On Feb. 21, the PBR Illinois staff traveled to the Bo Dome in Lockport, Ill., to host the annual Lockport Preseason ID. The event featured nearly 200 players from the surrounding area, and provided our staff with an ample opportunity to check-in on some of the state’s top high school prospects, as well as identify several new names to know as we prepare for the IHSA season ahead – in addition to invite-only events on the PBR Illinois calendar, like Saturday’s Preseason All-State showcases. 

Now, at the event’s conclusion, our staff will begin the post-event process by highlighting some of the day’s standouts in this Quick Hits piece. More content from this event will be available over the next week, so be on the lookout for that.

For now, here are some of the names who caught our attention this past Monday.

QUICK HITS

BIG WINNERS

+ Perhaps the day’s loudest BP round came from INF Jake Zitella (St. Charles East, 2023; Illinois). A well-proportioned 5-foot-11 195-pound athlete, Zitella swung with controlled aggression throughout his entire BP round, displaying explosive bat speed and consistent loud contact to all fields. It’s clear that he wields one of the state’s most potent right-handed strokes as the Illinois commit recorded a max exit velocity of 103.9 mph and peak distance of 365 feet while averaging 94 mph off the bat, too. Zitella flashed sure-handed actions on the infield as well and the arm strength to pair, reaching an 87 mph high during his defensive workout. He definitely created some positive momentum heading into the IHSA season as a high follow right-handed hitter in the state’s current junior class. 

+ OF Tommy Atkinson (St. Rita, 2023) solidified his status as one of the state’s top uncommitted juniors at Monday’s event with a strong offensive showing. A strong and sturdy 5-foot-10, 185-pound athlete with clear strength in the lower half, Atkinson dashed his way to one of the day’s fastest 60-yard dash times, clocking a 6.69 on our lasers. Offensively Atkinson showed above-average bat speed and swung with controlled aggression from the right side, staying on the barrel throughout. Atkinson’s average exit velocity (91.8 mph) was amongst the event’s best numbers and his ability to make hard contact to all fields was noticeable. He’s capable of being a staple atop a lineup at the next level. 

+ OF/RHP Nate George (Minooka) was one of the more intriguing 2024’s in attendance on Monday. The athletically built 5-foot-11, 165-pound sophomore is a dynamic athlete who can impact the game in a number of ways. George started his day by floating around the outfield with athletic actions, quick feet and strong arm that topped at 89 mph. He the proceeded to run a 6.64, the top 60-yard dash of the event. The talented right-handed hitter then got in the box and showed off an athletic, aggressive swing with quick strong hands and all kinds of jump off the barrel (95 mph max exit velocity) given his wiry-strong frame. The two-way prospect capped his day with a highly-intriguing ‘pen, proving that his athleticism easily transfers over to the mound. With a compact/repeatable delivery and clean arm, his fastball worked up to 84.6 mph with ride through the zone and life out of the hand. He used a curveball with short 10/4 action to play off a similar plane, consistently landing it in the zone for strikes at 69-70 mph. With a straight changeup kept down in the zone at 74-76 mph, he showed a promising third offering to keep would-be hitters off balance. High-follow 2024 prospect to know moving forward.

+ INF Zan Von Schlegell (Saint Viator, 2023) put together one of the more impressive stat lines together on the day. Von Schlegell, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound, defined, athletic right-handed hitter ran a 6.78 laser-timed 60, topped at 92 mph across the infield with a number of throws recorded at 90+ mph and he registered a max exit velocity of 97 mph off the bat.  Defensively, Von Schlegell profiles as a quick twitch athlete with above-average foot quickness and hands while using some effort to get to his plus arm strength on the infield. At the plate, the right-handed hitter lets the ball travel, stays quiet with strong hands and a controlled, intentful swing and lifted gap-to-gap contact. Von Schlegell, making his PBR debut, comes away as one of the top names to know. 

6-foot-5, 174-pound RHP Ryan Mickenbecker (Plainfield North, 2024) was one of the top standouts on the mound. The lanky sophomore impressed with a fastball up to 87 mph that he gets on top of and works downhill, creating tilt. Mickenbecker pairs it with a 12/6 breaking ball and fading changeup. The combination of age, stature and fastball velocity create a substantial ceiling for the right-hander, who will likely throw his name in the mix of top arms in Illinois’ 2024 class. 

