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ESPN’s Super 60 for 2013 Grads
May 2, 2012

Elite alums Martinez, Pabst, Rivera, Smith, Richards and Crawford make ESPN’s Super 60 list of 2013 graduates!

RK PLAYER POS HOMETOWN HT WT
GRADE SCHOOL
1

Jeremy Martinez

 C Fountain Valley, CA
Mater Dei High School		 5′11” 190 94
2

Austin Meadows

 OF Loganville, GA
Grayson High School		 6′3” 200 94
3

Clinton Hollon

 RHP Versailles, KY
Woodford County High School		 6′1” 195 94
4

Oscar Mercado

 SS Tampa, FL
Gaither High School		 6′1” 180 94
5

Stephen Gonsalves

 LHP San Marcos, CA
Cathedral Catholic High School		 6′5” 185 93
6

Justin Williams

 OF Houma, LA
Terrebonne High School		 6′2” 210 93
7

Trey Ball

 LHP New Castle, IN
New Castle Chrysler High School		 6′6” 175 93
8

Jordan Sheffield

 RHP Tullahoma, TN
Tullahoma High School		 6′1” 180 92
9

Chris Okey

 C Mount Dora, FL
Eustis High School		 6′0” 170 92
10

Sheldon Neuse

 RHP Fort Worth, TX
Fossil Ridge High School		 6′0” 170 91
11

Trevor Clifton

 RHP Maryville, TN
Heritage High School		 6′4” 180 91
12

Matt Vogel

 RHP Medina, NY
Patchogue-Medford High School		 6′1” 180 91
13

William Abreu

 OF Hialeah Gardens, FL
Mater Academy Charter High School		 6′3” 210 91
14

Eric Williams

 OF Rowlett, TX
Sachse High School		 5′11” 190 90
15

Zach Collins

 C Pembroke Pines, FL
American Heritage High School		 6′5” 220 90
16

Nick Ciuffo

 C Mount Pleasant, SC
Lexington High School		 6′1” 200 90
17

Josh Hart

 OF Lilburn, GA
Parkview High School		 6′1” 180 89
18

Arden Pabst

 C Sherman Oaks, CA
Harvard Westlake High School		 6′0” 190 89
19

Reese McGuire

 C Kent, WA
Kentwood High School		 6′1” 180 89
20

Keegan Thompson

 RHP Cullaman, AL
Cullman High School		 6′3” 180 89
21

Christopher Rivera

 SS Fullerton, CA
El Dorado High School		 6′0” 175 89
22

Travis Demeritte

 3B Statham, GA
Winder-Barrow High School		 6′1” 180 89
23

Dominic Smith

 OF Los Angeles, CA
Serra High School		 6′0” 200 88
24

Anfernee Grier

 OF Seale, AL
Russell County High School		 6′0” 170 88
25

Ronnie Healy

 C Jupiter, FL
Jupiter Community High School		 6′0” 200 88
26

Joey Martarano

 3B Fruitland, ID
Fruitland High School		 6′3” 230 88
27

Clint Frazier

 OF Loganville, GA
Loganville High School		 6′0” 190 88
28

Cavan Biggio

 2B Houston, TX
Saint Thomas High School		 6′2” 185 88
29

John Kilichowski

 LHP Tampa, FL
Jesuit High School		 6′5” 200 88
30

Thomas Hatch

 RHP Jenks, OK
Jenks High School		 6′2” 200 88
31

Wesley Jones

 SS Lithonia, GA
Redan High School		 6′2” 180 87
32

Nicholas Buckner

 OF Houston, TX
North Shore		 6′0” 195 87
33

Jonah Wesely

 LHP Tracy, CA
Tracy High School		 6′1” 190 87
34
Kevin Davis

 RHP Brewton, AL
T. R. Miller High School		 6′2” 180 87
35

Tim Richards

 SS Long Beach, CA
Woodrow Wilson High School		 6′0” 175 87
36

Stephen Wrenn

 OF Marrietta, GA
Walton High School		 6′2” 172 86
37

Terry McClure

 OF College Park, GA
Westlake		 6′2” 190 86
38
John Sternagel

 SS Rockledge, FL
Rockledge High School		 6′2” 195 86
39

AJ Puk

 LHP Cedar Rapids, IA
Washington High School		 6′5” 200 86
40

Colin Winters

 OF Carlsbad, CA
La Costa Canyon High School		 6′3” 210 86
41

Dylan White

 LHP Sarasota, FL
Sarasota High School		 6′4” 220 86
42

Ronnie Gideon

 3B Hallsville, TX
Hallsville High School		 6′3” 225 86
