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Lockport Preseason ID: Quick Hits

February 24, 2023
By: Illinois Scouting Staff

On Feb. 20, the PBR Illinois staff traveled to the Bo Dome in Lockport, Ill., to host the annual Lockport Preseason ID. The 220+ 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. 

PITCHERS

+ RHP/INF Jacob Matise (Mt. Carmel, 2026) is listed at a lanky 6-foot, 156-pounds that showed room to add strength as he matures. On the mound, he showed a high leg lift with a drop and drive delivery. He had a long and clean arm out of a high 3/4 slot. The freshman’s fastball sat 81-82 mph and topped out at 82.2 mph, and it was mostly straight with life out of hand. His curveball flashed a 12/6 shape with a large break that worked in the bottom of the zone, and he recorded a max spin rate of 2,228. He showed a good feel for his changeup that had sink and fade actions and the ability to locate it in and around the zone. Matise began the day by running a 7.49 in the 60-yard dash. He also had a max EV of 85 mph.

+ RHP Daniel Cercello (Neuqua Valley, 2024) let it be known that he was the best pitching prospect in attendance at Monday’s Lockport Preseason ID. Cercello is the poster child of a pitcher’s frame, standing 6-foot-7, 180-pounds with long limbs that use little effort to sync up and work down the hill with a free and easy arm. His fastball jumped through the zone at 91-92 mph, touching 93 mph, while exhibiting above average control at the same time. Both his curveball and changeup also showed control, with the ability to drop both for strikes in order to keep hitters off his fastball. Neither may be a present out pitch, but both showed above average stuff to allow his low 90’s fastball to play even better. 

+ 2026 southpaw Michael Pettit (Lincoln-Way West) is a young arm to keep an eye on. He's got a clean and repeatable long levered delivery and works out of a ¾ slot. He sat 78-81 from the left side with a sinking fastball that showed well above average feel for his age. He pairs it with a sweeping breaking ball and above average change as well. 

+ RHP Cameron Armstrong (Lincoln-Way West, 2025) drew some attention with a firm curveball at 77-78 mph and topping at 2405 rpm. Its an advanced pitch for his age, and plays up paired with an 86-87 mph fastball that showed running action. 

+ Highland Park RHP Michael Pasquesi (2024) carries a large frame and arm at 6-foot-2, 190-pounds, and looks like there’s more in the tank. Pasquesi sat 85-87 with low effort that created some deceptive finish through the zone. Above average spin and action on his slider gives him two well above average offerings that should play well at the next level. Pasquesi also took a notable round of BP showing loose, strong hands, leverage to the pull-side and some sneaky jump off the barrel.

+ RHP Martin Kinnane (Lockport, 2026) made for a good look during our time in Lockport. Listed at a projectable 6-foot-2, 150-pounds Kinnane syncs up his long limbs seamlessly and is a easy mover while on the mound. Kinnane ran his fastball up 83 mph that flashed some life through the zone. As for his offspeeds, he featured a breaking ball that flashed sharp 11/5 action that has some potential to be an out-pitch as he continues to develop. He rounded out his three-pitch mix with a true changeup that he showed confidence in and was able to throw all around the zone. 

+ LHP Jacob Baud (Lincoln-Way East, 2026) is a long-limbed southpaw that impressed during our time in Lockport. Listed at a thin and projectable 5-foot-11, 135-pounds, Baud syncs up his long levers well, and topped at 82.2 mph with his fastball during his ‘pen. He also featured two offspeed pitches, the first being a sweeping slider that he was able to throw in the zone for strikes, and also bury it for swings-and-misses. The second being a changeup that he showed feel for and it played with some hard fading action. 

+ RHP Ben Llewellyn (Downers Grove North, 2024) is listed at a large 6-foot-3, 180-pounds and he put together a solid overall ‘pen on Monday. Llewellyn features clean, repeatable mechanics and created some effortless velocity, topping at 87.2 mph on his hardest bullet to the plate. When it came to his offspeeds, Llewellyn is still developing some feel for both a 11/5 breaking ball and a changeup with fading action but both possess some out-pitch potential. 

+ RHP Tyler DeLuca (Minooka, 2024) stands at 6-foot-2, 190-pounds and showed well during his ‘pen on Monday. DeLuca showed off some arm talent with his low effort delivery by running his fastball up to 87 mph that was consistently around the zone. Also, showed feel for his two offspeed pitches, a curveball with 11/5 shape and a fading changeup with some depth.