+ OF/RHP Collin Jennings (Marist, 2023) provided our staff an updated look at Monday’s event with an impressive showing in multiple areas. A long-limbed 6-foot-4, 200-pound highly projectable athlete, Jennings controlled his levers well at the plate while staying short to contact with an optimized left-handed stroke for elevating the baseball. He projects to hit for power at the next level as he fills out his frame and flashed that during BP, recording a 95.9 mph max exit velocity, 89.7 mph average exit velocity, and 343 foot max distance. Defensively, Jennings topped at 87 mph from the outfield during his defensive workout and that arm strength translated to the mound as he ran his fastball up to 85 mph. His arsenal showed advanced traits on our TrackMan, averaging 20+ inches of vertical break on his fastball and 15+ inches of horizontal movement with his changeup. Jennings’ multifaceted skill-set has our staff intrigued and he’s certainly a high upside uncommitted name-to-know in the state. 

+ One of the most athletic players in attendance on Monday was INF/OF Ryan Kotara (Lincoln-Way Central, 2024), who’s a multi-positional prospect that’s impressed our staff in previous looks and certainly didn’t disappoint. Now built at a more physical 6-foot-1, 188-pounds, Kotara kicked off a productive day by running a 6.77 in the 60-yard dash. He looked the part in the box from the moment he stepped in, easily finding himself on the barrel to both gaps throughout his round of BP. All of Kotara’s batted ball metrics have ticked up since we saw him last July, especially how far he hit the ball - both at peak (368 ft.) and on average (252 ft.). 

+ OF/RHP Devan Tupper (Normal University, 2024) is listed at a lean, projectable 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, and he stood out on both sides of the ball on Monday. From the mound, Tupper’s loose, quick arm required minimal effort to reach an 85.3 mph high, inside a delivery that featured athleticism throughout. His fastball projects best as a sinker-type, with hard arm-side run that flashed late action through the zone at times. Tupper’s changeup looked like his best offspeed offering at present, thrown effectively at arm speed with deceptive fading action that worked well off his fastball. His curveball projects, however, as he gains greater confidence in it, though it’s presently a short breaker that works off a more vertical plane, flashing tight spin in the 2,100 rpm range. Tupper presents the same kind of intrigue and upside with his right-handed bat as well. Tupper has whippy, loose levers, creates leverage off the barrel and made a lot of hard contact into both gaps. The 6.89 runner in the 60 also topped at 87 mph from the outfield. Strong overall day for the high-ceiling, two-way prospect. 

+ One of the bigger surprises of the day was the uncommitted left-handed arm of Daniel Strohm (Geneva, 2022). A senior who’s still on the market, Strohm is a unique southpaw working from a ¾ slot, sitting 85-87 mph with relatively low effort and led all pitchers in horizontal fastball movement, averaging 18 inches of action.

MORE NAMES TO KNOW

CLASS OF 2023

+ OF Kevin Denty (Marian Catholic, 2023) was another name to note from Monday’s event. Built at a proportionally strong 6-foot-1, 185-pounds, Denty started his workout off by running a 6.81 in the 60-yard dash. He took an impressive round of outfield defense, while peaking at 88 mph to home on his hardest throw with true, accurate throws to his target throughout. Denty concluded an all-around impressive day by showing well in BP, staying short to contact while working on the barrel. Denty stays extremely quiet and simple with minimal wasted movement and advanced hand and bat strength through contact. Denty wore out the left-center field gap (93 mph peak exit velocity) throughout his round of BP. 

+ Another outfielder who boosted his stock at the event was OF Andrew Allred (Andrean, IN, 2023) who hails from northwest Indiana. The athletic 5-foot-10, 170-pound, right-handed hitter has above-average tools across the board; 6.86 60, 88 mph from the outfield and registered a peak exit velocity of 92 mph. It is an athletic, rotational swing with present bat speed and was hard on the barrel throughout his round. Defensively, he potentially profiles at all three outfield spots. 

