Exciting day of Impact Baseball took place at War Memorial Stadium.. Find out more below, who stood out over the weekend..

Game 1
Dirtbags 17 Gold:
Colby Smith (RHP/INF) our of Reidsville HS. Stocky athletic frame that should be able to continue to 2 way in college as long as he stays on the right track. Good plate presence and took aggressive swings. On the mound he shinned today going 5 against a solid opponent mixing in a 12-6 BB to compliment his fastball in the upper 70’s. Competitor!

NBA Nationals 22:
Jordan Hill (INF) R/R from Granby HS. 6ft with a ton of athleticism. Gobbled up everything at short and showed a lot of range and a strong arm. even made a over the shoulder catch on a ball in shallow left field. Plus runner and knows how to steal bases taking two today and smoking a line drive to left.

Game 2
Dirtbags 16 Premier:
Micah Canterbury (Catcher) from Buffalo Gap HS. Already looks 18 physically and straight swings it. Smoked a ball in the left center gap as well as a single. Showed good plate discipline and knowledge of the strike zone both on offense and defense. Received well and handled the hard west thrower of the day with ease (Walker Pedante-Deep Run. HS)

NBA Nationals 23
*Jaxson Gonzalez (INF)from Granby HS. Made every single play at shortstop and had a plenty. Always in the right place and never standing still. Took quality at bats all day and cashed in on a opportunity with runners in scoring position with a sharp single to right center

Game 3
Dirtbags 17u Platinum:
Hunter Sipe (LHP) from William Byrd HS. Was in total control tossing 5 innings of 2 hit, no walk , 7k baseball. Held his velo of 78-80 all 5 innings and bullied the strike zone with command of three pitches throwing whatever he wanted in any count. Super clean arm action and repeats his delivery every time.

VA Venom 17:
Tyler Gorbett (INF/C/RHP) from Menchville HS. Caught everyone’s attention from his first AB on. Roped a single to left off off Snipe ( 1 of his 2 hits allowed) with a wood bat( only kid to swing wood all day). At 3B he was an animal! 5 for 5 on ball hit to him including a back had dive down the line saving extra bases and throwing out the runner to 1st as well as a hand slide on a short hop in the 5 hole. Ran the bases well and showed a ton of enthusiasm to complement his raw athleticism. Fun to watch is an understatement.

Game 4
Raleigh Blackhawks 18
Christian Bartholomew (INF) Warren County HS. Freakish athleticism at SS. Made 5 of the first 6 outs including snagging a back hand line drive and doubling up the runner off first base. Lacks footwork/ technique but hands are true and steady and made some really good plays on hard hit balls by the 17u premier squad. Offensively he’s very aggressive but the hand eye is so strong as well as he’s speed that it makes him a threat. Smoked two balls to left one for a single and other was caught on the dive by left fielder

Dirtbags 17u Platinum
Trent Judd (RHP) from Salem HS. Come on in relief and dominated. Popped 83 and sat 79-81 for his inning. He pitched off his breaking ball showing an advance feel for having a game plan which was impressive. I know it was only 1 inning but that game drug on like no other and he was the most exciting. The 17u Platinum has the best lineup hands down of anyone there today. Lots of solid Multi-dimensional ball players ????????

Game 5
RBA Southies
Hadikell Bruno (INF) Manchester HS. Left stick and a good one. Knew he was gonna get a hit before he stepped in the box. Projects at 2B over SS in college and played a rock solid 2B tonight making a barehand play near the mound on off a quickly bounce from a cap shot and had to make the throw across his body falling to the 3B dugout. At the plate he put a good swing on a ball and popped it up but his second AB he flicked his wrist on a ball middle away and smoked it to the right center field gap bouncing to the wall and got a easy 3B out of it.

Dirtbags 17u Premier
Caleb Elias SS from Roanoke Rapids HS. Front foot contact hitter with sting wrist. Goes and gets the baseball looking to make contact early in the count rely on his speed but with the 3B he hit tonight he could turn into a guy with doubles power to both gaps and turn himself into and interesting prospect in a year. At SS he got to balls but sometimes late lacking the “first step “ needed to make the play without a dive or slide but still made the play.

