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Lockport Preseason ID: Quick Hits

February 23, 2024
Illinois Scouting Staff

On Feb. 19, the Prep Baseball Illinois staff traveled to the Bo Dome in Lockport, Ill., to host the annual Lockport Preseason ID. The nearly 200 player event was loaded with talent and there are many more names, not mentioned below, that showed well and will be highlighted in the weeks to come. For now, here is a quick look at some of the top standouts from the day.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for much more from this event. 

POSITION PLAYERS 

+ We were eager to get our eyes on OF Nate George (Minooka, 2024) at our ProCase earlier this winter, but he unfortunately had to miss it due to illness. It was well worth the wait, as George further cemented his status as a true draft prospect this past Monday. Listed at a strong and highly athletic 6-foot, 200-pounds with sloped shoulders and a developed lower-half, George got his event going with a 6.39 in the 60, the best in-event by nearly .40 seconds. The right-handed hitter put on a show in BP, averaging 97.9 mph for his exit velocity with a max of 102.4 mph, also reaching up to 389’ for his max distance. He has a strong and athletic swing, using controlled aggression with a fluid, flat path to work loud hard contact up the middle and to his pull-side with natural lift at times. His athleticism was easily noticed in his round of defense as well, showcasing quick feet with athletic actions and a bounce in his step. He’s always had a strong arm, but it appears to have gotten even better; topping out at 96 mph from an athletic crow hop and quick ¾ release. High-level prospect that shoulder garner plenty of pro attention this coming spring.  

+ 1B Davis Collie (Sycamore, 2025) left a lasting impression this past Monday, especially with his round of BP. Listed at 6-foot-2, 204-pounds with present strength and evenly distributed weight, the left-handed hitter blasted baseballs throughout his round with a max EV of 98.8 mph, averaging 92.3 mph with a 351’ max distance. He displayed easy power throughout his round, staying through the ball with a flat path and easy bat-speed that produced backspin, averaging 23.3 mph for his hand-speed, 76.6 mph for his bat-speed, and reaching up to 20.7 G’s of rotational acceleration. Strong left-handed hitter to follow this spring.  

+ INF Ty Hudik (Lincoln-Way East, 2026) has made some noteworthy strides to his game over the last year. Sporting a 6-foot, 165-pound frame, the high-waisted prospect still has all sorts of room to add strength to his build. The left-handed hitter displayed a loose and athletic swing, maintaining balance through impact while using the whole field with a polished round of BP, upside swing that has made some quality improvements over the last year. On the infield, Hudik displayed fluid actions and soft hands, moving well to both sides and displaying confidence in his back hand. He has a clean over-the-top release, topping out at 82 mph across the diamond. High-ceiling prospect to follow moving forward.  

+ INF Andres Aguirre (Lindblom, 2026) had a strong showing in front of our staff this past Monday. The right-handed hitter displayed loose hands in his swing with a flat path, creating extension through the ball while looking to keep the ball on a line up the middle of the field. He has above-average actions on the infield, boasting fluid rhythm in his feet that play with timing through the ball, soft hands with a quick/clean transfer, and clear feel for the position. His arm plays well across the diamond with carry, topping out at 81 mph.  

+ C/INF Lucas Agne (Plainfield North, 2027) popped as a freshman to know moving forward. A switch-hitter, he took quality rounds from both sides; from the left side he displayed a slightly uphill path, creating extension through the ball with a line-drive approach to the whole field. From the right side, he worked once again with an uphill path, staying direct to the ball with line-drives up the middle and to the opposite field - loose and upside swing that projects as he adds on strength. Behind the plate, Agne has a smooth transfer with above-average actions, clean glove to hand, working in-line with second to create a pop-time as low as 2.01 seconds. He’s a similarly smooth mover on the infield with a quick first step and easy range to both sides of his glove, boasting soft/confident hands and body control. He has a quality arm to pair, reaching up to 81 mph with a quick release. Athletic and versatile prospect to follow throughout his prep career.  

