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PBR at The Rock 13U & 14U: Day 1 Quick Hits

May 30, 2020
By Wisconsin Staff

Today, baseball in Wisconsin was back.

Under a modified format, the PBR Wisconsin staff hosted its first tournament of the summer, the PBR at The Rock Championships, for the 13U and 14U age groups. After each gameday, we'll be highlighting the best things we saw, starting today after Day 1.

+ Kicking off our return to baseball on the day was a masterful pitching performance by Jack Poellet (Living Word Lutheran, 2024) for the Midwest Halos. His fastball sat between 73-75 mph and he showed easy control to both sides of the plate. He paired that heater with an advanced breaking ball and used a collective mix of both to keep opponents off balance all game. Poellet paced the Halos to a victory over Forceout, striking out eight batters over four innings.

+ Heading the charge for the Midwest Halos on offense on day one was lead off man Jack Lutz (2024). A quick-twitch middle infielder, Lutz went 4-for-5 on the day with four RBI using an all-fields approach. 

+ Justin Phillips (Lockport; 2024) turned in a strong performance at the plate for the Upper Deck Cougars in their lone game on day one. Phillips went 3-for-3, finding the barrel in each at-bat and flashing some raw pull-side juice. He’s a name to know as our weekend coverage continues.

+ For DTA Wildcats 14U, they enjoyed a 2-0 start to their season with the help of a pair of big offensive performances courtesy of Jacob Aseltine (2024) and Ryan Renella (2024). In their first game, Aseltine tallied a pair of triples and drove in five runs in their slugfest win over Milwaukee Hitmen. Aseltine tallied another double in their second game and another two hits, while Renella and Ryan Boe (2024) drove in another three runs each.

+ One of the day’s best pitching duels came on the 14U side, between GRB Rays Green and Hitters Baseball Navy. Two follow 2024s started against one another: RHP Eason Hurd (Ashwaubenon) for the Rays, and LHP Cade Palkowski (Oak Creek) for Hitters. Hurd is a physical build with natural strength that shows well on the mound and from the plate. He sat in the mid- to upper-70s throughout his three innings, but his breaking ball was tight and sharp, and he seemed to throw it exactly where he wanted to and at will. As for Palkowski, he’s emerged as a follow for his athletic arm that sat in the 75-77 mph range throughout his three-plus innings, reaching 78 and an 80 very early in his start. Matthew Renner (Tremper) added a hitless 3.2 innings of work to close the game out as Hitters kept adding on late to earn the 9-2 win.

+ We’ll be discussing this Elite Baseball Training 14U squad all weekend, it seems. They produced several follow prospects with advanced arm strength: RHP Joe Dolenga (Stevenson, 2024) and RHP Luke Oblen (DePaul College Prep, 2024) among them. Both reached an 81 mph high with a feel to spin. Oblen also squared up some baseballs from the right-handed batter’s box, giving him some added two-way potential.

+ Milwaukee Hitmen’s Reece Doyle (Oak Creek, 2024) is a big left-handed bat with some pop. He launched a grand slam to deep left-center field in his team’s win over Prospect Training Academy White.

+ Several key performers paved the way for 13U Cangelosi Sparks en route to their victory over the local Hitters Baseball program: 

  • Gael Urbieta (2025) started on the mound and impressed. He sat 74-76 mph with his fastball, easily spotting it to both sides of the plate. He mixed in a changeup and curveball as well, showing feel for both of them at times. Urbieta’s glove impressed as well, as he made a ridiculous diving stop to save multiple runs from scoring in a bases-loaded situation late in the game.
  •  Jimmy Sloan (2025) entered the game after Urbieta in relief. He too caught our eyes, touching 78 mph multiple times with his fastball and flashing a sharp slider that breaks late. Sloan tossed three scoreless innings, striking out four. 
  • Ethan Moore (2025) was an all-around performer out of the leadoff spot for the Sparks offense. He’s a gamer-type player that impacts the game in multiple facets. Moore consistently found the barrel, going 3-for-3 with a double deep into the left field gap. He stole two bases as well, showcasing his impressive speed. 

+ Earlier in the day, that same Hitters 13U squad earned a 9-1 win over GRB’s MKE Green squad after a late rally separated the two teams. RHPs Tyler Gress (Muskego, 2025) and Jaxon Clayton (N/A, 2024) suppressed GRB’s offense all game. Gress went three innings and allowed just one run, striking out six. Clayton came on in relief and looked excellent, sitting in the 70-74 mph range with an advanced feel to spin a breaking ball for his age.

+ Jaden Fauske (2025) showed why the second hitter is just as important as the leadoff hitter. The 13U Cangelosi Sparks’ Fauske didn't waste any time driving in the game's first run with a deep sac fly to left field that he only just missed. Later on, Fauske showed patience in the box by taking a walk and later on went on to score. Jaden ended his night at the plate finding the sweet spot once again for a double over the center fielder’s head that helped add to his RBI total for the game.

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