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By: Nick Nickles-January 17, 2008 On a blistery cold night in Laurens, the Dorman big league squad hooked up with the Laurens big league team in hopes of getting in a game with worse weather imminent for the upstate area throughout the rest of the week. Temperatures at game time were in the upper-30’s and by night’s end the frost was forming on the grass across the playing surface. DP was there to take in the action, and the better players shined regardless of the numbing conditions. Dorman continued their thrashing of pitching by throwing up twelve runs in six innings, and any high school that doesn’t have a solid arm should be prepared to score a lot of runs to keep up with this Dorman team in 2008.  Prospect Info: Dorman Mariners Dylan Cole-Junior, RHP/C: Cole (right) worked his fastball in the 85-87 range and was very consistent in delivering strikes on the night. His curveball was 69-71 range with an occasional change at 71. His breaking pitch had some loop. It was slightly above average and yielded some good results. Cole is more of a max-effort guy. His fastball can be a little flat at times, but his off-speed pitches keep the hitters in check. He controlled his curveball very well tonight, and could throw it for a strike at anytime. Cole is a stout-bodied kid, and carries a bulldog approach to the bump. Cole has a great offense to fall back on this season, and his approach is aggressive and he’s attacking the opponent’s line-up. Tyler Crocker-Freshman, C: The youngster is not out of place on offense or defense. Crocker looks good at the plate and has a solid approach. He worked counts in his favor and delivered results tonight with quality at bats. Crocker has a good arm from behind the dish and he did a good job handling the pitchers on the night. Crocker is a definite guy to watch over the next couple of seasons. T.J. Young-Junior, INF: Young continues to solidify his game. He has a nice approach at the plate and he attacked the middle of the field on this night barreling a couple of balls to centerfield. He fought off some good pitches and battled until he got something of his liking or walked. He is very patient hitter and doesn’t get himself out by taking chances. He understands the importance of getting on base and when to take a pitch in a count. Young plays the game the right way and it’s starting to show with positive results. Aaron Everette-Junior, OF: Batting in the eight-spot in the line-up for Dorman, Everette elevated a fastball to left that came very close to leaving the ballpark. It’s guys like Everette that make this team special offensively because, from top to bottom, they can all make some noise in the batters box. Competition is great, and he can provide that for players hitting in front of him if they have a lapse in production during the season. Everette is a part of a solid group of juniors at Dorman. Hunter Cole-Freshman, RHP/SS: The freshman was 80-82 with the fastball tonight and threw a late breaking curveball at 68-71 with a sharp break. Cole has good stuff and projects very well on the mound. His fastballs have some good riding action to right-handed hitters. Cole was pitching and getting strikeouts by mixing it up. Cole is a special player in the making. Prospect Info: Laurens Devil Rays Allen Staton-Freshman, SS/2B: The freshmen will see some playing time on the Varsity at Laurens High. Staton has plenty of arm strength to deliver the ball to first base from short, but will play second base with Tori Patterson having earned the rights to protect the six-hole. Staton has some juice in the stick and quick hands for a ninth grader. His actions in the field need a little spring-cleaning, and Coach Dale Nelson will have him squared away fundamentally before the regular season begins. Nelson’s track record with his players indicates they tend to grow up quickly and produce. Kyle Waters-Unsigned Senior, C: The senior does a good job behind the plate and can handle a pitching staff. He blocks balls and receives the baseball well and can throw a little bit. Waters also had a hit in this game and he does a nice job going backside with pitches. He needs to improve more offensively during his senior campaign but does have a decent hack. Waters can be a serviceable addition to a college baseball roster after high school. Travis Burnside-Junior, OF/RHP: Burnside (left) led off the game with a laser to right-center. Burnside brings an athletic x-factor characteristic into his game. He can be the difference on any given night for his club. The question for Burnside is whether his best contributions are going to be in the outfield or on the mound in the future. It is difficult to determine at this point, mainly because Burnside is a plus runner and plays an above average centerfield. Burnside is a legit two-way player at the collegiate level, and will continue to get pro attention over the next two years of high school. Note: These games are Big League qualifying teams playing for an opportunity to be selected for an all-district team, and have no connection with high schools or with the SCHSL. .

