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PBR at The Rock 16U: Scout Blog

July 28, 2020
By Wisconsin Staff

From July 17 to 19, the PBR Wisconsin staff headed back to The Rock Complex in Franklin to host the second annual PBR @ The Rock 16U Championships. Over 40 teams made the trip to southeast Wisconsin to participate in the tournament where our team of scouts was on the scene. We’ve taken the time to compile and share notes amongst our staff to produce the Scout Blog below.

In case you missed any of our earlier coverage on this event, click on one of the following links spotlighting the highlights from each of the three days: Quick Hits, Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3. The work below contains scouting reports on prospects to familiarize yourself with as they enter their junior year of high school.

BREW STATE BASEBALL ACADEMY

Alex Star, 3B, Brookfield Academy, 2022
5-foot-9, 155-pound right-handed hitting third baseman. Compact frame. Primarily manned the hot corner for Brew State Baseball Academy this weekend, but saw some time on the mound as well. Gamer-type prospect that consistently competes in the box, stringing together quality at-bats. Loose at the plate, short stroke. Consistent feel for finding the barrel; seems to hit everything hard. 

CBT WOLFPACK

Joey Nerat, OF, Campbellsport, 2022
5-foot-10, 165-pound left-handed hitting outfielder. Strong, compact frame with athleticism to pair. Hit leadoff for CBT Wolfpack all weekend. Quiet, balanced setup at the dish, smooth load, short stride to even. Loose and quick hands, short path, stays inside the baseball, line drive approach. Showed sneaky raw power to the pull-side. Hit a home run to center field on Saturday. Instinctual base-runner; scored from second on a past ball and stole several bags this weekend. Above-average wheels that play up in the field, 4.38 home-to-first time. Quick first step in the outfield, works around the baseball, covers plenty of ground. Going to stick in center field moving forward. An arrow up prospect in Wisconsin’s 2022 class.

DECATUR COMMODORES

Parker Detmers, RHP, Chatham Glenwood, IL, 2023
6-foot-3, 205 pounds; advanced frame with immense potential in Illinois’ 2023 class. Detmers is the youngest brother to the most recent Los Angeles Angels first-round pick, LHP Reid Detmers (Glenwood, 2017; Louisville), the 10th overall selection in the 2020 draft. Parker looks to be well on his way to following a similar path, with a Louisville commit already on his resume. Detmers started the nightcap for the Decatur Commodores and lived up to the hype. Playing up a year, Detmers struck out nine over five innings, allowing just three hits and one earned run. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound righty sat an ultra easy 84-86 mph in the early going and flashed a sharp curveball at 71-72 mph with an occasional fading changeup. His repertoire showed everything it needs to fit a starter’s profile at the next level and one of the top arms in the Midwest and beyond.

ESP SELECT BLACK

Jake Petak, OF, Lincoln-Way East, IL, 2022
6-foot-1, 195-pound strong and physical frame. The right handed hitting outfielder sets up in a balanced stance with a leg lift stride. His swing travels on a long and level path through contact. Helped pace the offense last Saturday with a 4-for-4 game, tallying a double and a triple. 

Kelly Roney, SS, West Aurora, IL, 2022
5-foot-11, 145-pound right handed hitting middle infielder with room for physical maturity. Batted at the top of the lineup throughout the weekend for ESP. Showed off a short and compact swing that produced a lot of hard contact. On Saturday, tallied a pair of hits, a pair of runs, and a pair of RBI.

Mac Eccher, C, Marmion Academy, IL, 2022
5-foot-11, 170-pound right handed hitting catcher. At the plate, sets up in a balanced stance with a leg kick trigger and smooth loading actions. Swing travels on an uphill path through contact, Eccher gets excellent extension on his swing. Played a big role for ESP on Saturday with two hits, two runs scored, and two RBI. 

GRB RAYS MKE GREEN

Vincent Gohlke, LHP/1B, New Berlin West, 2022
6-foot-1, 190-pound left/left prospect. Athletic frame with some strength in the lower half. Started on the mound against Illinois Lightning on Friday morning. Short arm action, high ¾ slot. Works exclusively from the stretch. Deceptive tall/fall type delivery, uncomfortable look for left-handed hitters, works in line to target, lands upright. Fastball sat 80-81, touching 82 mph early, ticked down to 78-80 mph in his third inning of work. Mostly showed glove-side actions but did flash arm-side run. Curveball played at 68-71 mph, 1/7 shape, gradual action. 

