Jordan's Scout Blog: Week 7
May 7, 2025
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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.
*Schools and player names are in alphabetical order.*
*If a player does not have a profile, we do not have the ability to feature them in a story.*
Blacksburg
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Brice Abbott 3B / 1B / Blacksburg, VA / 2025It has been a while since I've seen Abbott in person, and the physicality has gone to another level. It is a strong, compact frame with a durable lower half. He showed off that physicality when he got the barrel out on a fastball and sent a towering shot out of deep left field for a solo home run. The power has the ability to show up in game, and it did just that. He would later pick up another hit by getting one to fall back side for a single. It is an impact bat that has a real chance to be a run producer at the next level.
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Sam Szefc RHP / SS / BLACKSBURG HIGH, VA / 2027Szefc did it all on the diamond for the Bruins on Friday night. He got the start on the mound and threw five perfect innings and ten strikeouts in the 10-0 win. He got ahead in counts with multiple pitches to go along with a 71% strike percentage throughout the night. The fastball was 86-88 and held velocity well into the fifth inning. The two different breaking balls gave opposing hitters problems. The curveball was in the 72-75 range that jumped out of the hand that he used early in counts. The slider was the put-away pitch that got plenty of chases at 76-79 with late depth. He used the changeup exclusively on left-handed hitters that got some swings and misses at 76-78 with late tumbling action. He had a big day at the plate as well as he turned in a multi-hit day including two doubles. It is minimal movement at the plate that delivers a short barrel path that shows some impact gap to gap. It is more of a hit tool bat that shows feel for the zone and the ability to use all fields. There are some intriguing two-way traits that he has that will be interesting to follow for years to come.
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First Colonial
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Nic Morlang RHP / OF / First Colonial, VA / 2025It was straight business out of the bullpen for Morlang as he struck out four out of the six batters that he faced. He was fastball dominant, working with a quick pace. The fastball worked up to 91, sitting at 87-90, that generated whiffs in the zone. He mixed in a couple of slurvy breaking balls to work off of the fastball. He was aggressive, attacking hitters low in the zone and elevating when needed with two strikes.
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Aiden Parker RHP / OF / FIRST COLONIAL HIGH, VA / 2025It was a quality start for Parker as he played a big part in the combined no-hitter on Thursday. He threw five innings and picked up nine strikeouts. He used the fastball to get ahead in counts in the 86-88 range, touching 89 a couple of times earlier in the outing. The curveball was effective late in counts that got some swings and misses at 73-75. There is still room for projection in the 6-foot-7, 205-pound frame that could see an uptick in velocity with more strength added.
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Grafton
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Evan Cruea SS / 2B / GRAFTON HIGH, VA / 2026Cruea made an impact early in the game in his first at-bat. He came up to the plate and recognized a breaking ball out of the hand and sent it into the right centerfield gap for a double. He continued to be on the barrel for the rest of the game but that was his only hit. The frame has gotten a little stronger with some added lean strength to the still wiry frame. Defensively, he showed some range at shortstop, making plays with average to slightly above-average arm strength. He shows fluid actions and good timing. Overall, he has a chance to be an above-average defender with the ability to spray the ball to all fields.
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New Kent
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Lane Boyette RHP / C / New Kent, VA / 2026It was a strong outing out of the bullpen as he finished out the game after taking the mound in the fifth. He attacked hitters early in the count with the fastball in the 86–88 range. It has late life with plenty of arm-side run that induced weak contact and made hitters uncomfortable when pitched inside. The feel for the slider got better as the outing went on; that got some chases out of the zone at 75-77. The slider has some late sweeping depth that flashes an above-average pitch. It’s a short arm action where the ball jumps out of the hand. He competes with his stuff in the zone that wants to challenge opposing hitters.
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Jonah Sorrell RHP / OF / New Kent, VA / 2026It was a quality start for Sorrell as he worked into the fifth inning, only allowing one run. It is a stretch-only delivery from a lower three-fourths slot with normal effort. The fastball works well out of that slot at 80-83 that has some sinking action that generated groundballs. He showed feel for a low seventies slider that he used early in counts that has some late depth. He did flash a changeup to left-handed hitters in the mid-seventies that killed spin. He’s a strike thrower who can compete and get outs.
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Drew Staskiel MIF / New Kent, VA / 2026It was a big day at the dish for Staskiel as he had a three-hit day, including the walk off hit in the bottom of the seventh. He brought an aggressive mentality to the plate. He was aggressive early in counts, attacking pitches in the zone. He has some rhythm in the hands that keeps a level barrel path through the zone. He shortens up with two strikes and simplifies the swing to put the ball in play. He is a compact athlete that plays with high energy.
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Ocean Lakes
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Daniel Hamilton RHP / 1B / OCEAN LAKES HIGH, VA / 2027It was a quality start against a very veteran lineup for Hamilton. He worked into the sixth inning, only giving up four hits and one earned run. He worked in the low eighties with the fastball to get ahead in counts. He showed the ability to land two different breaking balls for strikes. The curveball was the best secondary at 69-71 that had late depth generating swings and misses in and out of the zone. It is a controlled delivery with late intent from a high three-fourths slot. He is a strike thrower that can mix in secondary.
