Top 10 2025-2029 Standouts (Part 2) from the Sports Academy 2024 Summer Tryouts
Written by: Anthony Zurita
From January 6th-7th the tryouts for Sports Academy Summer Teams 13u-17u were held at IMG academy in Bradenton, FL. On Saturday morning they started inside with cognitive training and broad jumps. In the afternoon they continued with their pro style showcase with fielding, BP, and pitching. On Sunday they split everyone into teams by class and played 10 inning games on 3 fields.
Our scouting staff was able to highlight who went above and beyond. Below is the second list of 10 players who made the standouts list in no specific order. The first 10 mentioned can be found HERE.
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2025 LHP Connor Simpson (Desoto Central HS, FL)
Connor was one of the top Lefties from the weekend as he showed great accuracy with his pitch mix. A true confident approach that will take him a long way. He uses all of his body with a solid stride to the plate. Physical and athletic build with strong lower half. On his Sunday outing, he mowed down hitters with ease using his fastball with good run and an off speed that has great late break action. Strong follow this upcoming season!
2029 RHP/UT Cale Lichtenberg (Tampa,FL)
Cale started the Sunday games off well with an impressive outing on the mound. Athletic build that has tremendous potential, showcasing his overpowering fastball alongside a developing off speed. He has a ¾ arm slot with a consistent approach of attacking hitters early. Offensively and defensively he can be a weapon with the amount of technique and skill he possesses. Strong follow.
2025 RHP/UT Dominic Panozzo (Bishop McNamara, IL)
Dominic put on a show at tryouts with his all around athleticism and strong lower/upper half. On the mound he showed how dominant he can be with only working in one pitch. His fastball had above average run to it that left hitters guessing. He does a great job hiding the ball to the hitter and has an aggressive stride that showcases power. Offensively his swings are elite and provide maximum strength to each way. Keeps the weight back and used a small leg kick to apply to each swing. Keep an eye out for him.
2028 INF/C/OF Richie Avina (Whittier,CA)
Richie had impressive BP rounds with a simple load and quick hands that sprayed line drives to each part of the field. Sharp and mechanically sounded hitter that understands the zone. In the infield he can move his feet quickly to get to any ball, as well as releasing it fast with a great glove to hand technique. Athletic build with high baseball IQ, Lots of room to grow and will be fun to watch this season.
2028 OF/INF Andres Morillo (Orlando,FL)
Andres, with a wider stance and strong lower half was driving line drives everywhere in his BP rounds. Hands stayed steady and the motion was smooth. With his athletic build he will only get better as he has ton of room to grow. In the infield he was staying down on the ball and receiving it at a high level. Above average arm and will show more power as he gets older. Strong follow.
2028 INF/OF/RHP Oscar Fernandez (Orlando,FL)
Oscar supplies a good height and built frame for his age which he uses to hit with authority. In BP he showcased a consistent swing that allowed the barrel path to keep his hands inside the ball. Kept the weight back and let the hands guide the way. He can hit to all parts of the field and hit for power and contact. Defensively his movement is above average and possesses an accurate arm. Follow him on his journey through this season.
2028 OF/RHP Victor Santeliz (Winter Garden,FL)
Victor showed some of the best lefty swings out of the 2028 class. His momentum he creates with his hands and weight back, supply a sneaky pop to his hits. He can reach his arms out to every part of the zone with efficient line drives to the opposite field. Defensively he can hit his cut on a line and go get any ball in the gap with the correct routes. Overall he’s gonna progress well and is a must follow!
2025 INF/OF/RHP Kingston Kost (Des Moines East HS, IA)
Kingston was a standout early on when he took a BP round that was nonstop power. He was pull heavy to left field and stayed consistent with his mechanics. Tall frame with a physical build. Upper/Lower half are above average and will get stronger over time with his work ethic. On the defensive side, he can move well for his size and throw the ball hard from wherever he’s at. Strong follow.
2029 INF/RHP Alex Bello (Orlando,FL)
Alex has a tall frame with an athletic frame. Uses all of his body offensively, on the mound, and on defense. His hitting approach is calm, weight back and hands inside the ball. He showed he can hit for power and contact with no issues. In one of the games Sunday he showed a power swing to deep left field for a double. On the mound he used his overpowering fastball mixed in with a nasty late breaking off speed pitch. Alex has tremendous potential and will only get better. Strong watch!
2028 C/1B Nicolas Loaiza (Orlando,FL)
Nicolas showcased his skills in every way possible. He is a strong build with great upper and lower half strength. At the plate he showed tremendous patience with a great zone presence. When he made contact it was consistently smooth with mechanics looking sharp. Behind the plate he can receive, call a game, and throw runners out with authority. This talent has a lot of potential to strengthen and develope at a high level. Keep an eye out for his upcoming seasons.
