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2024 Preseason All-State, Upperclass: Takeaways

February 29, 2024
Illinois Scouting Staff

On Feb. 24, the Prep Baseball Illinois staff hosted the Preseason All-State, Upperclass showcase at The MAX in McCook, Ill., featuring many of the state’s top players inside the 2025 class. This event helped our staff gain a clearer picture of the on-the-rise prospects in Illinois, and we’ll begin to break down the event thoroughly today within this Takeaways piece. 

Due to the amount of talent that was in attendance, there a plenty of players who were not mentioned in this document, and we will have more coming out on these players in the coming weeks. 

To view the event’s landing page, roster, and stats collected, click here. 

POSITION PLAYERS 

Committed 

+ C/INF Enzo Infelise (Providence Catholic; Oklahoma commit) continues to put his impressive hit tool on display, currently slotted at No. 7 in the state, No. 240 nationally. Listed at 6-foot-1, 229-pounds with a strong, durable frame, the right-handed hitter punished baseballs throughout his round; averaging 98.4 mph for his EV with a max of 101.4 mph, recording every ball he hit over 95 mph. He has fluid hands that allows him to remain on-time, and he has mature feel to hit to the whole field with extension through the zone. On the infield, Infelise boasts soft hands that play through the ball, moving well for his size laterally. His arm is plenty strong, playing from an over-the-top release with carry at 90 mph. He’s continued to trend up behind the plate, working with a clean glove-to-hand transfer while gaining ground on throws to second, creating a pop-time as low as 1.86 with a top velocity of 83 mph, playing with clear life and carry to the bag. 

+ 1B Demir Heidelberg (Homewood-Flossmoor; Eastern Michigan commit) has an impressive 6-foot-2, 174-pound frame with lean strength and all sorts of projection. He put on a show in BP, utilizing his levers well to create a max EV of 102.5 mph, averaging 95.1 mph with a max distance of 376’. He creates easy bat-speed and natural lift at times, working through the zone with an average bat-speed of 73.8 mph (T77.4 mph). High-ceiling left-handed hitter in the state, also an impressive athlete with a 6.88 in the 60. 

+ Currently ranked No. 9 in the state, No. 260 nationally, C Addison Latko (DePaul College Prep, 2026; Illinois commit) was the lone sophomore in attendance, and he fit right in with the older crowd. His round of BP was plenty loud, averaging 94.7 mph for his EV with a max of 98.7 mph, reaching up to 335’ for his max distance. He creates impressive power through the zone with an average rotational acceleration of 22 G’s (T25.7), and he also averaged 77 mph for his bat-speed. 

+ C Zach Bava (Naperville North; Illinois State commit) continues to swing a heavy barrel in front of our staff. Currently ranked No. 25 in the state, the left-handed hitter displayed strong hands with a direct path, working up to 101.5 mph for his max EV and 372 for his max distance with a middle/pull-side approach. High-motor behind the plate, quick out of the crouch, recorded a low pop-time of 2.00 seconds with a max velocity of 77 mph. 

+ INF Aidan Nohava (Brother Rice; Eastern Michigan commit) had a strong all-around showing over the weekend. Athletic build, listed at 6-foot, 177-pounds with round shoulders and strength in the lower-half. The right-handed hitter displayed a direct path to the ball with some extension through the zone, reaching up to 95.5 mph for his max EV with a 337’ max distance. He showed smooth actions on the infield with soft hands and a clean glove-to-hand, pairing with a quality arm across (T83 mph). Looks to be able to remain on the infield at the next level.  

+ CIF AJ Putty (Huntley; Illinois commit) continues to put up impressive hitting metrics each time we see him. The former Future Gamer averaged 91 mph for his EV throughout his round, reaching up to 96.9 mph with a max distance of 346’. He creates impressive hand and bat-speed, averaging 23 mph with his hands and 78.3 mph with the barrel. True power potential as he continues to mature. 

