It's time to park the car in the driveway for a bit and share thoughts, notes, observations scouting and more from weeks of high school coverage. The early-season tournament schedule affords a chance to, basically, see at least one game every day of the week besides Sunday. And that's often what I did. This new edition of Dustin's Deep Drives offers an in-depth report on four powerhouse programs and is the first of more coverage to come. 

WESTLAKE

Games seen: (vs. Lake Travis 3/13, 3/14, vs. Rockwall 2/24, vs. Coppell 2/24, vs. New Braunfels 2/25)

After missing almost the entire 2022 high school season and all of the summer, it was great to see Theo Gillen back on the field for Westlake. The junior infielder, who is committed to Texas, took good care of himself physically and still possesses an intriguing blend of athleticism, speed (had him 4.04 - 4.14 seconds down the line and when he gets going, he can fly), and strength. What stood out to me about Gillen’s bat was the way it performed versus better stuff. For example, the series against Lake Travis featured velocity consistently in the 88-93 MPH range from each pitcher and Gillen had no issue at all timing fastballs; in fact, he took better swings against higher quality stuff than he did lesser stuff when I saw Westlake during early-season scrimmages and tournament action. 

Gillen’s power profiles as more gap-to-gap presently and it’s more common for him to smack hard liners than towering fly balls. But he will pull a big fly on occasion. Visually, his swing is gorgeous with good rotation to create good bat speed and symmetry with lower and top halves; he has an advanced ability to naturally and athletically change his swing on the fly to get the barrel to pitches. That said, he did have issues in some left-on-left matchups and picking up spin/changeups. Keep in mind I’m discussing Gillen as a top national prospect. So, the bar is sky-high from an evaluation standpoint and he’s going to be a player MLB scouts shift a lot of focus to this summer once the 2023 MLB Draft concludes. 

What I’ll be following most with Gillen is how he profiles defensively and how his arm looks after missing basically a full year coming back from a shoulder injury and operation. So far, I’ve seen Gillen play shortstop a few innings and second base or designated hitter every other time. His confidence in his arm is building and hesitates to let the ball loose consistently, but when he’s forced to react and can’t think about the throw, like on a double play turn, he shows noticeably more arm strength than other situations, like a ball bounced to home plate with the infield in. Overall, Gillen remains one of the most talented and interesting prospects in Texas for the 2024 class. 

Aiden Bennett has manned shortstop with Gillen working primarily at second base and the uncommitted senior has made the routine play consistently, shown some baseball instincts and athleticism with a little range both ways and has competed well in the batter’s box. Interestingly, Bennett has caught a little bit this season and people I’ve spoken to believe he’s an under-the-radar catching talent who could flourish in that role at the next level. 

Speaking of catching, Navarro signee Ben Longoria has shown improved catch-and-throw skill and has been a force in defending against the running game. In the second game against Lake Travis, Longoria caught a runner stealing at second base with a perfectly-placed throw and had a 1.96-second pop time. He’s figuring out ways to get on base and help on the offensive side, too, and is an annoying hitter to pitch to; I mean that affectionately. 

Almost completely off the radar heading into this season but now on the radar of colleges is senior outfielder Will Magids. I watched Magids smack two homers in a single day during two tournament games and hammered the baseball around the yard in other at-bats, too. Heading into the Lake Travis series, he was Westlake’s best hitter and there probably wasn’t a close second. At 6-4, Magids has plenty of physical projection remaining and a loose frame that will fill out. He was an excellent football player for a great team and has more athleticism and speed than he sometimes shows on the diamond, likely the product of not as many reps as your typical starting senior for a top program. 

Lake Travis put Magids’ bat on ice for the first time this season and you could tell he simply hasn’t seen low 90s velocity and quality breaking stuff as much as guys like Gillen, Sage Sanders and others. That said, I liked his swing-take decisions, his swing remains one to bet on and he’s rapidly improving as a player. Mid-major D1 programs and JUCOs should be paying close attention. Heck, even major D1 programs better do some homework because the swing looks like it's going to translate. 

Speaking of players colleges should keep tabs on, Westlake is extremely high on Nathan Duvall, a two-way player who is consistently making an impact for arguably the top team in the state. A right-handed hitter who has been hitting near the top of the lineup, Duvall hasn’t shown a lot of whiff in his hitting profile and has the type of bat control and swing to smack liners around the field. Defensively, he plays third base with a calm heartbeat and exudes a lot of leadership characteristics. 

