Player Name: Robert Vani
Position: C/1b
School: Adelphi
Vani is a 6’0″C/1b for the Adelphi Panthers. He is coming off a tremendous sophomore season in which he hit .336 with 23 RBI and 29 runs scored.
Offensively: He stands upright at the plate with only a slight bend in the knees. He keeps his back elbow up and employs a slight bat wag. He does not have an open or closed stance. He has a leg kick and is a front foot hitter–he falls forward prior to leg kick.
In the July 7th game, he went 1-for-2 with two walks.
His first at bat was a one-pitch groundout to third. It was a fastball on the inner half that he pounded into the ground.
He walked on four pitches in his second at bat. The only pitch that was close was the second pitch that was a fastball just inches off the outside corner. He displayed great patience during the at bat.
In his third at bat, he faced a lefty with control issues (video above). He took a couple close pitches but on 2-1 and 3-1 he watched as the ball scraped the ground.
His hit occurred in the eighth inning as the lead off hitter. He fouled off a fastball, took a change up high and away before getting a fastball to rip. He swung hard but it was off the end of the bat and it blooped in front of the right fielder.
Defensively: He is very sure-handed behind the plate. There were no passed balls or wild pitches. He catches the ball with a stiff arm and frames very well. One base runner attempted a steal and he was successful. It was not a good throw from Vani, as it sailed wide and bounced in front of the bag. He has a strong arm but he may have failed to get a good grip on that one. He is quick out of the shoot.
Base Running: From a speed perspective, he is not fleet of foot. He was thrown out by a wide margin attempting to steal as part of a hit & run, but the hitter swung and missed. From an instinctive point of view, he is very adept. He was able to snag third on a pitch in the dirt and there was no throw because he did not hesitate at all.
He is a name to keep in mind for the 2016 draft if he stays behind the plate. Adelphi’s coach has used him a lot at first to keep him in the lineup, but he certainly has more value as a catcher. First baseman that hit .336 in a wood bat conference are good, but catchers that hit .336 in that league get drafted.
