The 2023 AABC Don Mattingly World Series was loaded with 64 teams from Texas, nearby states and even Canada. That means the list of notable performances, standout players, and uncommitted prospects is a very, very long one. And we’re thrilled to share the event included 122 scouts from 83 different colleges or professional organizations.

Our scouting coverage from the event will feature eight lengthy stories – hope you packed a sandwich because I wrote a lot of words - to cover the eight pools of teams. While our scouting team couldn’t be everywhere at once, obviously, we’ve also spent hours looking at our excellent video coverage, which you can find on player profiles and under the AABC Don Mattingly World Series event page here at FiveTool.org. 

(Consider all players uncommitted 2024 prospects unless otherwise noted.)

We’ll continue with Pool 5 teams and begin with quarterfinalist TBT Ballers Texas 17U National: 

TBT Ballers Texas 17U National
No one played better as a true team with consistent competitiveness and energy, and no one was tougher to put away. TBT Ballers won three games by one run and carried a great spirit to the diamond. Caleb Railey (Midlothian Heritage) showed one of the better right-handed swings in the event and it .286/.375/.643 with a loud homer and a triple, which was a good swing against a pitch up-and-away. Noticeably stronger and more physical since last summer, Railey also threw a ton of strikes on the mound in 8.0 competitive innings. 

Flying down the line or around in center field, Esteban Toscano (North Dallas) was a high-energy player with plus run times. Austin Kyle didn’t have a strong tournament statistically, but he refused to give at-bats away and routinely worked deep into counts by spoiling pitches. He struck out just once. Catcher Ethan Crouch had a couple of loud outs and Collin Poindexter baffled a really good lineup with his big, 64 MPH curveball. 

DFW Twins 17U Black
Loaded with several commitments and well-known players, DFW Twins 17U Black featured some of the top talent in the tournament. But a good case can be made an uncommitted, somewhat under-the-radar prospect helped himself the most and was as impressive as anyone on the roster with the bat. Brock left-handed hitter Cam Harris established himself as a must-know name for college coaches thanks to one of the event’s best left-handed swings, strength, bat speed and a natural feel for putting together quality at-bats. 

Harris, who terrorizes quarterbacks during the fall as one of 3A’s best defensive players and sack artists, hit .500/.500/.875 and there was nothing “fluke” about the performance. We didn’t see him pitch during the Mattingly, but he has been up to 92 MPH recently and runs well down the line. Defensively, he’s athletic enough to play a lot of places, but might profile best as a speedy corner outfielder with pop or a bat-first second baseman with a lot of reps to help improve the skill. Right-handed hitting infielder Tate Greene (Allen) showed some surprising juice, which resulted in three homers, including multiple the opposite way. Greene wants to put a dangerous bat in motion and settled in fine at third base, although he might be able to boost his profile with a move to second base. 

High school and summer teammate Brady Coe was one of the most well-known players in the event, but that didn’t prevent the ACU commitment from standing out. We all know Coe has a feel for hitting and making quality contact, which was on display to the tune of .412/.474/.647. And we all know he’s a skilled infielder who plays shortstop well and can play all over the diamond. But the stuff on the mound has gotten better… 

Coe’s feel for pitching was boosted by a fastball up to 91 MPH with spin up to 2500 RPM, a 70 MPH curveball with spin up to 2800 RPM and a 75 MPH changeup that had spin as low as 1400 RPM. The righty can really, really spin the baseball and showed impressive hand speed to finish his pitches. In 5.0 innings, he didn’t give up an earned run, walked three, gave up four hits and struck out four. Equally impressive on the mound was Texas Tech commitment Connor Mohan, who touched 92 MPH with a loose, quick arm and showed a slider up to 80 MPH and a curveball at 74 MPH. The Burleson Centennial product proved he wasn’t just a hard-thrower and showed a changeup as a starter at 78-81 MPH. Over 6.2 innings, he gave up one earned run on five hits, walked three and struck out nine. 

Recent Nebraska commitment Aiden White threw 3.0 scoreless frames with a quality three-pitch mix and recent Texas Tech commitment Will Jordan had one of the event’s best breaking balls, a power hook with bite. He was up to 89 MPH and also showed a changeup. In shorter outings, but Luke Saunders (Jim Ned; Tarleton State commit) and Rand Green (Weatherford Christian) presented intriguing looks that likely grabbed the attention of college coaches. Often catching a really talented staff with stuff was Kooper Jones (Wylie) and he showed notable catch-and-throw ability with good movements behind the dish. 

To give you an idea of how loaded Allen is going to be now and in the future, 2026 prospect Kyle Tanksley hit .500/.700/.500 and didn’t strike out once in 12 plate appearances, an outstanding feat for a player in a 2024 event. Uncommitted left-handed hitting outfielder Charlie Anderson was seemingly knocking on the door of a huge hit when I saw him, often competing deep into counts with good swings. He finished with a .286/.412/.286 slash line and remains one of the better uncommitted prospects in Texas. Texas Tech commitment and Aledo standout Ryan Jones, a physical left-handed hitter, fit into that same group. He typically worked deep into counts and often just missed pitches. 

Marucci Elite Texas 2024 Dunn
On the wrong side of a couple one-run losses, Marucci Elite Texas 2024 Dunn’s Mattingly run ended earlier than it expected. With one of the most talented rosters in the event, there is no shortage of players to mention. If you’re a college program in search of a catcher, this team has you covered: Parker Smith (Lake Creek) moved well, had one of my favorite right-handed swings in the event, caught a runner stealing with a 2.03-second pop time and is QB1; Keegan Demmer has some notable power that already plays well in games, is coming off a good year for Tomball and has a strong arm behind the dish that’s been overshadowed by Tomball having Cade Arrambide at catcher; Five Tool GPA alum Ayden Pearcy is a strong right-handed hitter with a promising swing and great makeup. 