+ OF David Kundrat (Lockport, 2026) showed well in a couple different aspects on Monday. The left-handed hitter has an effortless swing, staying balanced throughout and utilizing a flat path to keep the ball on a line, simple and repeats with ease - working on the sweet spot 80% of the time according to TrackMan with a max EV of 90 mph. Defensively, he showed athletic footwork with a quick first step, easy mover with steady hands.  

+ OF Josh Hung (Waubonsie Valley, 2025) is an uncommitted prospect that showed well in his Prep Baseball showcase debut. Hung boasts a strong, 5-foot-9, 177-pound frame with round/sloped shoulders and evenly proportioned strength. The right-handed hitter has a quick and direct path to the ball, utilizing a line-drive approach up the middle of the field - simple and easy swing. Quick first step in the outfield, some bounce in his footwork, clean one-hand gather into a crow hop, topping out at 81 mph. 7.06 runner in the 60.  

+ C Andrew Satunas (Lockport, 2026) was one of the first hitters on the day and also gave one of the better looks. The left-handed hitter has a simple and quiet load that allows him to repeat with ease, staying short to the ball with a direct path, working on the barrel with loud results to his pull-side with natural lift at times. Satunas also took a quality round of defense behind the plate, displaying a clean/quick glove to hand on the transfer, working in-line with second to create a pop-time as low as 2.05 seconds (T75 mph).  

+ 1B/OF Evan Schmidt (Antioch, 2025) is another uncommitted junior that made a loud statement in his showcase debut. Listed at a highly projectable 6-foot-4, 208-pounds, Schmidt has long limbs with some present strength, still holding room to add on more strength in the future. The right-handed hitter got stronger as his round of BP went on, displaying a simple/repeatable load, he works into a flat path that looks to stay on top of the baseball, flashing backspin up the middle and to his pull-side, reaching up to 98.4 mph for his max EV with a max distance of 328’. He put up some impressive BLAST numbers, averaging 24.7 mph for his hand-speed as well as 69.6 mph for his bat-speed. Defensively, he’s an easy mover in the outfield for his size, utilizing a one-handed gather into his crow hop. At first base, he’s an athletic mover around the bag with fluid footwork and steady hands. Power projection as he continues to fill out.  

+ OF/1B Colin Pacholek-Mayer (Downers Grove South, 2025) had a loud round of BP on Sunday, and he’ll be an uncommitted junior to follow throughout this spring season. Listed at a strong-bodied 6-foot, 195-pounds, the right-handed hitter was consistently on the barrel, topping out at 93.3 mph for his max EV with an average of 88.5 mph, also reaching up to 335’ for his max distance. He creates easy bat-speed through the zone with a flat path, staying through the ball with extension, using the whole field throughout his round. Quality athlete, 7.12 runner in the 60.  

+ 1B Conor McCabe (Lincoln-Way Central, 2026) impressed with the bat on Monday. The 6-foot-2, 178-pound right-handed hitter has a lean and projectable frame, and his power projects as he will continue to fill out. At the plate, he displayed an easy swing with a balanced finish, working short to the ball and flat through the zone while using the whole field; getting stronger as the round went on, McCabe started to wear out the right/center gap with hard line-drives.  

+ OF Ben Westin (Andrew, 2026) will be a left-handed hitter to follow moving forward. Listed at 5-foot-11, 182-pounds, Westin was all over the barrel throughout his round with a middle/pull-side focus, displaying a flat path with loose hands and extension through impact, maxing out at 91 mph for his EV. He displayed some of the better bat-speed we saw on the day, averaging 75.3 mph and reaching up to 79.8 mph. In the outfield, Westin displayed a quick first step into a two-hand gather, pairing it with a quality arm (T84 mph OF).  

+ 1B Joe Barkley (Neuqua Valley, 2025) put his impressive power on display throughout BP, reaching up to 99 mph for his max EV with an average of 89.5 mph. The right-handed hitter has loose wrists with a flat path, working consistently on the barrel up the middle of the field. He displayed some quality BLAST metrics, averaging 22.5 mph for his hand-speed, 72.4 mph for his bat-speed, and 16.5 G’s of rotational acceleration. Quality runner with a 7.06 in the 60.  