By: Chris Nall-January 9, 2008   Diamond Prospects was in Easley Wednesday night for qualifying action from District 1. Players from Easley, Pickens, Daniel, Westside, Liberty, Wren, Walhalla, Palmetto and Greenville have been divided up among three teams, two of which faced off on this night. Prospect Info: Kilby Lesley-Junior, Easley HS, RHP: Lesley was dominating on this night, striking out six while only allowing one hit. Command and movement is key for Lesley, who showed a low-80’s fastball and a plus breaking ball. Lesley will be a key factor in the Greenwave rotation this year and is a guy to keep your eyes on. Britt Alexander–Limestone Commit, Daniel HS, INF: Alexander continues to improve every time I see him. He has put on some size in the weight room this fall, but it has not impacted his speed. After collecting two hits at the plate, including a double off the centerfield wall, Alexander then made a running catch in deep leftfield to save a double and a diving play at shortstop to save a single. Expect a good senior year from Alexander before he heads to Limestone. Reed Kent–Unsigned Senior, Pickens HS, INF: Kent first caught my attention when he barreled up an outside fast ball for a double into right-center; he had made a quick adjustment after pulling out on the pitch before. He then moved to third where he showed his range on a play in the hole. Kent has a good frame with good actions at the plate, with a good year, could catch some college attention. Carey Rowland–SMC Commit, Liberty HS, INF/RHP: With a 6-1/205-pound frame, it was easy to see why SMC jumped on this guy. Rowland showed good hands and a powerful swing at the plate. He didn’t pitch on this night but will see time on the mound for Liberty this season. Jake Koenig–SMC Commit, Greenville HS, INF: Koenig is a baseball guy, makes the plays in the field, puts the ball in play at the plate and even pitches if you need him to. He committed to SMC early in the fall last season and has showed no signs of slacking off, a good sign for SMC…Greenville will look to Koenig to carry them this year. Logan Thomas–Sophomore, Pickens HS, RHP/INF: Thomas (right) is one of the top guys in the 2010 class, and arguably the top right-handed pitcher. Logan pitched on Tuesday night, so we missed him, but word is that he was dominating. He looked solid at the plate, just missing a ball early in the game to pop out. Thomas is a must follow for all college coaches. Josh Hutto–Unsigned Senior, Easley HS, OF: Hutto shows the actions of a college guy at times. Good frame and strong swing could produce power numbers for Easley this year provided the swing gets leveled out. He barreled one up to left for a double early in the game. Look for Hutto to be a sleeper this year. Jordan Bridges–Junior, Wren HS, C/RHP: Bridges moved from his typical catcher position to pitch and was effective. A solid frame mixed with good arm strength will make for an impact player at Wren and a must follow for colleges. Jonathan Small–Junior, West Oak HS, INF: Small burst onto the radar Wednesday night after barreling up two balls, one of which hit outfield fence. A tall, slender frame projects that with some work in the weight room, he could be a big power guy for West Oak. Solid actions in the field mixed with his ability to hit will mean a follow status. .