+ RHP Hayden Hutchcraft (Morris, 2025) is listed at 6-foot-1, 175-pounds with a frame that oozes upside. Showcasing a three-pitch mix that is headlined by his fastball that sat 83-85 mph (T85.8) with sink and hard running action, geared to put the ball on the ground. Hutchcraft has two offspeed that are still developing, the first being his curveball that flashed 10/4 break that he throws hard, and a changeup with hard running action.

+ RHP Jackson Kottmeyer (Kaneland, 2024) has seen his stuff take a big step forward in a years time. The 6-foot-5, 170-pound, long-limbed, right-hander has seen his fastball climb up to 86.8 mph, up from 81.1 mph a year ago. Kottmeyer has a loose arm from a lower slot, averaging 2328 rpm on his fastball, pairing it with a mid-70s slider and 79-81 mph changeup. Upside right-handed arm that is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential.

+ LHP Ian Tosi (Mount Carmel, 2026) emerged as a name to know from Lockport on Monday. The 5-foot-10, 155-pound southpaw worked his fastball in the 80-82 mph range, topping out at 83 mph with an average IVB of 17.9 (T19.7). His slider and curveball both sat in the 64-66 mph range - while his changeup came in at 68-70 mph with up to 18” of run. 

+ LHP Tyler Ledvina (Lincoln-Way East, 2024) is a 5-foot-11 left-hander who was up to 86.2 mph in Lockport, with a quick arm, fluid. He mixed in both a true four-seam and a two-seamer that did run hard arm-side at times, and both kinds of fastballs showed life through the zone. Ledvina’s slider also has some sharpness to it, spinning at over 2,200 rpm on average, with sweep-type action. His feel for the strike zone with all three pitches, including a changeup, helped him stand out last weekend.

+ INF/RHP Jimmy Hawksworth (Lincoln-Way Central, 2024) is a compact athlete who was up to 86.7 mph at this event on a fastball that features hard arm-side life, alongside a changeup that complements it deceptively; he also has some feel for a short, tight slider.

Two Ways 

+ RHP/INF Luke Mensik (Lincoln-Way Central, 2025) had a strong all-around day as a two-way prospect. On the mound, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound, right-hander stood out with a polished repertoire, led by a riding fastball that sat at 86-88 mph with 16.7 inches of average IVB. He rounds out his repertoire with a firm, sharp curveball at 75-77 mph with 2585 average RPM and a changeup at 82-83 mph. The right-handed hitter offers intrigue at the plate as well with a balanced, repeatable swing and polished whole field approach. Mensik, who peaked at 94 mph off the bat also ran a 7.09 60. On the infield, Mensik has soft hands and athletic actions, ranging easily to both sides of his glove to cover ground. His arm plays with well above-average life across the diamond, reaching up to 87 mph from a high ¾ slot. 

+ RHP/INF Cody Freitas (Bradley-Bourbonnais, 2025; Illinois State commit) was definitely a name our staff was excited to get an updated look at and after a full offseason training, Freitas showed off the gains he has made. Now boasting a slightly thicker 6-foot, 180-pound frame, Freitas came out firing during his pen and every one of his fastball’s surpassed the 90-mph mark, with the hardest coming in at 91.5 mph. Not only was the velocity of this pitch impressive, he also created a max IVB of 21.4 inches and a spin rate of 2341 rpm. As for his offspeeds, he featured a curveball that played with a sharp and short 11/5 break that he was able to throw in the zone for strikes, and also bury it for swings-and-misses. He rounded out his three-pitch mix with low-80s changeup that averaged 14.2 inches of horizontal movement. Freitas also more than held his own as a position player, showing a strong arm across the diamond at 90 mph as well as a quiet, strong swing that resulted in a lot of hard, pull-side contact in BP.

+ OF/RHP Nate George (Minooka, 2024), a recent Eastern Illinois commit, put together an eye-opening performance, led by his 6.39 60-yard dash on the Swift Timing System. That 60-time was head and shoulders above the rest of the pack, with the second-best time coming in at 6.65. At the plate, he continued his strong day, showing elite bat speed for his age, taking violent controlled hacks while staying on the barrel and peppering the left-center field gap with loud contact. George led the field with a 103.7 max exit velocity, as well as a 376’ max batted ball. Defensively, George is highly athletic, as backed up by his 60; moving through the ball with intent and active footwork before transitioning into an athletic crow hop. His arm is clean and fluid throughout its’ path, playing with easy life and accuracy while reaching up to 94 mph. The 6-foot, 190-pound, on-the-rise junior also hopped on the mound and topped at 88.9 mph.

