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Underclass Showcase: Quick Hits

October 18, 2022
By: Illinois Scouting Staff

On Sunday, October 16, the PBR Illinois staff hosted the Underclass Showcase at The MAX in McCook, Illinois. The event featured just under 70 players from the 2025-2026 grad classes and brought together some of the most talented underclass prospects in the state.

Check out who popped in front of our scouting staff from this past Sunday, below. 

COMMITTED STANDOUTS

+ Illinois commit, SS Ethan Bass (Glenbrook North), has had a huge fall, standing out everywhere he has been, and the Underclass Showcase was no different. Bass, one of the top 2026s we have seen to-date in Illinois, continued to show off an elite right-handed swing while leading the event with a 96.8 mph max exit velocity and launching the furthest batted ball at 370’, more than 15’ further than anyone else in attendance. Bass has athletic hands with bat speed, stays flat through the zone and looks to do damage with hard, loud contact off the barrel while working gap-to-gap. Defensively, he plays best on the move, playing with active feet and a loose arm that topped at 82 mph. On the mound, Bass impressed with a high-spinning fastball that sat in the 81-83 mph range, spinning routinely over 2,500 RPM with over 13” of run at times. His breaking balls are both well above-average for his age as well; with the curveball playing with sharp 11/5 action at 65-68 mph (T2352 RPM) and the slider playing with more 10/4 shape and late bite, 69-71 mph (T2342 RPM), occasionally pulling both offerings to his glove-side but overall showing control down in accordance with the zone. To fill out his repertoire he went to a changeup at 66-68 mph, killing spin and reaching over 16” of horizontal movement at times. Bass continues to show upside to all aspects of his game and is a legitimate two-way name to know in the 2026 class.

+ Another one of the top prospects in their respective class in attendance was C/INF Jaden Fauske (Nazareth, 2025), a Louisville commit. Fauske continues to add quality strength to his 6-foot-2, 182-pound frame and showed well across the board. At the plate, the left-handed hitter is calm and relaxed in the box, creating advanced bat strength and jumping off the barrel with ease and confidence. He looks to elevate the baseball with authority and led the event with an average exit velocity of 90.5 mph, his furthest batted ball traveling 354’.  Defensively, he showed a quick, strong arm, especially from behind the plate, topping at 79 mph from the crouch with multiple pop times coming in at sub-2.00. Fauske has a quick glove-to-hand release and profiles equally as well at both defensive spots.

POSITION PLAYERS

+ INF Adolfo Lopez (Maine East, 2025) took one of the louder rounds of BP on the day, especially when it comes to uncommitted prospects. Lopez has a 6-foot, 185-pound, strong, compact frame that translates into his right-handed swing. Lopez swings with controlled intent, strong fast hands and stays on plane while showing a knack for hard contact. Lopez’ average exit velocity was 86.3 mph, T93.9 and his furthest batted ball traveled 344’, fourth furthest of the event. Lopez also ran a 7.29 60 and was 76 mph across the diamond.

+ Alex Kiefer (Mount Vernon) is another 2025 who made a name for himself at the event. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound switch-hitting catcher took a polished round of BP from both sides of the plate. Kiefer works strong and compact to the baseball with a feel for the barrel and whole field approach. Defensively, he has clean, natural catcher actions, with a short, compact arm action and his arm played true and accurate at 73 mph with a low pop time of 2.10.

+ Aaden Guerrero (Lyons Township, 2025) is a bouncy, high-motor defender that plays fast up the middle of the diamond with sure-hands while flashing carry to his throws at 82 mph. At the plate, the right-handed hitter recorded an average rotational acceleration of 20.5 g, the second-best at the event. Guerrero swings with a purpose, creating above-average bat speed, working off a natural uphill path through the zone. 7.31 runner in the 60. 

+ Adrian Medina (Grant, 2025) put together one of the better, more polished rounds of BP on the day. Medina has a strong, 6-foot-1, 220-pound frame and was all over the barrel in his round of BP, repeating hard, line-drive contact. Medina stays short and flat to the baseball, working above the baseball with the ability to create backspin and jump off the barrel at times. 

