The inaugural Five Tool Festival was so loaded we need to break our scouting notes into two parts. We'll conclude our coverage with the second installment of our scout notes, which features all teams from outside Texas. In addition to top prospects, there are several standout players who are currently uncommitted. 

BIXBY (OK)

Missing two of their stars, Oklahoma State signee Max Knight and Kansas signee Cooper Moore, the Spartans came to town still full of talented players.

Against Rockwall, All-Festival catcher Nate Murphy got his weekend going with two singles. Over the course of the weekend, the uncommitted senior threw out runners, hit a double, a home run and finished 6-for-9. Murphy showed a lot of toughness behind the plate. On one of those cold, chirpy nights (between Bixby and Marcus), the 2023 uncommitted catcher held his own behind the dish. He showed great leadership and the team seemed to feed off his energy; commanded the game and threw out a runner with a quick transfer (2.01-second pop time); had a double against a premium left-handed arm the other way. Murphy ended his week with a smoked home run off a premium right-handed arm to the pull side.

Against Marcus, sophomore right-hander Brian Justice, who spun the top curveball in the event, showed really intriguing stuff. In fact, the righty’s curveball and changeup both flashed as future plus offerings with a fastball up to 87 MPH. Marcus finally got to him late in his outing when Caden Sorrell proved the third-time-through-the-order rule true; Sorrell struck out the first two times before smacking a homer the third time. Regardless, Justice has really exciting upside. 

Anytime you hit a home run in a game, you’ll get some attention… But hitting three in one game puts you in all conversations. Uncommitted 2023 2B/OF Carson Miller jumped into a lot of Five Tool conversations on the last day of the Festival. The right-handed hitter was 3-for-4 with the three home runs and seven runs batted in against Prosper (TX). Miller utilizes a quiet load at the plate and gets to the ball quickly from a low hand placement in his stance; has a slight two-tap stride that helps with timing.

Another notable player was physical senior outfielder Jack Williams. The 6-4 Hillsborough CC signee has an ideal frame for a corner outfielder and showed his strength by smashing a double off the wall against Rockwall. In game two against Marcus, Williams smashed an RBI single to left field. On the mound showed off his arm strength by touching 92 and living in the 89-91 range. The physical prospect slightly moves his hands at a low slot at the dish for rhythm; gains some ground with his stride and mostly looks pull side; gets great extension, which helps him punish the ball when making contact. He also made a nice catch in right with some heavy winds sliding to the glove side. 

Oral Roberts signee Owen Bailor is a physical presence in the box. The big lefty showed ability to hit the ball to all fields as he sprayed hits from the left line all the way around to the right field over the weekend. Even at his size, Bailor shows a quiet approach and is in control throughout his swing. While there is currently strength at the plate for Bailor, I can see him really being a physical presence after a couple years in a college weight room. The 1B/LHP showed to be a massive presence at the plate and one to be afraid of doing immediate damage. Bailor hit one of the harder balls on the week that was only a single to right versus Marcus. Has a lot of Freddie Freeman to his swing especially on the two-handed finish up high.

- Drew Bishop and Jeff Kahn 

CONWAY (AR)

Athletic, left-handed hitting shortstop Tucker Satterfield earned a spot on the Five Tool All-Festival team thanks to his all-around skill and hitting production. An uncommitted prospect in the 2024 class, Satterfield showed a well-rounded skill set with bat control and ability to make routine plays consistently. 

Uncommitted 2023 two-way prospect Preston Prock also made the all-festival team. An imposing, physical right-handed presence on the mound and in the batter’s box, Prock made hard contact routinely, was on base often and the game came easy to him. Up to 88 MPH on the mound, Prock pitched with a steady head. The exciting thing about him as a prospect is there is room for him to leverage his physical gifts both as a hitter and pitcher. 

Richmond signee and left-handed pitcher Hugh Hill settled in at 84-86 MPH during his start after touching 88 MPH in the first inning. He executed pitches to his arm side well and showed an interesting three-pitch mix with a big curveball around 67 MPH and a changeup at 77 MPH. Speaking of big, Kyler Spencer is massive. It’s rare to see a 6-7 player roaming center field, but that’s what the Eastern Oklahoma signee did. Because there is still more room to fill out and get stronger, Spencer’s long-term upside is really intriguing. 

We recognized Shaun Cover as a standout freshmen in our superlatives story for his advanced hitting feel. Cover, who is uncommitted, controlled the speed of the game well and looked the part of a natural hitter from the right side. Senior outfielder Clay Fisher, who hit leadoff, and infielder Sam Gregg both had multiple at-bats that resulted in hard contact. Fisher moved well, running 4.26 seconds down the line on the turn. 