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Paul VI
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Ryan Bahr SS / RHP / ST PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL, VA / 2028Bahr has been in the heart of the Panthers lineup and has delivered as a freshman, and he did just that late in the game. He led off the bottom of the ninth with a backside triple. He would end up being the winning run in the ninth. It is a long, lanky frame with plenty of projection left to give some power potential intrigue. It is a balanced setup that keeps a simple load that looks to lift the baseball. It is a gap-to-gap approach with doubles power for now. At third base he made multiple plays on the night on the run and used his length to his advantage to make plays. Bahr making an impact this early makes it even more intriguing to see as he develops as the young frame continues to mature.
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Aiden Gallagher C / RHP / Paul VI, VA / 2026It was a two-hit day for Gallagher as he showed his two-way ability on Wednesday. He brought in three runs on the night where he was aggressive with runners in scoring position and worked gap to gap. It is a physical 6-foot-4, 195-pound frame that flashes some power to the pull side. While it is most likely going to be on the mound long term, he can still provide some run-producing offense.
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Thomas Jewett SS / 2B / St Paul Vi Catholic High School, VA / 2026Jewett made his presence felt early on as he was first pitch swinging for a single up the middle in his first at-bat for his only hit of the night. He is a compact athlete that shows good feel for the zone and good barrel control. It is a gap-to-gap approach that has the ability to hit in any count. He made some nice plays at shortstop as he showed his above-average defensive ability with fluid actions and range. It is a second base profile long term, but he has the ability to really defend at a high level in the infield. He just seems to bring consistency to what he does each time he steps on the field.
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Bryson Pickeral RHP / 1B / ST PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL, VA / 2027Pickeral was strong out of the bullpen for the Panthers as he threw two scoreless innings, only allowing one hit. He is an athletic mover that throws with easy effort. The fastball worked in the 82-85 range that worked low in the zone to the corners. The slider was in the mid-seventies that he started to gain better feel with later in his outing. He showed some confidence in it to left-handed hitters, getting some chases on the backfoot slider. With his athletic movement patterns, he has the chance to tick up in velocity in the future.
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St. Christopher's
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William Hurt SS / C / St. Christopher's, VA / 2025Hurt continues to tear the cover off of the baseball as he picked up a home run on Tuesday. He went into his two-strike approach and delivered the barrel to a pitch in the zone and sent it out of centerfield to open up the lead. He shows feel for the barrel and the ability to hit in any count with impact. The ability to make adjustments and have barrel control makes him a tough out when he steps to the plate.
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Henry Knighton RHP / SS / St. Christopher's School, VA / 2025It was another quality start for Knighton as he went the distance in a complete game win. He attacked the strike zone with the fastball and slider. The slider was a go-to pitch throughout the outing that he could land early in the count and use as a finisher. The fastball was up to 90 and sat in the 86-89 range for the most part of the outing, showing some command to the glove side. He picked up eight strikeouts in the outing and only gave up two earned runs. He continues to show why he is one of the top pitchers in the Richmond area as he continues to put on quality starts on the mound.
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Trinity Episcopal
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Vinnie Fischi LHP / OF / Trinity Episcopal , VA / 2026Fischi made an impact at the plate in the comeback effort. He flashed some of the power upside when he turned the barrel and sent a towering shot out of right center field for a two-run home run. It is long levers in the 6-foot-6, 205-pound frame that has power potential in the left-handed bat. He finds success when he works gap to gap. It is a corner outfield profile to go away with his two-way ability. There is some intriguing upside as he continues to fill out the lanky frame.
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Jalen German RHP / 1B / Trinity Episcopal , VA / 2026While it wasn’t the start that German was looking for, he still flashed some of his power stuff. He had a clean first inning where the fastball was comfortably in the 92-93 range with some heavy sink. As the outing went on, he still held 90-93, but the command wasn’t as sharp as it was early on. The heavy sink generated some ground balls and not a lot of hard contact. The slider command was up and down as he used it a lot early on in counts in the 79-81 range that had some late depth when landed for strikes. The ability to get ahead early in counts is vital for his success in outings, but there is no denying that his stuff can be electrifying when competing in the zone.
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Woodgrove
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Bryan Miller jr C / RHP / WOODGROVE HIGH, VA / 2027It was an off day from behind the dish for Miller as he took the designated hitter duties on Wednesday. He had one hit on the day where he went into a two-strike approach and sent the pitch backside for an RBI single. He keeps some rhythm in his hands with a slightly open setup. It is a level barrel path with some twitch that has some barrel control to use the whole field. He displayed some of his athleticism getting out of the box on balls put in play. It is a more compact frame with evident strength. While he didn't catch, there is arm strength and enough athleticism that can help him stick behind the plate long term.
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