Justin King earns top prospect honors at PG Showcase

By Bob Elliott
It didn’t take long for Perfect Game evaluators to wonder why was OF Justin King at a Phoenix, Az showcase.

Perfect Game USA was staging the annual Uncommitted Showcase -- for players still looking for a school -- at Camelback Ranch-spring home of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox.

And King (Okotoks, Alta.) had a school committing to University of Northern Kentucky Norse, between signing up for the showcase and leaving the Calgary airport. 

The Okotoks Dawgs outfielder who plays for coach Val Helldobler, Jeff Duda and Allen Cox, certainly would have had a school after the way he performed in the desert earning Rawlings Top Prospect honors.

King played with Pony Express Baseball a year ago batting .333 (3-for-9) with a triple and six RBIs, earning All-Tournament honors at the 2014 WWBA Underclass World Championship at the JetBlue Player Development Complex and other fields in Fort Myers, Fla.  

At this event King received a 9.5 score from PG evaluator -- highest ever for a Dawgs player. Matt Lloyd was a 9.0, Peter Hutzal scored an 8.5 and Clayton Keyes was an 8.0.
 
By David Rawnsley and Justin Hlubek

Top Pocket Radar Exit Speeds
Name    Exit Velo    Grad    School    City    St
1. Justin King    94    2016    Foothills Composite    Okotoks    AB

Gold vs. Columbia Blue
Justin King (2016 OF, Okotoks, AB) continued to swing the bat well with a couple of hits, including another hard double to right centre field.

Columbia Blue vs. Gold
Justin King (2016 OF, Okotoks, AB) followed up on his loud batting practice with the hardest hit ball of the game, a crushed double up the right centre field gap.

Batting Practice Highlights
Justin King (2016 OF, Okotoks, AB) took a  very strong batting practice, blasting a couple of home runs and consistently driving the ball hard to the right side from a strong left handed swing.

2016 Top Prospects
Justin King - OF - 2016 - Okotoks, AB
1. We learned right at the start of the showcase that the left handed hitting Canadian recently committed to Northern Kentucky. King is very strong and can really drive the ball hard, hitting a couple of batting practice home runs and a couple of game doubles to right centre field.