Balls were flying out of the yard at Joe Bruno Stadium last night for the 518 Futures Classic Home Run Derby!
Some remarkable displays of power from some of the top high school baseball talent in the Capital Region. But one performance stood out well above the rest.
Ballston Spa’s @kaigraybeal3 put on an absolute clinic. The junior infielder entered the event as the reigning champ and left no doubt defending his title, mashing 26(‼️) homers in 2 rounds of swings - 12 more than the next closest competitor.
He might’ve earned himself the Barry Bonds treatment next spring with that showing. @B_Spa_Athletics@BaseballSSC@ValleyCats
Welcome 🔙 to the 2026 Northeast Buzz
2026 RHP David Hinojosa (Poly Prep)
2027 3B/1B Kai Graybeal (Ballston Spa) @kaigraybeal3
• Highlighting players to know in the NJ, NY, PA & New England regions📍
• Article link is below with brief players writeups📰
🔗 https://t.co/MCW3PFKh9L
@prepbaseball@DanCevette@JC_NY_PA@JoeWalentin
2027 3B Kai Graybeal (Ballston Spa)
Sits on the breaking ball and drives it into LCF for 2 RBI. Posted a 102.1 EV at our Preseason ID Event this winter.
@kaigraybeal3 | @bspadiamonddawg | @PB_Uncommitted
You might think a three-homer game would be an easy win for @bspadiamonddawg Varsity Baseball, but to earn a win, it took small-ball in the Bottom of the 7th to pull out a 7-6 walk-off win over Colonie, as Adam Nagengast bunted home Curtis Evans!
Speaking of Evans, he and @kaigraybeal3 had A DAY. Graybeal started the Scotties’ scoring with a solo Home Run in the Bottom of the 1st to tie the game at 1-1. Graybeal got his second solo Home Run in the Bottom of the 3rd — followed by Curtis Evans, making it back-to-back homers, for a 3-1 lead.
Jameson Hotaling started as pitcher for the Scotties and struck out 6 batters, achieving 61 strikes over 96 pitches. Evans came in as reliever in the Top of the 7th, where he gave up no hits and no walks. With Nagengast driving Evans home, Evans earned the pitching win statistically. Evans scored 3 Runs along with his 2 Walks in the game.
The win moves the Scotties to 6-7, with their Senior Day game Saturday vs. Troy (Home at 11am) being their first chance since April 18th to reach the 0.500 mark — and I couldn’t think of anywhere I’d rather be for my 50th birthday than at BSpa High School to root on the Scotties. Come out Saturday to support this awesome team with me…
LET’S GO SCOTTIES!!! @B_Spa_Athletics
The future of @bspadiamonddawg Varsity Baseball remains bright, as Sophomore Thomas Driver fanned 13 Columbia batters on his way to a huge no-hitter win Wednesday. The Scotties avenged a Monday loss to the Blue Devils with the 3-1 win!
The game started slowly for both offenses, as the score remained 0-0 until the Bottom of the 4th, when the Scotties took a 2-0 lead, in large part due to Kai Graybeal’s triple, scoring Daniel Weed. That was one of Graybeal’s 2 Hits, which matched the performances by Adam Nagengast and Dylan Lofink. Evan Farrar batted in the only other earned RBI for BSpa, while Curtis Evans and Cole Thomas both had 2 Walks.
The only run given up by the Scotties was set up by a fielding error in the 6th Inning after Driver gave up one of only two walks on the day. Eventually, a sacrifice fly scored a run for Columbia, but Driver slammed the door shut with a strikeout to end the threat. Driver’s no-hitter lasted through 97 pitches, of which, 67 were strikes.
The Scotties remain home Friday (vs. Colonie at 4:15pm) and Saturday (vs. Troy at 11am for Senior Day) — so come out and support this thrilling team both days…
LET’S GO SCOTTIES!!! @B_Spa_Athletics
DAWGS walk it off in a thriller.
7 unanswered runs to seal the win‼️
@HotalingJameson 4.0 IP w/ 6ks
Eddy Gonzalez 3.0 IP w/ 7ks
@kaigraybeal3 walk off + 3/5 w/ a double
Dylan Lofink gets on 4 times
𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐍𝐘 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐃: 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐇𝐢𝐭𝐬 🌟
+ Scouting reports on some of the biggest winners from the Preseason ID: Capital Region, last Wednesday in Latham.
+ 8️⃣ players mentioned, within. 👇
🔗: https://t.co/LtH2Tve78f
𝗡𝗬 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗗: 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 📈
Diving into the advanced data captured at last Wednesday's Preseason ID: Capital Region.👇
𝙋𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡: https://t.co/ZZQhbQsq4m
𝙋𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧: https://t.co/HofB2YAsmA
‘27 3B/1B Kai Graybeal (Ballston Spa)
Pieced together a complete defensive round at the hot corner. Clean gathers throughout, accurate deliveries across. Arm T 84 MPH
#NYPreseasonID | @KaiGraybeal3
‘27 3B/1B Kai Graybeal (Ballston Spa)
Imposing 6-1, 200 LBS. Relaxed setup and hand load, gets barrel moving early into easy bat speed. Peak EV 102 MPH.
#NYPreseasonID | @KaiGraybeal3
📋 TOP 10 UNCOMMITTED: 2027 Players set to shake up the preseason📋
+ Continuing our breakdowns of the top uncommitted talent still on the board, Top 10 uncommitted 2027 players we will see this preseason‼️
🔗 Full article >> https://t.co/WkUC1ncLrY
🔗 Preseason Events >> https://t.co/OWYx9MsP2J