+ OF Ben Toft (New Trier; Iowa commit) gave an impressive look on both sides of the ball. The left-handed hitter displayed quick hands with controlled aggression, looking to elevate the ball to his pull-side and up the middle with a max EV of 95.2 mph. In the outfield, he has athletic actions with soft hands, playing through the ball with intent and reaching up to 91 mph from a crow hop. Impressive athlete, turning in a 6.77 in the 60 with a 20.6 mph peak run speed and 33.6” vertical jump.

+ OF Liam Arsich (Lincoln-Way Central; Toledo commit) has a frame you can dream on, listed at 6-foot-3, 159-pounds with all sorts of room to add on strength. The former Future Gamer has a simple and easy right-handed stroke, staying flat through the zone with a line-drive approach that works to stay back up the middle of the field; topping out at 91.5 mph for his EV. In the outfield, he has quick feet with athletic actions and soft hands, pairing with a strong arm with easy life (T93 mph). Highly athletic, cruising to a 6.57 in the 60 with a peak run speed of 21.4 mph. 

+ A pair of Northern Illinois commits from Oak Park-River Forest, INF Brady Green and OF Timmy Leark both put together strong days in front of our staff. Green, a former Future Games participant, creates impressive power with his intentful right-handed stroke; reaching up to 97.1 mph for his max EV with an average distance of 299’ (T354’). He also took one of the better rounds of defense on the infield, boasting athletic actions with a quick first step, playing with range to both sides of his glove to pair with a strong arm that can play on the run (T90 mph). 6.94 runner in the 60, also recorded a 31” vertical jump. Leark, gave an intriguing look as well, as the left-handed hitter showcased quick hands through the zone with a flat path, creating extension out front while looking to keep the ball on a line; reaching up to 95.9 mph and recording several balls over the 95 mph benchmark. Defensively, he floats to the ball with fluid footwork, soft hands through the ball. Impressive arm-strength from a crow hop, reaching up to 95 mph. 6.88 runner in the 60. 

+ C Benjamin Mitchell (Harvest Christian; Bellarmine commit) is a physical 6-foot, 205-pound backstop who put together a loud round of BP over the weekend. The right-handed hitter displayed strong hands with easy effort and a flat path, looking to stay on top of the baseball while staying on the barrel with elevated contact back up the middle of the field; topping out at 103.8 mph for his max EV with an average of 96.5 mph - recording 82% of his batted balls over 95 mph. He creates impressive hand speed (23.3 mph avg; T24.5 mph) and bat-speed (78.4 mph avg; T82.2 mph), pairing with explosive rotational acceleration (17.4 G’s avg; T22.6 G’s). Strong round of defense, clean glove-to-hand, soft hands, natural catcher actions, repeatable and clean out of the crouch, played accurately on the bag with a low pop-time of 1.95 (T78 mph). 

+ OF Trey Meyers (New Trier; Indiana commit) stands out physically with his 6-foot-5, 214-pound frame, and he has some eye-opening upside still left in the tank. He uses his levers to create easy power and bat-speed (70.6 mph avg), and his power projects as he continues to fill out. In this look, he had a clear intent to keep the ball on a line, working up to 93.9 mph for his max EV. He moves extremely well for his size, cruising to a 6.58 in the 60 with a max run speed of 21.1 mph, also recording a 29.8” vertical. Fluid footwork in the outfield with steady hands, plays through the ball with intent. Moves well into a crow hop, topping out at 89 mph with life out of the hand. High-upside name to know. 

+ INF Karlos Otero (Romeoville; Northern Illinois commit) continues to look the part as a high-end infield prospect in the state. He has fluid actions and footwork that allows him to cover ground easily to both sides of his glove, clean transfer with a smooth glove-to-hand, arm plays on the move and reached up to 86 mph. At the plate, the right-handed hitter has a simple, athletic swing, looking to stay direct and on top of the baseball with a balanced finish; reaching up to 91.3 mph for his max EV. Quality athlete, recording a 6.79 in the 60 with a peak run speed of 20.6 mph, also recorded a 30” vertical jump. 

