IL Preseason All-State - Underclass: Preview

Tyler Bell SS / Lincoln-Way East, IL / 2024

From 8/22/21:

Cash Campbell 3B / Montini Catholic , IL / 2024

From 2/16/22: "Ranked inside the top-25 prospects in the state’s sophomore class...gave our staff a quality up-to-date look at his skill set. Now built at a stronger and leaner 6-foot-2, 205-pounds, Campbell’s left-handed stroke showed well in BP, as he displayed loose strong hands and natural lift through contact with a max exit velocity of 97.3 mph. He worked in rhythm on the infield as well with athletic feet and an accurate arm that delivered from a high ¾ slot. He’s long been an intriguing follow for us and we’re eager to see him continue to build off this performance throughout this year."

Samuel Chapman OF / Woodstock , IL / 2024

From 3/27/21:

Positional Profile: OF
Body: 6-0, 160-pounds. Long frame, room for physical development.
Hit: LHH. Tall, balanced setup, short stride, simple pre-pitch actions. Short, simple swing, advanced level bat path, barrel control, line drives, used all fields.
Power: 88.98 max exit velocity, averaged 83.94 mph. 272’ max distance.
Arm: RH. OF - 91 mph. Long, loose arm action, throws carry.
Defense: Advanced outfield actions, aggressive routes, quick/fluid footwork, clean exchange, plays through the ball athletically with crow hop.
Run: 7.39 runner in the 60.

Xavier Crowder SS / Montini Catholic, IL / 2025

From 9/20/21: "...One of the biggest highlights of the weekend...came out of the bullpen for Cangelosi Sparks North, playing up a class. Crowder, only a 2025, showed off elite arm strength making him a must know name, for those looking for some of the best crop of talent entering the high school ranks this fall. Crowder, an athletic, 5-foot-10, 169-pound, right-handed pitcher was generating extremely easy velocity working slightly across his body, with a clean, quick arm action. Early on Crowder was sitting mostly 84 mph, touching 86 but continued to get loose as his outing went along. Come his second and third inning Crowder was almost exclusively sitting 86-87 mph with his fastball getting a number of swing and misses towards the top of the zone. He went primarily fastball to start, flashing one breaking ball late in his second outing of work that showed slurvy shape and depth. Also, a highly-touted position player, whose position is still to be decided, Crowder looked the part in the box and running around the diamond. High-level 2025 prospect."

Conor Essenburg 1B / Lincoln-Way West, IL / 2025

From 1/6/22: "...Essenburg’s confidence and athleticism make his upside easy to bet on, and he fills out a wiry 6-foot, 160-pound frame, could see significant jumps in all facets of his game. A two-way player with a quick left arm, Essenburg has been up into the low 80s from a near ¾ slot with much more in the tank. Showcasing some aptitude for spin with both a slider and curveball, as well as feel for a faded changeup, there is some starter potential in the profile. At the plate, the right-handed hitter does not get cheated, showcasing loose wrists and quick hands with a big leg kick that separates the hands deeper into a power position. Impressively turning the barrel with aggressive use of the hips and lower-half, Essenburg’s 92 mph exit velocity should only rise in coming years as he adds strength. Overall, there is plenty to like about the future upside, and as the frame continues to mature, look for Essenburg to make an impact in the class."

Savion Flowers 3B / Kenwood, IL / 2024

From 10/14/21: "...carries considerable projection, at 6-foot-3, 175 pounds, and he’s athletic enough to use his long levers to run a 7.14, recorded at the White Sox ACE Scout Day. His loose left-handed swing offers significant upside, while, defensively, his best position is not yet clear – though we’ve seen his versatility play all over, from catcher, third, to the outfield."

