By Sean Duncan
Executive Director

Although it’s still early, Illinois’ Class of 2016 is shaping up to be an impressive list of prospects, one that features national high-level talent and considerable depth. Over the last four months, we’ve seen hundreds more sophomore prospects across the state, which has led to significant shakeups in the updated and expanded top 100 2016 rankings.

Already Illinois has seen five sophomores make their verbal commitments – the most in the Prep Baseball Report’s 10-state coverage area – with several others who have pending offers on the table.

While many prospects enjoyed meteoric rises over the fall, it was RHP Drake Fellows (Joliet Catholic Academy HS) who emerged as one of the most coveted right-handers in the country. Over the fall, the 6-foot-4, 183-pounder sat 88-89 mph with his fastball, coupled with a wipeout 78-79 mph slider. Fellows, who has since committed to Vanderbilt, jumps to the No. 1 spot in the 2016 class.

But not by much.

SS Tyler Fitzgerald (Rochester HS; Louisville commit) and SS Nick Derr (Geneva HS; Florida State commit) are both athletic high-level national prospects. 3B/RHP Cal Coughlin (Carmel HS), a physical switch-hitter with elite arm strength and power potential, is just coming off an injury and has the upside to become one of the most coveted prospects in country. INF/C Joe Polak (Quincy Notre Dame HS) features the most potent bat in the class, along with OF/C Andrew Dyke (Brother Rice HS).

Both RHP Anthony Holubecki (Kaneland HS) and C/RHP Sam Ferri (Niles Notre Dame HS) are verbally committed to Notre Dame.

RHP Brenden Heiss (Jacobs HS) is unquestionably the biggest riser in the updated top 100 rankings, as the athletic right-hander jumps to No. 6 after he recently sat 88-90, topping at 91. C Cooper Johnson (Carmel HS) also saw his stock soar after showcasing elite catch-and-throw abilities, firing consistent 1.9 pop times (81 mph from the crouch).

The 2016 class is in fact loaded with top-level catchers. Along with Ferri, Johnson and Polak, C Alfred Lewis Jr. (Mount Carmel HS), C/RHP Danny Oriente (Downers Grove South HS), C Cal Elvers (Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin HS) and Bryce Gray (Homewood-Flossmoor HS) are all top 25 prospects in the class.

Other big risers in the class include: RHP Ryan Hodgett (St. Francis HS), INF Jacob Snider (Champaign Central HS), RHP Max Franklin (St. Rita HS), MIF Mike Massey (Brother Rice HS), LHP/RHP/OF Joe Santoro (Carmel HS), OF Jack Molnar (Fremd HS), SS Ben Troike (Lincoln-Way North HS), 3B Alec Trela (Normal Community HS), SS Jackson Stulas (Providence HS), SS Matt Bottcher (Romeoville HS), and OF Alec Barger (Champaign Central HS), to name a few.

Enough reading about it. See for yourself.

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	Commitment
1	Drake Fellows	IL	Joliet Catholic Academy	2016	RHP	Vanderbilt
2	Tyler Fitzgerald	IL	Rochester	2016	SS	Louisville
3	Nick Derr	IL	Geneva	2016	SS	Florida State
4	Cal Coughlin	IL	Carmel	2016	3B
5	Joey Polak	IL	Quincy Notre Dame	2016	3B
6	Brenden Heiss	IL	Jacobs	2016	RHP
7	Anthony Holubecki	IL	Kaneland	2016	RHP	Notre Dame
8	Sam Ferri	IL	Notre Dame	2016	C	Notre Dame
9	Andrew Dyke	IL	Brother Rice	2016	OF
10	Cooper Johnson	IL	Carmel	2016	C

 

CLICK HERE to View Top 100 Illinois 2016 Rankings