FSU baseball recruiting: Scouting the FSU hitting recruits at the PGBA Tucci tournament

FSU baseball’s commits have been busy on the summer ball scene. For hitters, it’s been a bit of a struggle to get back in rhythm after not seeing live pitching for four months. As the weeks have gone by, the timing and comfort at the plate have slowly come back. The Seminoles’ commits hit the ball extremely well in Auburndale a couple weeks ago at the 2020 PGBA Tucci Tournament. I bounced around the Lake Myrtle Sports complex for five days, catching the commits in action.

Connor Moore was FSU’s only 2021 commit in Auburndale and I only caught a couple of his AB’s, after he was out of town for the first couple days of the tournament. In Moore’s second AB on Saturday, he got ahold of a two-strike pitch and deposited it to the warning track in RCF, which bounced off a diving CF’s glove and led to a stand-up, inside-the-park HR.

The tool set is really fun to watch at the plate and in the field. He’s got some swing-and-miss in his game, but the raw power and launch angle lead to loud contact when he connects. At shortstop, the arm strength is his best tool. He can make throws from deep in the hole look easy and has the athleticism to stick up the middle.

For more from Moore in Auburndale, see below:

Deamez Ross was a fun one to watch in the box. The hit tool pops off the chart when you get to see him. He gets creative with his lower half, and can get to almost any pitch. The bat wrap is a bit loud, but he has the hand speed and bat whip to make up for it. He may never be a power bat, but he’ll consistently put the ball in play and put pressure on any defense.

Ross was just as impressive in the outfield over the course of the week. He had good reads all week on fly balls and made numerous diving catches in LF. The 2022 commit also showed the ability to play all three spots in the OF at a high level.

For more from Ross in Auburndale, see below:

Titan Kamaka was another standout for the Giants’ 2022 Scout team. Kamaka’s 6’0, 165-lb frame presents a lot of room to add strength. He has quiet hands in the load and quick hands through the zone. He also gets solid rotation in his hips through the swing. He showed the ability to consistently get the ball in the air in Auburndale.

The IF played SS, 2B, and 3B throughout the week and looked comfortable at every spot. If he starts to fill out the frame, he could project as a power-hitting 3B. The arm strength would fit on the left side, as he’s been up to 89 MPH on the INF.

For more from Kamaka in Auburndale, see below:

Ben Barrett presents another frame to dream on for the 2022 class. Barrett is an imposing presence in the box, standing 6’4, 190. He has a direct swing path from a high hand set and shows a consistent line drive approach. He also has the ability to use all fields and drive the ball to the opposite field at a high rate.

In the field, Barrett has enough athleticism and the footwork to stick at third base. He looked natural coming in on slow rollers and showed the ability to change his arm angles to make accurate throws across the diamond. The arm strength fits as well, as he was up to 91 MPH on the INF last week.

For more from Barrett in Auburndale, see below:

2023 commit Spencer Butt is a fun one to watch all over the field. The MIF has an advanced approach at the top of the order, often working deep counts to give his team multiple looks at the opposing pitcher. The switch hitter looks natural at both sides of the plate. He’s loose and quick with an impressive hit tool from the left, with some more power and extension from his natural side on the right. Butt is also a pest on the base paths, forcing errant throws from pitchers and catchers as he’s always on the move.

In the field, the arm talent and athleticism show at shortstop. He can range deep into the hole and make throws look easy. He has the tools to stick at SS long term and stole multiple hits over the course of the week with the glove.

For more from Butt in Auburndale, see below:

Butt’s teammate, Owen Egan, was an uncommitted bat that really caught my eye in Auburndale. The ‘23 recruit is an extremely physical bat that oozes confidence at the plate. Egan loves to attack fastballs early in counts and look to drive them back up the middle. The swing is short and direct through the ball as he gets really good extension. He consistently drove the ball to the deep parts of the field all week.

Egan likely profiles as a corner outfielder in the future. He played CF for the majority of the tournament, but may not have the range to stick there long term. He is athletic enough and has the big arm to stick at a corner OF spot.

Egan is from California, but he is teammates with multiple FSU commits on the summer ball trail this summer. He’s one of the more impressive bats in the entire class, and I’d expect FSU to be in the mix in his recruitment.

For more from Egan in Auburndale, see below: