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Kankakee CC Scout Day: Takeaways

September 9, 2024
By: Pete Hamot
Assistant Director, Illinois & Wisconsin

On Thursday, August 29th, the Prep Baseball Illinois/Wisconsin staff traveled to Kankakee CC for a private scout day. There were over 30 players in attendance, and today we wanted to take a look at some of the standouts from the day, found below. 

POSITION PLAYERS 

+ SO OF Dylan Coty (Merrillville) stood out in the workout with an athletic toolset. He started his day off by cruising to a 6.82 in the 60, pairing it with sure-handed actions and footwork in the outfield. His arm is plenty strong, topping out at 91 mph from a crow hop with life and carry. The right-handed hitter worked to stay on top of the baseball throughout his round, working on the barrel with a max EV of 94.1 mph. He looks to be one of the top returning bats for the Cavs as well, hitting his way to a .320 average a season ago in 175 at-bats with 12 doubles, four triples and 24 stolen bases. 

+ FR INF/OF Jordan Johnson (Bismark Henning) will be a name to follow for the Cavs this year. A 6.96 runner, Johnson is an above-average athlete with a fluid right-handed swing to pair. He worked mostly pull-side throughout his round but stayed on the barrel, also showing the ability to elevate to that side of the field as well, reaching up to 96.1 mph for his max EV. Quality arm from the outfield, topping out at 88 mph from a crow hop. Steady defender on the infield, deliberate and sure-handed actions (T86 mph INF). 

+ SO INF/OF Dalton Hobick (Oakwood) is an upside name to know from the event. Listed at a lean and projectable 6-foot-1, 165-pounds, the right-handed hitter has an easy swing and operation with the ability to elevate to his pull-side, topping out at 95.2 mph for his EV (T353’). Smooth defender on the infield, plays with leverage and fluid footwork, confident in his glove. Steady, fluid actions in the outfield. Strong arm from both positions, topping out at 86 mph from the infield and 89 mph from the outfield. 6.82 runner in the 60. 

+ SO OF Amarion Paxton (Clifton Central) is a physical, toolsy athlete that stood out from the day. Listed at 6-foot-4, 225–pounds with strength throughout, Paxton blasted baseballs throughout his round of BP with a max EV of 97.7 mph, showing the ability to use the whole field with authority. Moves well around the outfield with a loose arm, topping out at 93 mph from a crow hop. Moves extremely well for size with a 6.94 in the 60. Last spring, Paxton recorded a .291 batting average in 175 at-bats with 10 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 42 RBIs, 46 runs scored and 13 stolen bases. 

+ SO C Nate King (St. Thomas Aquinas) is another returner to watch for the Cavs this year as he brings back a .282 batting average in 131 at-bats. The sophomore backstop has a simple, flat swing that stays through the zone with strength, reaching up to 94 mph for his max EV while consistently keeping the ball on a line. Quality catch/throw behind the plate, strong arm that reached up to 79 mph from the chute, also reached as low as 1.92 for his pop-time. 

+ FR OF Cameron Sanderson (Charlottetown Rural) is a physical left-handed hitter to know from the day. With a wider base and simple rocker stride, Sanderson was able to elevate baseballs with authority to his pull-side and work up the middle of the field as well, staying mostly direct to the baseball with extension through impact (T96 mph max EV). 

PITCHERS 

+ SO LHP Ben Carlile (Manteno) displayed a quality three-pitch mix throughout his ‘pen. He’s a simple, athletic mover, working into a shorter/medium balance point before transitioning into a tall/fall lower-half while staying in-line. Compact arm action, plays from a high ¾ release. His fastball played in the 85-87 mph range, topping out at 88 mph with some carry and run through the zone. The curveball sat around 75-76 mph, showing 1/7 shape with some sharp action at times and depth. His final offering was a changeup around 80 mph with running action to his arm-side. Last spring, Carline struck out 38 against 12 walks in 29 innings of work. 

