Emerson, Georgia: Week two of the Prep Baseball Spring Break experience at LakePoint Sports was filled with talent across the board. Five teams from across the country made the trip down to Georgia to play multiple games throughout the week. Now we take a look at notes and videos on 10 talented players that stood out last week. 

Addison Latko, C, 2026, DePaul Prep
Illinois Commit. Latko impressed both offensively and defensively at the Spring Break Experience. The Illinois commit has had a strong couple of days at the plate showing good plate discipline working deep counts and making loud contact on pitches in the zone. Latko has good explosiveness in his lower half, with a solid gap to gap approach. Behind the plate Latko is real smooth/athletic and handles the pitching staff well.

Carter Swanson, INF, 2024, McDowell
Uncommitted. Swanson had a strong start to his 2024 season at the Spring Break experience at LakePoint. Swanson has a strong bat from the right side. Carter shows the ability to hit the ball to the opposite field for some power. He keeps the barrel in the zone and gets the backside through well. Swanson is a strong 2024 that is left uncommitted.

Beni Espinosa, INF, 2025, DePaul Prep
Uncommitted. Espinosa had a hot bat last week at LakePoint flashing power to all parts of the field. Espinosa has a strong lower half and gets his hips through well. He has a heavy barrel that stays in the zone well. Espinosa shows good plate discipline out of the 2 hole for a strong DePaul Prep lineup. A solid player that is still uncommitted.

Kyle Alivo, SS, 2024, St. Thomas More
Iowa Commit. Alivo can do it all for St. Thomas More. As the everyday SS Alivo has a strong glove and shows good range to both glove and arm side. At the plate Alivo is a strong run producer driving balls into the gaps and shows the power to hit balls over the wall. Kyle doesn’t get cheated at the plate taking aggressive hacks while still keeping a strong approach. On the mound Alivo has some impressive arm talent coming out of the bullpen for St. Thomas More working a low 90’s FB and good action with the Slider. The Iowa commit is a fun player to watch on the diamond.

David Hagen, RHP, 2024, Archbishop Moeller
One of the senior leaders for this Ohio powerhouse program and West Virginia commit, Hagen offers high-level pitchability on the bump. Operating from a high three-quarters slot while working downhill with deception from a lean 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame. Hagen showed command to fill up the zone with three pitches, led by a heavy high-80s fastball that created in-zone misses with late hop that played well throughout the zone. Slurve at 77-79 creates both depth and horizontal movement that runs away from right-handed hitters for whiffs. Changeup flashed as a potential above-average pitch with parachute-like tumble from the same tunnel as the fastball as well as maintaining arm speed in the low-80s. Kept a strong Depaul lineup off balance throughout with a healthy mix of all three pitches. Hagen will be a vocal point for the Crusaders as their spring just gets underway.

Zion Theophilus, RHP, 2025, Archbishop Moeller
Uber-physical at 6-foot-2,190-pounds, Theophilus offers equally strong stuff to match the frame. The #1 player in Prep Baseball Ohio’s 2025 class and LSU commit came out explosive while running the fastball up to 94 multiple times while living 92-93 throughout. Huge arm speed really jumps out for Theophilus with the ability to create significant arm-side life to miss bats and especially at the top of the zone. Slider continues to make strides as a put-away pitch for the junior at 82-84 with hard, late bite with improved shape. The ability to manipulate showed by adding and subtracting sweep from a formerly strictly gyro movement profile. Theophilus would show the low-to-mid 80s changeup in warms-up flashing some fade and ability to kill spin. The overall ceiling continues to grow for Zion as the stuff only continues to get louder, and could end up as one of the top RHP in the 2025 class.

Matt Ponatoski, SS, 2026, Archbishop Moeller
Recently moving into the #1 spot for Prep Baseball Ohio’s 2026 rankings, Ponatoski surely looked the part for Moeller at the Spring Break Experience. At 6-foot-2, 185-pounds, the sophomore is “what they look like” on the left-side on the infield. Ponatoski moves with confidence laterally that's backed by a present 60 grade arm that can make accurate throws with carry from multiple angles. Advanced body control for the class and shows projection to be an impressive glove as he matures. At the plate, Ponatoski offers a high-level hit/power combo from the left-side that's boasted by big in-game power. With above-average bat speed and uphill bat path that's geared for loft, the shortstop generates significant pull-side power, which showed with a no-doubt shot to LCF. Takes a mature approach in the box, rarely expanding and knows when to go the other way to do a job. It was just my first look at Ponatoski, but overall it was hard to not walk away impressed.

Luke Pappano, OF/LHP, 2025, Archbishop Moeller
Showing some of the best bat-to-ball skills of any player throughout the week, the Ole Miss commit was a tough out every time in the box. Displaying an excellent ability to match plane throughout the zone from the left-side, Pappano was able to pick up hits to nearly every part of the field. Feel for the barrel was evident with quality bat speed to generate hard-hit contact consistently. Sneaky above-average runner with ability to reach top speed quickly that was marked by a pair of sub-4.2 home-to-first times beating out two infield singles. #2 in Prep Baseball Ohio’s 2025 rankings and offers one of the highest two-way ceilings in the state.

Will McCullough, OF, 2024, Archbishop Moeller
High-floor profiles will always have an impact at the next levels and that’s exactly what I saw with McCullough. Staying simple and well-connected from a wide base, the Davidson commit demonstrates great plate coverage through the zone with present barrel feel and strong hands/wrists. All-fields approach with strength to drive both gaps with minimal effort. Spark Plug out of the leadoff spot while creating havoc on the bases with an electric first step and aggressive mentality. Defensive profile is strong with staying power in center field. Advanced routes with both an above-average run tool and arm. McCullough will walk onto campus with the ability to have day one impact.

Conner Cuozzo, 3B, 2026, Archbishop Moeller
A physical presence in Ohio’s 2026 class, Cuozzo was all over the barrel throughout the week for Moeller. Standing 6-foot-1, 220-pounds, the uncommitted sophomore offers present above-average raw power from the right-side. Stays well-balanced with good ability to transfer weight while incorporating his lower half. Line-drive approach allows Cuozzo to stay on-plane regularly and backed by bat speed that finds loud impact in the barrel. Shows an advanced approach to limit chase early as well as present bat-to-ball skills with two strikes. Cuozzo will be one to watch over the next few years as Moeller has one of the most impressive underclass rosters in the country.