The Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout Tour rolled through Southwestern Louisiana on Sunday, March 15. Our host, Barbe High School in Lake Charles, was the Baseball America High School Team Of The Year in 2014.

Glenn Cecchini, head coach of the Barbe High School Bucs, was selected in January to lead the USA Baseball 18U National Team. He is also the father of a pair of former Under Armour All-Americans.

Garin Cecchini was an Under Armour All-American in 2009, and was selected in the 4th round by the Red Sox in the 2010 draft. He made his Major League debut with the Red Sox in 2014, and appears scheduled to begin the 2015 season at the AAA level.

His younger brother Gavin Cecchini was an Under Armour All-American in 2011, and went on to be selected 12th overall by the New York Mets in the 2012 draft. He reached the AA level at the end of the 2014 season, and earned an invite to major league camp in Spring Training 2015.

Back to present day on the field in Lake Charles, 2016 C Keelyn Johnson (Pineville HS – Pineville, LA) posted pop times as low as 1.84 to rank near the top of 2016 graduates we’ve seen in terms of catch and throw skills. Clearly his release was quick, and he added arm strength that played above his 83 mph raw velocity on the way to a round where his worst time was 1.93.

2015 RHP Justin Massey

A right-handed hitter standing at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, Johnson showed hand-eye coordination and the ability to deliver the barrel consistently to contact in batting practice. He showed surprising, but not standout, raw power — giving him potential as a capable player both offensively and defensively.

2015 RHP Justin Massey (Robert E. Lee HS – Baytown, TX) worked between 84 and 87 mph with his fastball, which had some late life when it was down in the zone. He spun an 11-to-5 shaped breaking ball with medium depth into the low 70s, while his mid-to-upper 70s change showed the makings of a viable third pitch. Though only medium-framed at 6-foot and 160 pounds, he has a chance to better involve his lower half to possibly grab a little more velocity.

2015 RHP/OF Bukhari Brown

2015 RHP/OF Bukhari Brown (Terry HS – Byram, MS) ran his fastball up to 86 mph, a three mph jump from what we saw in late January 2015. He was able to land his low 60s breaking ball, giving him the ability to throw a high volume of strikes with two pitches.

Brown stands a high-waisted 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds with some present strength, and posted 7.03 in the 60 yard dash. When we saw him two months ago he ran 7.18. His right-handed stroke was short and quick to contact, and he used strength to drive balls to the pull-side gap.

2016 RHP Tyler Gallow (Opelousas HS – Opelousas, LA) notched the top raw velocity, with a mark of 85 mph. His fastball checked in a little lower, at 83 mph. He stands a solid and strong 6-foot and 215 pounds, and showed glimpses of a solid fastball/breaking ball combo in his bullpen session.

The best runner of the day was 2017 SS Kaylim Aaron (Washington Marion Magnet HS – Lake Charles, LA), with a 6.99 in the 60 yard dash. 2016 OF/RHP Michael Harris (Baker HS – Baker, LA) and 2015 OF Ke’Andre Jones (Opelousas HS – Opelousas, LA) were just off his bumper at 7.00.

A pair of 2019 outfielders, both set to attend Barbe High School next year, showed promising tools for the future. OF/RHP Damon Fountain (Lake Charles, LA) showed among the best raw power at the event, along with a well-rounded and advanced set of tools. OF Luke Richard (Lake Charles, LA), also a right-handed hitter, showed more of a contact bat at present, but still showed tools well-advanced for his age.

The Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout Tour is rolling through all 50 states. Tryouts are held for players ages 12-14 and 14-18. Don’t miss your opportunity to Be Discovered.

Find an Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout near you and register online or call (800) 641-4487.