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 particularly showed that its program still has plenty of pride and talent remaining.
The crew from Laurens came into town with the flu (left, Travis Burnside) 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 the 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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-Laurens Raiders-
60 Times
| Name | Class | 60 Time |
| Joe Marino | Jr | 7.47 |
| Troy Coleman | Jr | 7.62 |
| Kyle Blocker | Jr | 7.45 |
| Bryant Robertson | Jr | 7.78 |
| Adam Taylor | Jr | 7.35 |
| Mark Johnson | Sr | 8.19 |
| Zac O’Bryant | So | 7.75 |
| Will Atkinson | Fr | 7.40 |
| Allen Staton | Fr | 7.63 |
| Ethan Adair | Fr | 7.60 |
| Tori Patterson | So | 7.62 |
| Josh Wilson | So | 7.85 |
| Quinton Watts | Sr | 7.53 |
| Dre Watts | Jr | 7.50 |
| Kyle Waters | Sr | 7.50 |
| Justin Smith | So | 8.02 |
| Travis Burnside | Jr | FLU |
| Nolan Crowder | Jr | 8.01 |
Catchers-Pop Times
| Name | Class | Pop Time |
| Kyle Waters | Sr | 2.15-2.23 |
| Justin Smith | Soph | 2.18-2.29 |
Top Outfield Arms
| Rank | Name | Class |
| 1 | Travis Burnside | Jr |
| 2 | Dre Watts | Jr |
| 3 | Ethan Adair | Fr |
| 4 | Will Atkinson | Fr |
| 5 | Adam Taylor | Jr |
Top Infield Arms
| Rank | Name | Class |
| 1 | Tori Patterson | So |
| 2 | Allen Staton | Fr |
| T3 | Kyle Blocker | Jr |
| T3 | Mark Johnson | Sr |
| 5 | Josh Wilson | So |
Top Infield Actions
| Rank | Name | Class |
| 1 | Tori Patterson | So |
| T2 | Kyle Blocker | Jr |
| T2 | Allen Staton | Fr |
| 4 | Josh Wilson | So |
| 5 | Mark Johnson | Sr |
Pitchers
| Name | Class | R/L | FB | BB | CH |
| Dre Watts | Jr | R | 84-87 | 71-74 | 74-75 |
| Joe Marino | Jr | R | 75-79 | 65-68 | None |
| Adam Taylor | Jr | R | 74-75 | 66-68 | None |
Top Prospects
| Rank | Name | Class | Scout Notes |
| 1 | Travis Burnside | Jr | A baseball player thats an athlete, not the other way around. Not to mention he’s the fastest player in the state via DP Pro Day. |
| 2 | Dre Watts | Jr | Has a good frame, ball comes out of his hand nicely. Needs to have a big year for Laurens on the bump. |
| 3 | Tori Patterson | So | Can pick it up, made several plays with the glove that were plus plays. 4th year starting on Varsity. Leaves it on the field. |
| 4 | Allen Staton | Fr | Has the hands and arm to play the infield now, good swing at the plate. Just needs more playing experience for the youngster. |
| 5 | Kyle Waters | Sr | A good receiver, a contact hitter with a backside approach. |
| 6 | Kyle Blocker | Jr | Has improved, and will need to continue to do so to lock down third for the Raiders |
| 7 | Will Atkinson | Fr | Found ways on base, and collected one of the few hits for the Raiders on the day. |
| 8 | Mark Johnson | Sr | The tall lefty didn’t pitch today, but surprisingly he is not an automatic out at the plate. Started at 1st base and had quality at-bats. |
Prospect Info: Laurens Raiders
Travis Burnside-Junior, OF/RHP: He was one of the few Raiders that showed up Saturday and collected a couple of hits. He was not feeling 100 percent recovering from the flu, but still was noticeable. His outfield arm and prowess is comparable to former Woodruff, and USC product, Marcus McBeth.
Will Atkinson-Freshman, OF: Atkinson found himself on base a couple of times and got the only other hit for the Raiders on the day, and scored the lone run. The freshman is worth mention and deserves a ‘follow’ status.