Prep Baseball Report

Junior Future Games: Team Illinois Takeaways


By: Pete Hamot
Assistant Director, Illinois & Wisconsin

From Wednesday, July 24, through Sunday, July 28, Prep Baseball hosted it's prestigious Future Games at the LakePoint Sports Complex in Emerson, Ga., featuring the country's best uncommitted talent. As always, Team Illinois brought a Junior Future Games team down to compete against teams all across the country, finishing the week at a 2-1 clip, later falling in bracket play to a tough Oklahoma team. 

Now, we would like to shine some light on the boys that came down to compete, and you can find scouting reports on each and every one of them, below. 

Scouting Reports

+ OF/LHP Carver Cohn (McHenry) is a toolsy left/left prospect that showed well for Team Illinois. He has above-average tools that he uses to his advantage, boasting a 6.97 in the 60 that allows him to cover all sorts of ground in the outfield as well as take extra bases with ease. His arm is plenty strong, reaching up to 84 mph from a crow hop and 83 mph on the mound. He is a tough out at the plate, consistently fighting deep into counts while looking to keep the ball on a line to the gaps - finishing his week 4-for-7 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored. There is much more to tap into as he matures throughout high school, and all the clay is there for a high-level prospect. 

+ MIF Kameron Cox (Montini) will be a name to follow throughout his prep career. The right-handed hitter has a simple swing that works to stay up the middle of the field with a flat path. He’s a natural defender on the dirt, boasting soft hands, fluid footwork and athletic actions. His arm plays well across the diamond too, showing the ability to deliver accurate strikes on the move and from multiple angles. 

+ C/OF Weston Wyzukovicz (Libertyville) proved to be a reliable backstop over the course of the tournament, handling numerous arms that were new to him with ease. He works hard behind the plate and is a willing blocker, also makes a clear effort to present pitches around the zone for strikes. He showed quality glove-to-hand actions, topping out at 72 mph from the chute with a low pop-time of 2.05 seconds. Wyzukovicz also showed positional versatility throughout the week by making some high-level plays in the outfield. The right-handed hitter creates some leverage throughout his operation, showing the ability to elevate the baseball to all fields. 

+ UTIL Anderson Kaufmann (Alton) had a productive week in multiple aspects. He led the team in hits throughout the week, going 4-for-6 with three RBIs and three runs scored; showing a whippy barrel and the ability to use the whole field. He’s a confident receiver with the ability to limit the run game with his strong arm (T76 mph) and quick glove-to-hand, producing a pop-time as low as 1.94 seconds. He threw the ball extremely well when he took the ball in the playoffs, going three shutout innings with just two hits allowed, no walks and three strikeouts - working consistently in the upper-70s (T80 mph), though we’ve seen him up to 84 mph in the past. 

+ C/INF Jack Bullington (Marist) holds some of the highest upside on Team Illinois, sporting a high-waisted 6-foot, 160-pound frame. On the mound, the right-hander has an easy and repeatable delivery with a loose arm, creating a sinking fastball that can grab the upper-70s. He also can spin the breaking ball, consistently reaching over 2,400 rpm in his outing. At the plate, the right-handed hitter has an easy and flat swing that should continue to get better as he fills out physically - finishing the week with two hits, an RBI and a run scored. He’s a quality defender behind the plate with steady actions and a willingness to block the baseball, and he showed some versatility on the infield, playing both spots up the middle. 

+ MIF/RHP Peter Pignatiello (Benet) is an athletic 5-foot-11, 150-pound prospect that showed some prowess on both sides of the ball. The left-handed hitter has a smooth swing that stays through the zone with easy effort and balance - with the highlight of his week at the plate being an inside-the-park home run. He’s an advanced defender for his age, flowing easily to both sides of his glove to pair with soft hands and fluid footwork. There’s a lot to like about Pignatiello on the mound as well; possessing an easy drop/drive delivery that stays in-line with a shorter arm action and high ¾ release. He’ll compliment his upper-70s fastball with both a curveball and a changeup that he can land for strikes. 

