EVENT DATE: 6/24/2005

LOCATION: Brandeis College

It was only a matter of time until a 2005 PUMA Pre Season All American showed up in the Top Prospect list at a regional event, Jeff Lieneck was the first. Our All American underclassmen were very strong during the January 2005 tournament, and the 2006 graduates were still underclassmen then…not anymore, now they are considered seniors.

Two others from our talented group of 2006 graduates at the 2005 PUMA Pre Season All American Tournament were recently selected as Top 10 Prospects at the Team One West Showcase. Congratulations to Randy Wells (#7 / Clayton Valley, CA / Clayton Valley HS) and Brett Jackson (# 9 / Orinda, CA / Miramonte HS). For more information visit TeamOneBaseball.com.

Look for more information on our 2005 PUMA Pre Season All Americans this summer. This Fall our scouting staff will select the 2006 PUMA Pre Season All Americans.

Top 5 Prospects

The Top 5 Prospects were picked by Dan Mooney (Assistant Director of Scouting) based on their performance at the event. The ranking is based on their status as college prospects, and is relative to the entire group of players we saw on the day – we now consider underclassmen in our selection process.

1. Michael O’Brien, LHP, 2006 – Shrewsbury, MA (St. John’s HS), 6-0, 165, L/L. A left handed pitcher with a whippy, live arm. His fastball topped at 84 mph and had good movement down and to his arm side – velocity has jumped 8 mph since we saw him last summer (topped at 76 mph then). His curveball was a downer with tight spin and sharp break, an above average pitch. To round out his quality secondary stuff he showed a change-up with good movement – is a little too hard now, but he is aggressive with it and can work on a slight grip change. His delivery was balanced and featured good direction with his lower half. Big glove arm movements add a little deception to his delivery. (Please note, height / weight changed from 5-10, 150 – it is now correct) 

2. Kyle Dean, 3B, 2006 – Southbury, CT (Pomperaug HS), 5-10, 165, R/R. Dean featured a body with baseball strength and athletic ability, along with a very well rounded set of tools. He ran 7.04 in the 60 yard dash, and touched 83 mph on the radar gun. His hands and glove action were very good in the infield and he showed life in his feet and actions. Some effort was involved to throw after a funnel move to exchange. At the plate he showed good barrel accuracy and the ability to hit the ball the other way. Loose wrists and good balance highlighted a very good right handed stroke.

3. Jeff Lieneck, C, 2006 – Foxboro, MA (Xavarian Brothers HS), 6-0, 175, R/R. A 2005 PUMA Pre-season All American, Lieneck has improved since we last saw him in January. His quick and light feet have started to translate into lower release times, which are down into the 1.95 – 2.10 range now. His arm is strong (85 mph) and he keeps his throws on line very well. His feet also work well to block, and we have seen in games that he can really catch. At the plate he showed quick wrists and held the ground well through his swing. He hit the ball hard all over the field and drove a few balls to the gaps. Also a 7.08 runner in the 60 yard dash.

4. Jonathan Housar, OF, 2007 – North Easton, MA (Cardinal Spellman HS), 5-11, 185, R/R. Showed life in his wrists and hands at the plate, made very good line drive contact. Stroke was compact and repeatable, barrel accuracy was above average. Can improve some mechanical portions of his swing, but has the natural ability to hit to build on. Some athletic ability showed in the outfield, moves better than his 7.86 60 yard dash time may indicate. He took good angles and moved through the ball well. Some arm strength was present (79 mph). Looks to have natural ability to play, and has room to improve mechanically overall – giving him upside.

5. Cameron Fulton, 3B, 2007 – Wrentham, MA (Xavarian Brothers HS), 6-1, 185, R/R. Has a good looking body, arms and legs are long and he has not grown into his frame yet. Showed athletic ability in his feet and actions in the infield. Approach was good as were his hands and transfer. Body control showed, and his throws had decent carry across the infield – arm plays better than 74 mph velocity, but could stand to improve. At the plate he got the good part of the barrel to the ball, made solid contact up the middle. Ability is a little crude, has room to improve much of his mechanical approach to hitting. His potential to hit was apparent, clearly has better days with the bat in front of him.

Top 5 Prospects ARCHIVE

See below for more information about the B.A.T.S. Program, and PUMA National Tournament Team Tryouts. Also, be sure to click on the link for our complete 2005 schedule.

B.A.T.S VIDEO SCOUTING SESSIONS
– includes edited video and scouting report on personal web page
– also an opportunity to tryout for National Tournament Teams
– call 800-641-4487 to register

PUMA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT TEAM TRYOUTS
– an opportunity to tryout for National Tournament Teams
– does not include video, scouting report, or personal webpage
– call 800-621-5452 to register

Baseball Factory 2005 Schedule