- Dustin McComas

DEER CREEK (OK)

Any report about Deer Creek must start with two-way standout Luke Schimmels. An all-festival selection, Schimmels was firmly in the mix as the event’s most outstanding offensive player. A big right-handed hitter who moves well for his size and is going to add noticeable strength to his frame in the future, Schimmels had one of the best right-handed swings in the event and also showed some of the best swing-take decisions. He smashed two homers and multiple other balls into the gap. 

On the mound, Schimmels struck out five over 4.0 quality innings with a four-pitch mix: fastball (86-89 MPH), slider (78-79 MPH), curveball (75-77 MPH), and changeup (79-81 MPH). He gets on the mound with a bulldog-type mentality and should be a candidate to throw innings at Cisco. But I like his upside most as a hitter. Taylor Tomlin, a Houston signee, was another all-festival pick who also added some punch to the lineup. The right-handed hitter and athletic outfielder routinely hit line drives to different parts of the field. 

Uncommitted junior Logan Hedrick was up to 85 MPH on the mound in a relief appearance, but he stood out even more with the bat. He had one of the better left-handed swings of the event with bat speed and bat control. Shortstop Brittain Brewer had some bright moments with the leather; Caden Allen was up to 87 MPH on the mound and hopped in at catcher, where he caught a runner stealing, after his start was cut short by Southlake Carroll’s bats. 

In addition to hitting a walk-off single, Wichita State signee Brady Hamilton struck out six batters in 5.0 innings with a fastball up to 92 MPH and a slider that was in the 78-80 MPH range. From a three-quarters slot that looks almost sidearm with the way he finishes, Hamilton fired a lot of strikes; he pitched with good chest and head positioning and rotated well with a lot of “layback.” He looked like a good bet to compete for bullpen innings immediately at the next level. 

- Dustin McComas

EDMOND SANTA FE (OK)

Youth is the name of the game for Edmond Santa Fe as it brought a young, talented roster to the metroplex. 

In the opener, 2025 Carson Brumbaugh and 2026 Savion Sims opened eyes and would eventually land themselves on the all-festival team. The duo gives Santa Fe a pair of ultra-talented two-way stars for coach Cezar to build his program around.

Brumbaugh went 3-for-3 with a walk and a run against Prosper in a 6-3 win and also earned the save by striking out to the side and running his fastball up to 92 MPH. Additionally, he spun a quick, late breaking slider. Against Heath, he found himself on base twice, drawing a walk and smashing a double in the right-centerfield gap. Brumbaugh plays with an edge and carries himself with the confidence of a player who knows he belongs on the field with players of the highest caliber. 

Talented freshman Savion Sims more than held his own in the event. Hitting in the cleanup spot, Sims blasted a home run over the 'Green Monster' in left against Prosper. Against Heath, the results were not there for the freshman on the mound, but the ball came out clean and it is evident that there is a future on the mound for Sims. He also added an RBI double to the ledger when he smoked a ball in the left-centerfield gap. The long, lean frame will likely turn into an intimidating physical specimen over the duration of his high school career.

Another interesting player for Santa Fe was 2023 outfielder and Tarleton State signee Devin Mitchell. The first thing that caught my eye about Mitchell was his arm. In the Heath game, he threw a ball on a line from the wall that had the type of carry few high school outfielders can replicate. I wasn’t surprised to see he had nailed a runner at the plate in the Prosper game with that arm strength. In the box, he smashed a single back up the box that almost took the pitcher’s head off in the Rockwall game. There is some definite twitch in everything Mitchell does making himself a big get for Tarleton State.

Vaughan McIntyre, a 2025 left-handed hitting catcher, showed some tools that will make him a valuable commodity both now and in the future. McIntyre showed the ability to handle good stuff behind the plate and consistently popped under 2.2 between innings. Quick hands and a simple swing at the plate will allow McIntyre to be a force at the plate for the Wolves.

- Drew Bishop

MAGNOLIA HEIGHTS (MS)

The Magnolia Heights lineup certainly didn’t lack talent. The Chiefs will attempt to win their fourth-straight state championship this season and certainly appeared to have the bats capable of carrying them. Cooper Pratt was the headliner and the Ole Miss signee, and top MLB Draft prospect, provided some highlight moments. Pratt, a lean 6-3 shortstop who hits right-handed, smashed a no-doubt bomb over the left-center fence at Rock Hill that, with the help of some wind, nearly hit a building that was at least 75 feet beyond the wall. 

At times, Pratt was a little overzealous in the batter’s box; against lesser stuff, control and velocity, he sometimes expanded the zone to make contact as at least 10 scouts lined the fence each time he stepped into the batter’s box. The flip side is he did show a lot of bat-to-ball ability and some barrel feel. Plus, he has a reputation for being able to time and hit elite velocity. We’re discussing a top-flight player who was an all-festival selection. So, this probably sounds a little too nitpicky, but he’s undoubtedly the type of talent who MLB teams are going to have to decide is worth seven figures or not. 

