2017 PBR First-Team All-State
June 20, 2017
By Drew Locascio
Illinois Scouting Director
The Illinois 2017 Prep Baseball Report First Team All-State squad features a talented group of prospects that helped their respective teams to successful seasons. Our All-State teams pull from the entire state, all classifications.
The players below, we believed, were the most dominant at their respective positions. Some positions were more loaded than others, especially pitchers this year. We took into account several different metrics: overall performance, statistics, and strength of schedule/competition.
The All-State teams are geared more towards statistical performance, otherwise they’d just be a direct reflection of our PBR Player Rankings, which rank players on pure ability/prospect status only. We’ve also strongly considered the defensive play of several players, something that gets thrown out the window at times during all-area or all-conference debates.
Over the next few days we will also unveil our second and third teams.
Without further ado, a look at the 2017 First Team All-State selections:
Pitchers
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Reid Detmers LHP / Chatham-Glenwood, IL / 2017
Detmers, Louisville recruit, is the No. 1 ranked player in the Illinois 2017 class. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound left-hander was arguably the most consistent performer in the class since he burst onto the scene at the 2015 Future Games. Detmers features a fastball that sits comfortably in the 88-91 mph range with advanced pitchability. He finished the spring with a 9-1 record, one save and a 0.836 ERA. In 67 innings pitched he struck out 153, gave up 24 hits and a total of eight earned runs on the year. |
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Steven Washilewski LHP / 1B / St. Rita, IL / 2017
Kansas commit. Washilewski was the ace of the staff for No. 7 St. Rita and seemed to take the ball in every big game this spring. The athletic left-hander, finished the year with a 10-1 record, with a 0.82 ERA. In his 67.1 innings pitched he struck out 87, allowed 42 hits and threw four shutouts. On the mound, he works extremely quick, goes right after hitters and has a three-pitch repertoire that should give him a chance to start at the next level. His fastball works in the 84-87 mph range and gets a number of swing and misses with a slider that has late sharp action. |
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Brendan Murphy LHP / 1B / Mundelein, IL / 2017
Murphy has been a constant performer over his high school career, over three varsity seasons Murphy went a combined 28-3 with 180.2 innings pitched and racked up 274 strikeouts. He is a repeat 1st team all-state selection, last year he made it at first base. He finished as the No. 2 ranked player in the Illinois Class of 2017, was drafted and signed by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 4th round of the MLB Draft. This year he posted a 10-1 record with a 1.99 ERA. In 59.2 innings pitched he struck out 91 against just 20 walks. On the mound he has a three pitch feel and can run his fastball up to 92 mph. |
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Ryan Kutt RHP / 1B / Brother Rice, IL / 2017
Illinois commit, and another two-time first team all-state selection. Kutt has been an impact performer on varsity for the Crusaders since his freshman season. Kutt always seemed to rise to the occasion in big games and over the last two years has stepped up with hit bat as well as on the mound. Kutt’s 2017 final record of 6-4 did not reflect how well he threw this spring. In 64.2 innings he struck out 103 and finished with a 0.87 ERA. He only allowed eight earned runs on the year and had a K/BB ratio of 4.9. In Kutt’s decorated four-year varsity career he won 27 games, had an ERA of 1.35 and struck out 277 in 238.7 innings pitched. |
CATCHER
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Joe Donovan C / 3B / Westmont, IL / 2017
Michigan commit. Donovan, a third team all-state selection in 2016, made some offensive adjustments and added strength in the offseason and it paid off in a big way. Donovan hit .523 with 16 home runs and 49 RBIs. He had 58 hits on the year with 56 runs scored. In 235 defensive innings this year, Donovan only made 6 errors and caught 18 of 30 would be base stealers. Donovan is ranked No. 19 in the Illinois’ 2017 class and was a 33rd round draft pick by the Chicago Cubs in this June’s draft. |
FIRST BASEMAN
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Bobby Seymour 1B / OF / Mount Carmel, IL / 2017
Seymour may have been the most imposing, locked in hitter, opposing pitchers had to face all spring long. Seymour led the way for the loaded Caravan lineup which was full of potential Division I position players.. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound, left-handed hitting first baseman finished the year with an astounding .545 batting average. What makes the average even more impressive is the power numbers to go along with it. The Wake Forest commit, hit 10 doubles, 15 homeruns, drove in 48, scored 54 runs, walked 24 times and only struck out 11 times. |
Middle Infield
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Donivan Williams 3B / SS / Richards, IL / 2017
Williams, an Illinois State commit, is a premium high-level defender who emerged as an offensive force this spring. The right-handed hitter, played a stellar shortstop for Richards all spring and offensively, he hit .514 with 17 doubles, four triples and 10 homeruns. He also knocked in 49, scored 47 runs and struck out 12 times. Williams, earned Player of the Week honors one week this spring when he hit three home runs, a double, a triple, nine RBI and scored eight runs. |
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Andrew Wiegman SS / 2B / Carmel Catholic, IL / 2019
Louisville commit. Wiegman was the only sophomore to make first team all state. The Carmel shortstop hit .418 on the year with 9 doubles, 3 triples, and 4 home runs. He drove in 40 runs on the year and stole 29 bases. Wiegman is currently ranked No. 3 in the Illinois Class of 2019. He is already a plus defender and projects to hit for more power in the future as he continues to fill out. |
Third Baseman
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Brian Fuentes SS / C / Crystal Lake South, IL / 2017
Fuentes, a Wabash Valley JC commit, was a key component for Crystal Lake South this spring as they won their first ever Class 4A State Title. Fuentes, who moved to the United States from Venezuela last summer, settled in at third base for the Gators. Fuentes has advanced hands on the infield and makes the game look easy. At the plate, the right-handed hitter hit .450 with 21 doubles, a triple and six home runs. He also knocked in 48 and scored 42 runs. |
Outfielder
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Alek Thomas OF / LHP / Mount Carmel, IL / 2018
TCU commit. Thomas has been a constant performer for the Caravan ever since his freshman year. He is a repeat first team all state selection. This year Thomas hit .455 with 10 doubles, 5 triples, and 11 home runs. He drove in 43 runs and scored 59. He walked 21 times on the year and only struck out 4 times. Thomas is the No. 1 ranked player in the Illinois Class of 2018 and will draw big crowds of scouts to his games from here on out. Thomas has a rare combination of elite level speed and present power that plays in game. A true centerfielder Thomas is one of the best defenders in the state as well. |
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KC Simonich 3B / OF / Lemont, IL / 2017
Texas Tech commit. Simonich, who transferred from Joliet Catholic to Lemont this year, has long been regarded as one of the top left-handed hitters in the Illinois 2017 class. His hitting prowess continued this spring as he hit .412 with eight doubles, four triples and 10 homeruns. Simonich also drove in 38, scored 35 runs and only struck out six times in 102 at-bats. Simonich helped lead No. 17 Lemont to a 30-6 record. |
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Dylan Burris OF / RHP / Edwardsville, IL / 2017
The left-handed hitting Wabash Valley JC commit had a season to remember. Burris was the lead-off hitter and center fielder for Edwardsville who finished runner-up in Class 4A. He also tied the IHSA record for most triples in a season with 14. On the year, the dynamic Burris hit .447 with 16 doubles, 14 triples and five homeruns. He also scored 47 runs, knocked in 36 and stole 25 bases. |
Utility
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Cole Kmet LHP / OF / St. Viator, IL / 2017
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