The most famous uncommitted name on the roster is Donte Lewis. A standout quarterback at St. Thomas, Lewis hit .556/.636/.889 in 11 plate appearances with just one strikeout. His strength showed in the way the baseball came off the barrel and he did a good job of getting quick, strong hands direct to the baseball with some present bat speed. It’s more of a contact-over-power swing right now but he’s strong enough and has the athleticism and bat speed tap add more extra-base thump to his profile in the future. Defensively, Lewis made a really nice play at third base and has the arm strength to profile there, would fit well at second base and could even play the outfield. 

On the mound, Lewis ran his fastball up to 92 MPH and showed some impressive feel for spinning an 81-82 MPH slider with quality shape and spin that created whiffs. Lewis also showed a distinct curveball at 76 MPH and a changeup at 80 MPH that came with exaggerated pronation and a lower arm slot to create shape of the pitch. Lewis’ operation the mound remains raw, but he’s a really exciting prospect there because there are so many things to tap into in the future, like getting more of is lower half into his delivery and throwing pitches with a consistent arm slot. Speaking of raw deliveries with quick, strong arms on the mound, Tomball infielder/outfielder Coleman Ryan ran his fastball up to 90 MPH in .2 innings. A good athlete who I’ve timed 4.0-4.1 seconds in the past down the line from the right side, Coleman is seemingly a diamond in the rough because he has impressive tools as a two-way prospect who really stood out defensively in the past. 

We covered uncommitted Cy-Fair third baseman Austin Godwin during the event, and he ended up swinging the bat much better than his line suggests. At 6-4, 205 pounds, Godwin has raw power from the right side that he’s able to tap into during games and he hit a majestic homer out to left field. Left-handed hitting outfielder Jackson Babcock (Clear Creek) showed a strong arm from the outfield he has a lot of confidence in and a quality left-handed swing that created some loud contact. Matthew Millett is making a strong case to be considered a two-way prospect because he has some juice and hitting feel from the right side. The Texas commitment from Mansfield Lake Ridge is a pitcher first, but the hitting profile is interesting. Easy to see why Blaine Lucas (New Caney) has been a longtime Louisiana commitment because he has a good, quick, short left-handed swing with barrel feel and is a skilled infielder. 

We only saw Casan Evans throw to two batters because he was building back up to throw again this summer, but he touched 94 MPH with his usual arm speed. San Marcos’ Reagan Chomel tossed 2.0 shutout innings and is poised to be one of the top senior pitchers in his area and should be a prospect South Texas area colleges get some eyes on. 

2024 Texas Twelve South Texas Navy
College programs around San Antonio and in South Texas should make sure they know Brandeis right-handed hitter Drew Saucedo. He first caught my attention during the spring of 2022 when he played second base alongside Jalin Flores and ran down the line in 4.0-4.1 seconds multiple times. Then, he hammered the ball when I saw him in the spring of 2023. Now, he’s even stronger and hit .500/.579/.750 with a homer and just one strikeout. 

What stood out more, at least to me because I’ve seen him hit before, about Saucedo was he played center field well. I’ve only seen him previously at second base and shortstop, but it was obvious he has a chance to profile as a center fielder too because of his speed. On a ball that required a quality read and long run off the bat, Saucedo made an excellent diving catch. 

Recent Navarro College commit Christian Hallmark is a high school teammate of Saucedo and is among the best, most consistent competitors in the state. Unsurprisingly, Hallmark hit .364/.500/.364. Derek Maples (San Antonio Johnson) caught my eye during the spring and again showed some hitting ability from the right side and recent Baylor commitment Brytton Clements (Laredo Alexander) did a good job of taking his hands to the baseball with a barrel that followed. This summer, Clemens ran a 6.50-second 60-yard dash, and the speed translates to the diamond. Coming off a solid junior campaign for state semifinalist Boerne Champion, Gage Goldberg’s right-handed swing continues to trend positively and he does a good job of getting short to the baseball while tapping into his strength. 

On the mound, Sinton’s Aidan Moody spun one of the better breaking balls in the tournament and also ran his fastball up to 89 MPH. A physical presence who takes his football player build and mentality to the mound, Moody’s performance on the mound is beginning to really take off with the increased reps. Don’t be surprised if an offseason results in him touching the low 90s because the strength and athleticism are there. 

OTHER NOTES
- US Nationals 17U MidSouth right-handed slugger and Central Arkansas commit Mark Ross was on fire the whole tournament and hit .467/.529/.800 with a homer and two doubles. He knows who he is in the box – a pull hitter who wants to put the bat in motion. 

- Keep an eye on 2025 left-handed hitter James Dagenhart (Lone Star). I came away very impressed with his left-handed swing and feel for hitting, which included driving an extra-base hit the other way and smashing a homer. While playing with the older Pro Source 17U Breeding team, he tracked pitches easily in an advanced way and is a skilled defender in the infield. 

- Canes Southwest – Hearn 2024’s Mason Hamilton did an impressive job of keeping his hands inside a fastball inner half and showed his plus raw power when he pulled a loud homer. Davenport left-handed hitter and standout center fielder Brayden Mulkey performed well and showed the type of tools and ability to impact the game on both sides that made him one of the top rising names in the San Antonio area. Evan Nickowski just missed a couple of homers in a game I saw and is a projectable 6-3 right-handed hitter from Marble Falls. He didn’t have much to show for it, but Vandegrift’s Ethan Wood showed an intriguing blend of power and left-handed bat speed. 

Dustin McComas
Senior Editor