Stars Tryout: The top-notch Southeast Stars Program is holding tryouts for 2013 Summer Teams on December 15 at noon at Grand Park at Market Common in Myrtle Beach. For more info, please visit: www.starsof2morrow.com The anatomy of a baseball schedule: For players, parents and high school coaches who plan to send their spring schedule to college coaches, professional scouts, or anyone else for that matter, please consider the following… To view, click here. Wanted: Spring Previews written by the coaching staff… Please send to [email protected] Needed: Spring Schedules, please send to: [email protected] Also, please plug in here The anatomy of a baseball schedule: For players, parents and high school coaches who plan to send their spring schedule to college coaches, professional scouts, or anyone else for that matter, please consider the following… To view, click here. Eleven years ago: In the wake of terrorism on 9/11, eleven years ago a classic American baseball moment occurred. To view, click here. Diamond Prospects on Twitter: DP has finally come around to social media and can now be found on Twitter… To follow us, click here. FCA’s 10 Commandments: Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Baseball has taken on the task of examining how to be a Christian baseball parent. It is truly up to Christians to change the culture of youth baseball by modeling the attributes of Christ in all aspects of the game. God gave us His "Ten Commandments", biblical principles to guide ours lives. FCA gives us their version on how to act at the ballpark… To view, click here. DP Sneak Peak: BBCOR Bat… All-Pro Dad: Highly Recommended Any father that strives to be a quality dad should spend 2-4 minutes exploring this website created by Tony Dungy. To view, click here. Something you don’t know: How a baseball is made. To view a five minute info video, click here. Recruiting 101: Finding the recruiting process difficult to understand or intimidating? Most players and parents do. You owe it to your son and his future to educate yourself from start to finish on the recruiting game. Have you considered the following… click here. Advertise on DP: Looking for widespread visibility? Want to sponsor a Diamond Prospects event? Interested in providing a scholarship in exchange for advertising space? If your business or school is interested in partnering our rapidly growing exposure, email us today! .

Name:  Jarrod L Rickman   Nickname(s): “J-Rod”   High School (coach): Jack Jolly   Graduation year: 2011   Position(s): P, 1B, RF   Other sport(s) played in high school: None   Height: 5’11” Weight: 178   Bats: R   Throws: R   GPA: 4.85   SAT: n/a   PSAT: 1290   ACT: n/a   Class rank: Top 5 in class    Academic awards: Alpha-Beta Club   Intended major: Hospitality Management   Parent’s names: Wayne/Jacqueline Rickman   Summer team (coach): Nick Brannon, Coastal Thunder-16u   Fall team (coach): Roger Goff,    MB Angels-15u   Middle School statistics: Carolina Forest Freshman Team Pitcher: W-L, ERA, IP, SO, BB                  4-W 0-L, 0.00-ERA, 17, 22, 1 Hitter: AVG, R, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, SB       .720 BA, 9, 2, 2, 0, 13, 3, w/0-SO’s   Travel Team statistics: Available upon request   Athletic awards: All World Series Team   60-yard dash: n/a   P’s-Top MPH: 81-mph   C’s-Best POP time: n/a   Hobbies: Acoustical Guitar   List any community service or charity work you have done: www.gsml.org Grand Strand Miracle League   Would you consider a junior college? No   What do you want a college coach who is reading this to know about you? Jarrod is an outstanding young man on and off the baseball field. He does everything that is asked of him and willing to go the extra mile. Jarrod handles himself in a professional manner. He is always prepared for games and practices. His ability to hit the baseball is outstanding. His ability to hit backside, to all gaps with power, getting bunts down, is a proven asset to our baseball program. Jarrod is a student of the game, soaking up everything that the coaches told him. He was asked to pitch and be our closer. His presence on the mound was unmatched. He consistently threw strikes and hit his spots. Whether, Jarrod is hitting, pitching, or running, Jarrod will be a great young man to have on your team. We will miss his presence and leadership on the J.V. team. Tom Griffin, Head Coach Carolina Forest J.V. Baseball Team List your top five college choices: Furman, Wofford, College of Charleston, Duke, Yale .

