Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

Southern Illinois Preseason ID: Quick Hits

February 20, 2024
By: Diego Solares, Gavin Smith, & Tyler Defibaugh
Illinois Scouting Staff

On Saturday, February 17th, the Prep Baseball Illinois staff traveled to the SportsBarn in Wood River, IL, to host the inaugural Southern Illinois Preseason ID. This event, which was open to all current HS grad classes, featured 60+ players from southern Illinois that participated in a pro-style workout in front of our staff, gathering unrivaled data and measurables in the process. 

All of our events offer players the opportunity to update their recruiting resume and showcase their talents in front of our staff. We also use these events as identifiers for future invite-only events, like the Preseason All-State, the Illinois State Games, and the prestigious Prep Baseball Future Games that take place at the tail end of the summer.

For a full roster of those in attendance, click HERE.

Earlier today, our staff published our traditional ‘Stat Story’, where we highlighted several of the day’s standouts from a data perspective. You can find those leaders by clicking HERE. 

After combing through our scout notes from the event, our staff has compiled these ‘Quick Hits’, where we’ve highlighted several of the day’s standout performances below. Keep reading to see which players popped at last Saturday’s trip to the SportsBarn. 

QUICK HITS 

+ An uncommitted senior arm to know from Saturday’s trip to the SportsBarn is RHP Garrick Winkeler (Mater Dei, 2024). At 6-foot-4, 210-pounds, Winkeler has a simple and easy delivery on the mound with a clean arm and acceleration out front. Winkeler showed a mid-80s fastball, topping out at 85.3 mph, with max horizontal movement of 19.4 inches. He mixed in a slider that showed more vertical, 11/5 shape, and a change-up that sat in the mid-70s with an average of 15.8 inches of horizontal movement. 


+ Another senior arm that’s still looking for a home at the next level is RHP Evan Day (O’Fallon, 2024). He stands in a physically imposing frame at 6-foot-1, 203-pounds. A stretch-only delivery on the mound, Day’s fastball sat 83-84 mph with clear arm-side run (18” avg. HM). He showed a sharp curveball that was 72-73 mph with an average of -15 inches of movement, and a mid-70s slider with shorter, horizontal break. To round out his four-pitch mix, Day threw a change-up that sat 77-78 mph with an average of 18 inches of fade. 

+ A name we’ve become increasingly familiar with over the last six or so months, RHP Tommy Kramkowski (Belleville East, 2025) was impressive again in Saturday’s look. Standing in at a projectable 6-foot-3, 180-pounds, Kramkowski had perhaps the best overall stuff at the event with his four-pitch mix. His fastball played in the 87-88 mph range (T89) with ease out of the hand while posting an average spin rate of 2350+ rpm (T2427). Kramkowski then spun two tight breakers with his curveball posting an average spin rate of 2400+ rpm with some 12/6 action at times, while his slider had a strong feel for the zone, being thrown for a strike 75% of the time with a max spin rate of 2550+ RPM. He would round out his mix with a changeup that played in the 77-78 mph range with arm-side action (11.5” HM). Belleville East looks to have another strong frontline starter for the next two years with Kramkowski after losing Zander Mueth to the Pittsburgh Pirates in round two of the MLB Draft last summer.


+ MIF Bo Gomric (Althoff, 2025) is another ranked player inside the 2025 class that impressed on Saturday. Gomric showed athleticism in all three facets of the workout, starting the day off with the fastest 60 time of the event at 6.95 seconds while also jumping 30.6” in the vertical jump. The right-handed hitter then had a loud round of bp where he was consistently on the barrel (75% line drives) to the middle and pull-side parts of the field, with a max EV of 96.1 mph (avg 89.9 mph). Defensively, Gomric showed athletic actions that could see him stick on the dirt at the next level, playing with confident feet and hands, to pair with an arm that showed to be accurate from multiple arm slots. 


+ One name that continues to get better each time we see him is OF Greyson Rathgeb (Edwardsville, 2025). He saw regular playing time in center field for the state champion Tigers this past spring and kept trending up afterwards with impressive stops at the Illinois State Games and Battle for The Arch. Rathgeb has present lean strength on a 6-foot, 177-pound frame that could stand to add even more muscle mass over the next few years. Rathgeb’s hands play loose, athletic, and in rhythm from the right side with gap-to-gap feel in this look. Rathgeb had the event’s strongest arm on Saturday, with his best bullet coming in at 91 mph. He attacks the ball in-stride in the outfield and plays with confident and clean footwork as well.