43

Andre Gregory

 SS Sacramento, CA
Jesuit		 6′1” 180 86
44

Darryn Sheppard

 OF Sugar Land, TX
John Foster Dulles High		 6′1” 180 86
45

Evan Anderson

 LHP McLoud, OK
Dale High School		 6′6” 210 85
46

Nick Longhi

 1B Venice, FL
Venice High School		 6′2” 200 85
47
Casey Meisner

 RHP Cypress, TX
Cy-Woods		 6′7” 180 85
48

Juan Carlos Pena

 SS Syracuse, NY
Westhill High School		 6′1” 185 85
49

Ryan Tellez

 1B Elk Grove, CA
Elk Grove High School		 6′4” 230 85
50

Trey Cobb

 RHP Broken Arrow, OK
Broken Arrow High School		 6′3” 200 85
51

Corey Ray

 OF Chicago, IL
Simeon High School		 5′10” 165 85
52

Garrett Williams

 LHP Shreveport, LA
Calvary Baptist Academy		 6′3” 185 85
53

Cheyne Bickel

 RHP North Palm Beach, FL
Dwyer		 6′2” 200 85
54

Dustin Driver

 RHP Wenatchee, WA
Wenatchee High School		 6′2” 200 85
55

JP Crawford

 OF Lakewood, CA
Lakewood High School		 6′2” 180 85
56
Keenan Innis

 OF Cumming, GA
Blessed Trinity High School		 6′0” 185 85
57

Jeff Paschke

 3B Phoenix, AZ
Valley Christian High School		 6′4” 195 85
58

Anthony Sherlag

 C Atlanta, GA
Marist		 6′3” 205 85
59

Andrew Rosa

 SS Owasso, OK
Owasso High School		 6′1” 170 85
60

Kramer Robertson

 SS McGregor, TX
Midway High School		 5′11” 170 85

2013 ESPN Super 60 Link

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Top 10 Underclassmen Who Stood Out At NHSI Tournament
April 18, 2012

By Nathan Rode
April 17, 2012

Three Elite Baseball alums stand out at the National High School Invitational. Jeremy Martinez and Ryan McMahon of Mater Dei High School, and Arden Pabst of Harvard-Westlake High School.

CARY, N.C.—When draft prospects gather in one location to play, the scouts tend to come out in droves. Summer showcases easily attract crowds of talent evaluators in the triple digits, but attendance thins out at spring games as players are spread across the country and prospect showdowns are less common.

That’s one of the reasons the inaugural USA Baseball National High School Invitational created so much scouting buzz, with seven players from the Baseball America High School Top 100 in action.

More than 100 scouts showed up to see the tournament, which was won by Mater Dei High of Santa Ana, Calif. The Monarchs won four games, three against teams ranked in the BA Top 10: No. 1 Carroll High (Corpus Christi, Texas); No. 2 Bishop Gorman High (Las Vegas) and No. 10 Harvard-Westlake High (Los Angeles). Mater Dei moved up to No. 5 from No. 18 in the latest rankings.

The event did not disappoint, with several tightly contested games and big performances from potential early-round picks. And beyond the 2012 players who were already well known to scouts, several underclassmen put themselves on the radar for 2013 and beyond. Here are 10 underclassmen who stood out:

Shaun Anderson, rhp, American Heritage High, Plantation, Fla.: A member of the 2013 class, Anderson has an ideal pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds. His fastball sat in the mid 80s, but he touched 88-89 mph and has a quick arm that could lead to increased velocity as he matures. Anderson also flashed a very sharp slider in the high 70s. He made two appearances at the NHSI, throwing 91⁄3 innings and allowing just one run on seven hits and three walks. A Florida signee, Anderson struck out seven.

