PBR Illinois Pitcher of the Week: LHP Conor Essenburg
March 29, 2023
Lincoln-Way West is coming off a strong 2022 campaign where they went an impressive 25-7-1, eventually falling in the Super-Sectionals to Brother Rice. They are primed for another big year in 2023, coming in at No. 4 in our Preseason Power 25 Rankings. One of the key factors we are so high on the Warriors is because of LHP/1B Conor Essenburg (2025; Kansas State) and his versatility to be an impact player on both sides of the ball. He is already proving to be a key piece for West, as he takes home the second PBR Pitcher of the Week Award for 2023.
Essenburg toed the rubber against Yorkville on Tuesday March, 21 and helped lead the Warriors to a 3-1 victory over the Foxes. In six innings of work, Essenburg didn’t allow a single run while only surrendering one hit, walking one and striking out 13.
He also took care of business at the plate, hitting his way to a 6-for-11 weekly clip with four RBIs in total.
Essenburg saw some time on varsity last season, but will be relied on much more heavily this spring for production on both sides of the ball. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound southpaw has all sorts of room for continued growth, and he already boasts one of the better arms in the class. He can work his fastball up to an easy 88 mph, sitting mostly around 87 mph to pair with a sharp curveball and surprisingly enough, a knuckleball.
(2/25/23)
His right-handed bat is well-above average as well, working with a fluid tempo throughout his operation and showing a clear feel to hit. He also has tremendous bat-strength, averaging 95.5 mph and topping out at 100.4 mph at this past February’s Preseason All-State: Underclass.
Essenburg is already showing to be taking to his new responsibilities on varsity, and be on the lookout for numerous more impressive weeks out of the Kansas State commit.
Scouting Report
1B/LHP Conor Essenburg (Lincoln-Way West, 2025), a recent Kansas State commit, showed off some natural actions on the infield, moving around the bag with fluid footwork and soft hands with a clear feel for the position - also reaching up to 89 mph across the diamond which is four mph harder than our last look. At the plate, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound, right-handed hitter has a fluid, upside right-handed swing that works on-plane with rhythm and feel for the barrel. The true, two-way prospect is a southpaw on the mound with an advanced fastball curveball combination, sitting 86-88 mph with some big arm side action, pairing well with a slurve type breaking ball that works across the zone.