+ C/OF Jacob Szpiganowicz (Conant, 2026) had a strong all-around showing earlier this week. He has a projectable 6-foot, 175-pound frame that should continue to tick up with strength as he matures. He’s an above-average athlete, cruising to a 6.98 in the 60-yard dash to start his day. The right-handed hitter has an upside stroke, working on-plane and keeping his hands on top of the baseball with a pull-side approach, maxing out at 97.2 mph for his EV. He showed well in the outfield, boasting athletic footwork with a quick first step, as well as a clean glove-to-hand transfer behind the plate with some bounce out of the crouch, producing a pop-time as low as 2.04 seconds.  

+ 1B Maxwell Burke (Wheaton North, 2025) gave our staff one of the more impressive looks on the day with his round of BP. Listed at 6-foot, 186-pounds with room to add on strength, the left-handed hitter displayed strong hands with an intentful swing, working with a downhill path and easy bat-speed to create backspin, reaching up to 98.7 mph for his max EV with an average of 86.5 mph, maxing out at 330’. He showed steady hands at first base, moving around the bag easily and with comfort.  

+ OF Declan Kane (Providence Catholic, 2025) looks to have made some big improvements to his game since our last look in a showcase setting. Now sporting a 5-foot-11, 181-pound frame with some strength throughout, Kane chopped his 60 down nearly .20 seconds to a 7.07 in this look. The left-handed hitter’s added strength looks to have paid off throughout his round of BP as well, reaching up to 96 mph for his max EV with a max distance of 361’; working short to the ball with an uphill path and intent to elevate, working hard contact to the gaps. In the outfield, Kane is an easy mover with range to both sides and fluid footwork, pairing with steady hands and a strong arm (T85 mph OF). 

+ INF Jose Gonzalez (Reavis, 2026), INF Donovan O’Connor (York, 2027), C Robby Pursel (Andrew, 2025) and C Christopher Miller (Lockport, 2026) are a few more position players that deserve a mention from Monday’s event.  

TWO-WAYS 

+ One of the best all-around showings on the day was from OF/RHP Elliot Alicea (Burlington Central, 2024; Triton commit). He took an eye-opening round of BP, launching his furthest ball of the day 409’ and also reaching up to 104.8 mph for his max EV. He has a strong left-handed swing, coiling his body and firing through with an uphill path with intent to elevate to his pull-side, middle of the order type power at the next level. He showed off some loud tools to pair with his bat, such as a 6.82 in the 60, as well as a max velocity of 93 mph from the outfield to go along with athletic footwork and clean actions. He was also impressive on the mound, landing three pitches for strikes, highlighted by his fastball that reached up to 90.2 mph. For his off-speeds he showed some feel for his splitter at 75-76 mph, playing with late action to the bottom of the zone - as well as a tight 11/5 curveball at 77-81 mph.  

+ INF Lucas Rink (Wilmington, 2025) had himself a day on Monday, turning in a quality two-way showing that garners him a follow moving forward. He has a 6-foot-1, 181-pound frame with room to add on strength. The left-handed hitter displayed quick, strong hands through the zone with a flat path, reaching up to 92 mph for his max EV with a 319’ max distance. He showed some potential on the mound as well with a four-pitch mix, sitting in the 81-82 mph range with the fastball to set up his 12/6 curveball and lateral slider, both in the low-70s. His final offering was a mid-70s changeup with fading action.  

+ 1B/RHP Xander Metke (Brother Rice, 2025) is an uncommitted name to know from the event. He has a strong frame, listed at 6-foot-3, 241-pounds, and his strength is imminent in his right-handed swing; leading the entire event with a max EV of 105.3 mph, averaging 96.8 mph throughout his round. He has strong hands that work into a flat path, showing easy power to all fields and maintaining balance through impact. On the mound, the right-hander has a controlled and methodical delivery, working downhill with tilt to create a fastball in the 83-84 mph range. To pair off the fastball he went to a short 11/5 curveball at 69-71 mph and deceptive changeup with depth at 75-77 mph.  

