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Top Players In The State Show Well At Ohio Procase

HILLIARD - From the 94.3 mile an hour fastball by Benjamin Rabatin to the 103.4 exit velo of Brady Schnierer to the 6.41 clocking in the 60 by Alex Laird, the Ohio Procase put on by Prep Baseball Report had a lot of outstanding performances.

“It's always special seeing the top players in the state of Ohio get together,” Prep Baseball Report Ohio Director of Scouting Jordan Chiero said about the event held on Saturday at the Bo Jackson Elite Sports venue. “Not only is the amount of talent great to witness, but I also enjoy seeing the respectful yet competitive nature among them.”

Those participating had a lot of good things to say about competing in a field of 71 players from across the state, 54 of which have made commitments, 11 to schools in Ohio, four to Big 10 universities and others to the likes of Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Alabama, Louisville, Tulane, Duke and West Virginia.

“The 2023 Ohio Procase was a stellar event,” said Rabatin, a Normandy High School senior committed to Kent State. “The entire PBR Ohio crew put together a well-organized event for every athlete to perform at their top capacity. The location couldn’t be any better and it aids to the on-going list of reasons why the Procase is a top event of every winter.”

Harper Lann, a Walsh Jesuit sophomore, agreed.

“I believe the Procase event was not only for promotion of our talents as athletes, but also being together as some of the best baseball athletes in Ohio,” Lann explained. “There was talent all over the dome covering every position. I was very blessed to be a part of the showcase and have a chance to get to meet all my competitors in my class.”

Landon Brandt, whose 93.7 fastball was second behind Rabatin, was happy to be back at the Procase for the second time.

“This event was an awesome experience to showcase my improvement from last year and get my name out to scouts,” said the Wapakoneta High School senior committed to Indiana State. “It was a great event that ran on time and gave the players as much time as they needed to get ready to go.”

Others had a positive outlook about an event that continues to grow in importance.

Cole Raile: “The event was a great experience, a perfect event to get my name out there. It was professionally run by a great staff offering me the ability to showcase my talent alongside some of the best athletes in the state.”

Noah LaFine: “It was a really good event that was put together very nicely. It is always nice to be able to see the other top players in the state and be able to compete with them which I think just makes everyone better.”

Quincy Mazeke: “I think overall the event was great. I saw a lot of new faces and a lot of familiar ones and all the guys that I saw were super down to earth and really just stand-up guys. The event ran quite well and we ended with an hour to spare.” 

Brady Schnierer: “I had a blast performing in front of the collegiate and professional scouts at the showcase. It was very special for me to get the exposure and I’m satisfied with how I did. It was the best I could do that day.”

Blaine Albright: “The Procase was well organized and well run. It was a great atmosphere with the top players in the state.”

It left Chiero feeling good about what is going on in the Buckeye State.

“I think Ohio showed that some of the best baseball in the country is played here,” Chiero said.

ON THE MOUND

There were 37 participants that pitched, with 14 hitting a fastball velocity of 90.

“What stood out to me this year from a prospect standpoint was the stuff on the mound and the athletes positionally,” Chiero pointed out. “Every dude that hopped on the mound showed not only high velo or potential for high velo but awareness of his secondary.”

Rabatin was pleased to have the top speed at the showcase.

“The highlight of the event, for me, was hitting 94.3 mph on the mound,” Rabatin said. “It was a lifetime PR and it was done at the perfect time. Adding onto that was seeing and meeting all the additional Procase participants.

“Throwing at such a high velocity is hard, but keeping it in the zone is the biggest challenge. After previously hitting a number similar to that two years ago, I know my next objective is being able to locate the velocity every outing.”

Brandt also saw plusses in his showing.

“I was really excited to get on the mound and show my improvement, but I got warmed up a little earlier than I needed to,” Brandt said. “To improve my performance in the future I hope to space my throwing out better.”

LaFine, a Hoban junior committed to Vanderbilt, was back at the Procase for a second time after hitting 89 with his fastball in 2022.

“This year, for me, I felt like I knew what I needed to do differently from last year and I worked on it,” explained the third-rated 2024 in Ohio. “I just came into the event trying to get better.”

The 5-11 170-pound right-hander was happy with what he saw.

“Because there was Trackman, it can help me take away data to better myself,” noted LaFine, who hit 90.8 with his fastball while displaying a four-pitch mix. “It was cool to pitch in front of scouts because it is making me become more used to that type of stuff.”