Zach Collins, c, American Heritage High: Collins’ return to Cary went well as he hit .400/.500/.600 with two RBIs as he helped American Heritage to the semifinals. A member of Team USA’s 16-and-under team in 2011, Collins has a strong frame at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds. He catches for the Patriots, but his future at the position is uncertain.

“For a high school junior, looking at the body, your initial concern is how athletic is he,” an American League crosschecker said. “But I like his bat and I’ve seen power from him. He’s probably going to more of a power guy than hitter. He’s pretty aggressive.”

Bruce Aven, the head coach for American Heritage, is a former major leaguer and believes in the Miami signee’s ability.

“He has professional at-bats,” Aven said. “He has an approach up there. He takes good cuts. It’s just a matter of him getting a little bit bigger and little bit stronger.

“A year or two ago everybody was saying he was probably going to move to first base. He’s a catcher. He can block. We’ve let him call most of the pitches most of the year so he’s understanding how to pitch. We had him out here today watching teams to see how to pitch to them so he can learn more and become more of a (game) manager.”

Jack Flaherty, rhp/3b, HaRvard-Westlake High: Just a sophomore, Flaherty may be one of the most coveted recruits in Southern California. He has legitimate two-way ability and stands out on the field with a lean, athletic frame at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds. He struggled at the plate during the tournament, but showed quickness and good defensive ability at third base. He has a strong arm and serves as the Wolverines’ No. 2 pitcher with Lucas Giolito on the sidelines. He sat in the low to mid-80s in his complete-game win, allowing two runs (one earned) on eight hits while striking out six.

Anfernee Grier, ss/of, Russell County High, Seale, Ala.: Most of the players mentioned here were known entities to some degree, but Grier was relatively unknown before the last week of March. He has a lively body at 6 feet and 170 pounds. He started at shortstop in Russell County’s first game, but played right field the rest of the time. At shortstop he showed good range with nice actions and a strong arm that plays in right field. He went 4-for-11, with good bat speed that allows him to let pitches get deep. He scored three runs and drove in two.

“The first day I walked in I saw him playing shortstop and he stood out,” an American League scout said. “Without bearing down, I noticed him.”

Josh Hart, of, Parkview High, Lilburn, Ga.: Coaches in Georgia have been buzzing about Hart’s abilities for a while now and he gave spectators just a taste in Cary. A junior, Hart has a wiry frame and stands out for his speed and defense. While he had a quiet performance, Hart did square up an elite pitcher in lefthander Max Fried for a single and then made a spectacular diving catch in center field later in the game.

Garrett King, rhp, Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High: With Orange Lutheran losing to Sarasota (Fla.) High in the quarterfinals, King’s start was relegated to a consolation game. However, he didn’t hold back and added to an already impressive season. In a complete-game win, King allowed four runs (one earned) on seven hits. He walked none and struck out two, but was arguably the most efficient pitcher of the event. He needed just 64 pitches to get through the seven innings and threw 54 for strikes. King is a 6-foot-3, 170-pound sophomore with big potential.

“He probably sits 83-85 mph,” Orange Lutheran head coach Eric Borba said. “Right now I’d consider him a finesse pitcher. Anytime a 15-year-old kid can throw a complete game and only throw 10 balls says a lot about his ability to command the strike zone. He’s going to be a big-time pitcher. He’s got a good frame that’s just immature physically. He’s going to fill out and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him in the 90-mph range when he gets older and if he can continue to command the secondary pitches like he does now, they’re only going to develop too.”


Jeremy Martinez, c, Mater Dei High, Santa Ana, Calif.: Probably the best-known underclassman at the NHSI, Martinez didn’t disappoint, hitting .538/.625/.615 with two RBIs and four runs in four games. Everyone notices the junior’s stance as it resembles Albert Pujols’. He handles the bat well, has good defensive skills and is a strong leader.