+ C/INF Peter Corthinos (Maine South) is a 2026 who made a name for himself at the event. Listed at 5-foot-5, 140-pounds, Corthinos has a highly-repeatable, athletic right-handed swing that should only continue to ascend as he matures and adds strength over the next few years. His bat stays on-plane, through the zone a long time and finishes on balance. Defensively, he is bouncy and athletic behind the plate, playing quick and efficiently with a strong arm for his age that topped at 73 mph and pop times between 2.11-2.18. 

+ Ben Toft (New Trier) is a left/left outfielder to know in the 2025 class. Toft put together an impressive stat line across the board, running a 6.93 laser-timed 60, topping at 86 mph from the outfield with a max exit velocity of 93 mph. Toft has athletic hands at the plate, staying short and level through the zone with a line-drive, middle of the field approach. Defensively, he is a fluid mover with natural outfield actions and quick arm. Also, turned in the second best vertical jump of the event at 32.7 inches. 

+ OF Henry Murray (Lane Tech, 2025) wields a physical bat from both sides of the plate and showed that throughout BP at this event. At 5-foot-10, 175-pounds, Murray repeatedly ripped off hacks with intent and aggression, averaging 87.9 mph per batted ball with a 96.3 mph peak exit velocity. His furthest batted ball traveled 359 ft., which was the second-highest mark amongst all players in attendance. 

+ 3B Logan Nagle (Lockport, 2025) repeated hard gap-to-gap contact throughout BP, back spinning balls off the barrel to the pull-side while willingly elevating balls to the opposite field, too. A physical 6-foot-1, 200-pound prospect, Nagle averaged an event-high 272 ft. per batted ball event, peaking at 339 ft, too. Nagle’s 86.6 mph average exit velocity also finished towards the event lead, and his hardest hit ball came off his barrel at 92 mph. He’s a strong right-handed bat with a feel to hit in the state’s current sophomore class to follow. 

+ INF Dominic Holton (Notre Dame Prep) repeated a simple left-handed swing throughout BP. At 5-foot-10, 165-pounds, Holton worked direct and on top of the baseball, peppering line drives to all fields. Holton also ran a 7.13 60-yard dash and jumped 30 inches on our vertical test. 

TWO-WAY FOLLOWS

+ OF/RHP Bryce Loeger (Conant) was the lone 2024 in attendance and should be followed closely in the class. Loeger has a broad-shouldered, 6-foot-2, 180-pound and strong arm that played up to 91 mph from the outfield and at 85-86 mph on the mound. Loeger has a strong right-handed swing, with loose, athletic hands and elevates the baseball to the pull-side. Loeger’s hardest batted ball left the bat at 93.4 mph and his furthest batted ball traveled 334’. On the mound, Loeger is a fluid mover with a long arm from a ¾ slot and threw a high-volume of strikes with his four-pitch mix, topping at 86.2 mph. He also spun a tight slider around the zone with confidence that emerged as his primary secondary offering; a 74-76 mph pitch that averaged 2,250+ RPM. 

+ OF/RHP Carter Bleakney (Champaign Central, 2025) is a prospect to follow from the central part of the state that popped up at this event. A strong 6-foot, 180-pound athlete, Bleakney’s day began with a loud round of BP, flicking balls off his barrel at 88 mph on average, reaching a 95 mph max on his hardest hit ball. He generated impressive bat (74.1 mph) and hand (22.4 mph) speed on average as well, which are both above-average marks for his age. Bleakney hopped on the mound later in his workout and generated hard arm-side action, averaging 19 inches of run on his fastball at 83-85 mph. Though still developing full feel for his secondaries, Bleakney’s arm strength and ability to generate that amount of run on his fastball is certainly noteworthy. 

