| 14 December 2011
The high school football season is ALMOST finished for most players, save for those competing in the state finals. Bellarmine plays in the D1 final on Friday, Campolindo plays Washington Union (Fresno) on Saturday in the D3 final, and in the Open division De La Salle plays against Westlake at 8 PM on Saturday. That is three Bay Area high schools competing in the state finals and I have to admit I don't follow the high school football season but I am aware enough to know that De La Salle is going to be favored and that Campolindo is undefeated so far. From what I know about Campolindo, they weren't even picked to finish in the top half of their conference and yet here they are undefeated and in the championship game. Good luck to all the Bay Area teams!
That Campolindo team has more than a handful of baseball players on it and the baseball team will be favored to 3-PEAT as a section champ this spring. On that roster I know of these players as varsity baseball players: J.J. Ewing (OF/2013), Ryan Hooper (3B/2013), and Brett Stephens (OF/2013). There probably are more but I am only aware of those three. I would guess junior Tyler Luckhurst is also on the baseball team. I think Tyler is the son of head baseball coach Max Luckhurst.
Now, none of what I have written so far is why I am writing today. The tie-in is that there are some baseball players who just finished their football season in the last few weeks and they are now out there getting ready for the baseball season. Some of them are legitimate college baseball prospects and as they get into baseball shape they are also attending college camps this winter and some are getting worked out by scouts. I have been in touch with some of these players and with some coaches and scouts about these players, including the subject of this posting, Dylan Parks.
College coaches, listen up... there are some PLAYERS for you to recruit and take very seriously.
Petaluma HS senior OF/SS Dylan Parks is one of the top uncommitted hitters in the 2012 class and frankly, he is one of the top 2012 hitting prospects in Northern California, uncommitted or signed. He is physical, has pro bat speed and the ball jumps off his bat. He recently attended the Santa Clara/Arizona camp run by Trosky Baseball and he was FAR AND AWAY the most physical hitter there. Even with the new bats he hits with power and the reason is simple, he has great hands and legitimate bat speed, combined with good raw strength.
Parks also recently worked out with a west coast crosschecker and part-time area scout and I have been in touch with the crosschecker. When I asked him what he thought of Parks he said to me, in a text, "He has a loud bat. Has bat speed and strength, needs some help with backside but there is something in his ability and we will watch his development."
On top of all that, Parks is a 3.7 student (NCAA core classes), has a 1720 SAT and has taken 11 AP courses. He is moving to the outfield this year where his plus arm and raw athleticism will translate better than it did for him as a shortstop, where his feet were just ok. Parks is 6'2" 190, has pro hitting tools and big time grades. He SHOULD ALREADY be committed to a college program but to this point colleges have somehow not noticed what I have seen of him and what scouts have seen in him.