Albright, a senior at Lima Bath competing in the Western Buckeye League against players like Brandt, had the top velocity among left-handers at 91.6.

“My fastball velo has also gone up 3-4 miles-an-hour since last year. I went from sitting 87-89 to 90-92,” noted the Indiana commit, who said his all-time personal best is 94. “I was definitely happy with my numbers on my slider. This has been a pitch I have been working on all winter. One thing I’d like to continue to improve on is my change-up control.”

Bennett LaPalm, a senior at Bellbrook and a Dayton commit, was right with Albright among southpaws throwing a 91.4 mile-an-hour fastball. Ohio State signee Ben Schechterman, a senior at Aurora, was the third left-hander to hit 90 with a fastball topping out at 90.6.

Additional seniors also touching 90 were Hilliard Darby’s Kyle Kesel (92.8), Medina’s Jack Geiser (92.6) and Anthony Wayne’s Dominic Carlson (90.3) while juniors hitting 90-plus included LUOA’s Josh Stalnaker (90.9), Miamisburg’s Preston Barr (90.2) and Mayfield’s Austin Ziance (90.2). Lann rounded out those touching 90 velocity with the 6-2 215-pounder from Walsh Jesuit reaching 90.7.

BEHIND THE PLATE

A number of catchers made their mark at the Procase with Buckeye Valley’s Cole Raile showing a strong overall game. The 12th-rated senior catcher in Ohio had 102.5 exit velocity and ran a 6.80 60, both best among catchers, while adding the top catching velo of 84. A pop time of 1.91 completed the numbers for Raile  

“The highlight of the event for me as a catcher was the ability to catch so many top-level arms,” the Virginia Military Institute commit said. “I was able to connect with so many guys in a short period of time and it felt like I’ve known some of them for a long time.

“Some takeaways were that hard work truly pays off. To see the growth in between events proves it. I wouldn’t have been able to perform in front of others if I hadn’t done the things I did when nobody was watching.”

Ben Clark, an Oakland commit, finished with the quickest pop time of 1.81 while the New Albany senior was second in catcher velo at 83. Peyton Underwood, a Bishop Hartley senior committed to Daytona State College, also had an 83 catcher velo while Christian Knight, a Painesville Riverside senior headed to Wagner, was second in pop time with 1.85.

YOUTH SHINES

A year ago Zion Theophilus and Luke Pappano made a name for themselves with stellar performances at the Procase as freshmen. The Moeller sophomores were back this year as committed players ready to show their stuff.

“I liked being able to use my tools and seeing the results on the mound,” related Theophilus. “I feel this was comparable with last year as PBR always has great events, but this year it was nice to throw on the Trackman.”

A right-handed pitcher committed to Duke, Theophilus not only touched 91.7 with his fastball, but along with LaFine was one of two at the event to throw a splitter, hitting 83.3 in addition to an 80 mile-an-hour slider.  

“I have been developing a splitter in the off-season and had the opportunity to see what it looked like,” Theophilus explained. “It was nice utilizing the data that the Trackman offers. It will help me with my pitch design.”

Pappano, a Moeller left-hander who has committed to Kentucky, was more than pleased to have another opportunity to participate at the prestigious showcase.

“My highlight of the event was being able to compete against the best athletes in Ohio,” Pappano said. “The main difference from last year for me was I knew what to expect when I got there. It was also cool to see some familiar and new faces.”

Pappano topped out at 88.5 on his fastball to go along with an 80.2 changeup and 74.2 curve.

“My performance allows me to know that I have to continue to work harder everyday to stay at the top,” the number one rated 2025 in Ohio said.

Another sophomore that came up big on the mound was Lann, an uncommitted right-hander who topped at 90.7 with his fastball.

“This was my first Procase so I never really understood the energy that comes with it,” Lann admitted. “One of my main highlights of the Procase was getting the full effect of a high-class PBR Procase. For example, the media day and being in front of many scouts.

“A few things I can take from the Procase and my performance is that being under pressure being with guys at your same talent level and higher should make you less nervous and bring out your competitiveness,” added the top-ranked uncommitted 2025 in Ohio. “Going into the showcase I was worried how I was gonna perform, but when I got on the bump everything just felt right for me to be there.”