Sunday 9/20:

Game 1
Raleigh Blackhawks 18
Semaj Alexander 2021 Warren Co HS. 6’4 240 RHP/ 1B LHH. Takes absolute hacks from the left side but failed to connect / lift anything. But on the mound he was 78-81 from a 3/4 short arm slot. Ball tailed arm side and also had a frisbee slider that caused a lot of swings and misses

2022 RBA Southies
Dalton King 2022 Benedictine HS. Another 6’4 righty with a good body. Didn’t allow a hit if I’m not mistaken. 3 pitch mix working mainly off his breaking ball. Fastball was up to 78 and had tons of movement ; created a lot of weak ground balls.

Game 2
Virginia Venom 17u
Justin Smith 2023 OF R/R out of Walsingham HS. A lot of juice out of a skinny frame! Went 3-3 with two doubles and a single all barrels and exploded of his bat. Good speed on the bass baths and showed ability to run efficient route in the OF with a strong arm. Played the game the right way.

Dirtbags 16 Premier
Clay Basham 2023 UTL/RHP out of Independence HS. Tossed 5 innings on the mound and filled it up. Hardest bullet was 81 but nothing under 77 for the first 3 innings. Heavy breaking ball kept hitters honest all game. Athletic body type and played SS Saturday and swung it well all wknd. Kid is a ball player.

Game 3
2020 RBA Southies
Hadikell Bruno 2020 2B from Manchester HS. Was the top performer in Saturday nights game and could have been each game today but especially this game. Made some really good plays at 2B include some in-between hops In no- mans land that he had to glove flip to 1B. At the plate he had 3 hits and sprayed the ball all over the field. I think he ended the wknd with 7 hits in 3 games. Lefty stroke is smooth and clean

Dirtbags 17 Gold
Ty Belles 2022 corner infielder from Western Alamance HS. Hit 2 of the 3 farthest balls all day with a double to each gap. Btw way the wind was blowing in 20 mph both days and balls went no where but that didn’t matter on those two swings. Decent actions at 3B projects as a 1B / corner OF in college but is gonna hit no doubt
Game 4

Dirtbags 17 Gold
Mason Lynch 2022 UTL/RHP Rockingham HS
Played a few positions in the field including 2B and OF and never looked out of place. Took some really go AB’s barreling a ball to left center for extra bases. But on the mound he wowed. Came in to throw the last inning a threw nothin under 79 topping 84 and averaging 82. Super clean arm action and ball jumps on you , obviously didn’t have rapsodo but a high spin guy
Western Branch Thunder top performer

Juston Laikos 2021 SS. Wore #00 and wore it well. Hit a mussel to CF that was dove for an missed and he made it all the way around for a true inside- the- park home run , no errors! Also connected for a sharp single later in the game and made every play at SS. Throws on the run well and had a good first step to the ball.

Game 5
NBA Nationals 2024
Hector Rivera 2024 SS Granby HS. Looked the part and played it well at SS. Great instincts and precise actions. Made 2 good plays on the hole and showed off a strong arm. Was always in the right place and moving on every play. Pretty impressive for a freshman especially on defense. Offensively he is gonna be fun to watch. Smoke a ball up the middle the he stretched to a double and showed a good repeatable swing in all of his AB’s.

Dirtbags 16 Premier
*Micah Canterbury 2023 Buffalo Gap HS
Was top performer Saturday as well and could have easily been all 3 games. In game two he gunned down to would be base stealers and barreled everything. I’m this game he hit the hardest hit ball of the wknd 1 hopping the left field wall into the 20 mph wind. The AB before he hit it just as hard but was right at the left fielder (the ball caught him btw he didn’t catch it ) Canterbury is gonna be a dude if he continues. I was most impressed with him over everyone I saw. His physic is that of an 18 year old but his 15 and he caught extremely well for sophomore and played a very good 1B in his 3rd game while mashing baseballs.