By: Nick Nickles-January 6, 2008 DP was in Roebuck, SC on Sunday to take in some early baseball action. Two of the best programs in the state, Dorman and Laurens, hooked up to go through some exhibition baseball in the Big league qualifying games. The teams played a doubleheader on a pleasantly warm Sunday at Dorman High School. The Dorman team left making a statement of what kind of force they will bring to the table in 2008 and the Laurens team flashed its strengths of what has promises of being a memorable year. Prospect Info: Dorman Sloan Gilliam-Senior, Spartanburg Methodist signee, OF/1B/RHP: Gilliam can flat out hit. He terrorized the pitchers from Laurens on this day. He hits the ball solid all around the baseball field. Gilliam projects as a first basemen/corner outfielder that is going to be an offensive presence in the line-up. Gilliam got on the bump and has really cleaned up his throwing actions in the off-season. He was much more fluid in the release phase of his throws. He threw strikes and got outs. His pitching days will likely come to an end at season’s close, but he can log some innings this spring for his high school. Gilliam could easily contend for player of the year honors for the Cavaliers this season. Dylan Cole-Junior, RHP/C: Cole (left) had a banner day going yard twice. He hit a line drive homerun to right field and a massive tank bomb to left-centerfield. Cole also recorded a double. Cole is a solid two-way guy and was very good on the bump today. He has a solid arm and throws strikes. He will be counted on heavily for Dorman this year as a #1 or #2 starter. Cole is solid behind the dish and has plenty of arm strength. Cole is a definite guy for colleges to start evaluating. Cole could easily be in the running for post-season awards if he plays up to his potential. Will Muzika-Junior, 2B/SS: Muzika projects as a college second basemen. Muzika is a scrapper. He plays the game hard and makes the plays he should make. Muzika competes.  He could easily play on the left side of the infield for his high school this season, but today he really stood out at second. His actions are good and arm is average. Muzika is a hard groundball/solid singles type of hitter that is solid in all phases of the game. Muzika is guy that should attract smaller schools attention and a mid major Division I school is not out of the question. Fisher Easterling-Sophomore, OF/P: The sophomore drove two doubles in the gap and added a single in a days work at the plate. He continually grabbed attention by jumping on baseballs in his at bats. Easterling got on the bump and was able to throw strikes and compete. Easterling is another good young player at Dorman who is ready to contribute and is worth an early noting. Hunter Cole-Freshman, SS/RHP: College coaches go ahead and add this name to your board. Cole is going to be a “big time” player a lot sooner than later. Cole’s demeanor on the mound is simply special. He is very confident in his arm and his mechanics are fundamentally sound. His arm is above average and control is very good. He gets some sink on his fastball that induced some ground balls. Cole looks the part already at shortstop featuring a good arm across the diamond and quick hands. He is a treat to see and his potential is quite evident in one viewing. Cole will contribute this season on a top team as a freshman. Jake Kirkland-Junior, 3B/1B/OF: Kirkland, pretty much like everyone else at Dorman today, ripped the baseball. He had several hits and made a nice defensive pick at first base. Kirkland can run a little bit and that gives the Cavaliers some versatility in where to play him this season. Kirkland has some strength and has a stout build. He brings more offense to the table for the Cavaliers and plays with a mean streak. Notables: T.J. Young-Dorman and Cameron Holmes- Boiling Springs HS. Prospect Info: Laurens Travis Burnside-Junior, OF/RHP: Burnside (right) is undoubtedly one of the best athletes in the state. He runs under balls with ease in the outfield utilizing his plus wheels. He has noticeably been in the weight room this off-season and filled out a good bit. Burnside has another good