+ Saturday was our first in-event look INF Carter Harrington (Collinsville, 2025), who has impressed our staff previously, whether it be with the Kahoks or on our summer circuit. Athletic with upside at 5-foot-11, 165-pounds, Harrington swings a loose, easy, and rhythmic right-handed barrel with line drive feel and balance through contact. His athleticism shows on the infield, where Harrington is a quick, agile mover with sure-handed actions to pair. 


+ 1B/LHP Chase Knebel (Highland, 2025) was another two-way to show well at Saturday’s event. Knebel was on the barrel throughout his bp round from the left side of the dish, working with some of the quicker hands at the event (avg 23.2 mph), while posting a max EV of 89 mph. On the bump, Knebel showed some pitchability within his three-pitch mix. His fastball sat 81-82 mph (T83) with arm-side action (avg -16.9” HM), while his curveball had advanced feel for the zone (75%) at 61-62 mph, and he threw his arm-side fading changeup for strikes 67% of the time at 69-70 mph.


+ RHP Carter Murphy (Springfield South, 2025) and RHP Ethan Murphy (Springfield South, 2025) are two brothers that each threw well during their bullpen at the SportsBarn this past weekend. They each displayed simple, repeatable deliveries with clean and quick arms. Both of them pitched in the low-80s, with Carter touching 83.6 mph, and Ethan topping out at 85.8 mph. Their pitch mixes are also similar; each threw an upper-60s curveball with a short, tight slider in the low-70s and they both rounded out their respective mixes with a mid-70s changeup. 

+ C Augustus Johnes (Edwardsville, 2025) is a physical 6-foot-2, 194-pound backstop with noticeable strength on both sides of the ball. Johnes exclusively elevated contact from an uphill right-handed stroke throughout BP, averaging 88.7 mph per batted ball with a peak mark at 95.6 mph. His average batted distance (314 ft.) comfortably paced all players in attendance, and his furthest ball traveled an event high 365 feet, per TrackMan. Johnes also led all catchers in peak throwing velocity, topping at 80 mph from the chute with carry through the bag while popping in the 1.99-to-2.06 range. 

+ C Alex Kiefer (Mount Vernon, 2025) took a polished and impressive round of catcher defense, improving greatly in nearly all facets from our last look. Kiefer’s hardest throw from the chute was at 78 mph, up five ticks from last September, and he popped in the 1.94-to-2.01 range, jumping up from his previous 2.07-to-2.14. It’s a short, quick release with carry out the hand that plays accurately on the bag. A switch-hitter, Kiefer’s barrel slots uphill to contact from both sides of the plate, squaring his hardest ball up at 93.2 mph on Saturday. 

+ Another uncommitted junior backstop to know from this event is C Chase Niemeyer (Marion, 2025). Niemeyer had arguably the day’s best showing behind the plate, staying on the bag consistently from a short, quick, and accurate release. He popped in the 1.97-to-2.01 range and his hardest throw registered at an easy 77 mph with carry out the hand. At the plate, Niemeyer produced elevated pull-side contact from a loose, uphill right-handed swing. 

+ RHP Andrew Zacha (Marquette Catholic, 2025) is a strong-bodied 6-foot-3, 200-pound junior arm that threw his fastball for strikes at 82-84 mph, flashing arm-side run (16.7”) at times. He consistently threw his changeup for strikes at 74-77 mph and also spun a high-60s curveball with 12/6 shape.

+ CIF Adam Bovinett (Collinsville, 2025) got off intentful hacks throughout his round and looked to elevate the baseball to the pull-side. Bovinett’s swing works uphill to contact, averaging 86.7 mph per barrel, with a max mark at 93.5 mph. Bovinett swatted his deepest barrel 357 feet, good for the second furthest such output of the entire event. 

+ MIF Gabe Kaschycke (Belleville East, 2025) and OF Garrison Kramer (Mascoutah, 2025) are two lean-bodied juniors that each jumped over 30 inches on the vertical test and showed athleticism throughout their workouts. 

+ RHP/OF Dylan Huff (Chatham Glenwood, 2026) emerged as a name to know in the 2026 class following his performance on Saturday. The 6-foot-2, 162-pound sophomore is a multi-sport athlete, playing both basketball and football at Glenwood. A smooth, low-effort mover down the mound, Huff at times looked like he was just playing catch during his ‘pen. His fastball worked in the 83-84 mph range (T84.9 mph) and he complimented it with two high-spin offerings. His curveball showed depth off an 11/5 plane, averaging 2400+ RPM, and his slider is the more presently advanced offering of the two - it’s sharp with late horizontal break at 70-72 mph, breaching 2400+ RPM at peak. At the plate, Huff controlled his long levers well and had a knack for elevated contact to the pull-side throughout his round. Huff appears to just be scratching the surface of his future ceiling on the hill, however, and looks to be yet another impact arm for a Glenwood program that’s grown accustomed to them. 


