Local high school baseball players come out for New Balance Future Stars Series

On Saturday morning, 25 high school baseball players got to show off their talents at a New Balance Future Stars Series scout day

NORTH CANTON, Ohio - It might have been 13 degrees outside on Saturday morning, but inside the D-Bat baseball and softball training academy in North Canton, the sound and feel of high school baseball were in the air as the New Balance Future Stars Series partnered with the Akron RubberDucks to bring one of its scout day events to Northeast Ohio.

For nearly four hours, 25 players had a chance to showcase their abilities in front of the NBFSS staff and scouts in hopes of getting a chance to move on to one of its national showcases.

“What we are doing here is we are trying to find the players that other people won’t,” said New Balance Future Stars Series Vice President of Baseball Operations Chris Capozzi. “We want to give guys an opportunity to first be seen and second to get better and finally to get selected for our next round of events. It’s all about trying to find guys that are committed to training and getting better at the next level.”

Capozzi, along with Director of New Balance Future Stars Series Foundation Jeremy Hamilton, development coordinator Danny Shaffer and Akron RubberDucks Vice President of Amateur Baseball Development Roy Jacobs watched as players were evaluated on their playing ability as well as events such as the broad jump, triple jump, 40-yard dash and 60-yard dash.

“These guys know exactly what they’re looking for,” Capozzi said. “They can help the players in ways that other people can’t.”

The NBFSS holds scout days all over the country – they were in Columbus, Ohio the next day before moving to Florida and Nevada in the next couple of weeks – and players from the scout days get selected to participate in the national combine which will be held this year in Nashville at Lipscomb University and Vanderbilt University.

From there, the best of the best will be chosen to take part in the NNFSS Signature Events that will take place at different venues across the country, depending on graduating class. They will be played at the University of Arizona (2027 class), Vanderbilt University (2026), Fenway park (2025) and Citi Field (2024).

“Every event is at a major field or university, and it is pretty awesome,” Hamilton said. “How many kids get a chance to walk on a big-league field and get a chance to actually play? Or even get a chance to walk on a Division I field and be able to feel that atmosphere?”

Hamilton, who was a fifth-round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 out of Wright State University, wishes he would have had NBFSS events when he was in high school. While he was able to attend camps and showcases, they weren’t nearly as organized as the NBFSS are now.

“I think about it now and a lot of the things were just go out, pay a lot of money and get a report,” Hamilton said. “But who was writing those reports? This is what I love about the Future Stars Series is that the guys who are writing the reports are the ones who have written them for Major Leaguers and they are out here.”

As for the players at the event, they all seemed to have a good time while learning and meeting other players.

Will Feser, a junior third baseman/catcher from Lake, had done other camps in the past but enjoyed his time at the NBFSS on Saturday.

“I have done prospect camps in the past, but I have never done this particular camp before, but I hope to do it again soon,” Feser said. “I get to meet new people a I get to meet players that can encourage me to get better.”

St. Vincent-St. Mary junior pitcher/outfielder Aidan Zwisler was impressed with how the event was handled.

“(It was) just a good experience in general,” Zwisler said. “I really liked all of the coaches and the guys who were here. I think the program is run very well and it is organized. It was fun.”

Archbishop Hoban junior Masud Jennings had attended a NBFSS event in California before moving to Ohio prior to his sophomore year, but had not been to one since. He took the opportunity on Saturday so he could update his times in all of the events to see where he has progressed.

“I haven’t been at a Future Stars event in a while, ever since I moved here from California,” Jennings said. “It’s refreshing to get my numbers and get them updated and get better.”

Jennings’ teammate Parker Falkenstein attended the event as well and had everyone’s attention. The 5-foot-10 Wright State commit had the best time in the 40-yard dash (4.63) and the 60-yard dash (6.45) and had the best broad jump was second in the triple jump. Falkenstein wasn’t putting pressure on himself, but instead just did what he always does.

“I try not to worry about it too much, I try to just do my own thing and beat my own personal records,” Falkenstein said. “That’s my goal every time I come out here in one of these showcases.”

Falkenstein was also impressed with the event overall.

“I have never been to a New Balance Future Stars Series, but it’s good,” Falkenstein said. “The guys sure know what they’re talking about. It’s a good event in my opinion.”

One of those guys is Capozzi, who has also worked for USA baseball and Ripken Baseball.

While watching Tyler Slone of St. Vincent-St. Mary on the mound, Capozzi noticed a quick adjustment and called the sophomore over for a quick chat.

“With my curveball, my arm slot was dropping a little bit, and my hips was coming open,” Slone said. “He noticed that within two pitches, fixed it and I started throwing a little better.”

That tip was the kind of thing Slone was hoping he would receive when he stepped into the D-BAT facility on Saturday morning.

“I came in here hoping to get some tips and stuff I need to work on during the season and I definitely got that out of this,” Slone said. “It was a great experience. I would come back to one of these in the future.”

Hamilton said one of the main objectives of the NBFSS is to make sure players get the exposure they deserve and nobody ‘falls through the cracks.’

“So many times, kids are just not discovered,” Hamilton said. “By this, it is just getting in and getting everybody a fair and solid chance. We aren’t coming in here with a bias about anything.”

One such player who just wanted a chance to be seen was Stow junior shortstop Joey Lehner. A first-team All-Suburban League selection as a sophomore, the 6-foot infielder was excited for the opportunity.

“It shows me and gives me the exposure I believe I deserve and need,” Lehner said. “Being here is a great honor and I am just trying to show everyone who I am.”

But Lehner wasn’t putting any pressure on himself, despite the players only having limited chances during the event to get themselves seen.

“I like pressure, I like when it comes down to the end (of the game),” Lehner said. “There were a few plays last year I had to make near the end (of games) so I have prepared for that. I like this.”

Vanderbilt University commit Noah LaFine – a junior right-handed pitcher from Hoban – enjoys these events so he can see how he stacks up against some of the other better players from the area.

“(I like) seeing where everyone else is at, seeing where I’m at compared to people,” LaFine said. “I think it’s just good to compete. Whenever you are competing with people, it makes you better.”