+ RHP Daniel Giusto (Lincoln-Way East, 2023) made a statement in his first-ever PBR showcase. The athletically built 6-foot-1, 175-pound right-hander works with a fluid drop/drive lower-half down the mound before transitioning into a loose/quick arm, playing from a high ¾ slot. Giusto worked his fastball up to 86 mph, jumping out of the hand and featuring heavy arm-side life at times. He throws his curveball with fastball intent, working off a sharp 11/5 plane in the 68-71 mph range, also kept low in the zone. His third offering was a splitter in the 77-78 mph range, thrown with arm-speed and diving to the lower-quadrant of the zone. 

+ An uncommitted arm that popped at Monday’s event was RHP Jake Perrino (Benet, 2023). The 6-foot-3, 180-pound right-hander is athletically built and moves extremely well down the mound, gaining ground with a drop/drive lower-half into a long/flexible stride. His arm plays from a loose ¾ slot, moving quickly out of the glove to release. Perrino’s fastball sat primarily 85-86 mph, topping out at 86.8 mph on his best bullet while jumping out of the hand with natural arm-side life. The best secondary offering the right-hander featured throughout his ‘pen was a diving changeup, kept low and to the inner-half of the plate at 76-79 mph. His slider flashed sharp action at times, playing off a 10/4 plane and thrown from a similar window to his fastball in the 73-76 mph range. 

+ LHP Colton Kachinsky (Lincoln-Way West, 2023) is an impressive 6-foot-2, 195-pound southpaw with a gifted arm for his age. It's a long and loose lever that works with ease to produce an 82-84 mph fastball that showed well above average feel and arm side run (measuring at 14 inches on average). Kachinsky showed above average feel for all three pitches, including a sweeping curveball and fading changeup. 

+ RHP Lucas Bormann (York, 2023) is a name to keep tabs on this coming spring after his impressive showing on Monday. Bormann stands at 6-foot-1, 160-pounds, with plenty of room for added strength in the future. He works extremely loose down the mound with a drop/drive lower-half before striding slightly across his body, creating a tough angle on right-handed hitters. Bormann filled up the zone with his fastball, reaching up to 85.6 mph with an average IVB of 18 inches, showing control to both sides of the plate. His slider plays with slurvy 10/4 shape, thrown at 72-75 mph with some feel for the bottom of the zone. His final offering was a changeup that plays from a near identical release point to his fastball, diving to the inner-half of the plate at 78-79 mph.

+ RHP Joshua Schmidt (Whitney Young, 2023) showed off arguably the best breaking ball of the day, averaging over 2500 RPM at 72-73 mph, Schmidt throws it with serious confidence. Playing as a sweeping curveball, it matches his ¾ arm slot, and pairs well with a hard running fastball at 82-83 mph. He showed feel for all three of his pitches creating an advanced repertoire for his age.

+ RHP Rylan Dorsey (Ottawa, 2023) is a 6-foot, 180-pound right-handed pitcher that proved to be one of the better arms in attendance. With a powerful drop/drive delivery, Dorsey ran his fastball up to 83 mph while setting up three quality off-speed pitches. The first being a sharp curveball that he flipped in the zone at 61-63 mph, playing off an 11/5 plane. He then showcased another breaking ball at 64-65 mph, also playing off an 11/5 plane but featuring more depth than his previous offering, thrown for strikes. His final offering was a changeup that flashed arm-side life at times, thrown with arm-speed at 68-72 mph while killing spin.

+ MIF/OF John St. Clair (Plainfield North, 2023) put together one of the event’s most well-rounded workouts. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound junior took reps on the infield and outfield, showcasing above-average arm strength from both positions. He peaked at 85 mph across the diamond and reached back for a 91 mph max from the outfield, which was amongst the event’s hardest throws. St. Clair showed quality bat-to-ball skills and a quiet, compact right-handed swing in BP, working line drives off the barrel throughout. He’s an athletic uncommitted follow in Illinois with top-of-the-order upside. 

+ Built at a physical 6-foot-3, 205-pounds, 1B Jack Fagerson (Plainfield North, 2023) took one of the day’s most impressive BP rounds. The left-handed hitting junior elevated the baseball and worked gap-to-gap with loose strong hands throughout. On average Fagerson recorded some of the day’s furthest batted balls with a 275 ft. average distance and max batted distance of 341 feet. Still uncommitted, Fagerson is certainly a follow heading into the spring and summer circuit. 