+ INF Gavin Triezenberg (Brother Rice; Arizona commit) has a strong 6-foot-3, 176-pound frame, and looked to be one of the more impressive defenders on the day. He moves extremely well for his size on the infield, ranging to both sides of his glove with ease, soft hands work out front, clean transfer and glove-to-hand. Quality arm across the diamond with a high ¾ release, topping out at 85 mph. At the plate, the right-handed hitter displayed a balanced swing with an approach that looked to stay up the middle while working on-plane, creating above-average bat-speed with an average of 72.3 mph (T78.9 mph), as well as rotational acceleration with an average of 18.7 G’s (T22.5 G’s); maxing out at 94.5 mph for his EV. 

+ INF Jimmy Downs (Kenwood; Northern Illinois commit) continues to swing a heavy barrel from the right-side. Currently ranked No. 55 in the state, the right-handed hitter has some rhythm in his hands before firing through the zone with a slightly downhill path; producing loud results with a max EV of 100.8 mph and max distance of 341’. Proven in-game success in front of our staff. 

UNCOMMITTED 

+ OF Wyatt Wawro (Downers Grove South) comes in as the No. 14 ranked player in the state, No. 469 nationally, and there’s a lot to like with the athletic outfielder. Listed at a lean and wiry 5-foot-7, 159-pounds, the left-handed hitter has loose/whippy hands with a flat path through the zone, averaging 89.7 mph for his EV with a max of 93.8 mph while looking to keep the ball on a line to the whole field. Impressive athlete, recording a 6.95 in the 60 with a 20 mph peak run speed. He’s an athletic defender in the outfield, attacking the baseball with steady hands and athletic footwork. He has an above-average arm to pair, reaching up to 87 mph from a crow hop. 

+ C Noah Brandt (Somonauk) put together one of the more impressive rounds of BP on the day. The left-handed hitter worked on the sweet spot 70% of the time per TrackMan, keeping the ball on a line for a majority of his round; averaging 87.5 mph for his EV with a max of 94.8 mph. He has loose, whippy hands with some feel for the barrel, giving a polished look throughout his round. Defensively, Brandt has clean catcher actions, staying directional out of the crouch with a clean over-the-top arm action, plays true with a top velocity of 81 mph, reaching as low as 1.88 for his pop-time. 

+ OF Hayden Bernreuter (Triad) took one of the louder rounds of BP on the day. Listed at 5-foot-10, 203-pounds, the left-handed hitter reached up to 103.2 mph for his max EV with an average of 95.8 mph, registering most of his batted-balls over 95 mph with a max distance of 373’. His BLAST metrics were off the charts, averaging 23 mph for his hand-speed (T24.1 mph), 77 mph for his bat-speed (T80.5 mph) and 22.2 G’s for his rotational acceleration (T25.8 G’s). He displayed a well above-average arm from the outfield, topping out at 90 mph with a crow hop. 

+ 1B/OF Karim Patterson (Latin School of Chicago) fills out the uniform with an impressive 6-foot-1, 196-pound frame, present strength with sloped shoulders and an athletic look. The L/L first baseman took an easy round of BP, looking to lift the baseball to his pull-side with a max EV of 97.4 mph, reaching up to 368’ for his max distance while working on the sweet spot 82% of the time per TrackMan. Upside left-handed stroke with some power potential as he fills out. He moves with ease around the bag at first base, showing steady hands with fluid footwork. Similarly steady hands from the outfield, working up to 89 mph from a crow hop. 

+ OF Brady Schallmoser (Downers Grove North) continues to impress with his hit tool, taking an easy and loud round of BP. Listed at 6-foot-2, 192-pounds with added strength since our last look, he has rhythm in his hands that work into a flat path, staying through the zone and working on the barrel to the whole field; averaging 91.3 mph for his EV with a max of 94 mph. Upside left-handed bat with proven in-game success. 

+ INF Theodore Greco (Lane Tech) will be a name to keep an eye on this spring. A smooth defender on the infield, Greco glides easily to both sides of his glove to pair with a fluid glove-to-hand, reaching up to 87 mph across the diamond with life. The right-handed hitter has some thump in his bat, reaching up to 94.2 mph for his max EV with a 359’ max distance, working long through the zone with a flat path. 7.05 runner in the 60 with a 31.6” vertical. 

