Our last open event of the fall, the Indy Fall Open, took place on Sunday, September 8th at Pro X Athlete in Westfield, Indiana. A handful of quality uncommitted prospects showed well in front of our staff and are highlighted below for their standout showings. 

To find a full recap of the events' statistical leaders, click here. 

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+ '26 RHP Mack Hieber (Patrick Henry HS, Ohio) made the trip to Grand Park from Ohio and walked away as the most impressive prospect in attendance. Toeing the rubber for his bullpen with pristine projection in his 6-foot-6, 205 pound frame with wiry strength and equal room for growth, Hieber showed off a power look with a carry fastball up to 91 mph and a four pitch mix. There is both rawness and athleticism present in the up-tempo delivery, and though he lacks repeatability for now, he commanded the baseball at an above average clip. The arm works on a shorter path, with fast arm speed to an over the top slot that helps him backspin the fastball. His fastball sat at 88-90 with over 18" of IVB, and paired with his best off speed pitch, his 70-72 mph curveball with two-plane shape and bite. Hieber also showcased a slider, thrown in the mid-70's, with a flatter shape than his curveball and a low-80's change as a usable fourth. Though not a finished product, Hieber is a must-know uncommitted '26 in the Midwest with a high ceiling. 

+ '26 SS Karson Smith (Guerin Catholic) was my favorite position player of the day. Offering an athletic build with wiry strength at 5-foot-11, 160 pounds - Smith burned an event-best 6.77 60-yard dash before taking a professional round of batting practice where he sprayed liners from gap-to-gap and flashed pull-side lift. I liked the rhythm he showed in the box, making a small hand load to create separation and balance as he moves forward with his leg lift stride. His hand path works direct, and there is developing barrel strength with exit velocities eclipsing 94 mph. Defensively, Smith shows off strong range with long limbs and quick lateral movements to go along with quality actions and above average arm strength (85 mph) that looks the part of a next-level, left-side infielder. 

+ '26 OF Josh Newton (Hamilton Heights) showed off a well-rounded toolset throughout the day. The compact, 5-foot-10, 180 pounder turned in a 6.79 60-yard dash before taking a loud round of batting practice with exit velocities reaching 101-plus mph. Setting up in a wider, grounded stance - Newton lifts to a high hand position at launch that creates a downhill barrel that plays with bat speed. His lower half ignites the swing and uses the ground well, and he looks to leverage the ball out front w/ a pull-side lift approach. There is some present pull-side juice shown that hints at a future speed/power profile when considering his above average run time. Defensively, Netwon fits a corner-mold at this time with CF not out of the question, and he showed above average arm strength (85 mph), as well. 

+ '26 RHP Peter Ward (Zionsville) offered an upside look in his 'pen. The wiry, projectable, 6-foot-2, 170 pound righty showed athletic moves with a big, inward turn lift and a quick arm that works from over the top / slightly above high 3/4. Pronating early to create arm side run, Ward worked at 85-86 on his running heater, a pitch that tunnels well with his mid-70's changeup, which plays with big arm-side fade, and is presently his best offering. Ward also showed a low-70's breaking ball that played with slurvey shape. Ward is an interesting follow in the '26 class with a couple of traits to dream on.  

+ '26 RHP Gavin Brannon (Connersville) is another uncommitted arm that showed well at the event. The 6-foot-3, 190 pound frame is projectable and holds room for strength / body composition gains that will louden an above average arsenal. I really liked the ease of operation here as Brannon showed a low-pulse throughout his bullpen and flooded the zone with three. The arm swing works with a looser whip to a 3/4 slot, allowing for heavy sink on a low-to-mid 80's (T 85) fastball. Though not shown, the slot + sink on his fastball suggests that there is at least an average changeup in there. Brannon showed two breaking balls, a low-70's curveball and mid-70's slider, both fringy pitches that he showed feel for. 

+ '25 CINF Matthew Everroad (Greensburg) showcased immense raw power with some of the firmest exit velocities we have seen in a showcase setting. Built like a left tackle with a massive, tremendously strong, 6-foot-3, 260 pound frame - Everroad hit out of a wider stance and used a heel-lift timing mechanism before delivery his heavy barrel on a level plane through the zone. The sturdy-framed infielder reached a peak exit velocity of 108.8 mph, with 7 batted balls eclipsing 100 mph (over half the balls he put in play), with his furthest ball traveling 388 feet. The raw power shown is quite impressive and is some of the best in Indiana's 2025 class.