By Drew Locascio
Illinois Scouting Director

The Capital City Open took place on Monday, October 9th at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Illinois. The event featured players from all high school classes, who took part in a pro-style workout in front of the PBR Scouting Staff. Today we kick off event analysis with some of the top performers from the event.

2018s

LHP Guiseppe Mattera (Pleasant Plains), a Lincoln Land CC commit, who has always intrigued with his wiry frame and quick arm, showed a big jump in his fastball velocity from the last time we had seen him. Mattera’s fastball jumps out of his hand and sat comfortably at 86-88 mph. He also flashed a sharp curveball with bite and depth at 68-71 mph.   

Unsigned senior RHP Graham Bender (Chatham-Glenwood) showed good feel for the zone with his three-pitch mix. Fastball sat 82-83 mph, touching 84 twice.

RHP/INF Kyle Werries (Chatham-Glenwood) is a strong bodied, unsigned senior with two-way potential. Werries has a quick, clean arm on the mound and ran his fastball up to 84 mph. The right-handed hitter also took one of the best rounds of BP on the day. He has an aggressive approach, present bat speed and routinely made hard contact.

2019 ARMS

+ RHP/INF Gavin Wahlbrink (Chatham-Glenwood) is extremely efficient on the mound. The loose, quick-armed right-handed pitcher, works from a low ¾ slot, repeats his delivery, pounds the zone with his three-pitch mix and sat 80-82 mph. Both of Wahlbrink’s secondary offerings have potential to develop into swing and miss pitches.

+ Left/left, two-way prospect, Jacob Jurgens (Chatham-Glenwood), topped out at 81 mph on the mound. Jurgens hides the ball well and gets occasional downhill tilt to his fastball. At the plate, he has a simple swing and controls the barrel.

+ Daniel Chausse (Mt. Zion) who worked out as a two-way player, showed a live arm on the mound. The athletically built, Chausse touched 85 mph twice with his fastball but it was his secondary stuff that was a separator. His changeup flashed late run and sink while his curveball had sharp 12/6 action and good feel.  

PROJECTABLE UNDERCLASSMAN

+ 2020 RHP/INF Drew Detmers (Chatham-Glenwood) put himself on the map as a high-follow right-handed pitcher. Detmers, still somewhat raw, has a live, loose arm and his fastball, sat 84-85 mph with life through the hitting zone. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Detmers is one of the harder throwers in Illinois come his senior year.

+ 6-foot-4, 185-pound, RHP Richard Snider (Springfield, 2021) has an extremely projectable, long frame. The first pitch out of Snider’s hand was 82 mph and he settled in at 77-78 mph. High-ceiling right-handed pitcher in the 2021 class.

+ 2021 INF Brady Thomas (Athens) impressed with a fundamentally sound, repeatable right-handed swing. Simple overall approach, stays within himself, controls the barrel and hit a large number of line drives in his round of BP.

+ RHP/SS Evan Herpstreith (Nokomis) is another projectable 2021 arm who was in attendance. Herpstreith who works from a ¾ to low ¾ slot, occasionally gets underneath the ball but he has a loose arm and the ball comes out of his hand easy, fastball topped at 78 mph.

+ 6-foot-2, 175-pound, RHP/INF Sergio Marchizza (Chatham-Glenwood) ran his fastball up to 81 mph and has an aggressive right-handed swing at the plate.

+ 2020 LHH catcher Lucas Ryan (Chatham-Glenwood) has a long, lean projectable frame and is an advanced behind the plate for his age. Flexible, soft, quiet receiver, easy, accurate arm, throws stay on line, clocked at 74 mph.

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