I think his upside is on the mound, though. He closed the first win over Lake Travis and then was set to close out the second but a tweaked hamstring forced Westlake to go to the bullpen. I’ve seen Duvall around 83-86 MPH with an overhand curveball with quality shape and a promising changeup he can throw for strikes and use to get whiffs against lefties. As he continues to mature and fill out, I see the velocity ticking up and his delivery shows strike-throwing elements. He’s a winning player that is beloved by his coaching staff and those are players typically worth betting on. 

Typically hitting behind Duvall is left-handed bopper Sage Sanders. A 2024 Houston commitment, Sanders understands who he is in the batter’s box - a power hitter who does his damage when he pulls the baseball and he also understands he’s typically going to see a lot of spin and changeups from right-handers. Once 2024 Texas commitment Blake Peterson, who came off the bench for a couple of at-bats in Tuesday’s Lake Travis game, returns to a full-time role, the Westlake lineup will become even deeper and more dangerous with the likes of big Caden Boenig providing a presence and pop from the left side, too. 

Jack Brady, who dealt with a pinched nerve in his neck earlier this season, threw a gem on the road at Lake Travis. As he found his groove, his velocity ticked up to 85 MPH. The tall, thin righty can really pitch and spin the baseball with command. His curveball can be a get-me-over pitch early in counts or a whiff pitch later in counts and his true cutter was commanded to his glove side. He’s going to continue attacking hitters with a full arsenal that will, along with his strike-throwing, allow him to throw deep into games. Plus, he’s an under control competitor who shows impressive focus pitch-to-pitch and doesn’t get too high or too low. He looks like Westlake’s best starting pitcher thus far. 

Out of the bullpen, senior right-hander Joe Sockwell is making a name for himself and clearly has the trust of his coaching staff. After Chance Covert was chased, with his defense partially to blame, from the game with one out in the second inning during the first matchup against Lake Travis, Sockwell threw 4.2 shutout innings. From a sidearm slot, Sockwell creates a unique look for hitters and a lot of life to his fastball with a breaking ball that moves the opposite direction and gets whiffs against righties. There’s a hint of a changeup to use against lefties and also a hint of backfoot breaking balls. Sockwell, when I’ve seen him, has typically worked 81-85 MPH and has racked up outs very consistently. 

Tip of the hat to the Wisconsin-Stevens Point coaching staff because securing a commitment over a year ago from center fielder Isaac Beeler looks like a major steal. Beeler has the best outfield arm I’ve seen this season, is athletic, can run, and can pull the ball with enough authority to clear the left field wall with ease. He has impressive all-around skill and tools and will be an immediate impact player at the next level. Out of a similar mold, colleges should keep an eye on 2024 right-handed hitter Braeden Babb. Although he’s undersized, Babb is a twitchy athlete with noticeable burst out of the batter’s box and creates some gap-to-gap impact with loose, relaxed hands in the batter’s box. 

LAKE TRAVIS

Games seen: (3/13 vs. Westlake, 3/14 vs. Westlake)

While Westlake is going to be led by its offense this season, Lake Travis is going to be carried by its depth and talent on the mound. That’s not meant to imply Lake Travis doesn’t have a strong lineup because it does. But it boasts as much or more stuff on the mound as any team in the state. The senior duo of OJ Gonzalez (Abilene Christian signee) and Jackson Baker (Alabama signee) make up a formidable district rotation. 

Gonzalez is coming off a fantastic junior season and looked improved against Westlake. Instead of primarily using a slurve that he would take a little off of in the past, Gonzalez can now manipulate the shape of his breaking ball to use a two-plane curveball and a harder slurve/slider. He shows a promising changeup in warmups with short, late fade to the arm side and it looked intriguing enough to project it as a future average pitch that will help him against the next level against lefties. 

As for the fastball, Gonzalez sat 88-91 MPH and touched 92 MPH with some natural life and sink. After cruising through the first three innings and racking up strikeouts, his outing hit a roadblock as Westlake’s lineup began to grind out at-bats and Gonzalez was squeezed, which drove up his pitch count and traffic on the bases. We’ll get to the arm that entered in relief soon… 

Baker started the second game against Westlake and touched 93 MPH with a very, very lively sinker. The Alabama signee is a rare pitcher: his stuff moves so much that it impacts his control; nothing he throws is straight and despite being a good athlete his control can come-and-go. Against Westlake, he couldn’t command his sinker to break into the strike zone consistently, which led to a short appearance. Regardless, he has exciting upside because of the athleticism and because his slider flashes as a plus offering; it was up to 83 MPH and is like a F1 race car, traveling very fast one direction before hitting the brakes and taking a very sharp turn as late as possible. 

