Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

Illinois Mailbag: Top Questions of the Week

January 3, 2014

By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Director – Illinois/Wisconsin

The Mailbag is a feature which allows readers to ask our scouting directors any questions they wish about high school baseball in their state. Whether it’s about possible state title contenders, top prospects, recruiting, etc. your questions will get put into our “Mailbag” via the ask.fm app and our scouts will answer your questions through Twitter (@PBRIllinois) and Facebook.

This week’s top questions include the role of summer baseball in the recruiting process as well as several team previews and conference predictions along with what scouts look for at the next level.

To submit a question about Illinois high school baseball to the PBR scouting staff simply follow the link HERE. Also if you have a burning question about the national landscape of high school baseball or draft specific questions you can send them to National Supervisor Nathan Rode HERE.

Top Questions of the Week

How big a role do you think a prep player's travel program plays in WHEN he commits. Looking at IL it looks like 2/3 of the committed 2015 & 2016s are from the same program. Same with WI. Is this a coincidence or do the travel programs influence the recruiting cycle that much?

The travel program certainly plays a big role with player commitments, but not the sole factor, obviously. Many of the early commitments also depend on whether or not the player wants to get it done with as soon as possible. There are a lot of players who have offers out, but haven't committed in the 2015 and 2016 classes, too.

Every recruit's wants and needs are different, so it's not an apples-to-apples comparison, but in my opinion, it's not always a good thing for a sophomore (2016) to be committing so early in the process. Of course, if it's the player's dream school and the scholarship package is good, then great. But too often players are jumping at the first offers, not taking enough visits, to know what is the best fit. Also, if a player is really good, there will be multiple suitors, presumably. Now with multiple suitors comes more leverage for better offers, etc. Too many times, it seems, players get hung up on what his teammate is doing, which creates an unnecessary sense of urgency when, ultimately, there is SO much time to figure it out. And the only way to figure it out is to go through the process of taking multiple visits, talking to multiple coaches, familiarizing themselves with the prospective program they will be committing to.

On the flipside, once the player commits, there's a sense of relief that the process is over, and he can relax and just focus on getting better and helping his team win games. But what may not be taken into consideration is, when a player commits as a sophomore, typically it is to a Top 25-level program, because they're more accelerated than the others. But Top 25-level programs are there for a reason - because they get really good players, and they continue to recruit really good players until the final bell rings. Which means often times they over-recruit. And when they over-recruit, they have to cut players in the fall. And the first guys who will get cut (or run out), are those players sitting on a big scholarship number who has plateaued in ability, or are the same player they recruited as a sophomore but hasn't gotten any better. This scenario plays out a lot in the Midwest.

There's a lot to consider for a teenager, especially for a teenager who doesn't exactly know how the process works. And like anything else in life, you only learn how the process works by going through it completely. And when you don't go through the process, sometimes poor decisions are made. My main advice I can tell all aspiring players is to not get hung up on what the next guy is doing. That means their travel teammates, high school teammates and friends. It will drive them nuts. Every situation is different. Focus on your own personal situation and methodically figure out what program, athletically and academically, is your best fit. 

With Legion ball eliminating college freshmen in the near future, do you think that will speed up the end of Legion ball since they lack players as it is and now they are weeding players out?

Interesting, I did not know that. ... I know Legion ball is still pretty relevant in some states, but in Illinois, I don't think it plays much of a factor from a recruiting/scouting perspective. I can honestly say that in 10-plus years of scouting in Illinois, I have never gone to Legion-specific tournament or game. I'm sure Legion ball may be good for communities and even some high school programs, but from a scouting perspective, I will go to a travel team tournament that has a higher number of prospects in one central place 10 times out of 10. Especially if more than half of the Legion players are already in college. With the way recruiting is going nowadays, the 16-U/15-U tournaments will likely be more populated with recruiters than 17-U/18-U tournaments.

Who are some under the radar players coming out of the CPS leagues ?

I wouldn't classify him as "under the radar" but OF James Davison (Morgan Park) is one of the most exciting and fun players to watch in the state. The little things he does on the field may be "under the radar" (run the bases, track down balls, hustle), but he makes an impact in every facet of the game.

Does providence have enough hitting to go along with Godfrey to challenge in the Catholic Blue?

That's the million-dollar question. If the Celtics do hit, they will be in very good shape.

What do you think are the top three conferences in Illinois?

Chicago Catholic Blue, Southwest Suburban Blue, East Suburban Catholic, West Suburban Silver, Southwestern Conference. West Suburban Silver doesn't have the depth of some of the others, but with Oak Park and Lyons Township, they've won several state championships in recent years.

Who are the top 2016 hitters? 

Some top 2016 hitters I've seen are, in no particular order: Joe Polak (Quincy Notre Dame), Cal Coughlin (Carmel), Andrew Dyke (Brother Rice), Nick Derr (Geneva), to name a few players.

How will Huntley stack up against teams outside the fox valley conferenece in 2014? Do you expect a deeper run than last year's team?

On paper Huntley should be solid. Then again, on paper Huntley had one of the most talented lineups in the state last year and got ousted pretty early in the playoffs. 

What do you think of the Northern Illinois Big 12 conference?

Should be competitive. Yorkville has D1 prospects, and look for Kaneland to be vastly improved in the coming years. 

Who were the most underrated players in the recently graduated 2013 class?

