EVENT DATE: 6/12/2005

LOCATION: PSU – Behrend

In addition to the group of high school players on Sunday, we saw two very talented Junior College players. Though their ability certainly would have put them there, we did not include them in the Top 5 – instead we chose to recognize the groups separately. Brief scouting reports on the Junior College players are below.

Junior College Prospects

Steve Baldinelli, OF/RHP, FR – Niagra Falls, Ontario, Canada (Mercyhurst College – North East), 5-11, 185, L/R. He just completed his freshman year. Baldinelli is a very talented, 2-way prospect. He hit .372 with 15 doubles, 43 RBI and 10 stolen bases for the 2005 season. On the mound he was 2-2, with 4.21 ERA in 25.2 innings. His stuff was very good for us – fastball was 88-89 mph, curveball (71-76 mph) was a sharp downer with slight tilt, change-up had some sink and was thrown with arm speed. He ran 7.27 60-yard dash, and showed an above average arm from the outfield. At the plate he showed a quick, compact, and lively stroke.

Lee Rohan, OF – Erie,PA (Mercyhurst College – North East), 6-1, 165, L/R. He just completed his sophomore year. Rohan was named as a 2005 NJCAA Division II Second Team All American. This after he batted .490 and stole 14 bases in 16 attempts during his 2005 season. For us, he ran a 7.04 60-yard dash and showed loose and quick actions in the outfield. His arm looks to be best suited for LF. At the plate he showed very good barrel accuracy, and held his balance very well through contact. He showed a line drive approach, with occasional decent pop to the pull side.

Top 5 Prospects (2006 graduates)

The Top 5 Prospects were picked by Jim Gemler (Director of On-Field Session) and Mark Daniels (Scout) based on their performance at the event. The ranking is based on their status as college prospects, and is relative to the entire group of 2006 graduates we saw on the day (underclassmen are not considered).

1. Eric Panko, LHP/OF – Erie, PA (Cathedral Prep HS), 6-2, 175, L/L. Certainly a prospect as a pitcher, and possibly as a 2-way guy. He pitched from a high three quarter arm angle and his fastball was 83-84 mph with slight arm side life. His breaking ball (65-67 mph) had tight spin, and a downward break with slight tilt. He also showed feel for a change-up (70-74 mph) with sink action. His arm action was long and loose, and his delivery was balanced and in sequence.

2. Brad Schwenke, OF – Solon, PA (Solon HS), 5-9, 160, L/L. There is no doubt that he can run (6.65 and 6.84 60-yard dash), and he showed a strong average arm as well (81 mph). At the plate he made contact deep in the hitting zone, and showed some quickness in his hands. Found the barrel consistently, and kept the barrel working through contact well. In the outfield, he took good angles to the ball and was aggressive with his feet. His release was quick, and he used his feet well through his throws – which had good carry to the target.

3. Dustin Dubensky, 3B/2B – Punxsutawney, PA (Punxsutawney HS), 5-9, 175, R/R. A well rounded player, with a solid set of tools. An above average defensive infielder – feet and footwork are good, as are his hands and exchange. Arm is strong average, and may be better suited for 2B. A 7.41 runner in the 60-yard dash. At the plate he showed quick hands and good barrel accuracy, stayed inside the ball well and maintained good balance through contact. Power was to the gaps, more of a doubles type hitter. Will wait and see on his future position, he is good enough with the glove and the bat for either spot.

4. Anthony Licata, 2B – North East, PA (North East HS), 6-0, 160, R/R. Showed loose and quick actions in the infield, with an aggressive approach. Infield fundamentals can improve, but the athletic ability is certainly there. At the plate he showed quick hands and a spray approach, kept his hands inside and used the whole field during batting practice. Occasional gap power showed, and more should come as he learns to use more than just his hands. Much like in the infield, he can improve his approach to get more from his ability. A 7.08 runner in the 60-yard dash, with a strong average arm (81 mph).

5. Adam Van Hooser, LHP – Erie, PA (Iroquois HS), 6-2, 173, L/L. A tall, lean LHP with a quick arm and a lot of potential. Pitched from a three quarter to low three quarter arm angle, and showed a fastball in the 80-81 mph range. His curveball had tight spin, and a slight break mostly across the zone. It was 73-76 mph, and with his arm slot a curveball is tough to throw – replacing it with a slider looks like the way to go for him. He showed feel for a very good change-up, it had good arm side life. He fell away from his arm through the release, a sign that he has not gotten his body working with his arm yet – once he does, look for his fastball to jump several mph.

Top Prospects ARCHIVE

See below for more information about the B.A.T.S. Program, and PUMA National Tournament Team Tryouts. Also, be sure to click on the link for our complete 2005 schedule.

B.A.T.S VIDEO SCOUTING SESSIONS
– includes edited video and scouting report on personal web page
– also an opportunity to tryout for National Tournament Teams
– call 800-641-4487 to register

PUMA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT TEAM TRYOUTS
– an opportunity to tryout for National Tournament Teams
– does not include video, scouting report, or personal webpage
– call 800-621-5452 to register

Baseball Factory 2005 Schedule