+ INF Christian Ruiz (Oak Lawn, 2023), had a great day showcasing his defensive abilities on the infield.  Ruiz moves with rhythm and tempo on the infield, playing light on his feet which allows his hands to look soft and quick.  He utilizes multiple arm angles and smooth actions to field the ball when on the move and impresses with an 87 mph high across the infield. Ruiz flashed elite level infield actions and is a follow for the class of 2023.

+ INF Niko Mastoras (Lockport, 2023) was one of the top infielders from the event. He showcased a strong arm and smooth, advanced actions during his round of infield. His best tool was his arm, as his throws played with carry to his target at an 86 mph max while also working from multiple slots. He showed quick feet and soft hands with advanced feel for himself on the infield. Mastoras’ athleticism translated to the batter’s box, as his average hand speed (24.5 mph) and average bat speed (71.5 mph) were amongst the day’s best. He used the whole field during BP and the ball occasionally jumped off his barrel with a direct path to contact. 

+ C Sean Ryniec (Downers Grove North, 2023) emerged as one of the top backstops from the event. Ryniec has an advanced feel behind the plate paired with a strong arm. His feet play quick and clean, while his hands work in unison. Ryniec showed a loose, quick arm from behind the plate and produced throws with life and carry to his target. That aforementioned footwork, and his arm strength, aided him in registering a low pop time of 2.00, tied for best of the event. At the plate, Ryniec showed loose athletic hands and a short swing to contact, generating loft out front while elevating gap-to-gap throughout. 

+ INF Joseph Portell (Downers Grove South, 2023) put together an impressive look on the infield during his defensive workout. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound junior showed advanced feel on the dirt with his rhythm and timing. He moved with a certain urgency to him while also maintaining easy effort throughout. Offensively, Portell swings an easy, balanced right-handed bat while staying short to the baseball and flashing strong hands through contact. Also, a 7.02 runner in the 60.

+ INF Henry Kufa (Carlinville, 2023) impressed our staff during the infield portion of the event. The Southern Illinois product displayed soft hands, quick feet, quick exchange and showed an athletic advanced feel moving laterally quickly and efficiently. His arm is loose and his throws had life and plenty of carry; up to 82 mph across. The 5-foot-10, 160-pound, right-handed hitter has a simple, quiet swing and controls the barrel with a whole field approach.

+ 6-foot-1, 185-pound, left-handed-hitting outfielder, Clay Jensen (St. Charles East, 2023) peaked some interest late in the day. Jensen starts out tall and open in the box, stays inside the baseball with ease and flashed present power with his furthest batted ball traveling 371 feet, second-best of the event.

CLASS OF 2024

+ Louisville commit, OF Dennis Butler III (Simeon, 2024), continues to look like one of the more athletic outfielders in the 2024 class. The 5-foot-7, 165-pound, changes the game on the field with his speed (6.75 laser-timed 60) and his left-handed swing profiles at the top of an order moving forward. Butler stays compact and inside the baseball and creates impressive bat strength for his age and size. Butler consistently lined backspin line-drives into the left-center field gap during his round of BP. The dynamic sophomore is also a natural in the outfield, covering a lot of ground with a quick first step and precise routes. 

+ LHP/OF Francis Bilecki (Marist, 2024) made a splash on monday with one of the more impressive ‘pens on the day. Standing at 6-foot, 165-pounds, the southpaw worked exclusively from the stretch with a repeatable drop/drive delivery and loose/clean arm. His fastball worked in the 81-84 mph range, riding through the zone with notable arm-side action. The left-hander’s best secondary offering was a sinking changeup that featured heavy movement to the arm-side, thrown at 76-77 mph with feel for the lower quadrant of the zone. Bilecki then went to a sharp 1/7 breaking ball at 70-71 mph, thrown with near identical fastball arm-speed and kept primarily low while pairing off his other two offerings effectively. The left-handed hitting two-way prospect also is notable in the box due to his loose levers and sneaky jump off the barrel. There are plenty of more gains to come for Bilecki down the road.

+ An upside name-to-note from the 2024 class at this event was INF James Love (Joliet West). 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.    

