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Updated Illinois Class of 2015 Rankings: Revelations and Risers

February 24, 2015

By Ryan Quigley
Illinois Scouting Director

Late last week the PBR Illinois scouting staff quietly released the updated 2015 Illinois rankings. Yesterday we looked at changes within the Top Ten, which you can CLICK HERE to read about.

Today, we’ll focus on prospects who have risen in the rankings due to their recent performances, and those who are making their rankings debut. We’ve scouted extensively this winter, both at our own events, private workouts, and travel program college camps. The following rankings update reflects that work and will also be our final update before the start of the 2015 spring high school season.

Risers

+ As noted yesterday, within the Top Ten Wheeling’s Brenden Spillane rose from No. 11 to No. 7 as he impressed with the bat after getting cleared to swing following Tommy John surgery. Whitney Young’s David Craan tore up the Super 60 and rises from No. 22 to No. 9.

+ Mount Carmel C Scott Kapers moves from No. 20 to No. 14 with a strong Super 60 performance behind the plate.

+ The biggest riser within our Top 20 is Hersey catcher Nick Zouras, an Illinois State commit, rises from No. 76 all the way up to No. 17. Zouras has impressed at multiple pro workouts this winter with plus arm strength behind the dish. He’s physical at 6-foot-2, 190-pounds, shows power potential at the plate, and consistently registers sub 2.0 pop times. Most impressive is that he’s been clocked out of the crouch in the 87-88 mph range, astonishing in that the top Super 60 catching velocity was 83 mph. Zouras fits the profile of a pro catching prospect, with arm strength and physicality.

+ Fenwick RHP Quinn Snarskis moves up to No. 41, up 20 spots from our last rankings update. The pitchability right-hander has always impressed with his sinker/slider combination from a ¾ arm slot, but has seen his velocity rise into the upper 80’s this winter thanks to adding strength to his frame.

+ October Unsigned Senior Showcase participant Sam Hubbe impressed when he sat in the 85-87 mph range before the New Year. In January at the Cangelosi College Camp, Hubbe impressed sitting in the 87-90 mph range, bumping 90 mph numerous times. Not long after he committed to Butler and has risen from No. 92 into the Top 50 at No. 43.

+ Kentucky commit Austin Keen rises from No. 62 to No. 50 thanks to an impressive showing this fall in Jupiter where his fastball touched 89 mph.

+ South Elgin’s Ryan Weiss, the Top Overall Prospect at the January Unsigned Senior Showcase, is one of our biggest risers from No. 191 to No. 53. Weiss impressed with his feel for three pitches back in the fall at the Unsigned Senior Games, but the velocity sat in the 80-84mph range. Fast forward to January and Weiss sat 85-87 mph, projecting to throw harder thanks to his lithe 6-foot-4, 185-pound frame.

+ Another trio of Unsigned Senior pitchers rose significantly in the rankings. Belleville East’s Brady Schanuel touched 90 mph at the January event, and rises from No. 216 to No. 70. Grayslake Central’s David Llorens (Heartland CC) touched 88 mph in October, and has reportedly been up to 92 mph this winter. Edwardsville LHP Tynan Zeller sat in the 78-81 mph range in August, and came out this January showing feel for three pitches at 83-85 mph. The lanky left-hander should have even more in the tank thanks to his clean arm action and smooth delivery.

Revelations: Prospects New to the Rankings

+ West Chicago RHP Fred Gosbeth makes his rankings debut at No. 38. He’s shown easy velocity up 91 mph this winter, and impresses with a physical and athletic 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame.

+ Eastern Illinois commit Bryan Bund (Lake Forest HS) debuts at No. 113 after impressing with his fastball/slider combination at numerous events this winter. We saw Bund as high as 84-86 mph with his fastball, and his hard 74-76 mph slider has late breaking action.

+ Oak Forest SS Kevin Johnson has slipped through the cracks rankings wise, as the four year varsity starter for the Bengals, has produced each year on the high school level. Johnson recently ran a 6.81 60 at the Romeoville Preseason I.D., and on a track surface this winter has been timed as low as 6.55. He makes his rankings debut at No. 119.

+ Jersey’s Christian Kimble makes his debut at No. 135. The left-handed hitting RHP/3B impressed with a fastball up to 87 mph and legitimate two-way ability at the January Unsigned Senior showcase.

+ Waubonsie Valley C/SS Garret Howicz impressed this winter with 1.97-2.06 pop times and debuts at No. 209. He’d previously been a slick fielding shortstop, but the conversion behind the plate should add value from a recruiting perspective.

+ Conor Hayes, 1B, Benet – No. 193
+ Nathan Given, OF, Naperville North – No. 219
+ Chris Atwood, LHP, OPRF – No. 245
+ Brady Anderson, RHP, Gillespie – No. 246
+ Brenton Villasenor, RHP, Providence – No. 247
+ Trevor Dallio, LHP, Lincoln-Way West – No. 251
+ Kyle Harmon, LHP, Wauconda – No. 253
+ Carter Hayden, RHP, Alton – No. 258
+ John Hughes, RHP, Alton Marquette Catholic – No. 260
+ Chris Robinson, RHP, Edwardsville – No. 262
+ Danny Ahern, RHP, Glenbrook North – No. 267
+ Matt Musielak, C, Batavia – No. 284
+ Chandler Purcell, MIF, Gibault – No. 285
+ Ben Kociper, MIF, Sandburg – No. 286
+ Mike Homan, 3B, York – No. 287
+ Max Hughes, 3B, Brother Rice – No. 288
+ Michael Powers, RHP, Benet – No. 293
+ Aaryn Chandler, RHP, Mount Carmel – No. 294
+ Tyler Linna, C, Oswego East – No. 295

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