Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 12 Oak Park-River Forest

NEWCOMER TO WATCH

+ Joining the Huskies on the positional side this spring is MIF/OF Brady Green. We’ve seen Green a couple of times over the winter, and he has consistently proved to us that he is trending in the right direction. He has all sorts of versatility on the defensive side, likely set to see time in the corner outfield positions and on the infield - and his right-handed bat could surely make an immediate impact at the varsity level. 

“[Green] recently stood out at the Lockport Preseason ID in all aspects of the game and showed much more of the same at the loaded All-State event. Green looked like one of the top uncommitted 2025s at the event thanks to much-improved bat speed and offensive overall profile. Green has a chance to be a middle of the order type of bat who has feel to hit to go along with emerging power potential. Green showed even more bat speed than at Lockport, averaging 67.1 mph bat speed while staying on-plane (82% efficiency) and using the whole field. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound shortstop also took one of the top rounds of infield defense with easy range, smooth hands and a strong arm that topped at 86 mph. High-follow 2025 prospect.”

A standout at the #ILStateGames, INF Brady Green (@oprfbaseball, 2025) impressed again at the Lockport Preseason ID.

Fast, athletic RH swing with more pop than we'd seen before; 99.3 mph max EV, 90.3 mph average.

Advanced defender, 86 mph across.

?: https://t.co/XppgC5hlMf pic.twitter.com/oenZIovktq

— PBR Illinois (@PBRIllinois) February 22, 2023

X-FACTOR

+ RHP Calvin Proskey (2023; UC-Santa Barbara commit) had a dominant junior campaign in which he earned All-Conference honors, and he’ll headline the Huskies rotation this spring. The future Gaucho was tied for the team lead in innings pitched last spring (41.0) and had sole possession of the team lead for ERA (1.71) and WHIP (1.15) – all while punching out 56 batters and surrendering just 14 walks. At 6-foot-3, 170-pounds, Proskey has all sorts of untapped upside left in the tank. He has a dynamic arsenal, with a mid-80s fastball that has touched 87 mph in our looks with upwards of 2,200 rpm. He also mixes in a low-70s breaking ball north of 2,300 rpm and a changeup with killed spin to keep hitters off-balance. 

STAT RAT

+ (.999 OPS): That .999 OPS in 2022 was turned in by freshman standout MIF Ethan Moore (2025; Louisville commit). Moore, a premier switch-hitting prospect in the state, slotting in within the top-5 in Illinois’ sophomore class, started as a freshman last year and did more than just hold his own. During his freshman campaign, Moore slashed .352/.407/.593 and is poised for another big spring after recently showing well at the South Milwaukee Open. Here is what we had on Moore from the event:

“[Moore] was easily one of the day’s biggest winners. Currently the No. 4 ranked player in the state of Illinois, the switch-hitter put on a show throughout his rounds of BP. From both sides of the plate, Moore boasts fluid hands that work into a flat path, controlling his body well through impact and generating easy bat-speed. His approach at the plate is mature, remaining simple and using the whole field while remaining on the barrel consistently (T96.4 mph max EV; 91.4 mph avg. EV). Moore also looks to be a premium defender up the middle of the field, boasting fluid/athletic actions to pair with soft hands, athletic footwork and a strong arm (T88 mph INF). On top of all of that, he’s also a 6.98 runner in the 60.”

MIF Ethan Moore (Oak Park-River Forest, IL, 2025) is a Louisville commit and one of @PBRIllinois' top-ranked sophomores. Stand-out defender and a true switch-hitter; added strength in the offseason (96.4 max EV) and a 6.98 runner.#SouthMKEID

? PROFILE: https://t.co/r7x5vuYFYK pic.twitter.com/wYjovqUwha

— PBR Wisconsin (@PBRWisconsin) March 7, 2023

OUTLOOK

The Huskies return a healthy amount of position players from their conference championship team, with five hitters in the lineup that saw upwards of 50 at-bats last spring. This includes the aforementioned Ethan Moore, his brother INF Ezra Moore (2023; uncommitted), MIF Kevin Cortez (2023; Augustana golf commit), C John Philip Ferraro (2023; uncommitted), and OF Mason Phillips (2024).

