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Southern Illinois Summer ID: Quick Hits

July 4, 2024
By: Diego Solares
Central Region Media Director, Scouting

On July 2nd, the Prep Baseball Illinois staff hosted the Southern Illinois Summer ID at John A. Logan JC in Carterville, Ill. Over 25 players participated in a pro-style workout, gathering unrivaled access to data through our state-of-the-art tech partners, as well as in-depth scouting analysis from our Prep Baseball Illinois staff.

For a full list of those in attendance, click HERE. To see all of the statistics collected at this event, click HERE. 

Shortly after the event, our staff published our traditional ‘Stat Story’, where we highlighted several of the day’s statistical standouts in leaderboard format. You can find that by clicking HERE. 

We’ll continue rolling out content from our trip to Carterville today with these ‘Quick Hits’, where we’ve highlighted a handful of the day’s standout performers. Continue reading below to learn more about which players, all of them uncommitted, popped to our staff in Tuesday’s workout. 

ARMS

+ At 6-foot-3, 172-pounds, RHP Brandon Menser (Sesser Valier, 2025) continues to show plenty of upside on the mound and is a name-to-know uncommitted arm in the state’s soon-to-be senior class. An athletic, low-effort mover with easy arm speed and plenty more to come, Menser pumped his fastball at 87-89 mph throughout his ‘pen. It’s a bit unique from an analytical perspective as well; he averaged 21.7 inches of vertical break from a 6.4 ft. average release height and also spun it at 2411 RPM on average at 96% spin efficiency. He ripped off a 74-76 mph curveball with true top-to-bottom spin that peaked at 2550 RPM and was consistently around the strike zone. To round out his arsenal, Menser showed a 76-79 mph changeup that primarily played down in the zone. 


+ Fresh off leading St. Anthony to the 2A state championship, RHP Brock Fearday (2025) continues to show a true starter’s profile and is another high profile uncommitted arm in the Illinois’ 2025 class. A physical, strong-bodied 6-foot-2, 200-pound athlete, Fearday was around the strike zone with four pitches in his bullpen. His fastball touched 89 mph, playing at 87-88 mph, and showed carry up in the zone with efficient spin to pair. He threw two different breaking balls, both of which he spun for strikes; a 71-74 mph curveball with more depth and vertical drop to it, and a tight slider with lateral spin at 77-81 mph that mirrors his fastball’s plane. Fearday showed true feel for a fading changeup that he threw at arm speed at 78-81 mph to complete his mix. 


+ RHP Nathan Evans (Murphysboro, 2025) emerged as an uncommitted arm to follow from the state’s southern part after this event. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound right-hander pounded the lower-half of the strike zone with a fastball at 86-87 mph that plays best in the lower quadrant. He also showed a sinker at 84-85 mph that averaged 17 inches of horizontal movement, keeping it down in the zone and giving him a pitch to turn to against left-handed hitters. Evans flashed feel to spin a 72-73 mph curveball that averaged 2455 RPM and -17.1 inches of horizontal break. 


+ RHP Josh Jones (Normal University) came away as an arm to know in the state’s 2026 class following this event. Jones’ fastball touched 87 mph on his final bullet and the 5-foot-11, 170-pound right-hander sat at 82-86 mph in his ‘pen. He spun a 70-72 mph curveball with depth that he flashed feel to land for strikes and also consistently spotted a 75-77 mph changeup in the zone. 


+ RHP Xander Beals (St. Anthony, 2026) is a twitchy athlete with a long, loose stroke and easy arm speed on the mound. Beals’ fastball played like a true sinker with late action to it while averaging nearly 19 inches of horizontal break in the low-80s. Off that, Beals spun a sweeping slider in the low-70s that worked opposite to his fastball, creating a true mirror with both of his pitches. Additionally, Beals was consistently in the strike zone with a changeup at 76-77 mph that came out of the exact same release height, on average, as his fastball. 


+ RHP Alex Henry (Marion, 2026) toes the rubber at a physical, prototypical starter’s 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame. Henry’s fastball played at 83-84 mph from a short, compact arm stroke. Henry’s best secondary pitch in this look was a 74-76 mph changeup that he killed spin and lift on while creating late fade down in the zone. He also consistently landed a 69-70 mph slider for strikes.


+ RHP Lucas Dunn (Nashville, 2026) and RHP Cohen Merrill (Freeburg, 2026) are two upside arms headed into their junior years that each topped at 82 mph with their fastballs. 

POSITION PLAYERS

+ CIF Brady Hatton (St. Anthony, 2025) was an integral part of the Bulldogs’ 2A state championship run this past spring and consistently caught our staff’s attention across several looks during the IHSA season. The lanky, long-levered 6-foot-3, 190-pound basketball player turned heads again on Tuesday, leaving this event as one of its biggest winners. Hatton found the barrel with authority into the left-center gap from a short, uphill right-handed swing with consistency throughout his round. Seven of Hatton’s batted balls came off his bat at 90+ mph, including a peak mark of 96.6 mph, and his furthest ball traveled an estimated 344 feet, per TrackMan. 


+ L/L OF Alex Kimbrough (Carterville, 2025) really looks the part in a uniform, filling out his 5-foot-10, 188-pound frame with strength throughout. Kimbrough’s left-handed stroke flashed impact when he was on time, elevating the baseball to the middle of the field with a 94.7 mph max exit velocity. He also had the highest vertical jump of the entire event (34.1”) and ran one of the day’s fastest 60s (7.04). 


+ INF Gabe Kashycke (Belleville East, 2025) took a clean round of infield defense with sure-handed glovework and a loose, accurate arm that peaked at 84 mph across the diamond. Kashycke stayed up the middle of the field in BP, ran a 7.01 60, and jumped 32.7” in the vertical. 

+ OF Grant Owens (Benton, 2025) is a wiry 5-foot-9, 175-pound athlete with tools in multiple aspects of his workout. Owens ran a 7.01 in the 60-yard dash and had the third-highest vertical jump (30.3”) of those in attendance. In BP, Owens drove his furthest ball 342 feet into the left-center gap and his 265 ft. average batted distance was the day’s second highest mark. Owens also led all outfielders in attendance with an 85 mph high to home. 

+ CIF Keegan Schultz (Altamont) helped lead the Indians to a runner-up finish in the 1A state playoffs this spring and is a strong uncommitted right-handed bat to follow from this event. Schultz routinely elevated the baseball into the right-center gap throughout his round of BP and he had the highest average batted distance (270 ft.) of this event. Schultz took a highly polished round of first base defense as well, working around the bag comfortably with a clear feel. 

+ Another physical bat to follow from this event is OF Cayden Craig (North Clay, 2026). Packed with strength on a compact frame, only one of Craig’s batted balls came off his bat at less than 90 mph. He stayed exclusively up the middle of the field throughout his round with his three loudest barrels registering at 94.7, 95.6, and 96.8 mph, respectively. Craig also juiced his furthest ball 342 feet, the third highest mark of any player in attendance. 


+ OF/1B Nathan Walker (Mascoutah, 2026) is a 6-foot, 183-pound left-handed hitter that recorded the day’s furthest batted ball, driving his deepest barrel 356 feet into the right-center gap.

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