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VA/DC Ground Forces Scout Blog: Volume 14

May 1, 2026
Staff
Prep Baseball Virginia/DC


 
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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.

With the staggering start of private and public schools, we have a deeper collection of notes and video on players in this edition of the Ground Forces Scout Blog.

*Schools and player names are in alphabetical order.*

*If a player does not have a profile, we will not feature them in the story. Create a FREE PROFILE* 

Grassfield

Gabriel Hoffman RHP / OF / Grassfield High, VA / 2029

Went 2-3 on the day with a double and a single. Wiry frame with room to add strength. Fluid actions at 3B as well. Multiple quality at-bats for the freshman in the game. 

 

 

Manchester

Judah Parks RHP / OF / Manchester, VA / 2026

Showed the ability to locate and collect whiffs on all three pitches in the zone at a high rate. Went four innings in relief, tallying seven strikeouts, and grabbed the win. Fastball was used to glove side with late life through the zone. Mixed in the slider and splitter throughout, in any count to keep hitters guessing. The splitter falls off the table, making hitters look foolish at times.

 

 

Maury

Landon Strauss OF / LHP / Maury High, VA / 2028

Went 4.1 innings of work. It was a strong outing, showing a feel for all 3 pitches in the zone. Secondary mix was the winner CH and SL. Used the CH more to RHH and SL to LHH. A competitor on the mound attacking hitters early and often.

 

 

Midlothian

Ben McAuliffe RHP / SS / Midlothian High, VA / 2026

Competitor. Was extremely sharp going seven scoreless innings before letting up one earned run in the eighth inning. High strike percentage and was working quickly. Showed feel for the changeup to both right- and left-handed hitters that worked to the arm side.

 

 

Mountain View

Jake Farinas LHP / 1B / Mountain View (Stafford), VA / 2026

Farinas has an athletic frame. Throws from a high three-quarters slot with some effort to it. Shorter arm action. Fastball was mostly 77-80 but touched 82. Curveball has good arm speed and some shape to it and a sharp 1/7 break, showed the ability to throw it for strikes and bury it. Also flashed a change-up at 73.

 

 

Nansemond River

Joshua Harris RHP / 3B / Nansemond River High, VA / 2027

Went all seven innings of work. Athletic mover with room to add strength in the frame. FB was up to 87 working in the zone early and often. Pitched to contact with the fastball, inducing weak contact. Mixed in a CB to RHH and CH to LHH.

 

 

Norfolk Academy

Jed Creedon LHP / OF / Norfolk Academy, VA / 2027

Went 2-3 at the plate with solid barrels up the middle for singles. Lanky frame with room to add strength. LHH with some strong bat-to-ball skills to both fields. Showed some range in CF as well.

 

 

Evan O'Boyle RHP / 1B / Norfolk Academy, VA / 2027

Had a big two-out backside bases-clearing double to take the lead. Has the ability to hit to all fields. The physical frame jumped on the mound was 88-91 with the FB with late life. 

 

 

Stafford

Braden Fitzgerald RHP / 1B / Stafford Senior High, VA / 2027

Fitzgerald has a lanky, taller frame that has room to add strength to it. Drop and drive delivery and throws from a very high three-quarters arm slot and shorter arm action. Showed feel for a three-pitch mix and the ability to throw all three for strikes to RHH and LHH. The fastball was 80-82 with some late armside run. Curveball had good arm speed at 69-70 and a sharp 11/5 break. Change-up also had good arm speed and some late fade at 74-75. Did a good job of attacking the zone early and keeping hitters off balance, creating soft contact.

 

 

Maximus Hedges SS / RHP / Stafford Senior High, VA / 2026

Hedges has a strong athletic frame with strength present in his lower half. He came in from shortstop with limited warm-up but was effective. Short arm action from a three-quarters arm slot, high effort, and kind of just a thrower at the moment, but showed velocity and got swing and miss. Almost exclusively fastballs, sitting 84-85, touching 86. Gets a ton of ride at the top of the zone, and hitters had a tough time with it.

 

 

Sebastian Smith OF / C / STAFFORD SR. HIGH, VA / 2027

Athletic frame with strength present. Hits from the left side, uphill swing path with a pull preference, and strength at contact. Showed the ability to drive the ball to his pull side with multiple hits, including a deep double.

 

 

Wakefield

Chase Daub RHP / OF / WAKEFIELD HIGH, VA / 2027

A projectable 6’6”, 180-lb frame, Daub had a quality 6 IP start. Daub uses his lanky frame to get down the mound and does it with a repeatable delivery. He was at his best working to the glove side, landing his cutter away from right-handed hitters and getting whiffs with both the cutter and curveball. The cutter was in the mid to upper 70s, complementing his FB in the low 80s. He works in the zone with all three of his pitches and generates soft contact. Daub faced some traffic in the fourth but otherwise had a quick and efficient outing.