Live Looks: Utah Tech vs. Pacific 2/19-2/20/26

It was back out to Klein Family Field to catch the then undefeated Trailblazers of Utah Tech take on the Pacific Tigers.

Kyle McDaniel, 2B, Utah Tech

Kyle McDaniel is a 5'10" junior out of Nevada. He is a LHB who plays second base for Utah Tech. McDaniel has a compact build which he shrinks even more while at the plate. He has a slightly open stance, which is wide in width; McDaniel crouches down and his hands appear to sit lower than they do, but in fact sit at his chest. They stay close to his body, allowing him to get inside of the baseball on his swing approach.

McDaniel uses his hands to load up on pitches, while his front foot lifts slightly to help with timing. McDaniel tends to lean towards the pitcher while attempting to make contact; the contact that he does make is solid. Despite this consistent contact approach, McDaniel will never hit more than five home runs in a season; the homerun he hit in the video was his first of the year, and he only hit one last year as well. His current hit streak stands at 22 games and he was named WAC Player of the Week.

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On the field, McDaniel plays an average second base. Will Dodge and I discussed his fielding, and both agree that he can improve on his defense. Of the defense that I saw while at the games, McDaniel did make an error going to his right that should have been a double-play ball. When it comes to the base paths, McDaniel is a competent runner. Overall, Kyle McDaniel has the tools needed to become a late round draft pick if everything continues to click or improve.

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