Matthew Mueller, LHP, Brookfield Central, 2022
6-foot-4, 195-pound Sunday starter, he went 4.2 innings in their game against Schaumburg Seminoles throwing strikes well over half the time, including a first-pitch strike to 13 of the first 21 he faced. Mueller struck out seven while allowing just two hits and two earned runs. With minimal effort, Mueller fastball sat 79-81 mph, topping at 82, settling into a 77-79 range as his start went on. His curveball sat 66-68 mph with a 1/7 shape and depth, with a changeup at 73-75; the three-pitch mix complements his feel to locate, providing a steady, reliable profile as a starter long-term.

David Wilhite, MIF, Stillman Valley, IL, 2022
6-foot, 140-pound left-handed hitting middle infielder. Lean, wiry frame. Hit leadoff for GRB Rays MKE Green a large chunk of the weekend. Crouched setup at the plate, hands load back, short stride to even. Short and level path, quick to the baseball, chokes up on the bat. Contact-oriented approach, high bat-to-ball skills, line drive type of hitter. Sound defensive actions in the field at second base; quick first step with steady hands to pair, lateral range to both sides. High on-base, top of the order type of profile. 

GRB RAYS YELLOW

Jenkin Alexander, MIF, Sun Prairie 2022
One of the state’s top ranked middle infielders in the 2022 class. 5-foot-10, 180-pound left handed hitter with a strong lower half on an athletic body. At the plate, sets up in a balanced stance, short leg lift trigger. Quiet and loose hands with smooth loading actions. Alexander has a short and compact swing that produces consistent hard contact. His loose hands help generate quick bat speed. On Friday, he displayed his power with one of four GRB home runs in the game. On defense, his versatility allowed him to see playing time across the infield. He has smooth actions and his athleticism is on display when he plays. 

Cole Barton, RHP, Westfield 2022
6-foot-2, 190-pound right handed pitcher with a large and physical frame. Took the mound on Friday. Barton has a tall and fall delivery with some effort. Short arm action with a plunge draw out of the glove. Throwing from a high ¾ window, his arm works well out front with quick arm speed. His fastball sat 80-82 mph and played heavy in the zone. Barton mixed in a breaking ball with 12/6 shape and nice depth, helping him miss barrels. 

Dominik McVay, OF, Mineral Point, 2022
5-foot-10, 175-pound right-handed-hitting outfielder; advanced strength in frame. Hit in the leadoff spot and played center field for the Rays throughout the weekend. Tooled-up profile; advanced foot speed with bat strength and arm strength. Slugged a no-doubt home run to left field on Friday. Noteworthy follow in the 2022 class.

Kase Reierson, C/3B, DeForest, 2022
5-foot-10, 165-pound right handed hitting catcher with some muscle on top of an athletic body. Reierson was one of many contributors to the GRB offense throughout the weekend. He batted in the cleanup spot during GRB Yellow’s matchups last Saturday. Kase showed off some excellent bat-to-ball skills and solid bat strength. His compact swing produced consistent hard contact. He finished the day 3-for-5 on the day with a pair of doubles, an RBI, and a run scored. Behind the dish, Reierson moves well laterally and has above average blocking skills.

Aidan Ripp, C, Sun Prairie, 2022
6-foot-1, 195-pound right handed hitting catcher with a durable body. Played first base and behind the plate throughout last weekend. Last Friday, Ripp added the fourth and final home run to GRB’s tally on the night after clobbering a ball over the centerfield wall at Fenway. Ripp has present bat strength and takes aggressive hacks while in the box. 

Peyton Lee, OF, Edgerton, 2022
6-foot-1, 165-pound two way prospect with an athletic body that has plenty of projection. Lee really showed that he can do it all last weekend. On Friday, Lee was one of four GRB players to go deep in a big victory. The very next morning, Lee took the bump and followed up his no-hitter at Badger State Battle with another solid performance. The righty showcased his clean mechanics, producing a fastball that plays heavy in the zone, at 82-84 mph, touching 85 mph. His arsenal also includes a pair of breaking balls. Lee mixed in a slider with sweeping action at 71-74 mph, as well as a curveball at 64-67 mph that has some depth. He also added a single at the dish and scored two runs. His final line on the mound: 4 IP, 0 ER, 8 K, 5 BB.

GTS

Jimmy Athans, C, Badger, 2023
5-foot-6, 150 pounds; strong, compact, defined frame. Athans was constantly on the barrel all tournament from the right-handed batter’s box. A vocal and mobile backstop with above-average arm strength and actions. A follow in the state’s 2023 class.

Dane Brost, SS, Fort Atkinson, 2023
Brost, playing a level above, patrolled shortstop well, smoothly moving and funnelling groundballs on the go. He also took advanced left-handed swings in tough at-bats against a lower ¾ left-handed arm, something we’re sure he hasn’t seen a lot of.