The pair of seniors that man the left side of the infield, Moore and Cortez, were key contributors to the club last spring. The two tied with one another for second on the team in RBIs, and will likely be looked to for production once again. Ferraro led the team in doubles as a junior last season with seven, and has proved to be a quality hitter in front of our scouting staff in-event; finding the sweet spot at a 91% rate during his round of BP at our Illinois State Games last August per TrackMan. Phillips, in his third spring as a member of the varsity club, offers some of the more athletic upside in the 2024 class as a 6.60 runner with a max speed of 21.5 mph. Given the varsity experience that each of these upperclassmen have under their belts, the Huskies will likely lean on them to kick-start their offense this coming spring. 

Head coach Kevin Campbell also expects contributions from a pair of seniors, CIF Patrick Carmody (Illinois Wesleyan commit) and UTL Jack Gooch (uncommitted). Carmody is expected to compete for the role of starting 1B for the Huskies this spring, while Gooch is expected to see time in the outfield. Despite seeing limited time on varsity last spring, both made the most of their opportunities. Carmody posted a slash line of .391/.444/.565 with 9 RBIs in just under 30 plate-appearances - while Gooch batted .375 in just 16 at-bats, however he did lead the team with 11 stolen bases (at a 100% success rate, too). With more of a clear path carved for the two during their senior campaigns, both will be a key contributor if the Huskies want to make a deep playoff push. 

Joining the aforementioned Proskey is RHP Dylan Wipf (2023; Missouri S&T commit) and LHP Wilson Kruse (2024; Xavier commit). Wipf is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound athletic mover on the bump with a mid-80s fastball that has been up to 85 mph in our looks. He tunnels a sharp breaking ball well off of the fastball, and has shown the ability to collect swing-and-misses with the pitch. 

Kruse is an on-the-rise 6-foot-5, 195-pound junior who recently committed to Xavier and is getting his first taste of varsity this spring. The last time we saw Kruse was the winter of 2022 where his fastball played easily in the low-80s with promise of more to come. There were multiple reports that Kruse took some big steps this winter and soon after he made his commitment. Kruse's emergence could be a big x-factor for the pitching staff this spring.

Wilson Kruse (2/13/22)

Coming out of the ‘pen for the Huskies will be RHP Drew Koenig (2023; Webster commit), RHP Francis Heinzmann (2023; uncommitted), and RHP Eli Travis (2024). Koenig put together one of the more impressive bullpens at our Unsigned Senior event last fall, working in the mid-80s, touching 86.4 mph with high spin rates on his fastball. He pairs this with a sweeping curveball and a fading changeup to fool opposing hitters. Heinzmann offers a four-pitch mix; a low-80s fastball with arm-side run, a pair of breaking balls, and a mid-70s changeup that plays well off the fastball. Travis, the youngest of the relief pitchers, works his fastball in the 80-82 mph range and pairs it with a high spin curveball. The breaking ball has true 12/6 shape and sits in the mid-60s with sharp downward action. 

BOTTOM LINE

The Huskies 2023 roster is littered with athleticism throughout a lineup that has conference championship experience. Their offense will cause some headaches for opposing pitchers with the overall speed they possess, and they’ll also be one of the better defending teams around. If the front end of their rotation can stay healthy and produce the way we know they can, we are looking at a deep and well-rounded club that should set up nicely for a deep playoff run. 

Make sure to follow @PBRIllinois on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2022 season.

Find more information on the 2023 Huskies below:

+ Team Website
+ Team Schedule
+ Team Twitter

PRESEASON POWER 25 COUNTDOWN