For our sophomore group, looking at the data here can often be a labor of love. Comb through it closely enough, and you can see players start to make significant gains in their outputs after many experience the rewards that come from their physical development.
At this particular event, the 2026 New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series Underclass Premier, held at Mississippi State University’s Dudy Noble University, there has been particular interest in just how this certain numbers looked, particularly the memorable first-ever UP homer hit by Hendrix Pope.
Well…
Longest Distance — Hendrix Pope, 356 feet
95.85 MPH off the bat, landing 356.16 feet away from the plate and a few rows deep into the seats. That’s what we all wanted to know after Pope’s historic grand slam on Friday. There’s no sense in going into to too much detail given we’ve written about this one a few times now, but this was good for the fourth-hardest hit ball of the event and obviously the furthest.
Four other players sent the ball over 300 feet during gameplay — as usual, BP is not considered in this data — and that group included Justin Monterosso, Cailan Zollicoffer, Spencer Harold and Luke Kucera.
Pope was largely pitched around after that and didn’t meet the three batted balls minimum to qualify for the highest average EV, so…
Highest Average Exit Velocity — Cameron Hardaway (pictured), 82.9 MPH
…the honors fall to Cameron Hardaway, who made a name for himself over the weekend at the Carnegie Hall of College Baseball. Hardaway had three 80+ exit velos over the weekend, including a high of 88.28 MPH. A right-handed hitting C/3B at 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds out of Midlothian, Texas, we first saw Hardaway at a Dallas Regional in the Fall of 2025, and this marked his signature event debut.
Troy Hanson was the only other player to crack the 80 MPH average mark, sitting at 80.4 MPH on three batted balls.
About New Balance Future Stars Series
New Balance Future Stars Series is a global platform for amateur baseball development and scouting, powered by a commitment to impact, integrity, and player-focused innovation. Its alumni can be found throughout professional baseball, and its events and partnerships have reshaped how talent is identified, nurtured, and celebrated.
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Since 2003, he has six World Series and has worked high-profile events ranging from the MLB All-Star Game to the World Baseball Classic. In addition to his role working for the Future Stars Series that he's held since 2017, Ashmore currently serves as the beat writer of the Double-A New York Yankees affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, as well as national hockey writer and New York Jets game day beat reporter for The Trentonian.
A regular contributor to Baseball America, Ashmore has worked eight Super Bowls, 13 Stanley Cup Finals, the 4 Nations Face-Off, the NBA Playoffs, the NCAA D1 Men's Basketball Tournament, College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Frozen Four, Daytona 500, major UFC events and much more as he approaches 3,300 games covered in his career.
An avid trading card enthusiast and motorsports fan, he lives with his wife, Sarah, their son, future No. 1 overall draft pick in 2042, William, their beloved dog, Bailey, and occasionally well-behaved cat, Smokey.
- Data Darlings: 2026 Underclass Premier, Hitters - October 7, 2026
- 2026 Underclass Premier Award Winners: Caleb Allen, MVP - October 5, 2026
- 2026 Underclass Elite Award Winners: Jett Pratt, MVP - October 2, 2026
