01/17/2014 - Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament Derek is a stocky catcher that will graduate in 2014. At the plate is where he shows best, displaying well above average hitting with outstanding power grades through an athletic setup. Hands are quick, generating bat speed through a level swing path. He shows a feel for the barrel with baseball exploding off his bat when centered, mainly to the pull side. For hitting grade to continuing to improve, he needs to work to keep hands inside the ball, utilizing all fields. Behind the plate, pop times show a range of 2.06-2.32 with a means of 2.20 and accuracy on his throws. Pop times will continue to improve as he builds more arm strength through a long toss program. Receiving / blocking skills show as playable tools at the next level as he continues to develop. Derek has potential and will catch the eyes of the collegiate coaches as he continues to improve.