Last year, I saw sophomore righty Kadyn Leon by accident. He was bumped up from Junior Varsity for one inning in relief. Immediately, I was all-in. You can read about those reports on his profile page. Fast forward to this season and the junior right-hander came out of the bullpen both nights to follow short starts. An unimposing presence with a baggy jersey and look of a middle infielder, Leon, on a cold night, toed the rubber and immediately showed he is one of the top 2024 pitchers in Texas and maybe the nation. Yes, the stuff, control, and delivery were that good. 

With an easy delivery and quick, loose arm, Leon fired heaters 89-92 MPH and touched 93 MPH during Monday’s game against Westlake. Leon, a good athlete who starred as a quarterback for a big chunk of Lake Travis’ season in place of the injured starter, occasionally executed his fastball with command to both sides of the plate and the pitch had explosive elements, routinely beating hitters for whiffs. He snapped off true overhand curveballs with the type of tight spin, depth and shape of a pitcher who has an advanced feel and knowledge of how to use his fingers in his finish to create spin. At times, the hook did come out with more of a 11-5 break than 12-6, but it flashed as a future plus offering more than once with knee-buckling qualities. Also, Leon used a changeup thrown with fastball conviction and short, late circle-style fade; I saw enough to project it as a future average-or-better pitch. 

A good competitor who controlled his emotions very well in tough situations and environments, Leon’s stamina was tested when he was asked to follow Baker a night after following Gonzalez. To be honest, it made me wince seeing him back out in relief a day after throwing 2.1 innings in an emotional atmosphere and just days after throwing the previous week. But he was up to the challenge: there was no dip in stuff or effectiveness until he ran out of gas when Lake Travis asked him to come out of the dugout and pitch for the third time that night. He entered a bases-loaded jam with no outs and he would have escaped with no runs scored if a routine pop up to first base wasn’t dropped. 

To put it simply: he is the real deal, a Five Tool 55 talent, a pitcher every major D1 program in the country should check on and I think he’ll be a candidate to be selected for Area Code this summer. Because he’s such a good football player for a school where football is king, he’s flying a little bit under-the-radar because of his lack of summer appearances. Those who read our reports from last year knew this was coming. 

As if Lake Travis didn’t show enough firepower on the mound, it brought in 2024 right-hander Gavyn Schlotterback to relieve after he caught. A physical prospect, the uncommitted junior was up to 89 MPH with a fastball that featured some natural weight and he punched out big-time hitter Sage Sanders with a couple of changeups that looked like airbenders or whiffle balls. He also used a firm slider that he tried to get to the backfoot of left-handed hitters. Schlotterback is an impressive all-around prospect who is solid as a catcher, hitter and has upside as a possible college reliever on the mound. 

His older brother, Dylan, is heading to Paris Junior College where he should make an immediate impact as a hitter and infielder. He’s a skilled player who competes well and probably profiles all around the infield; he currently plays shortstop and can give Paris some innings there at the next level, but probably fits as a second baseman with a strong hitting profile. The Schlotterbacks will receive some help in the lineup from a duo of seniors I think have made noticeable strides since last season: Hank Benny and Liam Richards. 

Richards, who hits leadoff from the right side, is a great bet to lead the team in on-base percentage, runs and steals. Noticeably more physical and stronger, Richards is impacting the baseball more off the barrel and has developed into more of an extra-base threat with the added strength, bat speed and confidence. He’s creating some buzz as one of the better uncommitted outfielders in Texas for 2023 and the buzz is warranted. I didn’t see him challenged defensively, but he’s always been a good athlete with a strong rep defensively. 

As for Benny, he ran 3.98 seconds down the line on a bunt and 4.14 seconds on a hard single from the right side. He also just recently committed to St. Edward's, which is an excellent get for that program. I didn’t see much whiff in his swing, which visually looked like the kind of swing you want to bet on. He’s more of a contact over impact hitter who probably won’t be a home run threat in the future, but in the two games I saw, he made contact at a high rate and has the type of swing to hit the ball all over the field and cover the plate. He is fine working very deep in counts, which likely raises the strikeout total a tick higher than the swing suggests. Defensively, Benny made a really tough play on a slow bunt look easy and played the game with calm actions. In the future, I think he’s a second baseman that should play solid defense, make contact and could impact the game with some speed. 

Cole Johnson, an Oklahoma State signee, had a hard RBI single late in Monday’s game against Lake Travis. A bat-first prospect with plus raw power, Johnson remains a big threat in the middle of the lineup for one of the state’s best teams and is on track to have a nice career at Oklahoma State. A couple of other players to keep an eye on: junior Maddox Medrano is a pesky, right-handed hitter with athleticism who can run; sophomore David Womack has been throwing some quality innings and while he might not get much of an opportunity during district play with a shorter rotation/bullpen, he’s one of the next arms to come through Lake Travis with success. 