+ SO RHP Jackson Peeler (Hebron) had a loud showing with a big arm and high ceiling to pair. Listed at 6-foot, 180-pounds, Peeler is an athletic mover with a quick arm, showing off a dynamic four-pitch mix. His fastball sat in the 91-93 mph range with carry and run, also spinning at over 2,400 rpm at times. He showed an innate ability to spin the breaking ball, with his curveball coming in at 81-83 mph with over 2,600 rpm and sharp bite - while the slider also played over 2,600 rpm at 77-79 mph with sharp lateral action and sweep. His final offering was a changeup that sat in the 82-83 mph range with heavy arm-side run, over 21” at times. Peeler looks to be one of the top returning arms for the Cavs this year, as he brings back a 1.91 ERA with 28.1 innings, 46 strikeouts, 17 walks and 17 hits allowed. 

+ SO RHP Cole Martz (Huntington North) saw a large workload last spring with 59.2 innings pitched, striking out 93 against 35 walks. The right-hander displayed a fastball in the 87-88 mph range, playing with some finish through the zone. Martz was able to sink the fastball when he wanted to as well, sitting around 85-87 mph with over 16” of run at times. He went to both a curveball and a slider, with the curve showing 10/4 shape and the slider more of a bullet action. He rounded out his four-pitch mix with a cutter at 77-79 mph, showing short, lateral action. 

+ SO RHP Kolton Floor (North Miami) showed well with an effective two-pitch mix, starting with his fastball that sat in the 86-88 mph range, running heavily to his arm-side with just under 20” of run. His slider showed swing/miss action with sharp 10/4 bite, though it backed up on him at times, 73-76 mph. 

+ SO RHP Andrew VanOeveren (Hamilton Heights) showed off some impressive arm-strength throughout his ‘pen. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound right-hander worked his fastball up to 89 mph, sitting at 85-88 mph with over 2,300 rpm at times, playing with life and finish through the zone with control - also sinking it in the 84-86 mph range. He spun a firm slider at 80-82 mph, landing it for some strikes with 10/4 action. His changeup sat in the 77-80 mph range, running heavily at times to his arm-side, scattered strikes. 

+ SO RHP Peyton Niksch (Andrean) returns 76.1 innings from a season ago, and he was an eight game winner with a 3.07 ERA. The athletic right-hander gets down the mound with a loose operation, staying in-line with a long stride and fluid movement patterns. His arm is clean and loose with an uninterrupted action throughout its’ circle, ¾ slot. He filled up the zone with his fastball, sitting around 88-89 mph with each one registering as a strike - he was also able to sink the fastball with over 16” of run, 87-89 mph. The curveball is an above-average offering with swing/miss potential, playing with over 2,600 rpm and sharp bite off an 11/5 plane, 77-79 mph. Slider has more horizontal sweep with sharp action as well, 80-82 mph (+2,500 rpm). He also showed a cutter with short, lateral action that he could land in and around the zone with over 2,400 rpm, 82-83 mph. His final offering was a fading changeup at 83-84 mph, thrown with similar arm action to the fastball with over 14” of run on occasion. 

+ FR RHP Joseph Catalano (Williamsville) is a projectable right-hander to know for the Cavs, listed at a lean 6-foot-3, 175-pounds with plenty of room to fill out. Long-levered operation, loose mover that stays in-line, high ¾ release point. Fastball sat 82-85 mph, topping out at 86 mph with noticeable carry through the zone, averaging 21.4 for his IVB (T24.4). His curveball played with over the top action and depth at 65-67 mph, landing it for some strikes. Slider showed more horizontal action and shorter shape in the 68-70 mph range, feel for the zone. His final offering was a splitter that he killed spin on, 72-75 mph, mostly straight action. 

+ FR RHP Clay Gadbois (Kankakee) showed off a high-spinning arsenal that should continue to trend upwards in the coming years. His fastball cruised at 87-89 mph with over 2,600 rpm at times, averaging over 2,500 rpm with carry through the zone. He also went to a sinker at 86-87 mph, running heavily at times to his arm-side with much less IVB than the four seam, 86-87 mph. His slider had short 10/4 action, thrown with fastball intent at 76-77 mph (T2,713 rpm). Final offering was a changeup at 82-84 mph, running to his arm-side naturally. 

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