HITTERS BASEBALL WHITE

Willard Peterson, LHP, Evansville, 2022
Peterson is a steady strike-thrower with a cut fastball that sat 77-80 mph, throughout his six complete innings. The confidence he has for his breaking ball, a 2/8 offering with above-average action that he can land at the backdoor for righties or bury under the zone. He K'd seven in six innings and allowed just a couple runs on five hits, two walks.

James Reese, RHP, University School of Milwaukee, 2022
6-foot, 175-pound right-handed pitcher, proportional build. Works out of a high ¾ slot, quick loose arm. Delivery works with effort, glove side direction. Flashes a plus potential slider, thrown at 73-75 mph with 2600-2800 rpm, late quick 10/4 action. Fastball worked at 84-86 mph, occasional arm side run while playing effectively wild off of the slider. Tough at bat for right-handed hitters.

Matt Miller, 3B, Ozaukee, 2022
5-foot-11, 185-pound third baseman. Right-handed hitter, compact swing with feel for the barrel, shows ability to consistently square up the baseball. Line drive gap to gap approach. Reliable third base profile with above average arm. I had one game with at least 2 hits.

ILLINOIS INDIANS

Josh Outlaw, OF, Maine West (IL), 2022
6-foot, 160 pounds; lean, loose frame. Left-handed hitting Outlaw took consistent, competitive at-bats all weekend long and finished Friday with a double down the left field line and a double down the right-field line. A high upside outfield follow, wiry frame with strength to add.

Nathan Hayes, RHP, St. Charles East (IL), 2022
6-foot-4, 190 pounds; big projection and athleticism. Short, loose, live arm from a high ¾ slot. Dominant stuff on Saturday striking out seven in four innings pitched, allowing just two hits and one earned run. His fastball sat 84-86 mph with the ability to reach for 87 mph on multiple occasions. However his breaking ball is the separator, working 76-78 mph with a 2400-2500 spin rate.

Gavin Sitarz, LHP, St. Charles East, IL, 2022
5-foot-11, 155-pound left-handed pitcher. Short loose arm action, high ¾ slot, pitches with feel. Competes on the mound, showed ability to get out of tough situations. Fastball sat 80-81 mph with slight cut action. Curveball has 1/7 shape and showed feel.

Jordan Skolmar, OF, Stevenson (IL) 2022
Currently ranked in the state’s top 40 players for the 2022 class. 5-foot-11, 185-pound right handed hitting outfielder with a strong and physical frame. Showed off his bat strength and power potential at Milkmen Stadium on Sunday, launching a pair of home runs over the left field wall. At the dish, he sets up in a balanced and slightly open stance. Bat takes a long and uphill path through the zone, and Skolmar has good feel for his barrel. He takes aggressive hacks and swings with a purpose. High follow in the state’s 2022 class.

Casey Hintz, SS, St. Viator (IL), 2022
5-foot-9, 140-pound, right-handed hitting shortstop, currently ranked No. 38 in the state. Smooth infield defender, plays with poise and body control. Soft hands, comfortable on the move and accurate arm that plays up across the diamond due to his quick release and internal clock. Offensively, simple swing, stays short and direct to the baseball and looks to control the barrel.

ILLINOIS LIGHTNING (GANDOLFI)

Daniel Pacella, 1B, Mundelein (IL), 2022
Kentucky commit. 6-foot-3, 205-pound left-handed hitting first baseman. Athletic frame with more room to add muscle and strength. Hit out of the three-hole for Illinois Lightning all weekend. Balanced set up in the box, smooth load, aggressive lower half drive. Clear bat speed paired with prodigious raw power, elevated bat path, creates extension through contact, hits in rhythm. Ball sounds different when he finds the barrel. Crushes fastballs middle-in; also showed off opposite field power by doubling twice to the left field wall on Friday morning. A top-ranked prospect in Illinois’ 2022 class that has a huge power ceiling. 

Michael Addari, RHP/OF, Libertyville (IL), 2022
6-foot-4, 180-pound right-handed pitcher/outfielder. Lean, lanky frame that projects as he matures. Started on the mound on Friday morning against Brew State Baseball Academy. Long arm action, over-the-top slot. Old school motion as the hands rock over the head, funky tall/fall type delivery, lands square with an upright finish. Fastball sat 76-78, touching 79 mph with 2100 to 2200 RPMs. Primarily played straight, flashed slight cutting action at times. Curveball played at an 11/5 shape with gradual action, sat 62-65 mph, 2200-2300 RPMs. Changeup was thrown with fastball arm speed, 74-77 mph, straight actions, best secondary pitch. 