Defensively, we were impressed with his fluidity and how easily he went from fielding to transfer to throw. He processed the game at a high level and on defense he cut down multiple runners trying to go from second to third on ground balls in the hole. Overall, he showcased a very intriguing, well-rounded skill set and appeared to be a good bet to hit with an above-average or better strikeout rate and promising power, especially as he matures and fills out more. It’s rare to see a player his height and length play shortstop professionally, but he certainly looked like he’s going to get a chance to at least start there in college or the minors. 

South Alabama signee and right-handed hitter Ethan Melton was a force in the batter’s box and was among the best bets in the festival to make hard contact and put together a quality at-bat. Seeing pitches and making hard contact came easily and naturally to Melton, who looked to be an instant-impact type of player at the next level. Melton bounced around center field with a compact, muscular frame and hammered line drives to all parts of the park with good barrel control thanks in part to his short arms creating limited wasted movement.He also pitched and his slider was a swing-and-miss pitch versus righties. 

The duo of Drew and Cole Prosek is going to be a nightmare for opposing pitchers this season. Drew is a senior heading to Gulf Coast Community College and should immediately slot into their lineup with a strong left-handed hitting presence. Cole is a 2026 prospect already committed to Ole Miss and you’d think he was a senior when he steps into the batter’s box and gets a good left-handed swing off. Already physical for his age, Prosek has present gap-to-gap power that should continue to grow as he matures and showed a quick transfer and baseball athleticism at second base. 

Keondre Fields, a Missouri signee, hit leadoff and covered the hitting zone; he put the barrel on pitches down, away and inside with success and is a promising athlete with physical projection remaining. Meridian Community College 2024 commit Harlin Hovater is a very physical, strong catcher prospect. At times his left-handed swing can get too “sweepy” but when he leverages his physical gifts and lets the baseball travel with a more direct bat path, the ball can fly off the bat. 

Uncommitted 2024 left-handed pitcher Will Howell carried a perfect game into the fifth inning before Rock Hill’s lineup got to him. Early, Howell sat at 83-86 MPH with his fastball and touched 87 MPH. At times, Howell had some sinking action to his heater and other times some natural cut was present. He also showed a 69-70 MPH curveball with true shape and a 77 MPH slider, showcasing his ability to manipulate breaking stuff. Be careful feeding big John Ellis Price fastballs middle or down in the zone because his dangerous left-handed swing is geared to hammer those into the gap or out of the yard. 

- Dustin McComas

MATER DEI (CA)

We covered Derek Gonzales and his impressive zone control and awareness in our superlatives story and the very physical, strong right-handed hitting outfielder should be on the radar of college programs looking for a bat. Speaking of our superlatives story, we also covered the impressive control and command profile of recent USC commitment Kalani Santos, a right-handed pitcher who showed a quality three-pitch mix with what also looked like a true cutter that was used once. Vanderbilt signee and tall right-hander Brennan Seiber was also included in our superlatives story because his slider was a swing-and-miss weapon and flashed as a future plus pitch at the next level. 

Often catching Mater Dei’s loaded pitching staff is uncommitted 2023 prospect Noah Morris. His hitting profile includes bat-to-ball skill and is geared more for contact and pesky at-bats than impact and power. Defensively, he had a 2.03-second in-game pop time with impressive catch-and-throw and receiving skill. An agile mover for the position with some physical projection remaining, Morris should get a look from college staffs still searching for catching. He's afforded a rare opportunity for high school catchers: a chance each game to catch the quality of stuff he's going to see at the next level. 

Junior shortstop Braden Ruiz took one of the best, if not the best, rounds of in-and-out to begin games, showcasing quality hands, footwork and smooth transfers with enough arm for the position. Currently uncommitted, Ruiz competed well in the batter’s box with a contact over impact profile. It’s tough to truly tell if a player can stick at shortstop as he moves up levels because the position requires such a high bar to clear, but Ruiz, who is a tall, skinny infielder with a loose frame, gave every indication he could handle the position well. 

We left impressed with the long-term hitting outlook for 2025 right-handed hitter Dylan Wetzel. His active, quick hands got to pitchers all over the zone and he exuded some “hitterish” qualities that should pair well with his developing power. Like Wetzel, 2024 prospect Brody Connors also displayed some exciting hitting potential from the right side with gap-to-gap power and strength to do pull-side damage. Freshman Ezekiel Lara struggled some against big-time pitching, but there were present hitting tools that were exciting and showed why he was hitting leadoff for one of California’s best teams. 

- Dustin McComas

Five Tool Staff