Kyle Hartmann C / Sycamore, IL / 2024

From 3/27/21:

Derrick Holmes SS / Brother Rice, IL / 2025

Talan Hull LHP / Galva , IL / 2025

From 6/6/21: "...Physically advanced 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame, proportionally strong with even more room to add muscle. Left/left athlete that started in center field multiple times for the Outlaws throughout the PBR at The Rock Championships and also toed the rubber in the quarterfinal matchup Sunday morning against Hitters 14U. Tall, slightly open stance in the box, slight pre-pitch hand rhythm, hands move back in a quick motion, rapid leg kick trigger. Advanced hip/shoulder separation at front footstrike; rubber-band like stretch. Bat head travels with some lag through the zone, inside/out type swing at times, worked the other way multiple times throughout the weekend. Still consistently trying to repeat in rhythm and on time, clear upside offensively given age and frame."

Enzo Infelise 3B / Providence Catholic, IL / 2025

From 2/21/22: "It was another loud showing from C/INF/RHP Enzo Infelise, as the former PBR Junior Future Games participant continues to look the part as one of the more physical right-handed hitters in the state’s 2025 class. Built at a leaner and stronger 6-foot-2, 190-pounds, Infelise attacked the pull-side gap with hard contact throughout BP. His 98.3 mph max exit velocity was amongst the event’s best and it’s an especially noticeable mark for someone of his age. Infelise’s ability to elevate the baseball on the barrel stood out, as he recorded an average exit velocity of 89.4 mph and average batted distance of 262 feet - both of which are above-average batted ball metrics for his age. As a catcher, Infelise showed an elite catch and release skill set behind the plate. His pop times were consistently in the 2.00 - 2.03 range. He has a very direct and fast catch and release mechanic. His armplays strong  from a short over the top arm slot. His footwork is advanced, he understands the importance of using his feet to set up his throws to second base. On the infield he continued to show advanced feel and arm strength for his age. Naturally, his arm strength works on the mound, too, where he reached an 83.0 mph high with a fastball featuring efficient backspin and carry traits, and he demonstrated authentic spin feel with his breaking ball. Enzo is a projectable 2025 and a high-follow freshman to know in Illinois."

Sir Jamison Jones C / St. Rita, IL / 2024

From 10/14/21: "An enhanced offensive profile has pushed Jones into a high-follow category of prospect, demonstrated most recently at the White Sox ACE Scout Day as well as the PBR Fall Championship at Grand Park. Here is a note on him from the Scout Day at the end of August: “... now standing at a well-proportioned 6-foot-1, 195-pound frame. That added strength continues to enhance his impactful offensive profile. Jones made loud contact seemingly everywhere he went this summer and showed it once again at the event. Jones has a short, compact swing with feel for the barrel and makes hard contact to both gaps. Jones took one of the more polished rounds of BP on the day. Defensively, Jones has long featured above-average receiving abilities and soft hands behind the plate. The biggest takeaway for us was the improvement he has shown in his arm, topping at 74 mph. The velocity plays up as well, due to the fact that he gets on top of the baseball and throws a true ball with carry to the second base bag.”"

James Love 3B / Joliet West, IL / 2024

From 2/24/22: "An upside name-to-note from the 2024 class. Love’s lean, yet athletic, 6-foot, 180-pound frame has plenty of room for added strength and even further enhances an already intriguing offensive profile. He worked gap-to-gap in BP, flashing pull-side power and maintaining a fluid rhythm throughout with a clean right-handed stroke. Love’s batted ball profile is well advanced for his age, including a 98.6 mph max exit velocity, 93.5 mph average exit velocity, and 369 ft. peak batted distance. Defensively Love flashed high level arm strength on the infield topping out at 83mph.  He has an easy and controlled arm action and the ball jumps out of his hand.  He also showcased soft hands with quick footwork and quick exchange. His feel was advanced as he delivered the ball from many different arm angles from different areas of the field."

