Corey Childress Led Valley League In Wins

Valley League Top Prospects

Corey Childress, rhp, Harrisonburg (Jr., Troy)

Keegan James, rhp, Strasburg (So., Mississippi State)

Brooks Crawford, rhp, Charlottesville (So., Clemson)

Campbell Scholl, rhp, Waynesboro (Sr., Central Florida)

Tanner Poole, of, Waynesboro (R-Jr., Mississippi State)

Tripp Shelton, ss, Harrisonburg (Jr., UNC Greensboro)

Zach Sterry, 1b/3b, Waynesboro (Sr., Oakland)

Adam Sisk, of, Staunton (Jr., James Madison)

Nick Ward, ss/2b, Woodstock (Jr., West Chester, Pa.)

Jonathan Bowlan, rhp, New Market (So., Memphis)

Postseason Recap: The Strasburg Express went 6-1 in the Valley League playoffs, capping off the summer with a two-game sweep of the Waynesboro Generals to captures their second straight VBL title. Brandon Quaranta (Philadelphia) hit a three-run homer and picked up a two-inning save as Strasburg held on to win the first game of the finals, 7-6. Waynesboro opened up a 4-0 lead in the second game, but Strasburg came back with a five-run seventh, taking the lead on Erick Delgado’s (North Georgia) two-run double and going to win it 5-4.

1. Corey Childress, rhp, Harrisonburg (Jr., Troy)

A relief pitcher in his college season at Troy, Childress started nine games this summer for Harrisonburg. He led the league in wins (6), innings pitched (56) and was second in strikeouts (52). Childress’ main pitch is an 88-93 mph fastball which can touch 94-95. His other pitches include an 80-84 slider with occasional hard break downward and a loopy curve at 72-73 which he locates on the outer half of the plate. He pitches from a standard three-quarters slot, cocking his arm back and holding the ball for a moment pre-delivery before he comes forward.

2. Keegan James, rhp, Strasburg (So., Mississippi State)

James has a pro pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds and tosses an average 90-93 mph four-seam fastball, his best pitch. He throws from the middle of the rubber, sets at his waist and lifts his front leg up and down before coming forward. His mid-three-quarters arm angle is quick over the top. His other pitches include an 82-85 change and a 75-77 curve. Both pitches need to improve their depth and break. In 28.1 Valley innings, James had 22 strikeouts against nine walks with a 3.41 ERA and 1.41 WHIP.

3. Brooks Crawford, rhp, Charlottesville (So., Clemson)

Used almost exclusively as a reliever in his freshman college season, Crawford became a starter this summer for the TomSox. He has pro size at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds and commanding mound presence, allowing his pitches to play up at this early stage of his development. His fastball was 89-92 mph thrown from a high three-quarters slot. That arm angle helps generate late bite to his second pitch, a slurvy 78-81 breaking ball. Neither offering is overpowering at this point but Crawford pitches to contact to get outs. In 22.1 innings, he allowed 19 hits with a 2.01 ERA.

4. Campbell Scholl, rhp, Waynesboro (Sr., Central Florida)

After pitching only in relief for Central Florida this spring, Scholl started six games for the Generals this summer. In 34.2 innings, he finished with a 1.04 ERA (tied for the league lead) while allowing 14 hits and four runs. He has an average 89-92 mph fastball, occasionally touching 93, although he mainly pitches to contact—he recorded just 13 strikeouts in his 34.2 innings. He backs up the four-seamer with an 85-86 two-seamer and a 76-78 curve with 11-5 action. Scholl’s pitches come easily out of his hand with no wasted effort.

5. Tanner Poole, of, Waynesboro (R-Jr., Mississippi State)

The Bulldogs chose to redshirt Poole this spring after he transferred in from Itawamba (Miss.) JC. Despite not playing against live competition since 2015, he showed above-average strike zone discipline from the right side. He had 27 walks in 41 games—along with a league-high 12 hit-by-pitches—and ended his summer with a .331 average, including 50 hits with 16 for extra bases. His size (6-foot-4, 195 pounds) and speed allow him to profile at all three outfield positions at the next level, as he runs a 6.6-second 60-yard dash and added 21 stolen bases.

6. Tripp Shelton, ss, Harrisonburg (Jr., UNC Greensboro)

On offense, Shelton gets the most out of his 5-foot-11, 160-pound frame with above-average speed. Playing on a turf field in Harrisonburg, where he was the primary leadoff hitter, he had a .329/.418/514 line with 10 doubles and five homers. Hitting righthanded, he holds his hand at his shoulder and drops the bat head to inside-out pitches. In 169 plate appearances, he had 17 walks versus 19 strikeouts. He’s an average defender with playable range and made just seven errors for a .962 fielding percentage.

7. Zach Sterry, 1b/3b, Waynesboro (Sr., Oakland)

Sterry led the Valley League in home runs (13) and RBIs (41) and finish third in batting with a .350 average. He challenges pitchers from the left side by setting up in the back of the batter’s box and crowding the plate. In that way he can drop the bat head down on inside pitches and drive others to the outfield gaps. For a player of his size and build (5-foot-10, 230 pounds), he’s agile and moves well once underway.

8. Adam Sisk, of, Staunton (Jr., James Madison)

At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, Sisk has the size and speed to attract the attention of pro scouts. The righthanded hitter slugged six home runs (tied for fourth) while hitting .258/.348/.428. He also stole 12 of 15 bases. He holds his bat tight to the body with the bat head raised slightly off his right shoulder. He’ll show pop in his swing when he can extend his arms through the pitch. Sisk’s adjustment to using a wood bat this summer was uneven at times, and he finished his season with 42 strikeouts in 181 plate appearances.

9. Nick Ward, ss/2b, Woodstock (Jr., West Chester, Pa.)

Ward won the Valley batting title with a .387/.468/.587 line. He has above-average strike zone judgment with just 21 strikeouts in 219 plate appearances this spring and 21 in 173 with wood this summer. At 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, Ward has average size but strong wrists and forearms and is quick to the ball. Although not a base stealer, he has enough speed to stretch singles into the occasional double. A middle infielder for now, Ward could move to the outfield at some point.

10. Jonathan Bowlan, rhp, New Market (So., Memphis)

Jonathan is the son of Mark Bowlan, who pitched for Memphis from 1987-89 and threw the only perfect game in school history. His son pitched 32.2 innings in nine games this summer, using a 87-92 mph fastball as his prime pitch. At 6-foot-6, 225 pounds, he’s a tall pitcher with the command issues players with his size often face. Repeating his delivery and getting consistent body extension is a problem at times. His 29 strikeouts in 31.2 innings were offset by 23 walks and 23 hits for a 4.83 ERA. He also has a soft 70-72 curve with 10-4 action and a two-seam fastball at 86-87.