+ After showing well at the GBA Scout Day earlier this month, RHP Austin Borries (Teutopolis, 2026) put together arguably an even better showing at Saturday’s event. A big-bodied arm at 6-foot-3, 200-pounds, Borries has a quick, repeatable delivery with a fast arm to pair. He has feel for his entire three-pitch mix, starting with a fastball that played at 83-85 mph, topping at 85.9 mph. He maintained the same slot and arm speed on his upper-60s curveball, producing an average of -15.3 inches of horizontal movement, which showed swing-and-miss potential at the bottom of the zone. His change-up sat in the mid-70s with an average of 18 inches of fade. Borries is a follow arm in the state’s current sophomore class.


+ RHP Kaleb Weber (O’Fallon, 2026) has plenty of projection to come on a long-limbed 6-foot-3, 170-pound frame. He worked exclusively from the stretch and is an athletic mover on the mound with a full arm path to pair. Weber’s fastball came out of his hand clean, topping out at 85.5 mph, and sitting mostly 83-85 mph throughout his ‘pen. He mixed in a mid-70s slider with tight, horizontal break, and a change-up in the upper-70s with slight arm-side fade. Weber’s frame, control of his levers, and current make-up are all positives, and he’s a follow arm in the state’s 2026 class. 


+ A pop-up sophomore to follow from Saturday that left a positive impression on our staff was 6-foot, 185-pound OF Jack Puent (Alton, 2026). Puent’s hands work loose, free, and in rhythm from the left side with a level barrel through contact. He sprayed line drives to all fields and has the potential to be a middle-of-the-order type bat at the next level should he continue to add physicality to his frame. Puent threw the second-hardest ball home from the outfield at this event, topping at 86 mph on his hardest bullet. 


+ MIF Luke Schuckenbrock (Gillespie, 2026) popped to our staff last spring, as he started up the middle as a freshman for a Gillespie squad that finished 32-1 at the 2A classification. Schuckenbrock carries himself with all sorts of moxy, stepping into the batter’s box with a presence to him. It’s a loose, athletic right-handed swing that stays in rhythm and works flat through the zone, backspinning line drives to all fields. Perhaps his biggest asset comes is his glove, however, as Schuckenbrock took arguably the day’s most polished round of infield defense. He floated around the turf, covering ground confidently and in rhythm both up the middle and to his backhand. Schuckenbrock’s soft hands and clean funnels help him get the ball out quickly, and he’s able to accurately throw from multiple slots, especially on the move. 


+ CIF Jorey Myren (Rochester, 2026) was on the barrel often in BP and took one of the day’s more complete rounds. A left-handed hitter, Myren’s fluid to contact and stays in rhythm with a natural feel for elevated contact off his barrel. He averaged 90.1 mph per batted ball, the highest mark of the event, and that mark wasn’t too far off his peak (94  mph), indicating that he routinely produced hard contact. Myren’s average (280 ft.) and peak (344 ft.) batted distance marks also finished near the top of this event’s batted ball leaderboards. 


+ C/OF Asher Cantu (O’Fallon, 2026) flashed notable raw power from the left side to pair with a highly physical, square-shouldered 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame. Cantu generated some of the highest bat speed in attendance, working with length to contact and creating pull-side leverage. He squared up the day’s hardest hit ball (T96.4 mph) and his furthest batted ball (354 feet) was also near the top of our batted ball leaderboard. 

+ A lean, lanky 6-foot-1, 188-pound athlete, RHP Tyson Filyaw (O’Fallon, 2026) pitched at 83-85 mph with his fastball in his ‘pen. He flashed feel to land a short wrinkle 69-79 mph curveball for strikes, while limiting spin and lift on a 72-75 mph changeup. 

RHP Chase Butler (Bunker Hill, 2026) and RHP Nolan Lebert (Mascoutah, 2026) are a pair of sophomore arms that turned in impressive ‘pens on Saturday: 

+ Butler operated with a simple and repeatable delivery, running his fastball in the low-80’s (T82.3 mph) while complementing it with a changeup at 75 mph with 13.8” of horizontal movement on average. He rounded out his pitch mix with a short wrinkle slider in the 71-72 mph range. 