ISA STARS WHITE

Ethan Hoops, RHP, De Pere, 2022
6-foot-1, 160-pounds with a lean frame that has projection. Hoops pitched around five walks and two hits in his 5.2 innings – and he also struckout eight. His fastball was sitting in the 75-77 mph range with the fastball.

Grant Meulemans, SS, Freedom, 2022
5-foot-11, 155-pound right handed hitting shortstop with room for physical maturity. He stands in the box in an open stance, lifting his hands into his load. Showed off a short and compact swing. Meulemans started a rally for ISA in the fifth inning on Saturday, driving in the first run of the frame. He did a good job at maintaining the momentum he gathered at the Badger State Battle, looking more and more like a name to follow inside this 2022 class.

ISA STARS ROYAL

Jaicee Foster, OF, Green Bay Southwest, 2022
6-foot, 185 pounds; durable, strong frame with athleticism. Foster was one of the weekend’s hottest right-handed hitters. He is currently ranked in the top 50 for Wisconsin’s 2022 class. He sets up in a tall and open stance with a high leg kick. His barrel wraps behind his head during his load. Foster uses his strength as well as his quick bat speed to help generate power. He showed off his gap-to-gap capabilities with an RBI double down the right field line at Milkmen’s stadium. In the field, he has a strong arm that he put on display by gunning down a runner at the plate. Foster is definitely a player to follow in the state’s 2022 class. 

Cam Kelly, OF, Gladstone Area (MI), 2022
Currently ranked in the top-40 prospects for Michigan’s 2022 class. 6-foot, 180-pound right handed hitting outfielder with a lean frame and room for physical maturity. Batted in the two-hole for ISA Royal last weekend. At the dish, he sets up in a quiet and balanced stance. Small leg lift trigger with smooth loading actions. On Saturday, Kelly ripped a double and another base hit, good for an RBI and run scored.

Cade Milton, C, Notre Dame 2022
5-foot-11, 170-pound right handed hitting catcher. At the plate, he sets up in an open stance with a leg lift trigger. His hands rise into his load. His bat travels on a level swing path. Strong wrists help generate quick bat speed. Showed off present bat strength. Milton kicked off the scoring by putting together a long, tough at-bat against a quality arm that ended in him going down and getting a ball down and clubbing it over the left field fence for a two-run homer. 

Griffin Smith, RHP, Appleton North, 2022
5-foot-10, 150-pound right-handed pitcher. Lean, athletic frame that projects to add more weight as he matures. Started on the mound against a talented Top Tier Americans lineup on Friday afternoon. Short and loose arm action, ¾ slot, arm plays clean. Smooth tall/fall type delivery, level front side, stays in line with target, easily repeats. Fastball sat 79-81 mph throughout, playing with heavy arm-side run. Curveball sat 65-67 mph, 11/5 shape, late break. Changeup was used sparingly, sat 70-71 mph, fastball arm speed, natural arm-side run. Effectively mixed his pitches to keep opposing hitters off balance all game. Smith tossed five innings, allowing one earned run and struck out seven. 

Wyatt Wiitanen (Green Bay Preble, LHP, 2022)
6-foot-1, 160-pound left handed pitcher with a lanky frame with lots of projection. Took the mound on Saturday against Hitters White. He pitched a five-inning shutout, and allowed just two hits while pitching around four walks, with four Ks. 

NEO BASEBALL CLUB ELITE

Dylan Dotson, RHP, Buckeye (OH), 2022
5-foot-8, 150-pound two way player. His compact strength paired with some evident athleticism stood out, and so did he excellent stamina. He was able to maintain his fastball velocity at  80-83 mph throughout the entirety of his start. Dotson effectively mixed in both of his off-speed pitches, a diving changeup and true 12/6 breaking ball. The athleticism and polish make the right-hander an interesting Ohio prospect to follow moving forward. Dotson looked solid throughout, tossing 5.2 innings, allowing zero earned runs and striking out eight. Pitchability righty with advanced feel for himself on the mound. 

Andrew Jones, SS, Brush (OH), 2022
Ohio State commit, currently ranked in the top-10 prospects for Ohio’s 2022 class. 6-foot-2, 175-pound two way prospect that is highly projectable. He's stood out for his explosive bat speed and athleticism at shortstop, and he also demonstrated some next-level traits on the bump. His fastball was sitting 83-85 mph, topping 86 mph, from an over-the-top slot that tunnelled exceptionally with his downer, sharp slider at 73-75 mph. He struck out eight and walked six, though he was consistently around the zone, and he did well to limit the self-inflicted jams he got into, allowing just one run in the team’s 4-1 win.