+ INF Vance Kurokawa (DePaul College Prep) gave an impressive look at the plate as a switch-hitter. Giving a similar look from each side, he has loose/athletic hands that work into a flat path, staying through the zone and maintaining balance through impact, upside swing from both sides. Above-average actions on the infield, plays with ease and confidence, soft hands work out front with a clean glove-to-hand, reaching up to 84 mph across the diamond. 

+ OF Sam Driscoll (Mt. Zion) is an upside bat that stood out to our staff over the weekend. He has quick, whippy hands through the zone (23.6 mph avg; T24.2 mph) that work into a flat path, looking to keep the ball on a line up the middle and to his pull-side with a max EV of 92.1 mph, highly athletic look that has a chance to pop in the next couple years. Athletic mover with a 6.97 in the 60, fluid footwork in the outfield with steady hands, attacks the baseball. Well above-average arm-strength, topping out at 91 mph from a crow hop. 

+ C Carter Lennington (Minooka) gave an upside look over the weekend. Listed at 6-foot, 190-pounds with lean strength, the right-handed hitter creates easy juice with quick hands and a flat path, looking to elevate the ball up the middle while creating extension through the hitting zone; maxing out at 99.4 mph for his EV with a max distance of 363’. He creates well above-average BLAST metrics; averaging 26 mph for his hand-speed (T26.8 mph), 78.8 mph for his bat-speed (T81.9 mph) and 19.2 G’s for his rotational acceleration (T22 G’s). Behind the plate, Lennington has a loose arm with clean actions out of the crouch, his arm plays around the bag consistently, producing a pop-time as low as 2.00 seconds (T77 mph). 

+ OF Kolin Adams (Mount Carmel) showed well in a number of different categories over the weekend. He started his day by cruising to a 6.84 in the 60 with a peak run-speed of 20.5 mph, also recording a 32” vertical. He gave a polished look throughout his round of BP, looking to use the whole field and take the ball where it is pitched, staying through the zone with a flat path and balanced finish. He has a patient glove in the outfield with clean hands and footwork, reaching up to 89 mph from a crow hop. 

+ OF Justin Garcia-Hernandez (St. Patrick), INF Sean Cody (Richards) and OF Ryan Dabe (Huntley) all showcased some impressive power at the plate over the weekend; with Garcia-Hernandez topping out at an eye-opening 103.3 mph (T340’), Cody topping out at 99.2 mph (T335’) and Dabe reaching up to 99.4 mph (T349’).

+ Three more position players that deserve a mention from the day are INF Aadden Guerrero (St. Laurence), OF Jorge Matos Jr. (Chicago Hope) and INF Jimmy Spellman (Notre Dame College Prep). 

TWO-WAYS

Committed 

+ OF/LHP Joey Arend (St. Charles East; Xavier commit) gave our staff an impressive two-way look over the weekend. At the plate, the left-handed hitter has an upside stroke with a projectable frame to pair at 6-foot-1, 168-pounds. He has loose, whippy hands through the zone that look to stay flat and keep the ball on a line, creating easy jump off the bat with his levers (T97.8 mph). He’s a fluid mover in the outfield, displaying soft hands that play through the ball. He has plenty of arm-strength, reaching up to 89 mph from a crow hop, also showing no trouble translating his arm over to the mound. Arend is an athletic mover downhill with a clean arm that has clear acceleration out front. His fastball sat 85-86 mph with arm-side run, and he landed it in the zone 67% of the time. He threw an upper-70s changeup with heavy fade, creating an average of -17.4 inches of horizontal movement. Arend landed his mid-70s slider for strikes 80% of the time, and it showed tight, sharp break.