ROCKWALL 

Games seen: (vs. Dripping Springs 2/23, vs. Alamo Heights 2/23, vs. Coppell 2/24, vs. Westlake 2/24, vs. Hutto 2/25, vs. New Braunfels Canyon 2/25)

We covered Rockwall in good detail after the Five Tool Festival, but I also had the opportunity to sit on them for a weekend when they came down to my neck of the woods to participate in the Hill Country Tournament. Brayden Randle looked like Brayden Randle: a competitive, athletic, impact hitter with surprising juice, especially to pull-side, given his short frame and the ability to impact the game on the bases. He plays a lot of shortstop for Rockwall and is athletic enough to get to balls up the middle and deep in the hole, but I think his arm strength and actions profile best as a SEC second baseman. 

When Randle isn’t at shortstop, Micah Kendrick is typically there. I admit we took a little bit of a leap of faith ranking Kendrick aggressively in the updated 2023 Five Tool 55 because our in-person looks were very limited. After seeing Kendrick briefly during the fall and talking to people who have spent a lot of time around him, my gut feel was he is a talented, natural hitter with good baseball athleticism and instincts and physical projection remaining as a high-waisted athlete. So far, he’s made us look smart because each time we see Rockwall, he hits. And he hits pitches back up the middle, away, and pulled a mammoth grand slam at Westlake and also hit a homer during the Five Tool Festival. Kendrick made an incredible defensive play during a game at Westlake and while his throwing hasn’t been as consistent in our looks as it likely will be in the future, there’s a chance - perhaps a small one, but a chance - he’s going to get a shortstop look at TCU behind current freshman starter Anthony Silva. Fortunately for TCU, Kendrick has the skill to profile all over the infield, and could be a good defender at second base. There’s a lot to like about the way he approaches and plays the game; don’t be fooled by the smile and joy he plays with because there’s a fire to compete burning underneath and he wants to be involved in big moments. 

I probably saw McLennan signee Mac Rose pitch with his worst stuff of the year because he’s been much, much better since. When the overhand curve is right and the changeup is a factor, he’s really, really tough to handle. Rose is undoubtedly one of the top all-around players in the state because he can start a playoff game, catch a playoff game and is going to hit in the middle of the lineup with ability to play the corner infield, too. 

The player who surprised me most was 2024 Oklahoma commitment Pearson Riebock. For the entire Hill Country Tournament, he was arguably the hottest hitter in Texas; everything he hit was barreled. I’m not exaggerating. The ball he hit way out to right field at Dripping Springs created a deafening noise like the bat was broken. And he’s not a pull-side hitter because I saw him drive the ball with impact the opposite way and up the middle, too. Riebock is noticeably stronger and it shows in the way the ball comes off the bat. To be nitpicky, I do think he’ll have to adjust to seeing velocity up in the zone. 

For an average runner and for a career infielder, Riebock played center field exceptionally well. He made good reads off the bat, took natural, good routes and tracked down a few deep, hard-hit balls to the wall in center field or the alleys. In fact, the left-handed hitter played center field so well I think it could be his long-term home. Oh, Riebock is a dude on the mound, too. He showed the best fastball command of any Rockwall pitcher I saw and his breaking ball created whiffs routinely. With a heater up to 90 MPH, I watched Riebock throw a complete game and get a win while still touching 87 MPH with control and glove side command in the seventh inning. 

Another junior I was extremely impressed with was Jake Overstreet. An on-base machine who was at times a magnet for baseballs, Overstreet was consistently solid in the batter’s box and even drove a homer out the other way at Dripping Springs, which isn’t an easy place to hit homers. Overstreet showed enough skill and agility to have a chance to stick at catcher long-term and clearly takes pride in his work and keeping pitches in the turf from getting away (a lot of good footage on his profile). Undoubtedly, I think he’s a D1 prospect with a promising all-around skill set. He even jumped in at third base and made a couple of tough plays look easy. Rockwall seems to be filled with these guys - he’s another winning-type player. 

In addition to Rose and Overstreet at catcher, D1 coaches should ask Barry Rose about 2025 catcher Jake Pickering. From the little I saw of him behind the plate, which included catching two runners stealing, Pickering is a really exciting prospect because he’s a potential impact defender behind the dish and has a good, projectable frame with athleticism and agility. While we’re on the subject of 2025 prospects, Landyn Locke is another one with a very exciting upside at Rockwall. He throws strikes with multiple pitches on the mound and competes well in everything he does. A switch-hitter, I like his long-term upside with the bat in his hand and he took at-bats so consistently well I just assumed he was a senior I didn’t know much about. 