TWO-WAY POTENTIAL

When it comes to youth, two-way potential was stronger than ever with Pappano joined by fellow sophomore Grant Jolly along with standout freshmen Shawn Sullivan and Parker Van Engelenhoven.

Pappano had 94.7 exit velocity to go along with his 88.5 fastball while Jolly, a high school teammate of Brandt at Wapakoneta who plays shortstop and pitches, touched 89.2 with his fastball in addition to 93.5 exit velocity.

Sullivan, a Walsh Jesuit freshman committed to Alabama, hit 88.4 on the mound while adding an exit velocity of 93.7 while Van Engelenhoven, an Olentangy Liberty freshman headed to Louisville, showed he more than belonged with an 87.1 fastball and 91.0 exit velocity.

A pair of other juniors also stood out with Jimmy Cerha of Kenston, an Ohio University commit, at 89.2 with his fastball and 96.2 on exit velo and Jackson Frasure of Chaminade-Julienne 88.7 on the mound with a 99.0 exit velocity. Frasure also had the top bat speed at 81.8 and third best hand speed at 24.8

Three seniors also showed well with Geiser hitting 98.7 on exit velocity in addition to his 92.6 fastball and Schecterman 92.6 on the exit along with the 90.6 heater. Pauly Mancino of Saint Ignatius was at 88.0 on the fastball and 98.7 exit velocity while adding in a 6.77 time in the 60.

POSITION PROSPECTS

Schnierer, a junior and high school teammate of Engelenhoven, was as impressive as anyone at the event with the best exit velocity of 103.4 to go with a 6.51 60 along with an 88 outfield velo toss.

“Being considered for the event is a highlight in itself but being able to finish near the top in all of my categories was incredibly special,” related Schnierer, the seventh-rated 2024 outfielder in Ohio. “I still need to continuously work on my game to be ready for this season.”

Shortstops Alex Laird and Carter Christenson also made big impressions with outfielders Mazeke and Dominic Bouscher, third basemen Carter Hanson and Matthew Major and first basemen TJ Takats others that had strong numbers.

“Positionally, the players weren’t missing many tools,” Chiero proclaimed. “They were very well rounded.”

Laird was as good as any with the top time in the 60 at 6.41. Additionally, the GlenOak senior signed with Bowling Green, had 92 infield velocity while showing versatility with 84 catching velo and 1.91 pop time.

Christenson, a Moeller sophomore committed to West Virginia, was third fastest in the 60 at 6.58 and had the best infield velocity at 93 while hitting an exit velo of 97.1.

Mazeke, Laird’s teammate at GlenOak, showed speed at 6.62 in the 60 along with power at 101.1 in exit velocity.

“The highlight for me was just being able to be around some of the premier tools in the state,” said Mazeke, a Cincinnati commit. “I saw a lot of things that opened up my eyes. I think the biggest take away from the Procase would be staying in the moment and finding that zone to where I can perform at a high level.”

Bouscher, a junior at Toronto committed to Northwestern, showed off his tools with a 6.75 time in the 60, 90 outfield velocity and 94.2 exit velo. Hanson, a Hilliard Bradley senior headed to Wofford, was 6.89 in the 60 and 101.9 exit velo in addition to recording the best hand speed at 25.7 while Major, a Troy Christian sophomore going to Tulane, was 101.6 off the bat with 25.6 hand speed. Takats, a senior at Perrysburg and a Bowling Green commit with potential on the mound, ran a 6.77 60 while producing 101.5 exit velocity.

UNCOMMITTED

There were 13 juniors participating that are uncommitted along with five sophomores that showed what they had at the Procase.

On the mound, 11th graders Barr, Taylor Echols of Wapakoneta, JJ Hartman of Genoa and Stalnaker were all at 88 or better with their fastball.

Schnierer, an outfielder/pitcher, and Frasure, a third baseman and pitcher, both displayed two-way potential while Parker Corbin showed off his versatility with the Cincinnati Country Day junior shortstop also recording a 1.86 pop time and 80 velo at catcher.

Moeller third baseman Hanleigh Lopez had 95 exit and 88 infield velocity while Lebanon outfielder Kyle Koch ran 6.76 in the 60 with 86 outfield and 94.6 exit velo. Noah Cassel of Tecumseh had 1.97 pop time and 96.4 exit velocity.

