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Recap of Blue Chip Prospect’s Unsigned Senior Showcase

The annual unsigned senior showcase is always an event I look forward to covering because I was in their shoes once. I can relate to the athlete that enters their senior year in September with high hopes and began to feel a bit uneasy once all your friends begin to commit.

The important thing to understand is that it’s not too late, and if you perform well then the right schools will take notice and you will find the right school.

On Saturday, over 10 local colleges were on hand for the event in front of 40 players – a great ratio which allowed the players all to get in front of head coaches and recruiting coordinators.

Upon arrival, the players did an active stretch led by Houston Astros catching instructor/movement coach Kyle Brennan – who is a graduate of Ward Melville HS. The players ran their 40-yard dashes before going through defensive drills. Batters took BP before the pitchers threw their bullpens. All told, it was an efficient event that ran for a little over 3 hours but provided plenty of reps for the individuals. Below are some of the players that stood out to me.

Gabe Klarikaitis, Holy Trinity

I’ve watched Gabe a handful of times, from school ball this spring to the summer with Next Level and in some showcases recently. He’s well-built at around 6’0 and has a very strong lower half. He has been up to 86 this summer, but sat in the low to mid 80s. He threw a slider and a change up but certainly his slider was his best off speed offering. When executed well, he placed it in that “dead zone” low and away to a righty. His two-seamer is a few ticks below the four-seamer but had incredible arm side run. Personally, I think that’s the pitch that he’ll have better success with. If he can improve the command a bit, he can be a starting pitcher at the Div-II level. Right now, that is the only question because his stuff is plenty good enough. He will likely be atop the Holy Trinity rotation next season.

Joe Pritchard, St. Anthony’s

Like Klarikaitis, his fastball sat in the low 80s and can but it up to the mid 80s when necessary. Very clean mechanics and showed the ability to spin his breaking ball for strikes. Played high-level travel all summer and can pitch against top talent. Should be an impact pitcher for St. Anthony’s this year.

Matt Orena, Mineola 

This was my first time watching him and I came away impressed. The mechanics were pretty clean and repeatable and he had above-average velocity and fastball command. The offspeed pitches do need work, but had movement. Most likely would need to be a reliever at the next level.

Anthony Altobelli, Kings Park

Altobelli was a part of Kings Park playoff team in 2023, and he played the critical role of starting shortstop on a team based around pitching and defense. He added a .391 AVG and was named All-League. He had one of the better rounds of BP and you can see the balance he has at the plate. Has reached an exit velocity of 88 MPH. He’s very athletic as well and moves well around the base. Could likely be a starter at the Division-III level.

Alexander Guzman, St. Francis Prep

Had the best round of BP of the day. Loud, consistent contact. Very advanced swing and should be of interest to any Division-II team considering the defensive versatility as well.

Robert Nunez, Carey

Nunez’s throws to second had strong carry and were accurate. Any college would like to have a solid defensive catcher that can step in right away. Nunez also had a good round of BP, and batted .286 last season on varsity. Could easily see him taking a step forward next season and being a top catcher in the conference. He could share time as a freshman at the Division-III level and eventually be a starter.

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Vinny is the President of Axcess Baseball. He is a 2013 graduate of Adelphi University and he is currently the Long Island area scout for the San Diego Padres

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