+ Lebert showed an easy and relaxed operation throughout his ‘pen where his fastball sat 82-83 mph. Lebert rounded out his repertoire with an arm-side fading changeup (avg 16.2” HM) at 67-71 mph, and two different breaking balls with the slider showing 10/4 shape and some depth with -16.9” of horizontal movement on average, and an 11/5 big-breaking curveball at 64-67 mph.

Two physically built sophomores to follow from this event are C Carson Moll (Mascoutah, 2026) and 3B/RHP Ajay Runkel (Rochester, 2026):

+ Moll packs strength into a thick, compact 5-foot-9, 182-pound frame. It’s a handsy right-handed swing with strong hands that get on top of the baseball and produce barreled line drive contact to the middle of the field, squaring his firmest ball up at 92.1 mph. 

+ Runkel’s plenty sturdy in his own right, holding strength throughout his 6-foot stature. He stays short and through the baseball with intent to elevate to the pull-side, working on the barrel into the left-center gap throughout his round. Runkel showed arm strength for his age on the mound as well, pitching at 82-84 mph with his fastball. He landed a 67-70 mph curveball (T2301 RPM) with more drop for strikes and also threw a slider (T2472 RPM) that spun more laterally in the low-70s. 

+ INF Michael Lucas (Glenwood, 2026) stayed up the middle of the field in BP and worked on top of the baseball from a short, direct right-handed swing. Defensively, Lucas moves in rhythm on the infield and showed comfort on the move, particularly to his glove side. He trusts his hands, playing low to the ground with a clean, quick transfer to release. 

+ OF Reid Neumayer (Belleville East, 2026) sprayed line drives gap-to-gap from a loose, level left-handed stroke. A left/left athlete, Neumayer ran the day’s second fastest 60-yard dash (6.99), jumped 30” in the vertical test, and was up to 84 mph from the outfield. 

+ RHP Ty Etcheson (Father McGivney, 2026) is a wiry, lean-bodied athlete with upside on the mound from this event. A fluid mover down the mound, Etcheson worked in rhythm and with pace throughout his ‘pen. It’s a loose, clean, and quick arm that pitched at 80-82 mph with his fastball, though should keep ticking up as he continues to add strength to his frame. Etcheson flashed feel to land a curveball for strikes at 68-69 mph and he threw a running changeup at 75-77 mph. 

+ OF Omar Avalos Jr. (Father McGivney) came away from the PBR Junior Future Games last summer as one of the top performers for Team Illinois and is a top-20 prospect in the state’s 2027 class. With the bat, Avalos Jr. showed the typical bat-to-ball skills we are used to seeing, adding more bat strength in this look however with a further max batted distance (320 feet) than we’d previously seen. Defensively, he moved around the outfield comfortably with athletic feet and a loose, quick arm. 


+ The lone Missouri product in attendance, RHP Alex McCarthy (Francis Howell, 2027) continues to show advanced arm strength on the mound for his age. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound freshman threw his fastball at 83-84, touching 85 mph. He also spun a high-60s curveball (T2395 RPM) and flashed feel for the zone with a firm 78-80 mph changeup. 

+ A member of Team Illinois at the PBR Junior Future Games last summer, C/3B/RHP Brody Lindemann (Belleville East, 2027) continues to be a follow name in the state’s freshman class. Built at a strong 5-foot-11, 176-pounds with room for more, Lindemann worked line drives to the pull-side from a level swing that found the barrel often and should add more impact as he continues to physically develop. On the mound, Lindemann pitched in the low-80s, touching 83 mph, and he spun a 68-70 mph slider at 2400+ RPM on average. 

+ The only 2028 prospect in attendance, RHP/C Anderson Kaufmann (Alton) appears to be a budding name from the Metro East in his class. Kaufmann has athleticism and present strength in a 5-foot-11, 170-pound frame that’s likely to continue to bolster his physicality as he continues to mature. On the mound, his delivery is plenty easy, touching 84 mph on his fastball, but sitting mostly 81-83 mph. He threw a tight-spinning curveball in the upper-60s and a mid-70s change-up with an average of 17 inches of run. He displayed all kinds of ease and rhythm at the plate, sending his hardest hit ball 88.4 mph and 316 feet. Behind the plate he showed bounce and flexibility, recording his lowest pop time of 2.00 while recording his hardest bullet down to second at 76 mph. Kaufmann is a sure-fire name-to-know in the 2028 class.

RELATED CONTENT