tool in his arm, and is a force on the mound. Burnside is a definite guy garnering Region I-4A player of the year as a sophomore, and will generate some pro attention as an athlete the next two years. Luke Tollison-Junior, Laurens Academy, 3B/RHP: Tollison is a short sack of lightning. He has some juice in his bat. His opposite field homerun he flicked over the rightfield wall was impressive today. Tollison has plenty of arm strength to get it across the diamond. Tollison could use some work on cleaning up his infield actions and could develop a little more discipline in the box as a hitter. Tollison is very talented, and could easily put up some impressive numbers in college because of his natural abilities. He is more of a thrower and max effort guy on the mound and could possibly be suited better as a closer. Tollison is a definite prospect for colleges to evaluate. Tori Patterson-Sophomore, SS: Patterson projects to play 2B/3B in college. He has good actions and a slightly above average arm in the infield. Patterson plays the game hard and has gathered a lot of experience since starting as a seventh grader at Laurens High. Patterson has a little pop in the bat and will be counted on heavily by the Raiders for offensive production this season. Dre Watts-Junior, USC commit, RHP/OF: Watts threw an inning and was throwing strikes and inducing groundballs. He has good arm strength with a sneaky quick fastball. Watts has trimmed down a bit and looked …

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Walker to Newberry: On Wednesday night, James Island senior LHP Austin Walker (left) made a commitment to play baseball for the Wolves. Crump to Coastal: On Wednesday, Northwestern junior OF Josh Crump made a commitment to play baseball for the Chanticleers. Sellers to Erskine: On Saturday afternoon, Clover senior RHP Cameron Sellers made a commitment to play baseball for the Flying Fleet. Albert to Bearcats: On Wednesday, Spartanburg Methodist catcher Domineke Albert (left) made a commitment to play baseball at Lander. Albert prepped at Richland Northeast. Luckett to Pacers: On Monday, USC-Lancaster OF Randy Luckett made a commitment to play baseball at USC-Aiken. Luckett prepped at Marlboro County.  Black to Erskine: On Monday morning, USC Sumter LHP JR Black made a commitment to play baseball for the Flying Fleet. Black prepped at JL Mann.  Herrington to Patriots: On Thursday night, Aynor senior INF Graham Herrington made a commitment to play baseball at Francis Marion. Croxton to Lancers: On Friday night, Blythewood senior OF Derek Croxton made a commitment to play baseball at USC-Lancaster. Lollis to Erskine: On Friday night, Palmetto senior SS Tanner Lollis made a commitment to play baseball for the Flying Fleet. Rodgers, Penders commit to Fire Ants: This week, White Knoll senior RHP/INF John Robert Rodgers and Dorman senior C/RHP Zack Pender made a commitment to play baseball at USC Sumter.  Powell to Trojans: On Tuesday, Belton-Honea Path senior OF Matthew Powell made a commitment to play baseball for Anderson University. Bostick to Georgia Southern: On Monday night, West Florence senior RHP Akeem Bostick (left) made a commitment to play baseball at Georgia Southern. Bostick is arguably the top-rated arm in the Class of 2013. Hamilton to Stingers: On Monday night, Blythewood HS senior RHP Zack Hamilton made a commitment to play baseball at Florence-Darlington Tech. Robbins to Saints: On Wednesday, South Pointe senior INF Colby Robbins made a commitment to play for Limestone. Carr to Lancers: On Tuesday afternoon, JL Mann senior OF Jake Carr made a commitment to play baseball for USC-Lancaster. Marcis to Stingers: On Tuesday, Carolina Forest RHP Cullen Marcis made a commitment to play baseball for Florence-Darlington Tech. Ford to Cougars: On Saturday, Lake View senior OF Chris Ford made a commitment to play baseball for The College of Charleston. Garrett to Pioneers: On Wednesday night, Bishop England senior catcher Cameron Garrett (left) made a commitment to play baseball for Spartanburg Methodist. Commitments-2013: To view a complete listing of the senior class’ commitments/signings, click here. .