+ LHP/1B Anthony Karbowski (Hampshire, 2025) entered this event as one of the top prospects on paper, and solidified his status as a name-to-know southpaw in the Illinois’ sophomore class. At 6-foot-2, 180-pounds, Karbowski pumped his fastball from a fluid, up-tempo delivery at 84-86 mph, topping at 87 mph on his firmest bullet. Karbowski also spun a low-70s breaking ball with sweeping action, peaking at 2,486 RPM on his highest spun pitch, while averaging nearly 2,300+ RPM as well. At the plate, Karbowski elevated contact to the pull-side from an athletic right-handed swing throughout his round of BP. Already slotted inside the top-50 prospects in the Illinois’ 2025 class, Karbowski generated positive momentum at this event heading into an integral off-season. 

+ OF’s Connor Lund (South Elgin), Luke McClure (Champaign Central) and Constantine Coines (Maine South) (are a trio of well-above average athletes to keep an eye on in the 2025 class. 

+ Lund, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound, right-handed hitter, ran a 6.74 60, topped at 80 mph from the outfield and stayed short and on top of the baseball at the plate. 

+ McClure, a 5-foot-10, 155-pound, left/left athlete ran a 6.75 60, was 80 mph from the outfield and recorded a 29.7 inch vertical jump, fourth-best of the event. McClure plays the outfield with light feet and a high motor, ranging with ease and showing off actions that should profile him in center field for the long haul.

+ Coines was also towards the top of the list with a 28.6 inch vertical jump, ran a 6.88 60 and topped at 85 mph from the outfield. Coins has a loose, right-handed swing that works level through the zone and the ball was jumping off his bat during BP at times. 

+ Joey Gumuls (Marist), Angelo Lundeen (Lyons Township) and Owen Chael (York) were a trio of catchers worth a mention in the 2025 class. Gumuls is quick out of the crouch and his arm showed carry and was consistently on the bag, topping at 76 mph with a low pop time of 2.04. Lundeen had a tendency to get out of the crouch early but also showed a strong arm at 77 mph as well as showing an easy, strong right-handed swing. Chael did his best work in the right-handed batters box where he repeated hard contact, staying on-plane and keeping the bat in the hitting zone a long time. Chael recorded an 80% sweet spot percentage which was top five at the event.

PITCHERS

+ RHP Chase Lockwood (Libertyville) made his PBR event debut at this event and was amongst the top 2026 prospects in attendance. The younger brother of RHP Connor Lockwood (Libertyville, 2021; Valparaiso), Chase caught our attention towards the end of the day when he hopped on the mound. At 6-foot, 145-pounds, Lockwood is a fluid mover downhill, repeating his delivery with efficient mechanics and a loose, clean arm stroke. He pitched in the upper-70s, cutting it on occasion, and working the glove-side corner of the plate throughout. Lockwood’s aptitude to spin is advanced, spinning a 65-66 mph curveball at 2,500+ RPM on average, and he mixed in a tighter slider at 69-71 mph, averaging 2,300 RPM. Lockwood rounded out his arsenal by limiting spin on a 72-74 mph changeup, averaging 16 inches of run per pitch, too. A projectable athlete with an ease to him on the mound, Lockwood figures to be a follow name throughout next year’s winter circuit and beyond. 

+ RHP Donovan Christman (McHenry, 2025) showed plenty of projection and intrigue on the mound in his ‘pen on Sunday. At 6-foot-2, 174-pounds, Christman’s firmest bullet came in at 82 mph from a high slot, playing downhill in the zone and near the lower quadrant. The separator for Christman, however, was his aptitude to spin a curveball at 2,500+ RPM at 66-69 mph with 17+ inches of horizontal movement at max, too. His physical stature, easy operation, and ability to spin have Christman trending upward heading into the winter. 

+ At 6-foot-1, 175-pounds, LHP David Leung (Hinsdale Central, 2025) is another upside, projectable southpaw from this event. Leung’s fastball played at 80-82 mph from a loose, clean arm stroke, working the bottom of the zone for strikes. His changeup, a pitch that played at 72-75 mph, maintained fastball plane throughout, averaging 15.5 inches of horizontal movement. A name that’s shown well in front of our staff previously, Leung’s stock could certainly rise after a productive off-season. 

