MCLEAN RAIDERS HAVE THREE PLAYERS IN TOP 10 PROSPECTS
Robbie Shields and LaDale Hayes make PG Crosschecker’s rankings
MCLEAN, Va. August 24—The McLean Raiders capped off a terrific first season in the premier Clark Griffith League with a second-place finish in the All-American Amateur Baseball Association National Tournament.
After a 24-17 season in the Clark Griffith League and a great performance in the AAABA Tournament, three key Raiders Players have received national recognition.
Robbie Shields, the 2007 Clark Griffith League Most Valuable Player, and LaDale Hayes have made the cut for the PG Crosschecker Top 10 Prospects rankings. Shields came in second, while Hayes was fifth.
Each player named a Top 10 Prospect by PG Crosschecker was also named to the 2007 Clark Griffith League All-League Team.
While LaDale Hayes began the season with the DC Grays, he was a major part of McLean’s championship run in the AAABA.
The Raiders are proud of the success of the team and these three players.
PG Crosschecker’s release is listed below. For further information, please visit www.PGCrosschecker.com.
CLARK GRIFFITH COLLEGIATE LEAGUE
TOP 10 PROSPECTS, 2007
COMPILED BY ALLAN SIMPSON (In association with league managers)
Winners
of five All-American Amateur Baseball Association (AAABA) titles in a six-year
span from 1997-2002, the Vienna Senators went looking for a larger stage to
showcase one of the nation’s most successful summer programs. They’ve
participated in the National Baseball Congress World Series in three of the
last four years and even though they have yet to post a top 10 finish in the
Wichita-based tournament, the Senators made their most successful run this
year with a team that posted a 47-7 record overall.
The Senators
dominated the Clark Griffith League standings along the way, going 39-5, before
venturing to Wichita , and they also dominated a list of the league’s
best professional prospects, placing five players in the top 10. They had the
two best pitchers in the league as well as solid hitters up and down the lineup.
1. Aaron Loup LHP Vienna
Senators L-L 5-10 170 So. Tulane
SCOUTING REPORT: Loup was the dominant pitcher for the league champion Senators,
posting an 8-0, 0.98 record with 63 strikeouts and only 14 walks in 55 innings.
He topped the league in wins and ERA. Loup’s size may be a drawback
as he looks ahead to a professional career, but he doesn’t exactly
fit the definition of a crafty lefthander. He has a very quick arm and runs
his fastball consistently in the 88-90 mph range, even topping in the low
90s at the league’s all-star game. His fastball also has good running
action and gets on hitters quickly. He has a loose, resilient, mechanically-sound
arm and could throw every day, if needed. Loup commands three pitches, including
an above-average slider, and has the overall stuff to live on the inner half
of the plate against right-handed hitters. He also has a good feel for a
changeup, but tends to slow up his arm a bit to throw it. After going 2-1,
4.37 with 36 strikeouts in 35 innings as a freshman at Tulane in the spring,
Loup has a shot to move into the Green Wave rotation in 2008 and surface
as a potential top-five round pick in 2009.
2. Robbie Shields SS McLean
Raiders R-R 6-1 190 So. Florida
Southern
SCOUTING REPORT: Shields tied for the Clark Griffith League home run lead
with 10 while hitting .307, went 3-for-3 with a home run in the league all-star
game and hit another four homers at the AAABA World Series while leading
McLean to a second-place finish. He has a sweet righthanded swing with a
combination of power and the ability to hit to all fields. As a freshman
at Division II Florida Southern, he hit .298-8-49. Shields is an average
runner, capable of running a 6.75 in the 60, and stole 13 bases in 15 attempts
this summer. For now, he flashes enough tools defensively to warrant a long
look at shortstop but he could end up at third base if he gets bigger and
stronger, or possibly second. He has quick actions in the field, his feet
work well and an above-average arm is one of his better tools—though
most of his errors this summer were on erratic throws. Scouts say if it all
comes together for Shields, he could be a player in the mould of big leaguer
Aaron Hill.
3. Nate Newman RHP Vienna
Senators R-R 6-5 215 Jr. Pepperdine
SCOUTING REPORT: Newman is an intriguing athletic specimen who considered
becoming a Division I quarterback before choosing to attend Tulane as a two-way
prospect. He spent a year at Tulane before transferring to Grayson County
(Texas ) CC to concentrate solely on pitching; he will move on to Pepperdine
in that role this fall. Even though the 6-foot-5, 215-pound Newman did not
swing a bat in game competition this summer for the Senators, he entered
the league’s Home Run Derby at the all-star game and won the event
by drilling 15 home runs, including eight in the final round. Newman’s
sole focus at this point is on pitching, however, and his athletic ability
is in evidence on the mound. His sinking, boring fastball sits at 89-91 mph
and he touched 93 this summer on his way to compiling a 6-0, 1.80 record
with a league-best 66 strikeouts in 65 innings. He allowed just 28 hits while
walking 20. He also has an above-average slider and a splitter with good
diving action.