+ INF/RHP Jack Wheeler (Morris; Illinois commit) has all sorts of upside in his 6-foot-5, 190-pound frame. At the plate, the right-handed hitter uses his levers well to create loud results off the barrel, working flat through the zone with whippy hands; maxing out at 98.2 mph for his EV with an average of 92.4 mph (T347’). He’s an above-average defender, playing with rhythm/timing to go along with soft hands and a clean transfer, also displaying a strong arm (T90 mph) across the diamond. Wheeler then hopped on the bump and showed some intrigue, running his fastball up to 90.5 mph. He also showed feel for the strike zone with his curveball, landing in-zone 60% of the time at 72-76 mph. 

+ Kansas State commit, 1B/LHP Conor Essenburg (Lincoln-Way West) really opened some eyes with his round of batting practice, delivering line-drives and hard elevated contact back up the middle of the field repeatedly; leading the entire event with a max EV of 105.1 mph with an average of 95.5 mph (T340’). He’s an advanced defender at first base, showing fluid footwork and soft hands with clear feel around the bag and for the position, also topping at 90 mph across the diamond. It’s as easy, loose and simple as it gets on the mound, using minimal effort to touch 88.4 mph with his fastball that has slight arm-side run. Essenburg’s changeup looks to be his best off-speed offering, sitting 79-81 mph with -15.6 inches of horizontal movement, and he showed a curveball that sat 76-79 mph with short break.

+ INF/RHP CJ Deckinga (Minooka; Michigan State commit) was far and away one of the biggest winners for Team Illinois this past summer at the Future Games, and he shows no signs of slowing down. Currently ranked No. 4 in the state, the right-handed hitter has a loose/whippy stroke that stays flat through the zone, looking to project into more power as he fills out his 6-foot-4, 173-pound frame; averaging just under 90 mph for his EV in this look with a max of 94.8 mph. He’s a smooth defender on the infield, moving well for his size with steady hands and a quick release that plays accurately across the diamond at 84 mph. Later, Deckinga would get on the mound and show a fastball that sat 85-86 mph (T87) with the event’s best average horizontal movement totalling 16.8 inches.

+ LHP/1B Anthony Karbowski (Hampshire; Louisville commit) gave a strong two-way look on Saturday as the No. 47 ranked player in the state. On this day, Karbowski had a strong feel for both of his off-speed pitches while working his fastball in the 89-90 mph range with an average spin rate of 2538 rpm (an event high). His slider found the zone 60% of the time with feel to spin as well (avg. 2675 rpm). He also mixed in a knuckleball that killed spin and landed in the zone to go as his third pitch. At the plate, the right-handed hitter created easy jump off the barrel with a max EV of 98.3 mph, reaching over 80 mph for his bat-speed at times. 

+ INF/RHP Lucas Acevedo (Lincoln-Way West; Illinois-Chicago commit) is an upside two-way prospect to know in the state. On the mound, the right-hander worked his fastball up to 89.5 mph while cruising comfortably at 86-89 in his ‘pen, playing with carry and some backspin through the zone. His slider has out-pitch potential, playing in the low-80s with over 2500 rpm at times with short lateral action. He showed advanced feel for his changeup, landing it in the zone 100% of the time per TrackMan, playing with over 20” of run at times at 78-79 mph. At the plate, the right-handed hitter has loose hands with a flat path, staying through the zone and looking to go the other way. He’s an athletic defender on the infield, moving quickly to both sides of his glove with range and soft hands. His arm is also well above-average from the infield, topping out at 90 mph across the diamond. 

UNCOMMITTED

+ INF/RHP Brayden Zilis (Minooka) came away one of the event’s biggest all-around winners over the weekend. At the plate, the left-handed hitter displayed a loose stroke with a flat path, staying through the hitting zone a long time with extension through the ball, swing really projects as he continues to add on strength; maxing out at 99.9 mph for his EV while averaging 96.2 mph. he‘s an athletic defender on the infield, boasting soft hands that play out front with a clean transfer. His arm is quick to release, playing from multiple angles and on the move, topping out at 89 mph. Zilis was strong on the mound as well, running his fastball up to 89 mph with sinking action to the arm-side. He complemented the fastball with a short, sweeping slider at 76-77 mph that had the second-highest max spin rate of the event at 2777 rpm.