PBA GOLD

Torin Byrnes, RHP, Tremper, 2022
6-foot-5, 185 pounds; high-waisted, lanky frame with long levers. Live arm speed from an over-the-top slot; producing 84-86 mph fastballs, and he reached back for several 87s in favorable counts. His feel to spin is a little raw, so the breaking ball is mostly a change-of-pace offering, 66-70 mph, that keeps his opposition on their toes. Byrnes also showed a few changeups, 72-73 mph, with sink and fade while somewhat maintaining his arm speed. The present stuff combined with his room to grow and fill out, make him an upside arm in this class to get to know.

Joseph Lagina, C/OF, Freedom Project Academy, 2022
Lagina’s bat is a follow – fast and short from the right side, he connects with loud, simple contact. Evidence of this came in game two when Lagina slugged a home run over the left field fence after launching a deep double to that same fence in game one on Sunday.

PHENOM

Jake Tubbs, LHP, Antioch, IL, 2022
Tubbs was dominant in his work from the mound for Phenom, as he struck out 10 in the six-inning shutout, scattering six hits and three walks. Tubbs also helped his own cause with a couple hits from the middle of the order, including a double.

PROPLAYER CANES (FREUND)

Tyler Deleskiewicz, RHP, Badger, 2022
6-foot-5, 200-pound righty delivers the ball with some funk, as his lanky levers work from the stretch-only. He has a fast, loose arm that produces some hard fastballs that carry through the zone. He was sitting 86-88 mph early and more than just maintained that velocity, but was touching 89 more often into the third. He flips in a 70-73 mph breaking ball, a 12/6 shape with some tight spin, though he consistently landed it up at the top or above the zone on this day – he went to it frequently, however, demonstrating some confidence for it.

Gavin Micklinghoff, 3B, McHenry, IL, 2022
6-foot-1, 165-pound right handed hitting corner infielder with projection in his frame. Showed out at the plate last Saturday, recording four hits. He found the barrel for a double and was a notable run-producer, driving in four runs. 

PTA CARDINAL

Carson Fluguar, RHP/INF, Franklin, 2022
A lean 5-foot-10, 170 pounds; went 7-for-10 last weekend, showing the ability to hit to all fields, power and speed. Fluguar hit two doubles, two triples and an inside-the-park homerun. Started the tournament with back to back 3-for-3 in games. On the mound, Fluguar stuck out seven batters in four innings pitched. Fastball working 79-80 topping at 82 mph, curveball 67-69 mph, change-up at 66 mph.

Connor O’Reilly, C, Burlington, 2022
6-foot-2, 260-pound big and strong right handed hitting catcher. He showcased his raw power in PTA Cardinal’s second game of the tournament – he was 2-for-3 with a double and an extra-loud triple. In the bottom of the first, O’Reilly hit a sacrifice fly to get his team on the board. In his next at-bat, he launched a ball to the deepest part of the park in left-center, off the fence, that he earned a triple on. A double into the opposite gap capped his day, underscoring his potential capabilities as a run-producer at the next level.

Evan Iwinski, RHP, Franklin, 2022
 6-foot, 165-pound right handed pitcher. Iwinski came in from the ‘pen in his squad’s game against Slammers-Illinois on Sunday, and he put out all fires after striking out seven of the 11 his faced in three quality innings of work. Sitting 80-81 mph, touching 82 multiple times, Iwinski was consistently hitting his spots, utilizing a sharp curve at 69-71 mph – the one-two punch helped him dodge bats his whole outing, as he prevented Slammers-Illinois from getting a hit or earning a walk off him. This outing, plus his work at the invite-only PBR All-State Games event, has Iwinski trending up in the state’s ‘22 class.

SCHAUMBURG SEMINOLES NATIONAL

Alexander Cherian, Niles West, IL, OF, 2022
5-foot-11, 180-pound right handed hitting outfielder. Athletic frame with projection. Cherian sets up in an open and balanced stance with a long stride trigger. Bat travels on a long and level path through the zone. Showed off his present bat strength by crushing a fastball over the center field fence for a three-run home run.


Nehemiah Goodman, RHP/3B, Marion (IL), 2023
6-foot-3, 215-pound right-handed pitcher/third baseman. Proportionally strong frame with more room to add. Got the nod against ISA Stars Black Saturday morning. Short arm action, high ¾ slot. Athletic tall/fall type delivery, tall balance point, level shoulder. Creates extension downhill, upright finish through release. Fastball sat 82-84 mph early, settled in at 79-81 mph three innings into his outing. Clean and easy out the hand, flashed arm-side run and sink, primarily working down in the zone. Athletic, low-effort arm to follow moving forward. 