Keller Lindeman, an uncommitted junior right-hander, is going to give Rockwall an efficient strike-throwing option in its district bullpen who can throw three pitches for a strike. He completed and performed consistently and well during the early-season tournaments with a fastball up to 85 MPH, changeup that neutralized lefties and a breaking ball to use against righties. I see him as a dependable option because he won’t get rattled, and a future starter in the future. Speaking of starters, we covered Remington Spoerl at length with our Five Tool Festival coverage and he should routinely set the tone for his team with his heater and presence. 

More coverage of Rockwall HERE

SINTON

Games seen: (vs. Smithson Valley 3/9, vs. Waxahachie 3/10, vs. Dripping Springs 3/10, vs. New Braunfels Canyon 3/11)

Sinton made its annual trip to Dripping Springs to participate in the Keith Tuck Memorial Tournament, which meant scouts, crosscheckers and even scouting directors spent some time at Dripping Springs seeing superstar Blake Mitchell. Offensively, I don’t recall seeing Mitchell whiff once. He hit a few rockets that outfielders tracked down near the warning track, just missed one pitch, which resulted in a fly out with a seven-second hang time, and pulled a ball foul that might still be traveling. Basically, he swung the bat much better than his box scores would indicate and he did have a few hits fall in, including some of the softest balls he hit all weekend. Baseball is a funny game. 

Defensively, Mitchell wasn’t challenged. No one attempted a steal of second base against him all weekend, but that didn’t prevent him from showing his plus-plus arm because he came out of his stance to throw behind runners at first base and even at second base. As he typically does, Mitchell moved well behind the dish, kept pitches in front of him, and came out of his stance to field a bunt with ease. On the mound, Mitchell closed out a win with a 1-2-3 inning and attacked hitters with only fastballs at 92-95 MPH. He went to the mound ready to challenge with his fastball and nothing else. 

Mitchell has shown no signs of being anything other than a first-round talent. He’s such a skilled player that if for some reason catching doesn’t work out, he could be a pitching prospect and even an infielder prospect. I don’t know when we’ll see another high school player in Texas like Mitchell. He isn’t just an elite two-way talent who can hit with power; he’s truly a do-it-all player who could play every position on the field. 

We all know Jaquae Stewart as a big-time left-handed hitter and a future middle-of-the-order bat at Houston Christian. But he’s quite the dude on the mound, too. Stewart threw a complete game shutout against a very talented Smithson Valley squad that features one of the deepest, best lineups in the state. There’s some deception in Stewart’s left-handed arm path, allowing his 84-88 MPH fastball play up a tick and he carries himself with immense confidence and competitiveness on the mound. Stewart manipulated the shape of his curveball, showing a slower pitch with more depth and a harder pitch with shorter break. He was unafraid to challenge hitters all game. In that same game, he provided the only RBI when he hammered a laser to right-center field. Stewart has some of the best strike zone awareness in the state and rarely chases. 

Joining Stewart to form a formidable rotation is future Sam Houston State player Braeden Brown. Against Dripping Springs, Brown carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. A tall and slender righty, Brown recorded whiffs on all four of his pitches - fastball (84-86 MPH), slider (77 MPH), curve (72 MPH) and changeup (73 MPH). And he executed all his pitches consistently for strikes. He’s probably an infielder first at the next level, and did hit a couple of hard liners for base hits during the games I saw. But if the velocity ticks up a tad, Sam Houston State might be tempted to use him as a two-way prospect. You can never have enough guys who can throw strikes with multiple pitches. 

A few uncommitted players who caught my eye: senior Kaden McCoy played center field very well and impacted the games with his defense, robbing a couple of extra-base hits with his routes and speed. A high-waisted athlete who still hasn’t filled out completely, McCoy made contact consistently from the right side and is talented enough to continue playing at the next level with his defense alone. 

Junior Marco Gonzales has grown since I last saw him and played shortstop cleanly and confidently with easy actions and transfers. He typically hits leadoff or second for Sinton. Sophomore Kash Wood… I’m all-in. In addition to being an athletic picking machine at first base, Wood projects to be an impact, physical hitter with power. I really liked the swing, the swing decisions and am bullish on his long-term projection as a major D1 prospect. Junior Nick Flores is a physical, athletic right-handed hitter who profiles as a bat-first prospect that should impact the baseball in the future. 

Look for another installment of Dustin's Deep Drives soon... 

Dustin McComas
Senior Editor