POSITION PLAYERS

+ INF Brady Green (Oak Park River Forest, 2025) impressed last August at the Illinois State Games and continued to solidify himself at Lockport as one of the top uncommitted infielders in the state. Green has improved his strength over the winter and it was evident during BP where he was averaging exit velocities off the bat that were similar to what his max exit velocity was about five months ago. Green swings with controlled aggression, stays on-plane and looks to drive baseballs with authority to both gaps. On the infield, Green moves with athletic actions and fluid rhythm, utilizing soft hands to secure the ball out front before moving into a clean transfer. As a 7.02 runner in the 60, his speed easily translates to the infield, moving with a quick first step and ranging well laterally. His arm plays with easy life and backspin across the diamond, reaching up to 86 mph across the infield.

+ OF Nolan Maciejewski (Tinley Park, 2025) continues to prove he is a name to know in the 2025 class. The 5-foot-11, 156-pound, wiry left-handed hitter showed well at last year’s Illinois State Games, taking competitive at-bats against high-quality arms throughout while also standing out thanks to his outfield defense. He showed much more of the same with the bat at Lockport, with a loose, athletic swing with twitchy, strong hands and above-average feel for the barrel. The 7.14 runner also plays through the ball with deliberate actions in the outfield, reaching up to 84 mph from a crow hop with carry. Also excels on the basketball court. 2025 outfielder to know moving forward. 

+ Hailing from Indiana, OF Tyler Peller (Andrean (IN), 2024), caught the attention of our staff thanks to his strong, athletic 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame and left-handed swing. Peller has a strong, compact swing that stays on top of the baseball with some jump and lift off the barrel. Peller peaked at 99.7 mph off the bat with a 344’ max batted ball. In the outfield, Peller utilizes athletic footwork to play through the ball with confidence, reaching up to 90 mph from a crow hop with a long/loose arm stroke. 

+ C Dasaan Lee (Thornwood, 2024) was all over the barrel with authority during his round of BP resulting in a 90.3 mph average exit velocity, good for third at the event. Lee stays quiet and balanced throughout with strong hands, present bat speed and a mature middle of the field approach. Lee showed off a strong arm from behind the plate, reaching up to 77 mph from the chute with a quick clean transfer, reaching as low as 2.09 for his pop-time. Physical right-handed bat to follow moving forward. 

+ INF Brett Tucker (Lemont, 2026) stood out at his first-ever PBR event and put himself on the map as a 2026 name to know. The 5-foot-11, 155-pound right-handed hitter has all kinds of projection in the frame and his right-handed swing. At the plate, he has whippy, quick hands, stays on top of the baseball, flat through the zone with above-average bat-to-ball skills while averaging 80.3 mph off the bat as a freshman.  Defensively, Tucker has the skillset to stick on the left-side of the diamond with active/fluid footwork, flashing rhythm and feel while playing through the baseball with soft hands and an arm that topped at 79 mph.

+ OF Jorge Matos Jr. (Chicago Hope Academy, 2025) has made huge strides in his game in a year’s time, seeing his numbers across the board improve dramatically including his 7.14 60-time, which is down from a 7.66 in the winter of 2022. He also, has added 11 mph to his outfield arm and eight to his peak  exit velocity which now sits at 89 mph. On top of that, Matos showed a fluid, athletic, balanced right-handed swing that was on the barrel and should only continue to ascend as he adds strength to his 5-foot-9, 150-pound frame. 2025 prospect who continues to get better with every look.

+ Russell Oros (Downers Grove North, 2025) is another outfielder who has made big gains since our last look in 2022. He has grown an inch and gained 10 pounds since last August and has seen his average bat speed tick up five mph. He was on time and on the barrel throughout his round and the ball was jumping off the barrel at times; he registered a peak exit velocity of 94 mph which is up nine mph from last August. Uncommitted 2025 right-handed hitter trending in the right direction.

+ INF Lon Roberts (Lyons Township, 2026) is a switch-hitting freshman with a balanced, repeatable left-handed swing with an above-average feel to hit for his age. The swing worked with fluidity, was consistently on time and lifted contact to all fields. He is an active defender with soft hands and more range than the 60-time currently indicates. Follow 2026 switch hitter. 