+ INF/RHP Davis Weeks (Dunlap) is listed at 6-foot, 178-pounds and displayed strong two-way ability over the weekend. The right-handed hitter has an easy, upside swing that looks to stay on top of the baseball with a slightly downhill path at times. He has above-average actions on the infield, moving well to both sides of his glove with soft hands and a clean transfer, topping out at 84 mph across the diamond. On the mound, Weeks' delivery is easy and athletic, and he has a loose/clean arm path, too. His fastball sat 84-85 mph with ride through the zone, and it comes out of his hand clean with little effort. His changeup sits in the mid-70s and shows arm-side fade at times, and his slider sits in the low-70s with short, horizontal break. An uncommitted two-way prospect to follow.

+ C Kaleb Navarro (De La Salle) has made some impressive strides behind the plate, coming clean out of the crouch with intent, displaying a strong arm that plays true out of the hand with carry, one of the better arms behind the plate on the day with a pop-time of 1.97 and velocity of 82 mph, which is six mph higher than our last look in August. At the plate, the right-handed hitter has an uphill path, showing intent to lift to his pull-side. He creates plenty of power from his 6-foot-2, 207-pound frame, averaging 91 mph for his EV with a max of 97.4 mph (T345’). The right-hander also impressed on the mound, gaining roughly four mph since our last look in August with a max fastball up to 88 mph. He went to a 10/4 slider at 71-74 mph and heavy fading changeup at 79-81 mph to change up the pace. 

PITCHERS

COMMITTED 

+ RHP Lincoln Causero (Hersey; Xavier commit) stands in an ideal 6-foot-4, 180-pound frame with added strength still to come. An athletic mover on the mound with a clean and quick arm, Causero’s fastball sat 91-92 mph with an average spin of 2483 rpm with true ride through the zone. In this look, his changeup looked like his best off-speed offering, sitting 80-83 mph with hard arm-side fade (avg. 14.3” HM). Causero also showed a slider that sat 79-80 mph with short, horizontal movement, and he produced a max spin rate of 2401 rpm on the pitch. An arm to follow this spring in the state’s 2025 class.

+ RHP Brady Rosenkranz (Stevenson; Missouri commit) is an imposing 6-foot-7, 227-pound prospect that moves easily downhill. He has feel to spin the fastball (avg. 2374 rpm), playing at 87-89 mph with more of a four-seam action. Both of Rosenkranz’s breaking balls spun with an average of 2300+ rpm, with the slider having slightly better spin and better feel for the strike zone.

+ RHP Tucker King (Lyons Township; Cincinnati commit) pounded the strike zone with both his fastball and slider at the event. The recent Cincinnati commit ran his fastball in the 88-89 mph range with arm-side run (avg. 15.7” HM) and heavy sink (avg. 6.3” IVB). King’s slider was thrown with intent, playing with a 10/4 shape at 76-78 mph. Dynamic arsenal that should have a tendency to miss barrels this spring. 

+ Like many of the arms mentioned above, RHP Henrik Conniff (New Trier; Columbia commit) made significant strides on the mound this offseason. He owns an athletic, 6-foot-3, 199-pound frame with strength throughout. Coniff’s fastball sat 89-90 mph with carry through the zone and above-average spin (avg. 2400 rpm). His curveball sat 77-78 mph with an average of 2402 rpm and short, tight break. To round out his three-pitch mix, Coniff threw a mid-80s changeup with slight arm-side run, throwing it for strikes 50% of the time.

UNCOMMITTED 

+ LHP Lucas Grant (Joliet Catholic) is an uncommitted arm that showed well during his bullpen in McCook. He has an easy delivery that creates velocity with minimal effort and a clean, quick arm to pair. His fastball sat 87-89 mph with noticeable arm-side run, an average of -15.9 inches of horizontal movement, and quality spin (avg. 2390; T2504 rpm). Grant’s changeup showed swing-and-miss traits with heavy arm-side fade (-18” avg. HM), sitting 79-81 mph. His slider played with short, horizontal break, sitting 78-81 mph. 6-foot, 185-pound frame with athleticism throughout.