+ RHP Keegan Luxem (Hersey, 2025) made a loud statement in his ‘pen on Sunday. Standing at an already physical 6-foot-4, 200-pounds, Luxem catches the eye before he even steps on the mound. His delivery is simple and he showed the ability to control his limbs and repeat before moving into a high ¾ slot. His fastball plays with some angle through the zone and a max IVB of 19.8, sitting 82-84 mph throughout his ‘pen with spin reaching over 2,300 RPM. His curveball has potential, playing with sharp 11/5 action at times while occasionally missing up in the zone, 66-67 mph. His final offering was a changeup at 75-76 mph, playing with tilt when kept down and arm-side fade through the zone. With Luxem’s ability to control his body at his young age, the command over his arsenal should only continue to tick up as he develops in the coming years. 

+ LHP Ryan Frano (Glenbard East, 2025) is listed at 6-foot, 165-pounds with room to add on strength. The southpaw is an athletic mover throughout his delivery, working into a high leg-kick that coils into balance point before dropping into his lower-half down the mound. His arm is short out of the glove with a repeatable circle and plays from a ¾ release. Frano’s fastball sat right in the 79-80 mph range with a max IVB of 22, thrown for strikes consistently. He delivered his curveball at 68-70, playing with tight 1/7 shape - while his changeup played mostly straight through the zone with killed spin and some feel for the zone, 70-71 mph. 

+ One of the more intriguing looks on the mound came from RHP Ethan Faith (Jacobs, 2025). Standing 6-foot-2, 165-pounds, Faith still has all sorts of room to add on strength in the coming years. The right-hander worked exclusively out of the stretch with a wide base and front foot closer to third, creating some deception immediately before moving with a drop drive lower-half down the mound. His arm is long and loose out of the glove, transitioning into a ¾ slot. His fastball sat comfortably in the 77-80 mph range, topping out at 81 mph with heavy sinking action (T20.3” HM). His best secondary offering was a cutter at 71-73 mph, playing with sharp 10/4 action and late sweep - acting more like a slider but is absolutely a pitch he should keep in his arsenal moving forward. Lastly, he went to a curveball at 65-66 mph, kept down in the zone with 11/5 shape. 

+ RHP Jackson Schlott (Plainfield North, 2026) emerged as an intriguing arm in the ‘26 class on Sunday. The 6-foot-1, 240-pound right-hander has a simple operation; moving with a medium leg-lift into balance point and maintaining a slight bend in the back knee while striding down the mound. His arm is long out of the glove and plays with looseness throughout its’ circle, moving into a ¾ release. Schlott worked his fastball right in the 78-79 mph range with over 17” of run at times. His curveball showed out-pitch potential, spinning over 2,300 RPM at times with sharp 11/5 action. He featured a knuckleball with killed spin at 67-69 mph, playing with unpredictable action through the zone. His final offering was a changeup at 72-73 mph, playing mostly straight and thrown with intent. 

+ One of the best breaking balls on the day came from RHP Jordan Shoemaker (Metea Valley, 2025). With an average spin rate over 2,600 RPM and a max of 2,733 RPM, Shoemaker filled up the zone at 67-69 mph with his sharp 11/5 curveball. His fastball is a quality pitch as well, sitting 77-80 mph with over 18” of run at-times. He showed some feel for his changeup as well, thrown at 71-73 mph with slight fading action to the arm-side.

+ An upside arm worth mentioning is LHP Danny Kienzle (Lyons Township, 2025). The 6-foot-3, 180-pound southpaw has a lean/athletic build, still showing room for added strength in the coming years. He worked his fastball up to 79 mph, sitting mostly 75-78 mph with heavy arm-side life and a max IVB of 16.8. He showed some feel for both his curveball and changeup; with the curveball coming in off a 1/7 plane at 59-60 mph and the changeup sitting 69-71 mph with slight fading action. His final offering was a slider at 63-64 mph which played with up to 14.5” of sweep. 

CLICK HERE for a look at the event page.

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