Top Prospects 14u/15u squads assemble for season finale in Arizona

The club baseball season is fast approaching the finish line, with two uniquely assembled teams ready to make another run at the twin goals of overall success and individual growth.
 
New in 2021, the Top Prospects program executed through Triple Crown Baseball spent the year using the Don Reynolds Baseball Group (manned by scouts with a deep background in professional baseball) to evaluate 14u and 15u athletes playing in selected TCS tournaments. More than 1,000 players were reviewed, and 150 earned invites to the upcoming Pathway Arizona tournament, set for Sept. 17-20 at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson.
 
Two Top Prospects teams are suiting up for the Pathway event, both coached by former scouts Sean Murphy and Danny Bates.  
 
Athletes had the option to get dedicated scouting reports and then benefit from the perspective of carefully selected individuals who had valuable expertise earned through years of playing, coaching and scouting in the sport.
 
“I thought it was pretty cool that scouts were there, and they were able to give reports back to us,” said Charlotte, NC, native Tyler Howe, 15, an outfielder/pitcher who plays for the Canes-Simpson club program and worked with Top Prospects at the TC Summer Nationals in July. “It gave me an idea about my strengths and the weaknesses I needed to work on. I can’t wait to get to Arizona. There are a lot of good teams in the tournament, and I have been able to meet some new people.”
 
“It was great to talk to the scouts, hearing the compliments and knowing that I can play with the best,” said Joey Senstock of Lincoln, NE., 15, infielder/catcher/pitcher with the Nebraska Prospects who worked out for Top Prospects at the TCS SlumpBuster in June. “I learned that the scouting report provided me with knowledge to help me prepare to get ready for the next level. The scouts were also very accurate with what I’ve been told by other coaches. I’m very excited about playing with players from all over the country as well as looking forward to being coached and evaluated by people with baseball history as scouts and former professional players.”
 
Getting good information into the heads of the players, and the hands of parents, is where Top Prospects can make serious impact on that part of the game where youth players are transitioning to high-school age athletes.
 
“You have real scouts writing real reports,” Bates said about the strengths of the program. “They’ve allowed us the freedom to grade the players through our eyes, our experience and knowledge – they didn’t put any restrictions on us with that. With that, it allows us to give players a true evaluation.”
 
Here are the rosters for the two Top Prospects teams playing this week in Arizona:

Head Coach: Danny Bates
Austin Finegan – California
Jo'sue Holloway-Brown – New Jersey
Fayz Baig – Connecticut
Ben Lindberg –Minnesota
Brock Budacki – Pennsylvania
Westin Thompson – Texas
Anderson Butner – California
Sean Selzer – Arizona
Jailen Watkins – Texas
Carlos Hernandez – California
Joey Senstock – Nebraska
Landon Majerus – Minnesota
Connor Burtch – Tennessee
Blake Burdine – Texas
 
Head Coach: Sean Murphy
Jeremiah Kirkwood – Washington
Ethan Benson – California
Jet Berry – Arizona
Elijah Bechtel – California
Mason Boyken – Minnesota
Talan Culberson – Texas
Colt Salgado – Texas
Deagan Rose – California
Tristian Jones – Texas
Jarrett Behrends – Nebraska
Tyler Howe – North Carolina
Juan Hernandez – Arizona
Andres Castro – Arizona
Dillon Brandt – Texas
Owen Meli – California
 
Championship bracket play will feature a doubleheader on Sunday, Sept. 19; the event closes with the semifinals on Monday at 8:00 a.m., and the final game at 10:30 a.m.
 
“The game isn’t played by numbers, it’s played by people. Scouting is about projection,” said Reynolds. “We talk about where we know a player is, to where they might be. (Other people) are not talking enough about how we get this player better, regardless about what the numbers say.”
 
Follow Pathway Arizona results HERE >> https://bit.ly/3lj0rFo