+ 1B/C Jackson Stanek (St. Rita, 2024) made a loud impression in his PBR event debut with impressive batted ball metrics across the board. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound sophomore reached a max exit velocity of 99.7 mph with an average exit velocity of 93.4 mph and a 70% hard-hit rate (percentage of batted balls in an event that reached a 95+ mph exit velocity). Not only did he consistently hit the ball hard, but Stanek showed a natural ability to elevate the baseball to his pull-side as well. His peak batted distance (378 ft.) and average batted distance (316 ft.) were amongst the event’s highest marks. With his ability to make this level of impact-type contact and hit the ball in the air, Stanek has real upside as a thumper-type at the next level.

+ RHP Mesfin Duwell (Lyons Township, 2024) showed a raw, projectable pitch mix in Lockport on Monday that should put him on the radar following his PBR event debut. There, Duwell – a wiry, lean 6-foot-2, 186-pound righty – sat in the low-80s (82.6 mph high) with a fastball that projects well, featuring above-average spin and horizontal break for its velocity and his age. His size and loose, easy arm action combine to create a projectable follow profile for the sophomore.

+ RHP Ethan Godlewski (Lincoln-Way East, 2024) put together one of the more polished bullpens of the entire event on Monday. Standing at an athletic 6-foot, 180-pounds, the right-hander moves down the mound with a compact drop/drive delivery, repeating his mechanics with ease. Godlewski impressed by using a running fastball at 80-82 mph to fill up the zone consistently, also showing the ability to navigate the pitch to both sides of the plate. He then went on to a sharp 11/5 breaking ball with depth at 68-70 mph, which he was able to land both for strikes and to put would-be hitters away. His third and final offering was a 73-76 mph changeup, thrown with intent and featuring heavy fading action to the arm-side, also thrown for strikes and kept mostly down. 

+ RHP Camden Loomis (Ottawa, 2024) was yet another arm that showed to have some upside. The 5-foot-10, 145-pound right-hander worked with an up-tempo delivery down the mound, utilizing a drop/drive lower-half to create power while remaining in-line to the plate. He produced a fastball up to 82 mph that jumped out of the hand with arm-side life through the zone. His most impressive secondary offering was a 65-68 mph changeup, thrown with fastball intent and consistently landing for strikes while fading to his arm-side. He showed developing feel for a short 11/5 breaking ball, kept low and to his glove-side at 69-70 mph.

+ INF Ryan Kondrad (Lake Zurich, 2024) is a 6-foot, 185-pound, physical, well-proportioned frame and potent right-handed bat. Kondrad has easy, fluid pre-pitch actions, strong simple swing and looks like a potential middle-of-the-order type of bat down the road. Kondrad stayed short to contact and was on the barrel with authority throughout much of his round. Kondrad recorded an average distance off the bat of 278 feet (343 max), which was second best at the event to go along with a 93.6 peak exit velocity. Kondrad also ran a 7.33 60 and was 85 mph across the infield. 

+ 1B Matthew Ruttkay (Glenbrook North, 2024) brings an imposing presence into the batter’s box, built at 6-foot-4, 233-pounds. His physicality showed at the plate in BP, as Ruttkay generated hard gap-to-gap contact with easy effort throughout his round. The ball jumped off his barrel at a 92.8 mph average in BP while also reaching a peak of 96.4 mph and 356 feet, per TrackMan. 

+ C/OF Hayden Fellows (Downers Grove South, 2024) made a positive impression in his PBR event debut. The 5-foot-10, 160-pound sophomore flashed advanced juice off the barrel, squaring his hardest hit ball up at 97.6 mph without much effort. Fellows repeated a short and compact swing, spraying line drives to all fields on a direct path to contact.

CLASS OF 2025

+ It was another loud showing from C/INF/RHP Enzo Infelise (Providence Catholic, 2025), 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.

+ INF/RHP Brady Booth (Tremont) emerged as a follow name in the 2025 class after a strong showing at the Bo Dome on Monday. A lean and lanky 5-foot-11, 154-pound athlete, Booth made his strongest impression during the defensive portion of the event. Booth showed elite level infield actions, especially for his age, with quick feet and hands and lightning quick exchange.  He has a short quick arm action and delivers from a high ¾ slot.  He has a live projectable arm and fired accurate throws across the infield that played with carry. Offensively, he utilized the length in his levers to whip his barrel through the zone for loud contact to the opposite field. He put up some noteworthy Blast Motion metrics as well, averaging 23.5 mph of hand speed and reaching a peak rotational acceleration of 25.2 g. Booth proved to have advanced versatility for his age, showing well on the mound with an athletic delivery downhill. His fastball worked up to 79.4 mph with natural arm-side run, also thrown for strikes consistently before setting up a sharp 10/4 breaking ball that he was able to keep low in the zone. 