4. Juan Mujica OF DC
Grays/Mclean Raiders L-L 5-11 185 Jr. Southern
SCOUTING REPORT: The Venezuelan-born and developed Mujica, who is attending
Southern on a student visa, was the dominant offensive player in the league
this season, hitting a league-best .359 and topping the five-team circuit
in runs (39), hits (55), doubles (13) and stolen bases (23 in 25 attempts).
Speed is his best tool; he was clocked in the 60 in 6.6 seconds and 3.85
down the line. He gets excellent jumps and was not only the league’s
best base stealer but the best base runner. Primarily a slap hitter and an
accomplished bunter, his style of play put a lot of pressure on the defense.
Power is the one obvious tool Mujica lacks, but he can drive balls to the
gaps on occasion. Mujica is a rangy outfielder with good arm strength, and
could easily settle into center field. He plays the game hard and will turn
heads with his flamboyant Latin flare.
5. LaDale Hayes OF DC
Grays/McLean Raiders R-R 6-1 180 Jr. Alabama
A&M
SCOUTING REPORT: Hayes is very raw in his development as a baseball player,
but possesses two exceptional tools: speed and arm strength. He tracks balls
well, whether he’s in center field or right, but his arm is an attention-grabber.
He often has thrown out players at first base from right field. Whether Hayes
will every hit is the biggest question in projecting his baseball future.
He can drive balls to the gaps on occasion and led Division I players in
triples per game last spring, but there is little rhythm in his swing. He
possesses quick hands and intriguing quick-twitch muscles, but he uses too
much of his body in his swing and has a tendency to try and pull everything.
Hayes hit just .301-3-22 last spring at Alabama A&M and he’ll need
a lot of coaching to draw out his offensive potential.
6. Sam Honeck 1B Vienna
Senators L-L 6-3 215 Jr. Tulane
SCOUTING REPORT: Vienna’s long-standing pipeline
to Tulane led to Honeck, who will join the Green Wave this fall after hitting
.372-12-56 as a sophomore at Grayson County (Texas ) CC. Honeck has serious
pull power with the ability to also shorten his swing and go the other way.
He shared the Clark Griffith League home run title with 10, while hitting .307.
He is a very streaky hitter who can carry a team for a week or two at a time.
He is also an outstanding defender, with good footwork around the bag, and
athletic for his size.
7. Ryan Eden OF Vienna
Senators R-R 6-0 190 So. New
Orleans
SCOUTING REPORT: Eden would have led the league in hitting at .404, but he
fell just short of the required number of plate appearances to qualify. His
best tool is contact hitting; he has excellent pitch recognition and an ability
to get his bat on the ball. He also stole 16 bases in 19 attempts and has
above-average speed. His power is below average, but scouts say he has a
chance to grow into his power. Eden excels in center field; he can not only
cover plenty of ground but his arm is strong and accurate. After playing
sparingly as a freshman at New Orleans (.286-2-7 in 49 at-bats), Eden should
be ready to take over full-time in center field in 2008.
8. Nick Wheeler 3B Vienna
Senators R-R 6-1 195 Jr. West
Alabama
SCOUTING REPORT: Wheeler hit a resounding .387-13-66 at Itawamba (Miss. )
JC in the spring and followed by leading the Clark Griffith League with 46
RBIs this summer, while batting .307 with six homers. But he turned down
overtures to transfer to a Division I school this fall in favor of D-II West
Alabama, where he’ll follow in the footsteps of his older brother Brandon,
one of that school’s top sluggers. Wheeler has solid tools across the
board. He is not quite as strong as teammate Sam Honeck, but he has real
power and can run the 60 in 6.83 seconds. He also has an above-average arm
and his feet play well at third base.
9. Nick Schreiber RHP Fairfax
Nationals B-R 6-2 175 Jr. California
(Pa. )
SCOUTING REPORT: Schreiber went a pedestrian 5-3, 3.62 with 37 walks and
35 strikeouts in 60 innings in a swing role as a sophomore at Division II
California (Pa. ) during the spring, but found his niche as a full-time closer
during the summer. He showcased two above-average pitches in the role: a
fastball that was a consistent 91-92 mph and touched 94, though was often
flat and lacked movement, and a dirty 86-87 mph slider with hard, sharp,
quick break. He also showed the demeanor to close and an ability to bounce
back quickly. The result was a 1-0, 0.98 record with just two walks in 18
innings, to go with 20 strikeouts, though his command was not crisp as the
statistics suggest as he consistently went deep into counts. He converted
all 12 save opportunities.
10. Alex Gregory 1B/3B Fairfax
Nationals R-R 6-2 205 Jr. Radford
SCOUTING REPORT: The Big South Conference’s leading hitter in the spring
at .430-5-33, Gregory continued to swing the bat with authority during the
summer. He tied for the league lead in hits (55) and homers (10), and outright
led in total bases (105) and triples (6). His .353 average was also second-best
and he finished second in the league’s Home Run Derby. Gregory’s
ability to hit and hit with power to all fields is not in question, though
he is susceptible to breaking balls and will need to cut down on his strikeouts.
But he struggles defensively, particularly at third base. He lacks the footwork
for the position and most likely will end up at first base on a permanent
basis down the road.
###
For more information, please go to www.McLeanRaiders.com.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||