Week 9 Games

+ Scott Newman, OF/LHP, Glenbrook South, 2022
Wichita State commit. A raiser in the latest 2022 ranking update, currently ranked No. 51 in the state of Illinois. A lean, athletic 6-foot-1, 160-pounds frame. The right-handed hitting outfield, patrolled centerfield and batted third. Newman went 2-2 at the plate with a triple and drove in a run while crossing the plate once himself. Simple in the box, very little pre-pitch movement, small leg lift stride. Athletic hands, short to the baseball, flashed bat speed, line drive type hitter on a gap-to-gap approach. During his second at-bat drove the ball to the opposite gap for a triple. A patient hitter who’s not afraid to hit with two strikes. Defensively, Newman tracked down three balls. Two were hit to the gap and the other was a shallow fly ball.

Scott Newman

+ James Hackett, SS, Glenbrook South, 2022
Boston College commit. Ranked No. 49 in the state of Illinois. A top 10 shortstop in the senior class. Athletic, long-limb 6-foot-3 frame, lean 175-pounds left-handed hitting shortstop. Bats in the fifth hole and had two hits in the game against New Trier. A simple, balanced setup, open stance, hands held low with a vertical bat, minimal pre-pitch movement, slow, controlled load to a short stride. Quick hands, repeatable swing, balanced throughout contact, gets extended, spray hitter to all fields. First at-bat sat back on an inside pitch to shoot it the other way. Over at shortstop, smooth actions with full range to both sides. Clean transfer with soft hand. Throws play accurately across the diamond.

James Hackett

+ Justin Wood, RHP, New Trier, 2024
Uncommitted. An up and coming prospect in the class of 2024. A long, lanky 6-foot-4 sophomore, 165-pounds, projectable frame with room to add strength. Wood got his first Varsity start in the game against Glenbrook South, tossing four innings with three earned runs on seven hits, two walks and struck out six. In his final inning after allowing the leadoff hitter to reach third with no outs, Woods struck out the next three batters on the curveball to leave the runner stranded. Smooth tempo delivery, shoulders get on an uphill plane, drives off the back leg, long stride to home while landing squared. Wood used a three pitch mix; fastball, curveball and a changeup. A two seam fastball with late life sat 82-85 mph throughout his entire outing. The curveball was his strikeout pitch, thrown with confidence in any count but especially with two strikes, a true 12/6 breaker with tight spin sat 68-69 mph. A sinking changeup, thrown down in the zone sat 73-75 mph. 

Justin Wood

+ Henry Wolfe, C/1B, New Trier, 2023
Uncommitted Junior. Was one of the more athletic catchers at our Upperclass Preseason All-State event back in February where he ran a 6.78 60-yard dash. A muscular, 6-foot-2, 190-pounds athletic frame, was the battery ram for Justin Woods and batted seventh. Of the team’s total five hits, Wolfe had two going 2-2 with a walk. In his first at-bat, Wolfe beat out an infield single to third baseman. For his second hit, Wolfe went the other way for a single. Balanced setup, wide base, confident look at the plate, weight slightly pre-loaded on his back leg, toe tap stride. Strong hands with a direct path, level through the zone, creates easy backspin, and holds a high finish. Behind the plate, sets up in an athletic position, works to keep the balls in the dirt near home, fluid footwork, clean exchange. Throws play accurately and with carry, tossing out two baserunners on two attempts.

GAMES FROM BURLINGTON CENTRAL | CRYSTAL LAKE CENTRAL | SAINT VIATOR - 5/10/22

By Peter Hamot
Area Scout, Staff Writer 

+ Michael Person, RHP, Burlington Central, 2024
Uncommitted. Currently ranked No. 49 in the Illinois 2024 class. Listed at 6-foot-2, 180-pounds, athletic, lean/lanky build, looks taller than listed. The right-hander’s arm works with a clean arm circle into an over-the-top slot. Down the mound, Person works with a repeatable tal//fall delivery while working in-line to the plate, showing the ability to control his long limbs. His fastball worked in the 82-84 mph range, cruising mostly at 83 mph and playing with some tilt into the zone, occasionally flattening out when he dropped too low into his back knee when pushing down the mound. He showed the ability to spin two distinctly different breaking balls; the first being a sharp 11/5 curveball with depth and feel, playing at 72-73 mph - the second was a tight slider at 76 mph that played off a 10/4 plane, thrown with intent and kept down. Person flashed a straight changeup at 75-76 mph, playing with slight fade and from a near identical fastball window. 

+ Brady Gilroy, OF, Burlington Central, 2024
Uncommitted. Standing 5-foot-9, 165-pounds, round shoulders with an athletic build. The right-handed hitter starts with an open setup in the box, slowly bringing his front foot back to the plate with a controlled pace to remain on-time, hangs foot; his hands drop slightly at foot-plant, creating an uphill path with natural lift, sneaky pop - squaring up multiple balls throughout the course of two games. Gilroy showed the ability to track down fly-balls with ease; 6.98 60-runner, his speed easily translates to the outfield with good reads on balls and a quick first step, transitioning into athletic strides. His arm plays with some life out of the hand, placing strong throws to his targets in IO. 

+ Jake Johnson, C, Burlington Central, 2025
Uncommitted. Strong, well-proportioned frame with a developed lower-half and mature look. Started behind the plate and impressed with his defense and strong right-handed bat. The backstop showed to have receptive hands, working under the ball and pulling pitches back to the plate with subtle movements. He proved to be an active/athletic blocker throughout the course of the day, dropping quickly and moving well side-to-side, deadening the ball out front; also controlling the run-game with back-picks and a strong arm from the chute. The right-handed hitter has a confident presence in the box, displaying strong hands that work to lift the baseball with easy pop, intent to do damage while maintaining body-control; also showing to see the ball well out of the hand and working deep into counts. 

+ AJ Payton, C, Burlington Central, 2024
Uncommitted. Wiry, extremely projectable 6-foot-, 150-pound frame, long-limbs with a high-waist. Impressed with a smooth right-handed stroke in our limited look; fluid tempo with a long stride and leg-lick timing trigger, direct hands to the ball that work with an uphill path. Payton works with natural lift and long levers through the zone, creating easy pop; barreling up a ball to his pull-side for a double that traveled 350’ with little perceived effort. 

AJ Payton

+ Aidan Alig, SS, Crystal Lake Central, 2022
Uncommitted. Compact, athletic frame, standing 6-foot, 165-pounds. Impressed on the infield during IO and in-game with his fluid actions and confident presence up the middle of the diamond. The shortstop showcased soft hands that play out front, swallowing the ball into his body on grounders and playing with fluid footwork through the ball, staying on the balls of his feet and moving athletically to both sides of his glove. His arm plays with some carry and life across the diamond, playing from multiple angles and delivering accurate strikes to his target. The