Kyle Odeshoo, C, Prospect (IL), 2022
5-foot-10, 175-pound right-handed hitting backstop. Some strength in the lower half. Hit out of the cleanup spot for the Seminoles all weekend. Balanced setup, smooth load, toe-tap trigger, strides to even. Quick hands, raw bat strength, elevated bat path, gap-to-gap approach. Showed raw power to the pull-side in game. Receives the ball well behind the plate, working around the baseball. Quick release and accurate throws to target. 

SLAMMERS-COYOTE

Cade Nowik, RHP/INF, Lake Forest (IL), 2022
6-foot, 185 pounds; athletic with strength in build. Nowik's fastball carried through the zone at 83-85 mph that earned some whiffs consistently. Quick, live arm from a high ¾ slot. Also was arguably the team’s top hitter last weekend. Aggressive hacks from the right side; smooth infield actions more suited to third base.

STARTERS NATIONAL

Jack Kruger, RHP, Belle Plaine, MN, 2022
Kruger got the start in game one last Sunday. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound, athletically-built right-hander worked 82-84 mph early on, settling in around 80-83 and was at his best when he was working downhill, creating angle to the fastball. He also went to a low-70s breaking ball often that showed 11/5 shape and occasional late bite. Kruger is an arm to follow moving forward. 

Noah Hanson, 3B, McDonell Central, WI, 2022
6-foot-1, 195-pound, long-levered right-handed hitting third baseman with strength in his frame. Consistent tough at-bats, stays within himself, creates occasional leverage, bat stays in the zone and the ball jumps off the barrel at times. Defensively, steady defender with enough arms strength to stay at third base. Made a diving play to his glove side, got to his feet and made a strong throw to first for a 5-3 putout.

Joey Malecha, OF/RHP, Northfield, (MN), 2022
One of the top uncommitted prospects in Minnesota. Was selected to attend this summer’s Future Games. 6-foot, 190-pound, athletically-built, right-handed hitting two-way prospect. Had an impressive final day at The Rock. Went 2-for-3 with an RBI double in game one and then hopped on the mound in game two and showed off an athletic, clean, quick arm. Malecha sat 84-86 mph in the early goings and challenged hitters throughout.

Cade Wiegert, RHP, Southwest Christian (MN), 2022
6-foot-3, 180-pound right-handed pitcher, lean projectable frame. Loose clean arm action with upside, works out of high ¾ slot, easy effort. Fastball played with arm side run, sat 82-84 mph, touched 85 mph. Slider works 72-74 mph, 10/4 shape. 

STIKS ACADEMY RED

Braydon Cooper, RHP, Catholic Memorial 2022
A big and strong 6-foot-3, 185-pound right-handed pitcher with arm strength. Cooper carved through his start, allowing just three hits in 5.2 innings with 10 Ks. It’s a heavy fastball that came out hot at 84-86 mph, touching 87, though it settled into the 81-83 range as the game went on. The curveball features tight spin at 67-69 mph, off a 12/6 plane, and his feel for it helped him keep his opposition off balance. 

TEAM HEAT BASEBALL

Chase Ignatius, RHP, Barneveld, 2022
6-foot-2, 205 pound two-way prospect. He has a physical frame with inherent strength. On the bump, he showed long and loose arm action from a high ¾ window. His arm works well out front with quick arm speed. His heavy fastball plays with hard tail, ranging from 82-85 mph, touching 87 mph. He mixed in a sweeping curveball with 10/4 shape at 65-68 mph to help miss barrels. As the game went on, his feel for his breaking ball improved. Ignatius also showed excellent control of the strike zone, with over 65 percent of his pitches being thrown for strikes. His final line on the mound was 5 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K. Ignatius also provided offense for himself. He stands in the right side of the box in a balanced position with a leg kick trigger. His swing travels on an uphill plane through the zone, creating a natural loft. He went 2-for-3 with a single and a triple. 

TOP TIER AMERICANS

Luke Adams, 3B, Hinsdale Central, 2022
Large frame, above average physicality, 6-foot-3, 195-pounds. Right-handed hitting third baseman. Bat shows present pop, ability to go opposite field with authority. Plays the game hard and runs the bases with intent. Arm shows carry across the diamond. Typical third base profile at the next level with middle of the order presence. On Sunday, went 2-for-3 with a triple, two RBIs and two runs scored. 

