On Saturday March 14, the Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout tour stopped in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Per the Sanford Fieldhouse website, “athletes enjoy 62,000 square feet of professional grade Field Turf®, state-of-the-art training facilities, full amenity locker rooms – all designed to make sports an integral part of staying healthy.”

Normally we see a large number of good run times on artificial turf surfaces, but that wasn’t the case this day. The best measurable was a bat exit velocity of 90 mph, turned in by 2016 SS/OF Sheldon Gant (Yankton HS – Yankton, SD). Gant is versatile defender, capable of playing both the infield and the outfield — though more likely at a corner position in the future. He stands 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds with obvious present strength, and has the makings of right-handed raw power.

2017 OF Jackson Hankey (Park River Area Schools – Park River, ND) was the top overall offensive performer on the day. A left-handed hitter with a strong and athletic 6-foot-1, 190 pound frame, he notched a bat exit velocity of 89 mph. His right-handed grip strength was 148 psi, ranking near the best we’ve seen so far in 2015.

Hankey isn’t much of a runner, and profiles as a left field type defender, but he swung the bat very well in batting practice. His move was coordinated, allowing for the application of strength through contact and the ability to drive the ball to all fields.

2016 RHP Isaac Rubendall

Other top bat exit velocities were posted by 2016 3B Mitchell Van Beek (West Lyon HS – Inwood, IA) at 85 mph, 2016 1B/OF Grant Meier (Dakota Valley HS – Jefferson, SD) at 84 mph, with a trio of players at 83 mph.

2016 RHP Cole Vande Vegte (Unity Christian HS – Orange City, IA) recorded the best fastball of the day, with a top bolt of 83 mph. 2016 RHP Isaac Rubendall (Lincoln HS – Sioux Falls, SD) was just off Vande Vegte’s bumper at 82 mph, and was also the second best runner of the day with a 60 yard dash of 7.13. The top runner was 2017 RHP Cole Gross (Sioux Valley HS – Volga, SD) at 7.08.

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.