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Illinois Evolution Series: Takeaways

June 28, 2023
By: Illinois Scouting Staff

We continued our summer tournament circuit this past weekend with the Illinois Evolution Series in Rantoul, Illinois. This event targeted some of the up-and-coming prospects from the state, as well as a couple surrounding states. Read on below to see which players stood out to our scouting staff from the event. 

Wow Factor Illinois 2028 Scout Team

3B Brady Jones (Metamora, 2028)
Jones is a 6-foot-1, 160-pound athletic body that impressed with his level, on-plane swing. Active hands in the box, and showed easy power to both sides of the field with his two doubles. Final Line: 2-for-3, 4 RBI, 1 R. Jones continued to impress this weekend in later looks, going 1-for-1 with a towering home run and two walks in a winning effort to secure Wow Factor a place in the championship game. Showed discipline at the plate, primarily swinging at pitches in the zone all game. Not to mention, showcasing bat-to-ball skills as he was able to swing on-plane and get his foot down on time to hit a momentum-changing home run.

SS Ryder Rennette (NA, 2028)
Rennette showed off his athleticism in the field with his range and loose arm across the infield. His quick hands and level swing also made him a threat at the plate. 

OF Sage Lem (NA, 2028)
Lem is a proportionate body that is active both at the plate and in the outfield. Showed off his short swing and quality bat-to-ball skills by sending two doubles in one of today’s games.Final Line: 3-for-3, 4 RBI, 2 R. 

Yard Goat Baseball 

OF Ryan Pipkins (NA, 2028)
Pipkins impressed across two games Saturday on the mound and at the plate. In his first game, he toed the rubber and tossed five and one-third innings. Across the frames, he struck out nine using a fastball that worked up to 80 mph. Flashed feel for a breaking-ball that hovered in the low-70’s that was used to generate swings-and-misses. In his second game of the day, Pipkins launched a two-run home run over the center field wall to tie the game. Was compact to the ball and demonstrated quick bat-speed.

Morrow’s Yard 13u 

SS Kaden Hall (Hagerstown, 2028)
Hall has an advanced build for his age showing a dominant presence at the dish. Offensive productivity is fueled by his quick bat and obvious bat-to-ball skills. Comfortable defender, showed the ability to make difficult backhand plays on the infield. Went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Athletic, 5-foot-10, 160-pound frame with room to fill out.  

OF Jaxson Hale (Hagerstown HS, 2028
Hale swung it well in front of our staff, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Steady actions in the outfield with reliable hands.  

SS Jack Rector (Hagerstown HS, 2028)
Compact frame with plenty of room to grow into his frame physically. The right-handed hitter went 2-for-3 in front of our staff with two doubles and an RBI. 

White Sox Ace

SS Terrell Hampton-Hall (NA, 2028)
Hampton-Hall is an obvious athlete both in the field and at the plate. Noticeable hand speed, generating an accelerating bat through the zone. Final Line: 2-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 R.

RHP Gavin Jones (Bishop McNamara, 2028) 
Jones impressed with a simple and repeatable delivery. Quick, loose arm with whip out front. Fastball worked 71-73 mph topping out at 74 mph. Curveball worked in the low 60s with tight 10/4 shape. Also finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored.  

UTIL Aarion Gould (Alain Locke Charter HS, 2029)
Strong, athletic build. Clear athleticism in the field and on the mound. At the plate, Gould finished 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs in our brief look. On the mound, he worked his fastball up to 73 mph to pair with a breaking ball at 62 mph.  

TBSA Tribe  

SS Brayden Tindall (Morton, 2027)
Tindall showed off his consistently on-plane swing all day hitting a multitude of extra-base hits. A lefty bat that has room to build muscle and is advanced fundamentally. Went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI for TBSA Tribe. Upside frame with room to add on strength as he matures.  