Shane Curtin, LHP, Lyons Township, 2022
Currently ranked in the top 40 for the Illinois’ 2022 class. 5-foot-11, 160-pound left-handed pitcher with a wiry body that has projection. Curtin did what we have become accustomed to seeing; worked quick, pounded the strike zone, mixed three-pitches throughout, showed a plus changeup and an athletic arm that will continue to see velocity jumps moving forward. Curtin went five innings of one hit ball, striking out eight and walking one.

Brady Ginaven, RHP, Munster (IN), 2022
6-foot-5, 215-pound right-handed pitcher/first baseman. Strong, physically imposing frame with even more room to add muscle. Started on the bump against ISA Stars Royal on Friday night. Long and loose arm action, high ¾ slot. Simple and easy actions on the mound. Tempo’d drop/drive type delivery, strong front side, closed-toe landing. Works in a fluid rhythm, easily repeats delivery. Fastball sat 84-85 mph, played heavy with straight actions. Changeup played at 76-77 mph, showed fade and sink, advanced offering with feel for pitch. A top-10 prospect in Indiana’s 2022 class. 

Zach Labrec, RHP, Cary-Grove, IL, 2022
5-foot-11, 155-pound right handed pitcher with an athletic frame. He features a long, quick arm, touched 86 mph a couple of times and turned some heads with his aggressive slider that played at 74 mph and spun at 2,755 RPM.

Dylan Warda, LHP, Brother Rice, IL, 2022
6-foot-3, 185-pound left-handed pitcher with a projectable build. Warda has a clean, easy arm, works from an over-the-top slot creating angle to his fastball that topped at 84 mph. He also flashed a 12/6 downer curveball that plays out of the same window of his fastball at 72 mph. 

Ethan Patera, RHP, Downers Grove South, 2022
Louisville commit. 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-handed pitcher, large build. Delivery works with tempo and some effort, large frame and build uses entire body to get down the hill. Arm action is loose, whippy arm works out of high ¾ slot. Fastball played 86-88 mph early on, settled in at 83-85 mph by the third inning. Curveball thrown aggressively, 11/5 shape, 74-77 mph.

Alex Stanwich, OF, Lincoln-Way East, IL, 2022
Tennessee commit. Currently the top ranked player in the state’s 2022 class and a top 40 prospect in the nation. Athletic body with a muscular build on top. At the dish, he sets up in a narrow and open stance with a toe tap trigger. His quick hands help create explosive bat speed. Pair that with his present bat strength and he has some of the best raw power in the country. On Sunday, he went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs scored. He also showed off his cannon of an arm, gunning down a runner from center field in their second game. 

Jorgie Vasquez, INF, Mt. Carmel, IL, 2022
Currently ranked in the state’s top 60 players for the 2022 class. 5-foot-11, 168-pound right handed hitting infielder with lots of projection. Starts quiet in the box, then explodes at the baseball. Swing produced consistent hard content. He delivered one of the loudest swings last weekend, a no-doubt, two-strike, home-run over the “green monster” in left field at Fenway.

Tanner Wagnon, LHP, Plainfield Central, IL, 2022
5-foot-11, 175-pound left-handed pitcher. Twitchy, athletic frame. Came in relief on Friday against ISA Stars Royal. Loose arm action, over-the-top slot; above-average arm speed for age. Athletic drop and drive delivery, closed front side, stays in line with target. Works quick and in rhythm, repeats well. Fastball sat 79-81 mph showing late arm-side run. Curveball worked at 68-71 mph, true 12/6 shape, high-spin pitch that he has natural feel for. Showed one of the better breaking balls of the weekend. Athletic prospect to follow on the mound. 

TOP TIER NATIONALS

Bearden Awadzi, OF/RHP, Wheaton Warrenville South, IL, 2022
6-foot, 175 pounds; an increasingly interesting follow in the state’s ‘22 class. The loud tools that shined through at a recent Illinois showcase appeared in-game at this tournament. Right-handed bat with strength, runs well. On the bump, showed off a fastball up to 85 mph that plays heavy in the zone. 

Osvaldo Ballesteros Jr., C/RHP, St. Laurence, IL, 2022, 5-foot-11, 170-pound two way prospect. Athletic body with room for future physical maturity. Took the mound in relief last Sunday night and shut down opposing hitters. His lively fastball sat 82-85 mph and played heavy in the zone. He mixed in a curveball with 11/5 shape at 70-72 mph to help miss barrels. His final line was 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 K, 2 BB.

Evan Eberle, RHP, Oak Park-River Forest, IL, 2022
6-foot, 160-pound right handed pitcher with a lean frame that has plenty of projection. He started on the bump last Sunday evening. Eberle dominated batters with a hard fastball sitting 83-85 mph, touching 86 mph early on. He showed excellent feel for his 11/5 curveball at 66-69 mph, throwing it for a strike at any point in the count. His final line on the mound was 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 5 K, 3 BB. 

