On Aug. 6 and 7, the Prep Baseball Illinois staff hosted the third annual Illinois State Games at the Rantoul Family Sports Complex in Rantoul, an event featuring the top players in the state, spanning grad classes 2025 through 2027.

For everything you need to know about the event, like stat leaders, historical context, commits, and more, click HERE. To see a full list of the players that attended, click HERE.

Shortly after the event, our staff published a full data dive at this event, where we analyzed several standouts from Tuesday's workout day, as well as the arms who took the mound in Rantoul. You can find both of those here: Position Players | Pitchers.

Now, at the event's conclusion, our staff has compiled our scout notes from our two-day trip, and we've been rolling out takeaways pieces over the last few days, starting with the 2025s, followed by the 2026s, and finally finishing out with the 2027s, today. Below you'll find scout notes and videos on an abundance of sophomores from the event.

2027 TAKEAWAYS

+ RHP Liam Nash (WestMinster Christian) gave a highly impressive look over his two innings of work, striking out five along the way. The 6-foot-1, 192-pound right-hander displayed well above-average arm-strength for his age, sitting in the 85-87 mph range throughout his outing while showing the ability to control the zone, especially the upper quadrant. His go-to secondary was his slider that played in the low-70s with sharp 10/4 bite and feel to land for strikes. High-follow arm.

+ MIF Jacsen Tucker (Oswego East) continues to impress as one of the top prospects in the state. Listed at an uber-projectable 6-foot-3, 173-pounds, Tucker is lean and highly athletic while still holding plenty of room for added strength in the future. He’s an advanced defender with high-level actions and an internal clock that allows him to play with timing and rhythm, making plays to both sides of his glove with ease and long/athletic strides - pairing with a strong arm (T85 mph) that can play on the move and from multiple angles. He has an athletic right-handed swing that continues to trend in the right direction; working up to 96.9 mph for his max EV in the workout. 6.85 runner in the 60.

+ CIF/RHP Gavin Stanislawski (Brother Rice) gave an impressive two-way look at the State Games. Listed at 6-foot-1, 207-pounds, physical with present strength throughout. The right-handed hitter took intentful swings throughout his round of BP and flashed well above-average raw power to his pull-side. His swing is direct and stays through the zone, also showing to be highly repeatable for his age with present bat-speed and strength. His bat continued to play in-game, where he shot a ball into the RF gap for a double. He later hopped on the mound and displayed a quality three-pitch mix; starting with a fastball in the 81-83 mph range with some tilt through the zone. His curveball showed tight, 10/4 action with some feel for the zone, and he also flashed a changeup in the 78-79 mph range with around 13” of run on average. It’s an easy operation on the mound with little perceived effort, and there looks to be more in the tank in the coming years.

+ RHP/CIF Brady Cunningham (Brother Rice) continues to solidify himself as one of the state’s top prospects in the incoming-sophomore class. Owning a physical 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame, Cunningham continues to get it done on both sides of the ball. From the right side of the plate, he showed calm confidence in the box with impressive bat-to-ball skills and easy power to the middle and pull-side of the field, finishing game play with two hits, one being a double to the left-center gap, and two RBIs. During the showcase, Cunningham posted an average exit velocity of 93.3 mph (T97.1 mph), while sending his farthest hit ball 364 feet. He was efficient in his two-inning stint on the mound, showing feel to throw his three-pitch mix for strikes. His fastball sat 82-85 mph, and topped out at 86.2 mph with ride through the zone. He turned to a curveball with 12/6 actions, and an upper-70s change-up with mostly straight actions.

+ C Beau Breyman (Freeburg) impressed throughout gameplay with a high-motor and willingness to work behind the plate. He’s a quality receiver, looking to present pitches around the zone for strikes with subtle hand movements. Active and willing blocker, moves well to both sides from the crouch and deadens the ball out front. Arm plays with some life and accuracy to his target, recording a 2.04 in the workout while topping out at 73 mph from the chute. The right-handed hitter found some success in gameplay, finishing 3-for-6 with a double and an RBI. He has a simple right-handed swing that stays flat through the zone, showing the ability to use the whole field with some authority.

+ INF/RHP Trevor McClure (Mount Vernon) is an ultra athletic prospect with plenty more strength to come, standing in a 6-foot, 167-pound frame. His tools are intriguing, highlighting why he’s one of the top prospects in the state’s 2027 class. On the mound, McClure showed athletic movements and confidence to throw strikes with his entire repertoire. He displayed an upper-80s fastball with sink and quality spin. McClure frequently turned to a sharp 12/6 curveball that was up to 2576 rpm, and a slider with equally impressive spin (2329 avg. rpm), sitting 76-78 mph. He rounded out his arsenal with a change-up that played with mostly straight actions. At the plate, the right-handed hitter showed a simple, repeatable swing that was paired with a loose, level path and an up-the-middle-to-pull side approach. He finished the week 3-for-6 with a double, two runs, two walks and two stolen bases. A 6.94 runner, McClure’s athleticism translated to his defense, as he showed deliberate footwork and a strong arm that topped at 89 mph across the diamond during the showcase.