Indiana 219ers 

OF Maxwell Gurnic (Taft, 2028)
Gurnic showed the ability to adjust in the batter’s box, driving multiple balls to the outfield. Athletic hands and above average bat-to-ball skills. Final Line: 2-for-3, 1 R, 2B. 

C Ryan Garcia (Hanover, 2028)
Garcia is a proportionate frame with a consistently level swing. Noticeable barrel control assisted in driving baseballs to the outfield. 

3B/RHP Nathan Phillips (Highland HS, 2028)
Phillips impressed on both sides of the ball in front of our staff. At the plate, we went a perfect 4-for-4 with three singles, a double and a run scored. On the mound, he fired two innings with one strikeout, also earning the win. Fastball worked up to 75 mph with a mid-50s breaking ball. Strike thrower, landing 16/19 of his pitches in the zone. Phillips continued to perform at a high level later in the weekend, as he pitched his team to a win against Wow Factor 2028 securing seven punch outs and only allowing one run in a complete game performance. Phillips continued to spot up against opposing hitters, inducing weak contact. At the plate he used his tall, athletic frame and his quick hands to smoke a ball over the centerfield wall for a home run in a 1-for-3 day at the plate. 

MIF Cam Hines (Colonel Wheeler, 2028) 
Hines impressed at the plate in front of our staff, going 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and a stolen base.  

Canes Indiana 

RHP Charlie Annee (Center Grove, 2027)
Annee fired a complete game with five innings of work, one earned run, two hits, 10 strikeouts and two walks. The right-hander topped out at 72 mph and paired the fastball with an 11/5 breaking ball at 63-65 mph.  

UTIL Kolten Wilson (Mooresville HS, 2027)
Wilson impressed on both sides of the ball for Canes Indiana. At the plate, the right-handed hitter went a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, RBI and a run scored in our brief look. On the mound, the right-hander fired a four-inning complete game to pick up the win, allowing just two hits, on earned runs, three walks and striking out two.  

UTIL Jacksen Cross (Martinsville HS, 2027)
Cross had a stellar day at the plate in front of our staff. The right-handed hitter went a perfect 3-for-3 with a triple, five RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base.  

Prospect Training Academy Cardinal 14U 

RHP Mason Lusic (Waterford Union HS, 2027)
Music impressed on the mound for PTA Cardinal, firing a complete game shutout to earn the win. Final line: 5 IP, 2 , 4 BB, 6 K.  

C Grady Cheever (Germantown HS, 2027)
Cheever swung a hot bat on Saturday from both sides of the plate. The switch-hitting catcher displayed a smooth swing that sent a ball over the right field wall from the left-handed box. On the right side, Cheever pulled a ball down the line that resulted in him landing an extra-base hit. Ended the game 3-for-3. Advanced instincts behind the dish defensively. Cheever showed up yet again later in the weekend, this time in a semi-final game to keep his squad alive. Cheever came in to close the game and went two and two-thirds innings, allowing just one hit and striking out three. On the other side of the ball, he sent his team to the championship game with a two-run-walkoff single up the middle. The timely hit capped off a 3-for-4 day for the 2027 grad.

OF Kyle Rogosienski (Muskego, 2027)
Rogozienski continued to hit the ball hard on Saturday as he went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. Using an explosive swing that generates controlled power through the zone, Rogozienski hit nearly every ball, regardless of result, hard. After tallying multiple home runs in previous games, he smacked two balls and played center field. Listed at 5-foot-9, 130-pounds, Rogozienski moves loose across the field and has athletic upside that translates on both sides of the ball.

PTA Cardinal 13u 

CF Gavin Schiek (Franklin, 2028)
A strong, lefty bat with a considerable understanding for the strike zone. An inside-out swing and the ability to adjust his hands aided to a quality opposite field hit. Final Line: 1-for-1, 2R, 2 BB. 

Bloomington Renegades 

C Samuel McCully (Normal Community, 2027)
McCully boasts a 5-foot-9, 135-pound frame with room to add on strength as he matures physically. At the plate, the right-handed hitter finished 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs. 

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