Jack Flagg, RHP, Oak Park-River Forest, IL, 2022
6-foot-2, 170-pound right handed pitcher with a highly projectable build. Worked in relief for Top Tier. He showed off really clean arm action. His fastball was sitting in the 78-80 mph range, up to 81 mph. Flagg struckout five in three innings of work and allowed just one run on two hits, one walk.

Sebastian Gutierrez, RHP/INF, Nazareth Academy, IL, 2022
6-foot, 162 pounds; athletic build. Gutierrez’s fastball sat 81-83 mph, while topping at 85 mph, later dropping to 78-82. Curveball 60-61 mph, change up 68-70 mph. Long, loose arm action from a high ¾ slot.

Matthew Tarr, C, West Aurora, IL, 2022
Tarr is looking more and more like a follow prospect after a huge weekend at The Rock. He complemented a strong performance on the mound on Friday with some natural barrel feel from the righty box the rest of the way, including Sunday’s 3-for-3 night with a hard-hit double and triple. The strength in the barrel is obvious and it comes from a repeatable swing that lifts the ball with ease.

TOP TIER NORTH

Oliver Barkal, RHP, New Trier, IL, 2022
Came on in relief last Friday. Right-handed pitcher with an athletic body. Showcased long and loose arm action, works from a high ¾ window. Barkal has a quick arm and only pitches from the stretch. His fastball sat 80-82 mph, touching 84 mph. His fastball plays with heavy action throughout the strike zone. 

Mason Krznarich, RHP, Arrowhead, 2022
6-foot-4, 235 pounds; hulking, physical frame, long levers. Generating a good extension to home that added an extra level of difficulty, clearly, for opposing bats. Krznarich stayed steady at 82-84 mph in his four no-hit, overpowering innings, and he touched 85-86 mph in the first. Moreover, Krznarich struck out 11 of the 14 batters he faced, allowing just a lone walk and hit each.

Matt Dworsky, C, Deerfield, IL, 2022
5-foot-11, 190-pound right handed hitting backstop. Strong build on top of a proportional frame. Dworsky showed off his power potential by driving a ball over the left-center field wall to drive in the first and only run in a 1-0 victory last Saturday. Dworsky has quick bat speed and solid feel for the barrel for his age. 

Roger Simon, RHP, Loyola Academy, IL, 2022
Simon is still harnessing his loose and quick arm, though it was effectively wild against this lineup as he still managed to strike out seven batters in 2.2 innings. Simon sat 80-83 mph with short, over-the-top arm action with arm-side run and sink that flashed late, with carry through the zone. 

James McCarthy, RHP, St. Patrick, IL, 2022
McCarthy’s arm action is a little longer, though still loose and fast out front from a high ¾ window. He, too, was earning some jump of the hand with hard arm-side action through the zone in the 80-83 mph range.

James Vargas, SS, Arrowhead 2022
5-foot-10, 183-pound two way prospect. Vargas was dominant on the mound last weekend. It was a masterful performance in which he did not allow a run in six shutout innings, with 11 Ks and three walks and just one hit allowed. Vargas at 81-83 mph, up to 84, with a 67-69 curve, putting himself on the names-to-know radar coming out of the weekend. 

TURN 2 ATHLETICS

Austin Baker, SS/RHP, Eau Claire Memorial, 2022
Baker has two-way appeal, obviously, as the team’s lead-off hitter and one of its go-to arms. He held Silver Sluggers to just one earned run on four hits, two walks, and he struck out seven in the five innings of work. He sat 79-81 mph with some natural run coming from his ¾ slot, with a sweeping breaking ball at 69-71.

Walker Retz, RHP, Boyceville, 2021
Retz has been one of the state’s breakout stars this summer. He’s an uncommitted incoming senior with his stock constantly going up. Last weekend, he showcased long and loose arm action from an over the top slot. He has quick arm speed and his arm works out front. His fastball sat 85-87 mph and played with downhill tilt. He mixed in a hard slider at 75-77 mph to help miss barrels. 

Gabriel Richardson, 3B, Eau Claire North, 2022
Richardson is a 6-foot, 180-pound force with some of the most intriguing right-handed power potential in the state’s 2022 class. He was constantly on the barrel on Sunday, with four hits, including three doubles.

Ryan Robertson, RHP, Eau Claire North, 2022
Robertson is a left-handed hitter with barrel feel who added three hits in game one and was 1-for-1 in game two with two walks. 

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