“He’s a catcher with a good bat,” a National League scout said. “He has a durable size and a strong arm. And he’s a hitter.”


Ryan McMahon, 3b, Mater Dei High, Santa Ana, Calif.: It’s easy to get noticed when you’re teammates with a player like Martinez, but McMahon has caught scouts’ eyes this season and is already getting buzz as a potential early-round pick for 2013. He didn’t have a huge week at the plate but made his hits count, collecting RBIs in key situations and crushing a no-doubt home run in the NHSI championship game. Also the starting quarterback at Mater Dei, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound McMahon says he is more interested in baseball and is eyeing UCLA. Stepping away from a sport at a school that has produced two Heisman Trophy winners may be easier said than done.

“I had never seen him,” the American League scout said. “He stood out for his body, it’s projection and lean strength. He has a loose hack and there’s leverage in his stroke. The ball jumped off his bat. He has a real nice package of athleticism and bat speed.”


Arden Pabst, c, Harvard-Westlake High, Studio City, Calif.: If there’s any question about Pabst’s ability to catch velocity, just ask Giolito and Fried how they feel about their batterymate. The two give Pabst, who has a strong frame at 6-foot, 200 pounds, blue ribbons for his receiving. He has solid catch-and-throw skills now and handled the bat well at the NHSI, showing a short swing and squaring up pitches regularly. He is committed to Georgia Tech.

Brandon Perez, ss, Mater Dei High: One of the youngest players at the NHSI as a freshman, Perez held his own on a strong offensive club. He started the season as the third baseman with McMahon at shortstop, but coaches swapped the two when they started slowly. It turned out to be a shrewd move, as both players have picked things up and Perez made a few dazzling plays in Mater Dei’s championship run. He has a strong arm with an ability to make throws from the hole. Perez understandably has a small frame now, but he hit .364 in the four games and drove in four runs.

Baseball America Article

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Blog Spot - Austin Hedges
April 16, 2012


Elite alumni Austin Hedges- 2nd Rd (86 overall), C, JSerra Catholic HS (CA), San Diego Padres

Posted by: Mack Ade

San Diego Padres catching prospect Austin Hedges is off to a fast start for Low-A Fort Wayne in the Midwest League: 6-for-14 (.429) with two doubles, a homer, three walks, and three strikeouts. Drafted in the second round last spring out of high school in San Juan Capistrano, California, Hedges entered pro ball with an excellent defensive reputation but a questionable bat.

He’s played just 13 professional games thus far, but the results are actually the opposite of expectation: he’s a career .300/.451/.525 hitter, but has committed three errors, two passed balls, and has allowed 15 steals with just six caught. Small sample caveat obviously applies here. I expect the defensive stats will catch up with his reputation as he gains experience, but will he keep hitting? Purely instinctual, but I don’t think this is all small sample illusion and I am increasingly optimistic about the bat.

Minor League Article

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No-hitter by Twomey
April 10, 2012

Steve Fryer
Posted April 9th, 2012

Elite alum and El Dorado High School senior left-hander pitcher Kyle Twomey pitched a no-hitter and struck out 15 tonight in the Golden Hawks’ 7-0 victory over Galena of Reno in a first-round game of the Hard9 National Classic at Cal State Fullerton.

El Dorado will play Valley Vista of Surprize, Az., in a second-round game Tuesday at El Dorado.
The information we got on Twomey’s gem came too late to get it in the printed OC Register sports section, but we will follow up. Twomey signed with USC.

OCVarsity Article

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Moore’s Passion Powers Mater Dei
April 3, 2012

Senior Outfielder and Elite alum, helps the Mater Dei Monarchs win NHSI

By Alexis Brudnicki

If you hit, you play. It’s the lesson that Ty Moore was taught by his father.

The Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) outfielder certainly took the lesson to heart, and he demonstrated his hitting prowess in his team’s second game at the National High School Invitational launching a three-run shot over the right-field fence.