+ INF Joah Ratio (Downers Grove North, 2025) is yet another talented infielder coming through the Trojans program. Ratio took one of the better rounds of defense on the infield throughout the entire day, boasting soft hands with fluid actions, ranging easily to both sides of his glove with a quick first step. He showed to have a clear feel for the position, understanding and utilizing correct angles to the ball and showing off a quick/clean transfer on double play turns - also reaching up to 84 mph across the diamond. At the plate, he swings with controlled aggression, staying on-plane and long through the zone while utilizing the whole field. 7.36 runner in the 60. Follow infielder 

+ OF Jacob Parr (Lemont, 2025) is yet another outfielder who has been putting in work and making gains since his last PBR appearance in August of 2022. Parr has a strong, athletic, 6-foot-4, 188-pound frame and has chiseled his 7.13 60-time down from a 7.99 last August.  He has also seen his arm strength and bat strength tick up as well. The left-handed hitter has loose, strong hands, natural lift through the zone and worked to both gaps throughout his round of BP. Defensively, his arm played up to 84 mph from with steady actions. Parr looks to just be scratching the surface of his potential.

+ INF Sammy Atkinson (Providence Catholic, 2026) is the third Atkinson to come through the Illinois high school ranks in the last handful of years. Both older brothers have a knack for the barrel with power attached to it. Sammy, despite being listed at 5-foot-8, 165-pound, fits the same mold offensively as his older brothers and is a 2026 name to know moving forward. Atkinson, a right-handed hitter, swings with controlled intent, quick strong hands and gets all kinds of jump off the barrel, especially given his size. He creates above-average rotational acceleration and he peaked at 88.9 mph off the bat with his furthest batted ball traveling 322’. The 7.12 runner also played a steady infield, staying low to the ground with fluid hands and quick first step. 

+ INF/OF David Wick (Plainfield North, 2024) had caught our eye last summer at the Illinois Summer Championships in Rantoul and backed it up at the Lockport Preseason ID. The left-handed hitting multi-positional prospect has a lean, athletic, 5-foot-11, 160-pound, with plenty of room for added strength. He stays compact and through the hitting zone a long time with loose, strong hands while creating leverage to the pull-side. The 7.05 runner finished with one of the top average bat speeds of the day at 72.6 mph. Also topped at 82 mph from the outfield. Solid PBR debut for the uncommitted junior.

+ C Michael Toole (Geneva) was a right-handed bat to know in the 2025 class. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound sophomore has a strong, compact swing and stayed on the barrel throughout his round working to both gaps with relatively easy effort. Toole averaged 83.1 mph off the bat. 

+ OF Riley Contreras (Hinsdale Central, 2026) is another young physical prospect to note. The 5-foot-11, 168-pound, broad-shouldered, multi-sport athlete has advanced hand/wrist strength and creates above-average bat speed for his age. Its a short, direct path and the ball jumps off the barrel when the swing syncs up. In the outfield, Contreras plays through the ball with intent and rhythm, utilizing a soft glove hand out front and through the ball with an efficient shuffle into a crow hop – reaching up to 83 mph. 

 + C Hayden Fellows (Downers Grove South, 2024) showcased a loose, whippy right-handed swing that stays level and through the zone a long time. Fellows was consistently on the barrel and sprayed hard line-drive contact to all fields. Fellows registered a 97.2 mph peak exit velocity with an averaged bat speed of 71.6 mph. The talented junior showed equally as well behind the plate, recording a low pop time of 2.00 with a quick/clean transfer and directional footwork - reaching up to 81 mph from the chute. Strong all-around showing for the uncommitted backstop.

+ Another catcher with a strong all-around showing was James Spellman (Notre Dame College Prep, 2025). Spellman has an advanced 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame and strong arm from the crouch that played up to 80 mph with a low pop time of 2.09. Offensively, the left-handed hitter has a loose, whippy, strong swing, stays inside the baseball and gets easy jump off the barrel. Also ran a 7.25 60.

+ INF Brendan Campbell (Bartlett, 2024) stood out with his 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame and aggressive, intentful swing that resulted in loud contact at times and a 94.2 mph peak exit velocity. Campbell creates advanced bat speed with a direct path and fast hands. He also showed arm strength across the infield, topping at 84 mph.

+ Left/left outfielder, Johnny Andretich (Plainfield North, 2026), is a 5-foot-8, 140-pound, young fluid athlete to follow moving forward. It's a quiet, fluid left-handed swing that works on-plane with loose, athletic hands and finishes on his backside. In the outfield, Andretich showed to have some feel for the position and steady/reliable actions, playing through the ball in-stride and with intent. 

CLICK HERE for a look at the entire Lockport Preseason ID. 

Stay tuned over the coming weeks for much more coverage to come from the event.

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