Beau McBride LHP / New Trier, IL / 2024

From 3/27/21:

Charlie Meister C / Hersey , IL / 2025

From 2/15/22: "...proved, yet again, to be one of the strongest members of the 2025 class after his impressive two-way showing on Saturday. The former PBR Junior Future Games participant did it all over the field, from one station to the next. On the mound, Meister works with a drop/drive lower-half while striding on-line, front foot landing closed and creating power down the mound with some intensity. His arm plays short out of the glove before moving into a high ¾ slot, and he easily repeated from a consistent window. Meister’s fastball played at 82-83 mph throughout the entirety of his ‘pen, mainly straight but showing life through the zone. His breaking ball plays off an 11/5 plane, occasionally 12/6, in the 72-73 mph range and it was thrown for strikes consistently. One of the more impressive aspects of Meister’s arsenal is a diving changeup thrown at 72-73 mph, which he is able to keep down in the zone repeatedly while maintaining fastball intent throughout his arm action. Offensively, the right-handed hitter is just as impressive putting up a loud, consistent round of BP, Meister takes a big, aggressive swing and when he is on time, the ball jumps off the barrel; 89 mph exit velocity on average during BP, which is a very noteworthy mark for a 2025 prospect. He also showed well on the infield and reached an 81 mph high across the diamond. Meister is a talented freshman in the state worth following closely."

Jackson Natanek SS / Brother Rice, IL / 2025

From 6/6/21: "...5-foot-8, 135-pounds, right handed hitter. Small, quick frame projectable to fill out. Profiles as a lead-off type hitter, even/balanced stance, short stride, quick and short swing. Has a 2-strike approach with discipline. Clean transfers at shortstop with quick hands and above average accurate arm, is agile and able to cover a lot of ground. Has the ability to make the big plays in the hole, up the middle and in front of him. At the plate against Chicago Elite went 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI. Offensively, he totaled 16 hits on the weekend in his team’s seven games, en route to the championship. On the mound, he showcased a clean arm with long and loose action. His arm speed is quick from a high ¾ window. Fastball sat 76-78 mph, topped at 80, and plays with life in the zone. He mixed in a breaking ball with 11/5 shape at 67-68 mph. Final line: CG, 0 R, 1 H, 4 K."

Randall Nauden C / Brother Rice, IL / 2024

From 10/14/21: "...was one of the only underclassmen to earn an invitation to the PBR Future Games this past summer to represent Team Illinois. His performance inside the 15U division at June’s PBR National Program Invitational helped get him there: “5-foot-10, 175-pound frame with broad shoulders, strong lower half and present strength throughout. Turned in a stellar performance for Top Tier during its 10-1 victory, driving in half the team’s runs with five RBI. Nauden spun on a fastball for a home run in his first at-bat, and followed it with a double down the left-field line. Flashed above-average arm strength for age behind the plate. High-follow in the 2024 class.”"

James Novakovic SS / New Trier, IL / 2024

From 8/22/21:

AJ Putty 3B / Huntley, IL / 2025

Khamaree Thomas OF / Kenwood, IL / 2024

From 5/7/21: "...Uncommitted. 5-foot-8, 150-pound, athletic, left/left outfielder. Started in left field and hit in the two-hole as a freshman. Finished 2-for-4 with a stolen base and run scored. Confident look in the box, ready to hit when he steps in, ability to cover the entire plate. Athletic setup, fluid rhythm and loose hands. Works on top of the baseball and uses the whole field. Follow 2024 left/left prospect."

Peter Visconti II C / St. Joseph, IL / 2025

From 6/6/21: "...5-foot-9, 168-pound right handed hitting catcher. Impressed on both sides of the ball. He looked the part as a confident receiver with sound blocking skills defensively. At the plate, his swing is compact and strong, lifting a long home run over the tall Fenway replica fence in left field during the PBR at The Rock Championships. Showed off gap-to-gap power against STiKS Black, hitting an inside-the-park home run to left-center field and a bases clearing triple to right-center field. Finished that game 2-for-3 with 5 RBI."

Jack Wheeler SS / Morris, IL / 2025