+ RHP Charlie Caroselli (Providence Catholic) has long been a performer in front of our staff, and the State Games were no different. Caroselli is a high-pitchability right-hander standing at a high-waisted and athletic 5-foot-11, 165-pounds. In his two innings of shutout work, he only allowed one hit while punching out two. He controlled the zone with an arm-side running fastball that worked up to 78 mph. He also had feel for the zone with both of his offspeed offerings; an 11/5 slider at 63-65 mph with feel to spin (avg. 2357 rpm), and a 71 mph changeup.

+ RHP/SS Connor Fox (Mt. Zion, 2027) stands in a lean 5-foot-11, 152-pound frame with projection still to come. He's an athletic mover down the mound with a compact arm path out of a high 3/4 slot. Fox's fastball sat in the low-80s, and topped out at 84.8 mph with sink at times. He spun a slider that induced swing-and-miss, playing with short horizontal actions. He rounded out his aresenal with a change-up that played with arm-side fade and tunneled effectively off of the fastball. Intriguing arm to monitor.

+ RHP/INF Kash VanHouten (Canton) is yet another high-level prospect from the state’s 2027 class that attended this year’s event. An athletic frame with present strength, VanHouten stands in a 6-foot, 179-pound frame. He works out of a stretch-only delivery on the mound, showing a long arm action with strength, sitting mostly 84-88 mph, while topping out at 88.6 mph with carry through the zone. He turned to a slider that he showed feel to land at the bottom of the zone, and a change-up with clear fade, sitting 76-80 mph. He began the showcase running a 6.96 60 time, a significant improvement since his last showing in the winter. The right-handed hitter displayed a quick bat (avg. 72.4 mph), producing a max exit velocity of 93.9 mph and a max batted distance of 344 feet during batting practice. He remains an athletic defender with clean actions up the middle, including the top infield velocity of the event (91 mph).

+ RHP/OF Cullen Schwigen (Rockridge) stands in a hard-to-miss and projectable 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame. He tossed two innings on the mound and struck out three, walked one and allowed one hit and no runs. His fastball touched 88.5 mph, but sat mostly 84-87 mph with quality spin (avg. 2265 rpm) and some ride through the zone. He continues to improve his 73-75 mph curveball, continuing to show more feel for the pitch. It’s a swing-and-miss potential pitch with an average of -15.8 inches of horizontal movement (T-20.4”). Schwigen also showed well with the bat; both in the workout and during gameplay. The right-handed hitter swung a heavy barrel - reaching a max EV of 91.2 mph and peak distance of 355 feet during the workout. In-game, his power translated nearly leaving the yard twice with both a pull-side and a backside double. Schwigen’s impressive two-way profile makes him a must-know name in the state’s 2027 class.

+ LHP Chase Reinhart (Normal West) is an upside southpaw that threw the ball well in his outing. He stands at a high-waisted 6-foot, 167-pounds, and is an athletic mover down the mound paired with a short, quick arm. His fastball worked up to 85 mph, flashing sharp run at times (T-19.7” HM). His slider played more vertically at 68-73 mph and earned whiffs throughout the outing. Reinhart would go on to punch out three over his 1 ⅔ scoreless innings, and is name to continue to follow in the state’s incoming-sophomore class.

+ RHP/INF Kaden Wasniewski (McHenry) has made major strides, and continued to make a case for why he’s one of the top prospects in the 2027 class at this year’s Illinois State Games. Pitching against the ProCase team, Wasniewski struck out the first three batters he faced, predominantly using his fastball that sat 87-90 mph and topped out at 90.9 mph with clear ride through the zone and quality spin (2403 avg. rpm). He later showed a mid-70s slider with minimal induced vertical break and quality horizontal movement, averaging -17.8 inches. He rounded out his arsenal with a change-up that sat 79-81 mph with slight arm-side fade. Wasniewski has all kinds of confidence on the mound, showing minimal emotions throughout. He finished his outing with four strikeouts, one run and two hits allowed. He’s a legitimate two-way threat, beginning the showcase running 6.54 60 time, which cracks the 12th for all of the State Games events across the country, regardless of class. The right-handed hitter has a calm/confident approach at the plate with some easy juice, recording a max exit velocity of 94.3 mph and a max batted distance of 358 feet. An athletic defender on the infield with range to both sides, Wasniewski’s arm plays strong and accurate across the diamond, topping out at 89 mph in this look.

+ LHP Eddie Donnelly (Nazareth) is an intriguing arm-to-follow in the state’s incoming sophomore class. A 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame with present strength and projection still to come, Donnelly displayed easy actions down the mound with a compact and clean arm path out of a high ¾ slot. His fastball played with slight running action, while also mixing in a curveball with slurvy actions. He rounded out his three-pitch mix with a mostly straight change-up. Donnelly had a quality outing, tossing 2 innings with three strikeouts, while walking one, allowing one hit and no runs.

+ OF Keaton Ariano (Geneseo) stands in an impressive 6-foot, 182-pound frame with strength throughout the frame as well as present athleticism. He showed well during the showcase portion of the event, staying on the ball to all fields during his round of batting practice, producing an average exit velocity of 88.1 mph (T92.7). A 7.07 runner, Ariano’s athleticism translates to the outfield where he’s shown an above-average arm on throws to home (T85 mph).

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