By Paul Gotham
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Sherrill’s Silversmiths started 2013 6-4. They limped to a 16-24 finish. Five games separated the Smitties from post-season play. Sherrill will look to bridge that gap in 2014 led by Kellen Brown (Florida Atlantic University/Dunedin, FL), Mitch Cavanagh (St. John’s University via Oneida High/Oneida N.Y.), Kaden Shaffer (Fort Scott CC/Ottawa KS) and Christian Triplett (North Carolina Central/Wilkesboro, NC).
Brown (2b/3b 5-10, 160 RS FR Bats Left/Throws Right) hits for average and has a good eye at the plate with occasional power. He works the middle of the field and goes the other way. He suffered an ankle injury last fall which did not heal quickly enough, and he is redshirting 2014.
“He’s a very, very intelligent baseball player,” Florida Atlantic coach John McCormack stated. “He’s probably one of our more advanced offensive players as related to understanding counts and what pitchers are trying to do. He’s a very accomplished hitter. When he gets down in the count, he’s able to spoil some pitches especially balls and then dumping some balls into left field – a two-strike approach he’s very good at.”
Cavanagh (RHP/3b 6-2 HS Sr 210) commands three pitches. He is a rare high school thrower who has developed a changeup. His fastball has been clocked at upper 80s and can touch 90. He throws a mid-70 breaking ball and has good arm projection.
“He is a strong kid with a good arm and strong body,” said St. John’s coach Ed Blankmeyer. “He’s not tall or lanky. He’s more boxy. As with any high schooler it’s how much he develops his pitchability. That’s the million dollar question.”
Shaffer (3b 6-0 185 FR Bats Right/Throws Right) is currently hitting .341 with seven home runs and 33 RBI with a slugging percentage of .533. He hits all sides of the plate and throws mid to upper 80s across the infield.
“His approach (at the plate) is developing,” Fort Scott CC coach John Hill III noted. “He’s bought into going the other way. When pitchers come in, he can drive the ball. It’s not all to the pull side. He’s getting better and better to the gaps. He’s very aggressive. He’s understanding himself and what he can do better. He’s a cage rat. He works until we have to kick him out of there. He takes ground ball after ground ball. He never thinks he’s good enough.”
Triplett (1b 6-3 230 SO Bats Right/Throws Right) is hitting .247 with a team-high nine home runs, 33 RBI and a .985 fielding percentage. He can drive the ball from right center to the left field line with power. He’s active around the base defensively with plus arm strength. He’s learning how to see the breaking ball and use right field.
“He’s a physical kid with serious power potential,” NC Central skipper Jim Koerner commented. “He does a good job working at bats and needs to do a better job making late-count adjustments. He puts the time in. He understands it’s something he needs to do. The improvement he’s made from his freshmen year to his sophomore year has been impressive…He will be a little too aggressive when he’s trying to do too much at the plate. We just have to help him keep things simple, get his foot down a little bit earlier and try to get him back in the middle of the field.”
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