+ INF/RHP Casey Mikrut (Lincoln-Way East, 2027) stood out in his showcase debut, and he’ll certainly be a name to follow as he progresses throughout his prep career. The right-handed hitter has intent to lift with an uphill path, looking to elevate the ball to his pull-side, loose/athletic swing with some upside. He showed above-average actions on the infield, moving well side to side while also displaying some rhythm in his feet, his hands are soft and confident, pairing with a quick release. On the mound, the right-hander has a staggered start with his feet, moving into a high leg-lift with a coiled balance point, working with uphill shoulders down the mound with a closed finish. His arm works with a short draw in the back before transitioning into a high ¾ release. His fastball worked in the 80-81 mph range with heavy arm-side run. He showed some feel for his curveball, missing up at times but should continue to get better with confidence, 68-69 mph. His final offering was a running changeup at 69-71 mph, locating around the zone with arm-speed.  

+ 1B/RHP Ethan Rogers (Lincoln-Way Central, 2025) gave an intriguing look on Monday. He stands out physically with his 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame that boasts present strength, and his strength comes into play in multiple ways. At the plate, the right-handed hitter has strong hands with a flat path, working quick through the zone while staying on the barrel with authority, staying up the middle of the field and to his pull-side with a max EV of 94.2 mph (89.2 mph avg.). He showed well defensively with quality actions and a steady glove, showing clear feel for the position. On the mound, the right-hander worked in the 82-83 mph range while topping out at 84 mph, playing with carry and arm-side life. He flashed some feel for his curveball, sitting around 64-66 mph with sweeping action. His final offering was a changeup at 73-74 mph, thrown with confidence and mostly straight action for strikes.  

+ INF/RHP Owen Roberts (Waubonsie Valley, 2025) is an uncommitted two-way to know from the event. Listed at 5-foot-11, 175-pounds, Roberts has a loose and balanced swing, looking to keep the ball on a line with extension through the zone, reaching up to 97.9 mph for his max EV with impressive hand-speed (22.5 mph avg.) and bat-speed (75 mph avg.). He’s an above-average athlete, running to a 6.96 in the 60, easily translating to the infield where he has a quick first step with easy range to pair with steady hands. He displayed a strong arm across the diamond, topping out at 85 mph. His arm-strength easily translated over to the mound, where he displayed quality feel over his three-pitch mix. His fastball topped out at 88 mph with over 2300 rpm at times, playing with carry and run. He also went to a low-70s slider (2300+ rpm) and slight running changeup at 72-74 mph to round out his repertoire.  

+ LHP/OF Aidan Barrera (Sandburg, 2026) gave an impressive look on both sides of the ball. He’s an above-average athlete, recording a 7.02 in the 60 to pair with clean actions in the outfield; fluid footwork with a quick exchange and strong arm (T85 mph). At the plate, the left-handed hitter worked with a short/direct path to the ball with intent to lift at times, utilizing mostly a line-drive approach to the whole field while staying on the sweet spot 70% of the time per TrackMan. On the mound, the southpaw has a balanced delivery with a drop/drive lower-half, remaining athletic throughout with a simple/repeatable operation. His arm is clean with a long/loose swing in the back, producing a fastball in the 81-82 mph range with some life through the zone and four-seam traits. He showed two different breaking balls throughout his ‘pen; the first being a sharp 1/7 curveball at 67-69, while the second was a tighter, lateral slider at 70-73 mph. To round out his arsenal he went to a changeup at 71-75 mph, thrown with arm-speed and kept low in the zone with fade/depth.  

+ RHP/INF Jack Schiek (Lockport, 2026) impressed on both sides of the ball on Monday, particularly on the mound. Listed at a lean and projectable 6-foot-2, 155-pounds, the right-hander has a balanced delivery with an athletic and clean operation, utilizing a full arm loop with some quickness out front. His fastball played in the 82-85 mph range with carry and over 2,300 rpm at times. He went to two different breaking balls, the first being a curveball at 68-71 mph with depth off an 11/5 plane, while the second was a tighter lateral slider at 71-72 mph, showing some feel for both offerings. Lastly, he went to a straight changeup at 76-78 mph, maintaining arm-speed throughout. At the plate, the right-handed hitter has a level bat path, creating extension through the zone while working line-drives up the middle with some natural life at times, utilizing his levers well. On the infield, Schiek has smooth hands with quality actions, reaching up to 82 mph across the diamond with a loose arm.  

