Local baseball players named to PBR squad
Carl Albert’s Declan Murphy was selected to play for the Prep Baseball Report Team Oklahoma. Photo provided
By John Martin
Staff Writer
Joey McLaughlin of Harrah, Cash Williams of Choctaw and Declan Murphy of Carl Albert are members of the elite Prep Baseball Report Team Oklahoma which concluded a three game series inter-state tournament in Cartersville, GA last weekend. The trio wrapped up spectacular sophomore seasons this spring. Williams was a repeat member of the squad and Murphy led the Titans to the State 5A championship. McLaughlin, who filled up the stat sheets as the Panthers’ ace pitcher and was also the leading hitter and RBI man as a sophomore, was selected as a combo outfielder and pitcher for the PBR team.
His program bio states, “McLaughlin might be one of the biggest risers in a short amount of time that we’ve seen in Oklahoma in a long while. McLaughlin impressed at the Top Prospect games with rare speed/power combo from the left side that makes him one of the more projectable outfielders in the class.
“He routinely found the barrel with hard contact both in the BP session and in gameplay earning his spot on this year’s roster. He is just starting to scratch the surface with his game and has one of the higher ceilings on this year’s squad,
“He also shows real promise on the mount with a blazing fastball and sneaky, live curve. He’s got a real future in the game.”
Williams returns to the Future Games after putting on one of the more impressive performances in last year’s games as a rising sophomore.
He broke the pop time record at 1.78 during the workout and continued to demonstrate his exceptional catch and throw from behind the plate and wide range and speed in the outfield.
“He is one of the more athletic backstops in the country, regardless of class, running in the 6.6’s in the past and has a premium bat with a strong gap power.
“Williams enters this year’s Future Games as one of the highest ranked prospects in the country.”
Murphy, who fills in at third base when he’s not on the mound, was the starting pitcher and winner of the OSSAA Class 5A championship contest last spring. He was also the starting pitcher and winner for the PBR team in its opening round victory over Arkansas.
“Murphy has the hand strength at contact that has allowed him to have a big summer with the bat and defensively he moves easy at third base and has plenty of arm strength to play the left side of the infield when he is not pitching.
“And, he has no weaknesses at the plate with a bat in his hand.”
Carl Albert’s Cash Williams was selected to play for the Prep Baseball Report Team Oklahoma. Photo provided
Harrah’s Declan Murphy was selected to play for the Prep Baseball Report Team Oklahoma. Photo provided
