Boyer was catching barrel after barrel on Tuesday night. He showed the ability to impact the baseball on a consistent basis with three extra base hits including a massive grand slam to make an exclamation mark to end the night. It is a relaxed setup with a short, uphill barrel path that creates some natural loft. The impact he brings can produce a lot of runs throughout the course of the spring. -Jordan Jones (VA/DC Assistant Scouting Director) The one thing that stood out to me is the leadership and the type of teammate Boyer is. An arm that had struggled during an inning was coming off of the field and Boyer, who also made the play to end the inning, was the first person to greet the pitcher and "pick him up" when he was coming off of the field. He was reassuring him that they had his back and would make plays for him. Boyer showed some qualities that are sometimes hard to find in today's game, but are of the utmost importance as players begin to move on to the next level. Coach Partusch (Powhatan) and Coach Tierney (Richard Bland) should both benefit not only from his athleticism and talent in between the lines, but their programs will also benefit from the character and makeup of the player. -Jason Burton (VA/DC Scouting Director)
|
 |
Camden Rybak RHP / 1B / Powhatan , VA / 2026
|
 |
Aiden Tuck RHP / OF / POWHATAN HIGH, VA / 2027Tuck got the offense started early on Tuesday when he caught a hanging breaking ball and sent it out of the yard for a three run homerun. There is lean strength in the 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame that gives him the ability to impact the baseball to the pull side. At the plate the in zone swing decisions have been solid. In the five or so at bats we saw in two games, he did swing at some early count breaking balls and did chase a few out of zone pitches, but he also had some quality takes on close pitches. Regardless of the count, Tuck does not get cheated and is looking to do damage. Has the bat speed and intent to do some damage, as he showed on Tuesday, but as the pitching and secondary improves, he may need to make some adjustments with intent as he gets deeper in counts.
|
Spotsylvania
 |
Joshua Perez RHP / 1B / Spotyslvania, VA / 2026Only one inning for an early season tune-up. The Virginia Tech commit was really solid. Quick work, facing three and retiring all three. Showed three pitches, but was mostly fastball/slider. The slider was more slurve in shape. Above average feel for the 77-79 mph offering and he paired that with a 91-92 mph fastball. Threw one changeup at 85 mph where he got a groundout to second base. Don't want to get too carried away off of one inning early in the season, but it was a really solid quick look of the physical right hander for Spotsylvania.
|