Queen Creek, AZ
Colts
Casteel
Coach: Matt Denny

Team Preview

2023 AZ 5A State Champions and ranked #26 by Baseball America, Casteel returns to the Classic featuring seven Division l commits and four Area Code participants.

Players to Watch

Gabe Schneider, Sr. | 6-5” | 190lbs College Commit: Washington State University Previous Season Stats: 6-0 / 1.40 ERA / 40 IP / 36 K Awards: 1st Team All Region / Honorable Mention All CUSD

Coaches Note: Gabe is truly one of a kind. The vibe he brings to our dugout every day is hard to describe, but he does a great job of lightening the mood when needed. He has electric stuff on the mound, and he is only scratching the surface of what he will do in this game. Gabe is a big-time glue guy for Casteel baseball.

Mason Russell, Sr. | 6-2” | 195 lbs College Commit: University of Arizona Previous Season Stats: 3-1 / 4.54 ERA / 18.1 IP / 22 K Awards: 2022 1st Team All Region / Honorable Mention All CUSD

Coaches Note: Russell is a fantastic leader. His impact on the mound is clear, but what sets him apart is his ability to impact our team on days he doesn’t throw. Russell was dinged up a little bit the first part of last season, but stepped in late and got huge outs for us. He brings an edge to Casteel baseball, and the rest of the team feeds off it.

Landon Hairston, Sr. | 5-11” |  180lbs College Commit: Arizona State University Previous Season Stats: .500 AVG / .592 OBP / 48 H / 14 2B / 7 HR / 34 RBI Awards: 5A Player of the Year, 1st Team All State, 1st Team All Region, 1st Team All CUSD

Coaches Note: Landon is the type of baseball player that every coach wants on their team. He shows up each day willing to outwork everyone else on the field. He is a tough out at the plate and is an elite defender at 1B. We are looking forward to Landon driving our offense from the middle of the order.

Kade Thompson, Sr. | 5-10” | 185 lbs College Commit: University of Arizona Previous Season Stats: .358 AVG / .441 OBP / 34 H / 16 RBI Awards: 1st Team All Region, Honorable Mention All CUSD

Coaches Note: Kade is a dynamic player. His energy is infectious and he sets the tone for us on defense and controls the game for us behind the plate. He doesn’t get to show it off much, but he is also one of our best baserunners. We are looking forward to watching him impact the game in many ways this Spring.

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Tyler Hatch, Sr. | 6-2” | 185lbs College Commit: Brigham Young University Previous Season Stats: .389 AVG / .468 OBP / 37 H / 31 R / 14 RBI / 13 SB Awards: 1st Team All Region / 1st Team All CUSD

Coaches Note: Hatch defines what we want in a Casteel baseball player. He plays the game the right way, is always looking to pick his teammates up, and works his tail off. We are convinced Hatch could play any sport he wanted; he is a freak athlete. Hatch will make a huge impact on both sides of the ball for us this year.