+ 3B/OF Payton Archibald (Charleston) is a physical left-handed hitter that shows middle of the order upside as he progresses throughout his prep career. He has easy juice to his pull-side with quality feel for the barrel, paired with a mature and composed presence in the box. On the infield, Archibald boasts steady hands and actions, and he also made a difficult running catch in the outfield over his left shoulder in his brief time out there. 

+ 3B/RHP Alex Govoni (Loyola) was a two-way winner from the event. He fired two strong innings on the mound, not allowing a run to go along with just two hits, one walk and two strikeouts - all while working in the low-80s with the fastball. He’s an athletic defender with confident hands and the strong arm to pair at the hot corner. At the plate, the right-handed hitter stays on-plane and can use the whole field with authority, showcasing some easy bat-speed and controlled intent. 

+ C/RHP Lucas Sloan (Olympia) was yet another talented backstop for Team Illinois, showing natural receiving actions with an accurate arm and clean glove-to-hand (2.04 pop-time). The right-handed hitter has some noticeable hand-speed, and he has some pop in his bat with a max EV of 91 mph. On the mound, Sloan has shown a big fastball up to 81 mph, pairing with a slider and changeup with some feel for the zone. 

+ OF/RHP Ryan Pipkins (Champaign Central) was a steady performer on both sides of the ball for Team Illinois. Listed at 6-foot, 163-pounds, the left-handed hitter finished the week 1-for-4 with an RBI, run scored and three walks. He has a simple and easy swing that stays flat through the zone and balanced through impact, making adjustments to velocity and off-speed easily. On the mound, the right-hander fired two scoreless innings with just one hit allowed, no walks and two strikeouts. There’s plenty of arm-strength to dream on, and he’s a controlled mover with minimal perceived effort; reaching into the low-80s with his fastball. 

+ INF/RHP Cole Clower (Minooka) is a physical prospect with a bright future on both sides of the ball. Standing in at 6-foot-2, 160-pounds, the left-handed hitter has a confident look to him in the box, utilizing his levers to create easy jump off the barrel. He’s a smooth defender with some feel for the position, and his arm is plenty strong to stick on the left side of the infield (T79 mph). On the mound, he battled through a tough first inning before finding it and settling in to throw three strong innings. He has some advanced movement patterns for his age with hip/shoulder separation and good layback in his arm, helping him create a fastball that plays in the low-80s. 

+ SS/RHP James Sobkowiak (Downers Grove South) is an upside left-handed hitter that also showed well on the mound. At the plate, Sobkowiak has loose levers with whippy hands, staying through the zone well with the ability to keep the ball on a line to all parts of the field. He’s a steady defender with sure-handed actions, and his arm is plenty strong (T81 mph INF). His arm-strength easily translates to the mound, where he ran his fastball up to 82 mph, though we’ve had him up to 84 mph in the past. With the way the arm and body works, there is definitely more velocity to come. 

+ RHP/1B Jack Postma (Barrington) stands out physically at 6-foot-3, 180-pounds, and he has the stuff on the mound to match. The right-hander was lights out over his four innings of work, only allowing one hit with no runs, two walks and four strikeouts. Its and easy, long-levered operation with a quick arm out front, and we’ve seen his fastball as high as 83 mph in recent looks. Not only was his arsenal impressive, but he also showed a calm and collected confidence while he was on the mound. High-ceiling arm with his best days very much still ahead of him. 

+ RHP/1B Jack McNamara (Brother Rice) had a quality showing against a tough Minnesota team in the opening game, firing three innings with two earned runs. He controlled the zone well with three pitches, including a fastball that cruised in the mid-70s (T78 mph), a curveball and a changeup. He swung a hot bat throughout the week as well, finishing 2-for-6 with three runs scored. The left-handed hitter has a balanced and controlled operation with easy power to his pull-side while still showing the ability to use the whole field. Listed at 6-foot-5, 210-pounds, there is a lot more to dream on with the big two-way. 

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