+ LHP Toby Peterson (Palatine) is one of the top remaining uncommitted arms in the state, and showed a strong feel for all three pitches in his ‘pen. His fastball sat 87-88 mph (T89) with slight arm-side action and some feel for spin (T2371 rpm). His slider played with spin as well (avg. 2178; T2467 rpm) and was thrown with intent at 78 mph. Peterson’s third offering was a splitter that played firm at 79-80 mph with slight downer action and feel for the zone (60% strikes).

+ RHP Gavin Rosengren (Batavia) made noticeable strides this offseason, ticking up his velocity since we last saw him at the 2023 Illinois State Games. Standing in a 6-foot-1, 205-pound frame with noticeable strength throughout, Rosengren ran his fastball up to 90.2 mph, while sitting mostly 86-89 mph. He showed significant improvement in his off-speed pitches, too, with more quality movement and shape. His slider has sharp break with an average of -15.8 inches of horizontal movement, sitting 74-77 mph. His changeup sat in the low-80s with little to no IVB and an average of 14.5 inches of horizontal movement. A high-follow uncommitted arm moving forward.

+ RHP Ryan Schaffnit (Morton) is another uncommitted standout from the event. The 6-foot-6, 212-pound righty ran his fastball in the 84-87 mph range with arm-side run (avg. 14.8” HM). Playing off the fastball was a slurve-type slider that showed sweeping action at times at 69-72 mph. Schaffnit rounded out his mix with a 77-78 mph changeup that played with heavy sink (avg. -0.7” IVB) and arm-side run. 

+ LHP Jake Rifenburg (Benet Academy) was one of the biggest winners from Saturday’s event. At the same event last year, Rifenburg’s fastball sat 78-80 mph, but this year, he showed significant strides in velocity, with his fastball sitting 87-89 mph with carry through the zone. He showed a sharp, late breaking curveball that sat 73-74 mph with 1/7 shape. Rifenburg’s changeup was thrown with intent, and he created clear fade/sink to the arm-side (avg. -11.6” HM). An instant uncommitted name to know in the state’s junior class.

+ RHP Daniel Kane (Oak Park-River Forest) stands in a long-limed frame at 6-foot-5, 210-pounds with seemingly more to come. He threw both a four-seam fastball and a sinker, with his fastball sitting 87-89 mph, topping out at 89.6 mph with clear ride through the zone, and his sinker sat 86-88 mph with slight arm-side run. Kane also threw an upper-70s slider with an average of -14 inches of horizontal movement and minimal IVB. An uncommitted arm to follow this spring.

+ RHP Stevan Gavric (Libertyville) gave an upside look on the mound over the weekend. Listed at 6-foot-4, 185-pounds with lean strength and room to fill out, the right-hander delivered his arsenal from an athletic delivery that works in-line to the plate, transitioning into a long/loose ¾ slot. His fastball played in the 86-88 mph range with carry and over 2400 rpm at times, playing at the top of the zone and setting up a sharp, slurvy 10/4 curveball at 74-77 mph (2300+ rpm). His final offering was a heavy fading changeup at 79-80 mph, playing clean out of the hand with efficient spin. 

+ RHP Pablo Herrera (Plainfield South) displayed pitchability in his ‘pen on Saturday. Herrera’s three-pitch mix was headlined by an 87-88 mph fastball that played with arm-side run (avg. 14.8” HM) and some sink. His slider had more lateral action to it, showing a 10/4 shape with feel for the zone. Herrera’s curveball played similarly to the slider, though with slightly better spin (avg. 2518; T2581 rpm) at 74-76 mph.

+ RHP Will Carter (Whitney Young) and RHP Calen Scheider (McHenry) are two more arms that deserve a mention after strong showings on the bump; with Carter running his fastball up to 92 mph and Scheider displaying athletic movement patterns with a fastball up to 90 mph. 

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