By: Nick Nickles-January 5, 2008   Diamond Prospects made its way into a cold, breezy ballpark at Eastside High School Saturday morning to take in the first baseball action of 2008 in a Big League World Series qualifier. The Royals (Eastside, Greenville) took on the Braves (Riverside) in the top half of the doubleheader and the Royals took on the Indians (J.L. Mann, Mauldin) in the bottom half. Then DP traveled to Simpsonville, SC to Heritage Park to watch the Indians take on the Yankees (Southside Christian, Greenville Tech Charter). The pitchers are limited to strict pitch counts and the games carry a “spring training” type of feeling without the Florida and Arizona weather. So, the scoreboards are turned off but it was quite evident early that the good player’s pride was still turned on in these games.   Prospect Info: Braves (Riverside)   Michael Roth-Senior, USC signee, LHP/1B/OF: Roth looked very good physically. He has definitely put his time in the weight room this off-season and he looks the part physically from his peers. He started the game on the mound and was still funky-good and threw lots of strikes and changed speeds with ease. He looked in mid-season form and was very smooth mechanically in his delivery and still had the funky “John Rocker” type arm movement before his release. He will deliver impressive results for Riverside on the bump this season. Roth, in his one plate appearance, looked primed to be an absolute force this season at the plate. He hit a laser to the center fielder that left a jet trail out of the box. He looked very quiet in the box and worked counts in his favor without forcing the issue. Roth looks like he will be in the running for any post-season awards including our very own Diamond Prospects Diamond King Award.   Will Owens-Senior, Furman signee, SS/2B: Owens projects as a scrappy college second baseman. He is sure-handed with the glove and in multiple viewings I have yet to see Owings make a mistake in any aspect of the game. A David Eckstein protégé is a good comparison for Owens. He runs the bases aggressively; he seems to always have the extra step anticipation on a passed ball or when a first to third opportunity arises. Owings is a solid ballplayer.       Alex Poag-Sophomore, OF: He was ready to hit. The confidence and determination he carried to the box was that of a player from a good program. Riverside’s players truly possess the “carry the torch” attitude. Poag had a double into right-center. He has a good swing and looks like he is ready to contribute for the Warriors this season.   Chipper Daniels-Unsigned Senior, INF: Daniels makes at least one difficult play look easy in every appearance. He is a plus defender at third base. He gobbles up everything in sight and makes accurate throws time and time again. He still has some work to do on the offensive side, but you can’t deny that he can play the hot corner.   Will Leathers-Sophomore, 2B: Leathers is another Warrior that is a good glove guy who can simply get it done. He is a young player who will create some curiosity over the next couple of years of how he will develop. Leathers draws an early comparison to senior Will Callaway of Eastside. He displays good hands and quick actions in the infield with an average second base arm as a tenth grader. Prospect Info: Royals (Eastside)   Andy Thompson-Unsigned senior, LHP: The left-hander is not overpowering, but throws strikes, changes speeds, and more importantly, Thompson gets outs. He gets long and stays back well before he delivers the pitch and that seems to make his change-up really effective when he would throw it for strikes. He induced a couple of ugly swings in his outing. Thompson is an interesting guy of sorts and DP will be back to check out his velocity and his progressions during the prep season. He will log a lot of innings for Eastside this season and they will need him to be good to compete in a strong region. Division II schools should be on alert with this LHP.   Will Callaway-Unsigned senior, SS: Callaway has the best infield actions in the state in the senior class. He is a treat to watch play the infield. He made every single play on the frozen tundra with ease. He was in mid-season form throwing from an array of angles while making plays all day that ended with perfect throws on each chance. This kid makes it look easy. Callaway did square up two balls on the day that ended up on the fence, and he appears to have made some strides in the box. Callaway is one of the top   unsigned seniors available.   Austen Barber-Junior, C/RHP: Barber (left) is a catcher that has one of the better arms, if not the best from behind the plate in the 2009 class. He puts a strain on the run game for opposing teams. Barber is a contact hitter at the plate and has no problems going backside as he lets the ball get deep. Barber, a two-way player also is a pitcher with a good strong arm. He throws from a high slot and his fastball can stay on a plane, but it also compliments his 12-6 curveball. Barber deserves a “follow” status.   Clay Evans-Senior, P: Evans was not on the bump this day, but was making some noise in the box with the stick, by driving a baseball in the left-center field wall. Evans should be a major contributor for the Red Raiders as a two-way player this season.   Prospect Info: Indians (J.L. Mann, Mauldin) Emilio Pagan-Junior, JL Mann, RHP/SS: Pagan continues to improve in all aspects of the game. Pagan showed nice actions in turning a very nice 4-6-3 double play and has good arm strength. He is athletic enough to play up the middle …

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