+ RHP/INF Michael Langan (Neuqua Valley, 2025) is an uncommitted prospect to note from Monday. Listed at 6-foot, 206-pounds, the right-hander cruised with his fastball in the 81-82 mph range while topping out at 83 with heavy arm-side life. To pair off the fastball he went to a gradual 11/5 curveball at 66-67 mph and fading changeup at 76-77 mph, kept around the bottom of the zone while maintaining arm-speed. At the plate, the right-handed hitter has a level path that works uphill on pitches up in the zone, looking to elevate the ball to the middle of the field, averaging 87.5 mph for his EV (T92.9 mph) with a max distance of 349’.  

PITCHERS 

+ RHP Peter Jurcenko (Sandburg, 2026) made a loud statement in his showcase debut. Listed at 5-foot-11, 195-pounds, the right-hander worked exclusively out of the stretch, moving into a coiled balance point before working closed down the mound. Short arm circle, loose and quick arm from a high ¾ slot. His fastball cruised at 86 mph throughout the entirety of his ‘pen, playing with running action and some carry through the zone, thrown for strikes. He showed some feel in his curveball, playing with above-average action and sharp, downer break, 73-74 mph. He also flashed a changeup at 77-79 mph, playing with sink/run and the ability to locate at times. High-follow RHP moving forward.  

+ RHP Jackson Clark (Hinsdale Central, 2025) stands out immediately thanks to his 6-foot-6, 195-pound frame, and he’s an uncommitted arm to monitor closely this spring. The big right-hander has a methodical delivery with a high leg-lift, working athletically downhill into a longer, yet clean arm action from a low ¾ release. His fastball played in the 83-85 mph range with some life through the zone and over 2,300 rpm at times with heavy run to the arm-side. He showed developing feel for his sweeping curveball at 70-72 mph, and also went to a changeup at 71-73 mph that he occasionally got around and cut from a lower slot.  

+ RHP Mason Jurewicz (New Trier, 2025) put up some quality metrics throughout his ‘pen. The projectable right-hander stands in a lean, 6-foot-2, 160-pound frame and he has plenty of room to add on strength in the coming years. He has a methodical delivery, working with a drop/drive lower-half down the mound with a closed stride. His arm is longer in the back but remains loose and clean, delivering his arsenal from a ¾ slot. His fastball played in the 81-84 mph range with life out of the hand, routinely spinning over 2,300 rpm with carry. His curveball also has quality spin, working over 2,300 rpm at times as well with some sweep and 10/4 action. His slider played with tighter action at times but also came through the zone with lateral shape, 74-75 mph. His final offering was a heavy fading changeup at 74-77 mph. 

+ RHP Owen Lense (Lincoln-Way East, 2026) had an impressive first showing in front of our staff earlier this week. Listed at 5-foot-11, 175-pounds, Lense works with an easy tempo to a tall balance point, working square to his target with efficient movement patterns down the mound into an athletic finish. His arm plays with a long draw in the back, staying loose throughout its path into a high ¾ release, quick arm with projection. His fastball played around 82-83 mph, topping out at 84 mph with some carry traits through the zone. He showed feel to locate his curveball, playing with above-average depth and 11/5 shape at 70-71 mph. His final offering was a changeup at 76-77 mph, playing with slight running action to his arm-side with the ability to locate.   

+ RHP Henry Humes (Homewood Flossmoor, 2026) popped as a high-follow arm on Monday. Listed at an uber-projectable 6-foot-4, 170-pounds with lean limbs and room to add on strength, the right-hander delivered a fastball in the 82-84 mph range, topping out at 85 mph with heavy running action. He has developing spin on his curveball, which plays around 67-69 mph with shorter, downer shape. He flashed some feel for his changeup, delivering the pitch at 68-69 mph with running action to his arm-side at times. Upside arm to follow throughout his prep career.  

