The summer is a time for players at every level to develop their skills and showcase their talents to scouts and coaches. Three star players for the Harmony Grove Hornets accomplish that and more at the 18th Annual Xtra Innings Summer Classic this week.
Senior outfielder/pitcher Lane Davis, senior infielder/pitcher Braden Brown and junior catcher/pitcher Caleb Johnson were all invited to the Xtra Inning Summer Classic camp, where they showcased their skills and abilities in drills and games in front of college and professional scouts. They are a part of 88 underclassmen from Arkansas to participate in this All-Star event.
The first day of the Xtra Innings Classic is composed of on-the-field evaluations in front of scouts. These evaluations measure how developed a player is and how skilled they are. The second day of the Xtra Innings Classic is the team competition where all 88 players are divided into four teams in multiple game scenarios. All the Hornets players were on separate teams, but they challenged each other to perform their best in these games.
Caleb Johnson was tested in his catcher pop-up times and consistently ranked among the fastest in his groups. His first time measured in at 2.03 seconds, which was the third-fastest time out of 12 players in the group. His second time was recorded at 1.91 seconds, which was the second-fastest time in his group. Johnson's third recorded time was measured at 2.10 seconds, and finally, his fourth pop-up time was measured at 1.90 seconds, his lowest on day one.
Each Hornet participated in the exit velocity drill, where the ball's speed is measured as it leaves the bat. Caleb Johnson's top speed was measured at 94 MPH, the highest among members of his team, while he averaged 81 MPH, the fourth-highest on his team. Lane Davis' top exit velocity speed was 85 MPH and he averaged 68 MPH. Braden Brown's top exit velocity speed was 73 MPH and his average was 64 MPH.
Caleb Johnson had one of the fastest 60-yard dashes in the entire event. Johnson ran a 6.91-second 60-yard dash time in his first run, which was the fifth-fastest time among all 88 participants. In his second 60-yard dash time, he recorded a 6.97-second time. Braden Brown ran a 7.90-second 60-yard dash time. Lane Davis did not participate in 60-yard due to a prior knee injury.
On day one, Braden Brown pitching velocity was tested. He threw seven times, switching between fastballs, curveballs and changeups. His three fastballs averaged 74.6 MPH, with his highest being 76 MPH, and his one curveball was 71 MPH, which was among the higher scores in his group.
On day two, Lane Davis threw 16 total picthes with eight of the being fastballs. His best fastball was clocked at 77 MPH as he averaged 75.1 MPG. His best curveall pitch was clocked in a t 6
All three of these Hornets performed consistently well against some of the top underclassmen in the state. This event was another great chance for the players to earn recognition in front of scouts.