In addition to the trio of Lann, Stalkner and Jolly, Preston Zumwalt of Tippecanoe showed well among sophomores with the third base prospect at 98.8 exit velo to go with 83 infield velocity. On the hill, Fremont Ross 10th-grader Braylon Schneider hit 89.9 with his fastball, 78.2 with his slider, 77.6 with the change and 75.1 with the curve.

SCOUTS LOOKING ON

Pitching in front of scouts can be tough, especially early in the recruiting process, but as time goes by it becomes less nerve-racking. Still, doing so in the environment at the Procase had its moments.

“Performing in front of the scouts was stressful at some point,” admitted Lann. “But since I attend Walsh Jesuit, a school that brings a lot of high-level scouts, I was in a sense used to the feeling of the scouts watching. That brought me some comfort so I could perform naturally.”

But there was a bit of a chip on his shoulders.

“After losing my freshman season and half of my summer season to an injury, I have more to prove than anyone in my class,” pointed out Lann, the ninth-ranked sophomore in Ohio. “This will be the year I show my cards, and hopefully get recruited to high-level colleges.”

Mazeke, another sophomore, also had some emotions.

“Performing in front of the scouts was a pleasure, but I will say I was a bit starstruck when they watched my round,”  the second-rated 2025 outfielder in the state admitted. “But I kept my composure and had a great round. Unfortunately, no scouts came up to me and spoke with me but I know my time will come and when it does come I’ll be locked in and ready to show my skill set.”

For other sophomores, it was a second chance to show their stuff at the event.

“I am very used to pitching in front of many scouts, be it college or pro, so it had no bearing on my performance,” Theophilus noted. “A couple scouts spoke with my father, although personally I had a few tell me I had ‘great stuff’ on the way out the door.”

Said Pappano: “It was very cool performing in front of the scouts. I personally didn’t talk to any of them, but they did speak to my dad.” 

For a senior like Rabatin, the pressure of scouts is becoming second nature.

“Performing in front of scouts always gives a little bit of positive anxiety and I live for it,” related the 11th-rated 2023 right-handed pitcher in the state. “Throwing in that environment alone boosts the adrenaline and the scouts add onto it.”

It was nothing new according to Brandt.

“It was a fairly normal environment,” explained the 6-0 205-pound right-hander. “The scouts weren’t in your face and instead were very low key about watching us. I didn’t feel any added pressure from them being there.”

Albright, the second-ranked senior left-handed pitcher in Ohio, was thrilled to have a second time to pitch at the Procase.

“It’s just a blessing to have an opportunity to perform in front of scouts,” Albright said. “Playing baseball after college is definitely something I’d like to be able to accomplish if given the opportunity.”

CLOSING TIME

While showing out for scouts is what the event is about, there is more that the participants discovered.

“I enjoyed talking with some of my former teammates and players I’ve met through travel and high school ball,” noted Albright. “I also liked getting to know the catchers and getting their feedback on my pitches. It’s always a great opportunity to throw in front of scouts and top baseball experts.”

Brandt also enjoyed seeing others.

“The highlight of the event for me was being able to see all the great baseball players that Ohio has,” Brandt said. “Ohio definitely goes under the radar for the talent we have and it was very cool to see all the talent.”

LaFine had a different take on what he witnessed.

“While I was pitching it was cool to see all the kids watching and seeing MLB scouts there watching, too,” LaFine said.

For some, there are many more events in the future.

“I would like to thank Jordan Chiero and the PBR organization for allowing me to participate in this event,” Pappano said. “It’s always an honor.”

Added Theophilus: “I felt it was a great event and the amount of talent there was admirable. PBR is working to put Ohio on the map.”

But while Pappano and Theophilus are just sophomores, high school is nearing an end for the seniors in attendance which means showcases are coming to a close.

“Thank you to PBR for helping me with my recruiting process over the years and some great memories!” Brandt said.

Albright echoed that statement.

“I just want to thank PBR Ohio for the exposure over the years,” Albright said. “I think it helped me have more college options when it came to my recruitment.”

Schnierer had the same feelings.

“Thank you to Jordan Chiero, Alex Stefanelli and the PBR Ohio staff for continuing to put on amazing events,” Schnierer expressed.

Perhaps Rabatin said it best.

“Anytime you or a teammate attends a showcase, enjoy it,” Rabatin said. “Playing a game you love in front of scouts is a true blessing. The Ohio Procase is a perfect place to enjoy and admire how far you have come and what you need to do to continue your dream.”

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