On Sunday, Aug. 25, the PBR Illinois team visited Triton College in River Grove, Ill., to host its annual Chicagoland Open showcase – a late summer event that perennially produces high-level prospects to continue to follow.

This weekend helped shine a light on an emerging number of players, and our Quick Hits post below will highlight the day’s top performers. Keep an eye out tomorrow when we analyze the event from a more statistical perspective. For now, everything you need to know is below.

QUICK HITS

POSITION PLAYERS

+ Catcher Michael Rastrelli (Mundelein, 2021) was one of the more impressive prospects of the day. Rastrelli showed a big arm that carried well out of the crouch at 78 mph and resulted in an event best pop time at 2.10. Offensively his right-handed bat plays well with a consistent line drive approach and loose athletic hands.

+ 2024 Angel Jimenez (Disney II Magnet) was the youngest prospect at the event, but that didn’t limit him from showing one of the better skillsets of the day. Jimenez swings a loose bat with exceptional bat speed for his age and registered an 82 mph exit velocity from the tee. Jimenez, a C/RHP, showed well on the mound, with an athletic arm action that presently works at 74-76 mph. 

+ From Michigan, Cody Hultink (Pennfield, 2021) had arguably the best day of all position players. Hultink’s stat line speaks for itself, running a 6.85 in the 60, 81 mph across the infield and posting a 100 mph exit velocity from the tee. Hultink is an athletic 6-foot, 160-pound, right/right infielder with athletic twitch actions all over the diamond.

+ A pair of Marist underclassmen showed well with the bat on Sunday: Jack Wade (2023) and James Murphy (2022). Wade hits from the left side with a short uphill path creating hard contact that jumped off the bat at times. As for Murphy, the 2022 graduate is a right-handed bat with a line-drive, gap-to-gap approach that showed feel for the barrel.

+ Gavin Arseneau (Oswego, 2021) showed above-average tools across the board. His well-rounded game showed loose hands at the plate that create whip and infield actions that play out front with body control. Arseneau ran a 7.19 in the 60 and threw 80 mph across the diamond with an 85 mph exit velocity from the tee. 

+ Nicholas Mulvihill (Hinsdale Central, 2021) stood out with reliable infield hands and an athletic arm action that played well on the move. He pairs that with feel for the barrel and an up-the-middle, line-drive approach.

+ Luke Lange (Taft, 2021) showed off some hard contact in BP, translating his 88 mph exit velocity to the batter’s box. Lange is a corner infield prospect at 6-foot-2, 209-pound who carries some middle-of-the-order thump.

ON THE MOUND

+ A couple of infield two-way players showed off impressive arm strength: Jacob Griffin (Riverdale, 2021) and Ryan Smith (Nazareth Academy, 2021) brought big arm strength to the infield and translated it to the mound as well. Griffin sat 82-83 mph on the mound and showed similar arm strength across the diamond, while Smith carried the ball at 89 mph across the infield and sat 84-85 mph on the mound. 

+ LHP Ethan Pequette (Manteno, 2021) has upside on the mound with an easy arm action that sits 81-82 mph and showed above average spin on his curveball at 68-70 mph along with a deceptive changeup that showed feel, putting together feel for a three-pitch arsenal.

+ D.J. Morand (Loyola Academy, 2021) is a 6-foot-1, 175-pound right-handed pitcher who displayed one of the best fastballs of the day. Morand sat 84-85 mph with arm side run and feel for the strike zone. His curveball played at 68-70 mph and a fading changeup at 71-74 mph. Making him one of the higher ceiling prospects of the day.

+ LHP Mason Sweeney hails from Fishers HS in Indiana and showed advanced fastball feel from the left side at 81-83 mph, using both a four and two seam version. Sweeney mixes in a sharp 69-71 mph curveball that showed feel for the zone. 

RHP Zach Martinie (St. Joseph Ogden, 2021) is 6-foot-2, 193-pounds and works out of a full windup with good tempo. His arm swing is loose and creates an arm side sinking fastball at 81-83 mph. Martinie showed two breaking balls, with his slider showing best, matching his ¾ arm slot to generate tight 10/4 action. 

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