By: Nick Nickles-February 16, 2008
DP was in Simpsonville Saturday to run a scout day with the Riverside, Laurens and host Hillcrest before they would match up in a three-way scrimmage.
One thing for fact is the Riverside Warriors put on an absolute display of dominance in the showcase part of the day and then where it matters most, on the baseball field against their oppenents.
Laurens and Hillcrest had their bright spots as well, and Hillcrest (left, Steven Brooks) particularly showed that its program still has plenty of pride and talent remaining.
The crew from Laurens came into town with the flu and injury bug nagging at their talented club, but Coach Dale Nelson isn’t going to make any excuses for his club’s lackluster performance on the day. Laurens will get back to work on Monday and get their attitudes refocused on defending their Region Championship.
DP will give you all the data as this fun day unfolded at Hillcrest High School.
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60 Times
| Name | Class | 60 Time |
| Brandon Reid | Jr | 7.78 |
| Trey Tuten | Jr | 7.52 |
| Zach Morgan | So | 7.80 |
| Shane Thurston | So | 7.91 |
| Keith Orr | Jr | 7.48 |
| Bobby Roper | Sr | 7.56 |
| Dominque Anderson | Jr | 7.38 |
| Perry Case | So | 7.92 |
| James Abercrombie | Jr | 7.75 |
| Brandon Pounds | Jr | 7.49 |
| Zach McAllister | So | 7.55 |
| Kirk Shelley | So | 7.72 |
| Cameron Yost | Jr | 7.62 |
| John Ware | Sr | 7.25 |
| Ben Pinckney | Sr | 7.06 |
| Steven Brooks | Sr | 7.78 |
| Trayce Rogers | So | 7.94 |
Catchers-Pop Times
| Name | Class | Pop Time |
| Steven Brooks | Sr | 1.91-1.97 |
| Kirk Shelley | So | 2.12-2.31 |
| Jame Abercrombie | So | 2.13-2.22 |
Top Outfield Arms
| Rank | Name | Class |
| 1 | Brandon Reid | Jr |
| 2 | Dominique Anderson | Jr |
| 3 | Zach McAllister | Jr |
| 4 | Trey Tuten | Jr |
| 5 | Zach Morgan | So |
Top Infield Arms
| Rank | Name | Class |
| 1 | Bobby Roper | Sr |
| 2 | Brandon Pounds | Jr |
| 3 | Cameron Yost | Jr |
| 4 | Shane Thurston | Jr |
| 5 | Keith Orr | Jr |
Top Infield Actions
| Rank | Name | Class |
| 1 | Cameron Yost | Jr |
| 2 | Bobby Roper | Sr |
| 3 | James Abercrombie | Jr |
| 4 | Shane Thurston | Jr |
| 5 | Trayce Rogers | So |
Pitchers
| Name | Class | R/L | FB | BB | CH |
| John Ware | Sr | R | 77-80 late sink | 64-68 big break, very effective today | 64 |
| Brandon Ried | Sr | R | 78-81 | 66-67 | 70 |
| Trey Tuten | Jr | L | 75-77 | 62 | 64-65 compliments fastball effectively |
| Dominique Anderson | Jr | R | 81-83 | 65-68 | None |
| Zach McAllister | So | R | 80-81 | 68 | 70 |
Top Prospects
| Rank | Name | Class | Scout Notes |
| 1 | Steven Brooks | Sr | Shuts down the run game, forces teams to be creative in taking an extra base. Puts up sub 2.0 Pop times consistently |
| 2 | Zach McAllister | So | A good looking young outfielder, nice build, left-handed hitter with a nice looking swing |
| 3 | Brandon Pounds | Jr | Has some pure power, plays a solid 3rd base. A run producing threat. |
| 4 | Dominique Anderson | Jr | Most Athletic player on his team. Has a strong arm, but throws from an unorthodox position. Short, but detailed physique. |
| 5 | Ben Pickney | Sr | Lead-off hitter, plays a solid centerfield. He can hit a ball solid. A sparkplug player for his team. A good player who can play a role at the next level. |
| 6 | Cameron Yost | Jr | Solid player, left-handed hitter. Makes routine plays at short. |
| 7 | Trey Tuten | Jr | Crafty lefty; when he’s mixing it up and ahead, he’s at his best. |
| 8 | Keith Orr | Jr | Contact/ line drive hitter. |
Prospect Info: Hillcrest Rams
Ben Pinckney-Unsigned senior, OF: Led off both games reaching base via a double and walk. He is a tough out at the plate and gives the Rams a quality lead-off man. He was slowed by an injury in his throwing arm and we didn’t get to view his arm strength from the OF. A low 7.0’s runner and a solid stick should garner him some interest among some schools.
John Ware-Unsigned senior, P/OF: He is an upper-70’s right-handed pitcher that topped out at 80, but he kept getting outs and kept hitters in check at the plate. Ware pitched it a little bit on Saturday. He has some late glove-side sinking action on his fastball that resembles a power pitchers slide piece. He slices the zone with a good spinner in the mid to upper-60’s that kept the Laurens hitters off balance all day. He’s not going to dominate a team, but he can definitely keep his team in the ballgame as he did on this day.
Steven Brooks-Unsigned senior, C: When playing Hillcrest, teams should pick their spots when to run, or Brooks will shoot you down. Coaches that emphasize pitching and defense at the next level should jump all over this unsigned senior. He is not anemic with a stick, but he his major strength is in his catching and throwing abilities. He will throw you some 1.9’s down to second.
Dominique Anderson-Junior, OF: He couldn’t swing the bat today because of hand injury, but he could run and throw. Anderson’s arm from the outfield has improved and he was up to 83 on the bump. Anderson has good athleticism and has been working at switch-hitting with a little success from a previous viewing. Anderson is a guy to watch through the summer.
Zach McAllister-Sophomore, OF/P: A nice looking young player and the coaches at Hillcrest are excited about his future for the Rams. A left-handed hitting outfielder that needs to get better quickly in a stout conference to help his team compete. He got on the bump and was 80-81, and is projectable with a long, lean frame and plenty of room to add weight. McAllister deserves a ‘follow’ status.