+ RHP Conor Powers (Minooka, 2027) will be an arm to follow throughout his prep career. Working exclusively out of the stretch with a drop/drive delivery and extension out front, the right-hander delivered his fastball in the 76-79 mph range; setting up a curveball/slider combination with both offerings playing around the upper-60s and low-70s with depth. His final offering was a changeup at 71-73 mph, playing with slight running action through the zone.  

+ RHP William Houston (Stagg, 2026) will be a high-follow prospect moving forward. Listed at 5-foot-9, 145-pounds, Houston is a clean/fluid mover down the mound with a clean and projectable arm action, which should only get better as he continues to add on strength. His fastball worked in the 82-84 mph range, topping out at 85 mph with carry and late run that jumps through the zone. His slider projects as an out-pitch, playing at 68-70 mph with the ability to locate, possessing depth and slurvy action. His final offering was a changeup with heavy run to his arm-side, showing well above-average feel, especially for his age. High-upside arm who’s best days are still ahead of him.  

+ RHP Cale Zoeller (Wheaton North, 2025) showed real ability to spin the ball on Monday, with his slider spinning routinely over 2,700 rpm and even reaching over 2,800 rpm at times, playing with sweeping action at 74-76 mph. His fastball is a quality offering in its own right, playing at 82-85 mph and topping out at 87 mph with some life to the arm-side. His final offering was a changeup in the low-70s, playing with up to 16” of run at times.  

+ RHP Aaron Katz (Hinsdale Central, 2026) stands in a strong, 6-foot-2, 182-pound frame with round, sloped shoulders and room to add on strength. Working out of the stretch only, Katz has a high leg-lift into balance point, working in-line to his target with a slightly closed landing. He has a fast arm that plays with a short draw in the back, transitioning into a ¾ release. His fastball played in the mid-70s, topping out at 78 mph with heavy life to his arm-side; setting up a gradual 11/5 curveball at 61-63 mph and slider with feel for the zone and depth, 61-65 mph. He showed the ability to locate his changeup, playing with fading and running action at 68-71 mph. Intriguing arm to follow throughout his prep career.  

+ RHP Kasten Goebbert (Providence Catholic, 2025) was an impressive arm from Monday. Currently ranked No. 112 in the state, Goebbert has a highly projectable 6-foot-3, 172-pound frame with plenty of room to add muscle in the coming years. Working exclusively out of the stretch, the right-hander is an efficient mover that works in-line, working with uphill shoulders down the mound while landing closed with an athletic finish. His arm plays with a short draw, remaining loose throughout its circle into a high ¾ slot. His fastball played with mostly straight action and tilt through the zone at 86-87 mph, topping out at 88 mph. He showed a knack to spin the breaking ball with some feel, playing with 11/5 shape at 71-73 mph. His final offering was a changeup at 81-83 mph, playing beneath the zone with intent and late arm-side sink.  

+ RHP Brady Backes (LaSalle-Peru, 2025) is an athletically built 6-foot-3, 194-pound right-hander that flashed some intrigue on the bump. Out of a simple and repeatable delivery, Backes ran his four-seam fastball up to 88.2 mph that played mostly straight through the zone. His two-seamer, which was slightly slower, featured some heavy sinking action to his arm-side, maxing at nearly 16” of horizontal movement. He also featured a cut fastball in the 78-82 mph range that played particularly well off of his other fastballs as it flashed cutting action through the zone. As for his off-speeds, he spun in both a curveball and slider; the curveball featured some depth off an 11/5 plane and was also spun at over 2,300 RPM on average. His slider was thrown at arm-speed and sat in the mid-to-upper-70s with short lateral action through the zone. Rounding out his repertoire was a low-80s changeup with some fade and depth which he killed spin on.

+ RHP Bryce Legel (Wheaton Academy, 2025) has a strong, durable frame at 6-foot-1, 192-pounds and produced one of the better fastball velocities on the day. He has a drop/drive delivery with a tall balance point, working with some clear intent throughout his delivery into a high ¾ release. His fastball played in the 84-86 mph range with life out of the hand and carry up in the zone. He showed the ability to land his curveball for strikes, playing with 11/5 shape at 68-69 mph. His final offering was a changeup at 80-83 mph, thrown with intent and playing with over 14” of run at times. 

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