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Hoosier Holiday - Quick Hits

December 19, 2023
Cooper Trinkle
Lead Scout

On Sunday, December 16th, the PBR Indiana staff hosted our annual Hoosier Holiday showcase at Pro X Athlete, in Westfield, IN, the final event of the 2023 calendar year. 

Nearly 50 players made their way to Pro X this past weekend and 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 Indiana staff.

Find the full statistical breakdown, HERE.

Winners

+ '26 1B/OF Blake Cope (Zionsville) has been a helium '26 throughout the back-half of the 2023 season and he reaffirmed that status with one of, if not the best, showing of any player at the Hoosier Holiday. There’s no shortage of physicality with Cope, who holds plenty of inherent strength within a 6-foot-2, 195 pound frame. That strength was on full display during batting practice, where the left-handed slugger posted the top exit velocity of the day, reaching 100 mph. Displaying tremendous bat speed with bat strength to pair - there is natural lift to the pull-side as Cope delivers his barrel to the front of the hitting zone. Cope now holds the top exit velocity in Indiana's 2026 class, assuring the statement we made HERE, where we ranked Cope as the top uncommitted power hitter in the class. Along with a strong offensive showing, the Zionsville product posted the top infield arm of the event, reaching 84 mph across the diamond, while also posting a 6.90 60.  Already a name-to-know prospect to our staff, Cope heads into the winter with plenty of positive momentum behind him.

+ '25 RHP/C Brayden Stevenson (Pendleton Heights) turned in another strong showcase performance, a top 45 player in our 2025 class. Arm talent is the calling card for the Ball State recruit as he posted an 80 mph arm from the crouch, translating to pops ranging from 1.84 - 1.94. Stevenson then toed the rubber to produce the most electric 'pen of the day, sitting 86-88 mph on his carry fastball (up to 20" of IVB). The fastball command has come along since our last look at Stevenson, and he paired it with a tight, low-70s breaking ball that has also taken a step up. Aside from showing premier arm talent, Stevenson showed some pull-side strength during batting practice, using a loose, level swing plane to produce a peak exit velocity of 95 mph. Holding a projectable, 6-foot-2, 195 pound frame - expect Stevenson to continue to make vast improvements on the mound as he has only been focusing on this part of his game for a short time period. 

+ '26 3B Aidan Creasbaum (Hanover Central) was recently highlighted within our Top Uncommitted '26 Tools article for his strong hit tool, and he showed off that tool again at the Hoosier Holiday. Creasbaum appears to have made noticeable improvements within his body composition, leaning out to a more athletic look at 5-foot-11, 205 pounds. Creasbaum delivered one pull-side barrel after another throughout his batting practice round, showing an innate feel to lift the baseball while producing a max exit velocity of 97.6 mph. 

+ I was impressed with the development that '26 C Jace Watson (Castle) has made since our last look during the 2023 summer. The strong left-handed hitter hailing from Evansville has made noticeable improvements in his arm strength, increasing his outfield velocity to 86 mph and his catcher velocity to 76 mph, also posting a personal best pop time of 1.96. A physical, 6-foot-1, 195 pounder - Watson showed off a short, simple swing that works level through the hitting zone, posting another personal best in exit velocity, reaching 96.2 mph. 

+ '25 MIF Maddux Bach (Hamilton Southeastern) blazed a 6.65 60 to start the day, an event best. Possessing an athletic look with all-kinds of twitch packed into a 5-foot-9, 162 pound frame, Bach then stepped to the plate where he showed sneaky juice to the pull-side due to his ability to backspin and lift the baseball. Hitting into a firm front leg, Bach's quick hands allow him to whip the barrel to the front of the hitting zone. 

+ Indiana's '27 class appears to be very strong from our early looks and OF Lincoln Hoffman (Westfield) is a young outfielder from this group that our staff is excited about. With a profile that strongly resembles that of current Indiana signee Cole Decker - Hoffman owns an exciting profile as a left-handed hitter with one of the better run tools in the class. A 7.00 runner that will undoubtedly blaze into the sub-6.8 range soon, Hoffman showcased a pure left-handed stroke with his best barrel coming off at 91.3 mph. There is some gap-to-gap feel within Hoffman's game and his athletic, 5-foot-10, 185 pound frame still has room to pack on strength. 

+ '25 C Jace Mayberry (Eastside) showed well across the board at the Hoosier Holiday. Providing a mature look within a compact, 5-foot-9, 180 pound frame, Mayberry showed a short, quick, left-handed swing with balance throughout during his batting practice round. Showing gap-to-gap feel, Mayberry consistently squared up the baseball and produced a peak exit velocity of 95 mph. Mayberry then posted an 80 mph arm from the crouch, tied for an event best. The arm strength was noticeable and the Eastside product was able to carry the baseball to second base, posting pops that ranged from 1.95 - 2.07. To round out a strong toolset, Mayberry posted an above average run time (7.07 60), as well. 

+ Another junior backstop with a strong performance at the Hoosier Holiday was Easton Smith (Center Grove). Smith showed strong improvements within his game, starting with a consistent round of batting practice. The strong, proportional, 5-foot-11, 190 pounder showed consistent tempo and well-timed intent throughout his round, and his simple, rotational swing produced a peak exit velocity of 96 mph. The Center Grove product was 76 mph from the crouch, translating to pops that ranged from 1.98 - 2.09. 

+ Two freshman arms, RHP Nate Moses (LaPorte) and Brock Ballesteros (William Henry Harrison), provided intriguing looks during their bullpen sessions, adding themselves to our '27 follow list. Moses, a lanky, 6-foot-1, 136 pounder, showed feel for a three-pitch mix with a loose, whippy arm that comes from a 3/4 arm slot. His three-pitch mix is highlighted by a sweeping, 67-70 mph breaking ball, an offering with great shape that will only improve as he matures into more velocity. The quick-armed right-hander reached a peak fastball velocity of 81.6 mph and showed feel for a diving, 72-74 mph changeup. Ballesteros offers all-kinds of upside within his projectable, 6-foot-2, 165 pound frame. The arm works with a loose whip and accelerates with above average arm speed as he turns it over, producing an upper-70s fastball that will vastly improve as he matures into more strength. Ballesteros flashed pull-side strength during batting practice, showing two-way upside as a catcher with arm strength. 

Moses

Ballesteros

Other Notable Performances