Moore also showed what he could do on the hill in the same game, throwing four shutout innings and striking out four Carroll High (Corpus Christi, Texas) batters in a matchup that ended early because of the mercy rule. The UCLA commit is capable both on the mound and at the plate, but Mater Dei head coach Burt Call believes the latter is what makes him stand out.

“He’s probably one of the purest hitters I’ve seen,” Mater Dei head coach Burt Call said. “He can just flat out hit. And that’s going to carry him a long way. And just his competitiveness helps him on the mound, being able to get us some outs and come through in clutch situations. He’s a pretty special player and I’ve been fortunate to coach him for the last four years, so it makes my life a little easier.

“He’s one of the best baseball players to come through Mater Dei.”

The 18-year-old has a unique setup, using a slight twirl of the bat as a timing mechanism to load before starting his swing. Though it is a little off-putting at first glance, it hasn’t deterred any interest in Moore.

“He’s one of those guys who has an unorthodox approach but finds a way to square up a baseball,” a scouting director at the event said. “It’s unconventional and it’s probably not what most guys look for, but at the end of the day the results in what he provides and the way he controls his at-bats, he’s very productive.

“The more he keeps hitting and performing, it makes it a little bit easier to fall in love with the swing. At some point you’ve just got to look at the results of what he’s done against the competition he’s been doing it against. There’s always going to be some hesitation but the more you see him perform, it’s hard to turn away.”

Naturally righthanded in every other facet of the game, Moore credits his father Roger for teaching him how to hit, but his dad says Ty came into his swing all on his own. When the young hitter was just four years old, he attended one of his brother’s practices, where Roger was coaching, and decided to take matters into his own hands.

“Ty just picked up the ball, put it on the tee and grabbed the bat lefthanded,” the elder Moore said. “He grabbed it perfectly as a lefthander would and just swung, and he hit the ball right out to the fence. From that day forward, I knew he’d be a pretty good hitter. He sat there for about an hour that day, going over and over as a lefthanded hitter, and he never changed.”

Roger gives Ty the credit for his distinctive approach at the plate and it wasn’t something that he ever made an attempt at altering, even as his coach.

“His swing is a little unorthodox because he’s got the bat swirl,” Roger said. “But that’s another thing that I never changed with him because it’s a timing mechanism. He always seemed to get his hands back and he still gets his hands through the zone. That’s something (where) he’s going to have to make the adjustments (with faster pitching). But early on he had a pretty good swing and he always made really good contact, so from an early age I kind of knew he’d be a pretty good hitter.”

Through the entire tournament in Cary, Moore and the rest of his Mater Dei teammates dominated the diamond. They played their first two games against the two top-ranked teams in Bishop Gorman High (Las Vegas, Nevada) and Carroll, reaching double digits in runs in both matchups.

“It’s pretty awesome,” Moore said of beating the top two teams. “We got the word that we were playing Bishop Gorman right off the bat. That’s what we want. Coach Call schedules a really tough preseason and a really tough beginning of the season for us to get ready for games like these.

“California’s probably the biggest baseball spot in the country and we go out every night or every weekend and we face guys with big league or D-I arms. So we’re very used to it, where other teams in other states don’t have the type of competition that California has.”

Facing Harvard-Westlake High (Studio City, Calif.) in the championship game of the NHSI, Mater Dei was matched up with another west coast team in the all-California final. The Monarchs took down the Wolverines 3-2 in extra innings, putting on a show in their 4-0 run at the tournament. Moore got the win in the final, throwing four shutout innings to finish it out and scored the winning run.

“I think it’s just the stage and them coming out here and traveling,” Call said of his teams’ outstanding performance. “I think they wanted to show really well and let other teams know that we are a good team. I think our team chemistry is great and our defense is great…and we’ve got good pitching too.”

Though the caliber of competition in Cary was something Mater Dei’s coach discussed with his players, he knew coming in that they would be able to hold their own.

“A couple days before the tournament we talked to them and said, ‘Hey, you guys have a great opportunity here to really compete against the best high school teams,” the Monarchs coach said. “We’re prepared. We’re just going to go out, compete, and leave our heart on the field and see what happens. And I think they’ve done that.”

Baseball America Article