Several Players Post Improvements at Davenport University in Michigan
On Sunday, April 26 the Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout Tour rolled through western Michigan with a stop in the Grand Rapids area. Located in Caledonia Township, Davenport University is a member of the NAIA Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC).
The Davenport Panthers finished up a four-game sweep of Siena Heights on Saturday, leaving the artificial turf baseball field at the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex available to host our event on Sunday. Per the official DU athletics website:
The Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex was dedicated on March 20, 2013 and with it came the first home fields ever for baseball, softball and tennis. The complex is located on 68th Street just south of the University’s W.A. Lettinga Campus and Farmers Insurance Group offices in Caledonia Township.
Artificial turf is utilized for the entire baseball field and outfield for the softball stadium. The baseball stadium seats 300 and the softball 200 spectators respectively. Dimensions for the baseball field are 330′ to left and right field and 400′ to center, while dimensions for the softball field are 200′ to left and right, and 210′ to center. The new athletic complex will also include eight tennis courts.
When we first saw 2016 SS/RHP Lexus Crisler (Swan Valley HS – Saginaw, MI) in May 2012, he ran 7.54 in the 60 yard dash and reached 74 mph raw velocity. In April 2015, after nearly two years, he posted remarkable improvements in both measures — his 60 yard dash went down by just over a half-second from 7.54 to 7.01, while his raw velocity increased by nearly twenty (yes, twenty) ticks from 74 to 93 mph. For good measure, he jumped on the mound and ran his fastball up to 87 mph (from the stretch).
He stands at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds with athletic proportions, and would still be best described as raw. Raw is good however, as it means he has ability yet to be cultivated. He’s made tremendous strides in the last two years, and with continued progression he has a chance to be a special player.
6-foot-6 RHP Michael Mokma (Holland Christian HS – Zeeland, MI) ran his fastball up to 89 mph on just two-days rest. He sat 84-86 mph (if you can say that of a bullpen session) with arm side run, and showed signs of ability to command his fastball along with his advanced secondary pitches. His breaking ball was a low 70s pitch with depth to defined 11-to-5 shape, while his change had some fading sink into the low 70s. It’s impossible to guess what he could have done on regular rest, but even if it wasn’t any better than we saw, he’s still a very interesting prospect.
2018 OF/LHP Gaetano Vallone
We don’t have any history with 2018 OF/LHP Gaetano Vallone (Grand Rapids West Catholic HS – Sparta, MI), but his first impression was a good one. He ran 7.10 on a less than 100% ankle, posted 84 mph raw velocity, and ran his fastball up to 82 mph.
To round out his tools as a position player, he featured some rhythm to hit along with hand-eye coordination and the ability to consistently deliver the barrel to contact. As further evidence of his two-way ability, he spun a sharp mid 60s breaking ball and showed advanced feel for an upper 60s change.
The only player to appear in at least four top measurable categories (see tables below) was 2017 C Jafet Cruz (Jenison HS – Jenison, MI). With specific relevance to his position, he posted pop times between 2.09 and 2.20 along with 83 mph raw velocity. A 7.01 in the 60 yard dash offered evidence of overall athleticism. As for hitting ability, he showed some rhythm to hit along with bat speed and strength through contact such that he was able to produce 86 mph bat exit velocity.
With 89 mph raw velocity and a 6.95 60 yard dash, 2018 OF/SS Miko Rodriguez (Forest Hills Central HS – Ada, MI) featured the best run-throw combination. His arm strength played better in the outfield, where he was able to generate more momentum through his play on the ball. He throws enough for the left side of the infield, and appears to have the fielding ability to be more than functional there as well — and he’s only a freshman in high school. He stands at 6-foot and 187 pounds, and showed the makings of a solid right-handed stroke.
Top performers by measurable category appear below:
60 Yard Dash
| Sec | 60 Yard Dash Leaders |
| 6.79 | Drake Edwards (2016 – SS/OF – Saranac HS – Belding, MI) |
| 6.95 | Miko Rodriguez (2018 – OF/SS – Forest Hills Central HS – Ada, MI) |
| 7.01 | Lexus Crisler (2016 – SS/RHP – Swan Valley HS – Saginaw, MI) |
| 7.01 | Jafet Cruz (2017 – C – Jenison HS – Jenison, MI) |
| 7.10 | Jaylen Mitchell (2015 – SS/RHP – Orchard View HS – Muskegon, MI) |
| 7.10 | Gaetano Vallone (2018 – OF/LHP – Grand Rapids West Catholic HS – Sparta, MI) |
Fastball Velocity
| mph | Fastball Velocity Leaders |
| 89 | Michael Mokma (2016 – RHP – Holland Christian HS – Zeeland, MI) |
| 87 | Lexus Crisler (2016 – SS/RHP – Swan Valley HS – Saginaw, MI) |
| 82 | Gaetano Vallone (2018 – OF/LHP – Grand Rapids West Catholic HS – Sparta, MI) |
2017 RHP Brett Bujdos (Forest Hills Northern HS – Grand Rapids, MI) topped at 78 mph with his fastball, marking a 5 mph increase since we saw him up to 73 mph last April.
Raw Velocity
| mph | Raw Velocity Leaders |
| 93 | Lexus Crisler (2016 – SS/RHP – Swan Valley HS – Saginaw, MI) |
| 89 | Miko Rodriguez (2018 – OF/SS – Forest Hills Central HS – Ada, MI) |
| 84 | Gaetano Vallone (2018 – OF/LHP – Grand Rapids West Catholic HS – Sparta, MI) |
| 83 | Jafet Cruz (2017 – C – Jenison HS – Jenison, MI) |
| 82 | Austin Cornielle (2016 – C – Grandville HS – Grandville, MI) |
Catcher Release Time
| Sec | Pop Time Leaders |
| 2.06 | Jafet Cruz (2017 – C – Jenison HS – Jenison, MI) |
| 2.16 | Austin Cornielle (2016 – C – Grandville HS – Grandville, MI) |
In January 2013, Austin Cornielle recorded a low pop time of 2.41. By May 2014, he was down to 2.30, only to see another move down to 2.16 another year later at this most recent event. In that same period of nearly two-and-a-half years, his raw velocity increased by over ten mph — up from from 71 to 82 mph.
Bat Exit Velocity
| mph | Bat Exit Velocity Leaders |
| 86 | Connor Culhane (2016 – RHP/SS – Forest Hills Eastern HS – Grand Rapids, MI) |
| 86 | Jafet Cruz (2017 – C – Jenison HS – Jenison, MI) |
| 82 | Brett Bujdos (2017 – 2B/RHP – Forest Hills Northern HS – Grand Rapids, MI) |
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.