A few guys off the top of my head are: RHP/OF Jared Waldhoff (Teutopolis HS). He went to Kaskaskia JC and no doubt will be a high-interest draft guy in a year or two. ... RHP Matt Starai (St. Charles North HS) came on late, earned first team all-state honors, and signed at Judson in the summer. ... RHP Christian Taugner (Lake Park HS) was another one who flew under the radar somewhat, and signed at Brown. 

Your thoughts on Southern Illinois players? Do they sometimes get overlooked or is mid-state and Northern Illinois players just that much better.

I don't think Southern Illinois players get overlooked. Last year, the PBR Player of the Year came out of Harrisburg (Ryne Roper). I will say, however, that the greater Chicagoland area has a lot more players in a higher concentrated area, and therefore the area is more heavily recruited than Southern Illinois. There isn't as many good players in Southern Illinois, but there are good players, no doubt. 

Who do you like winning the Southwest Prairie Conference this season ?

Southwest Prairie should be a lot more balanced this year. On paper, Minooka, Plainfield North and Plainfield South should be the favorites. I think Plainfield South is going to surprise a lot of people this year. 

If a player comes to a winter showcase and doesn't improve his numbers (or maybe doesn't do as well), do you change their numbers on their profile page to the current numbers or leave the better numbers up?

We leave the best numbers in the profile. 

Best High School baseball field in Illinois?

Great question. I would have to say Edwardsville has the best complex. 

Do you think St. Charles East beating LP last year was an upset?

I was actually at that game. When you have two first-team All-State pitchers going head to head (Matt Starai vs. Christian Taugner), the result would never be considered an upset. If I recall correctly, St. Charles East defeated Lake Park earlier in the season, so no, not an upset at all. 

What do.you think of the West Suburban Gold? Where do you see Willowbrook ending up?

Downers Grove South should be the favorite, I would think, despite graduating several key players. Willowbrook should be very competitive with 1B Mike Rothmund and RHP TJ Case. 

What do you think of Kentucky's 2015 class of commitments?

In Illinois alone, Kentucky has landed three top 15 prospects in RHP Jeremy Orbik, C Brandon Krennrich and RHP Keegan McHood. The Wildcats also landed several highly ranked players in other states, headlined by LHP Josh Smith (MI) and SS Travis Blankenhorn (PA). 

The Class of 2016 at Providence Catholic is undeniably talented with guys like Madej, Pych, Stulas, Kelley, and Waznis. Correct?

No doubt, the future is bright at Providence. I haven't personally seen all the players mentioned, but talking with Coach Smith a few weeks back, he said he is extremely encouraged by the 2016 class. Sounds like there may be several sophomores in the lineup this spring. 

Best 2B/SS combo in Illinois?

Interesting question. I don't know if there is a clear best double-play combo, like last year at Simeon with Marshawn Taylor and Ronell Coleman. 

How many players from the Illinois 2014 class do you see getting drafted this June?

So many factors go into the draft. Pure ability is only half of the equation. Signability plays a huge role in the draft, too. The spring will sort a lot of it out. With that said, the 2014 class in Illinois should demand a lot of attention this spring. There are significantly more high-end, draftable prospects this year than in recent years. 

What about East Peoria, Dunlap, and Pekin?

Dunlap should have one of the better players in the Mid-Illini, 2015 Luke Mangieri. East Peoria will feature on of the top LHPs in Central Illinois, 2014 Kevin Ulrich. And to be honest, I don't know what Pekin has coming back just yet. 

Top five uncommitted 2015 to make an impact at the next level?

There are a lot of impact uncommitted 2015s in IL, too many to list. There are two top 10-ranked prospects who are uncommitted, RHP Shane Ritter (Plainfield South) and 3B Willie Bourbon (Stevenson). 

Thoughts on Bradley's 2014 recruiting class?

Very solid 2014 recruiting class. The Braves landed a pair of extremely projectable RHPs in Wyatt Trautwine and Jordan Fedro. They also landed two high-level catchers in Nathan Haacker and Ian Kristan. IFs Mike Riesner and Chris Whelan are also highly ranked prospects in Illinois. The Braves also landed a nationally-ranked two-way prospect from Oklahoma named Allen Beer. I saw him in Jupiter and it looks like he will be a bigtime impact player in the Missouri Valley.

Do you think HF can compete with a team like Sandburg in the SWSC BLUE?

H-F should definitely earn its share of victories this season in the Blue. The Vikings have an exciting nucleus of 2015 prospects, along with several quality seniors as well. The SWSC Blue should be one of the most competitive leagues in the state, no doubt. 

Mount Carmel's gotta have one of the best 2015 classes right?

No doubt. I believe they started four sophomores last season, three of whom are already committed, and have several quality arms that I've seen too. Caravan should be well-set for the present and future. 

What do you look for in a shortstop at your showcase events?

First and foremost, the player's feet. How he moves, his athleticism, lateral quickness; does he move with fluidity and fields the ball with rhythm. The hands are obviously very important as well. Soft hands, fielding the ball out in front, playing through the ball. And how well the hands and feet work together. Finally, the arm. Having enough arm strength to stick at position is definitely important. More importantly, though, having the ability to throw with some velocity at different angles on the move, opposed to a shortstop who stands straight up and crow-hops a good velo number.

More Illinois News