+ Perhaps one of the highest upside offensive 2025s we saw at Monday’s event was OF Nick Morsovillo (Sandburg, 2025). The 6-foot-1, 155-pound freshman has plenty of room to fill out his frame and, should he do so over the next coming years, could further enhance an already intriguing profile at the plate. Morsovillo’s loose left-handed stroke caught our attention early, as he stayed inside the baseball throughout and steadily sprayed on the barrel line-drives to all fields. He covered all corners of the plate, displaying adept bat-to-ball skills, and easily repeated his bat path. Impressive first look at the left-handed hitting outfielder.

+ RHP/INF Nathan O’Donnell (Providence Catholic, 2025) flashed two-way intrigue to our scouts at Monday’s event. Offensively, O’Donnell showed quick hands with a short and level path to contact, staying on the barrel to all fields while covering the plate. On the mound, O’Donnell’s 83.2 mph max fastball velocity was the highest among freshmen at the event. It’s an efficient, true four-seamer that projects well as he continues to develop and add strength, and it doesn’t take him much effort to reach the low-80s, either. Defensively O’Donnell showcased an advanced feel for the infield. He has a loose arm and smooth actions. His top velocity on the infield was 83 mph which comes from a short, quick arm action and releases from a high ¾ arm slot. He has fluid footwork and clean hands that allowed him to stand out in the infield.

+ RHP/OF Liam Arsich (Lincoln-Way Central, 2025) looks to be an up-and-coming arm to keep an eye on. At 6-foot-2, 145-pounds he’s long and slender with a quick arm for his age. Already sitting 77-79 mph he looks to carry a ton of upside with the length in his frame, lack of present physicality and exceptional arm speed for his age. There’s clearly more in the tank as he fills out his already athletic frame (7.01 runner in the 60; 84 mph from the outfield).

+ OF/RHP Ethan Rogers (Lincoln-Way Central) was another 2025 prospect to emerge as a follow from this event. Rogers showed athletic hands with above-average hand speed (23.2 mph) and kept his barrel in the zone while staying level to contact. He worked gap-to-gap and stayed on the barrel, flashing upside in the power department should he further fill out his 6-foot-2, 160-pound frame as he continues to age. And keep an eye out for him on the bump, too. While the velocity has not yet materialized (77.3 mph high), Rogers’ fastball tends to jump through the zone already, backed by quality spin that boosts its projection. His fastball features hard arm-side run that complements his sweeping breaking ball, creating a follow mix for the freshman.

+ INF/RHP Joe Hasse (Peotone, 2025), a 6-foot, 175-pound freshman brought a quiet and controlled presence into the box, staying short to contact and working in a fluid gap-to-gap rhythm. Hasse has plenty of room to add strength onto his frame and his ability to already innately elevate the baseball at this age suggests a relatively intriguing future power profile. His steady rhythm always plays on the mound, where he features a heavy, projectable two-seamer that should grow into velocity as he matures; currently up to 75.8 mph. Hasse also demonstrated advanced spin feel for his slider, a pitch that pairs effectively alongside his running fastball.

+ Left/left OF Declan Kane (Providence Catholic, 2025) provided our scouts an intriguing upside look at the plate. A high-waisted and projectable 6-foot, 155-pound frame, Kane’s barrel played with length through the hitting zone and maintained a level plane to contact. He worked gap-to-gap in a fluid rhythm and covered the other half of the plate with comfort, too. 

+ Two more members of the 2025 class that impressed on Monday were RHPs Cameron Armstrong (Providence Catholic) and Finn McCarty (St. Laurence). The pair of right-handers worked their fastballs up to 80 mph while navigating the strike zone to both sides. The two freshman also showed feel for a curveball/changeup combination that should help profile them as starters for this coming spring, displaying advanced feel at times for the strike zone.

There were a number of other noteworthy prospects not mentioned above who we will touch on down the road in our continued post-event coverage over the next week.

+ CLICK HERE for more on the Lockport Preseason ID.

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