Future Games: Team Illinois Game Two Recap
July 30, 2021
In game two of the PBR Future Games, Team Illinois fell to Team Wisconsin by a score of 6-2. Team Wisconsin took a 4-0 lead after two innings and never looked back.
The tide started to turn for Team Illinois in the third inning when RHP Ryan Anderson (Minooka, 2024) took the mound. Anderson put up two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk. Anderson, is a 6-foot-5 right-hander who works with easy effort, threw a high-volume of strikes, sat 84-85 mph with his fastball and showed a three-pitch mix throughout.
RHP Jarron Thompson (Waubonsie, 2023) followed Anderson with arguably the most dynamic two innings pitched for Team Illinois so far at the event. Thompson showed off a lightning-quick arm with easy effort, commanded the fastball and topped at 91 mph, sitting 88-90. Thompson also showed a feel for a low-to-mid 70's breaking ball that he consistently landed for strikes. Thompson put himself on the map as one of the top uncommitted 2023 arms in the Midwest thanks to his impressive two-inning stint.
RHP Jarron Thompson (@wvhsbaseball, 2023) has a live arm, and he requires little effort to get to premium velocity. He sat 88-91 mph in his two innings today; CB, 70-72, with tight, biting action. Thompson is a high-profile uncommitted arm.#PBRFG21 | #TeamIllinois pic.twitter.com/4SrGJmpWDK
— PBR Illinois (@PBRIllinois) July 30, 2021
Another 2023 RHP who impressed was RHP Anthony Edge (Jacobs). Edge, listed at 5-foot-9, 180-pounds, has a strong, durable frame and quick arm. Edge pitched with intent, challenged hitters with an 84-87 mph fastball and flashed a swing-and-miss slider at 72-75 mph. Edge’s ability to land the slider for a strike and expand it with two strikes led to a dominating performance which featured four strikeouts in two innings.
Offensively, Team Illinois scored their only two runs of the game in the top of the fifth inning. C Colin Barczi (Naperville Central, 2023) got the inning started with a sharp two-strike single back up the middle. 1B Riley Iffrig (Edwardsville, 2023) followed with a line-drive single to left-field that got by the defender and rolled to the wall, allowing Barczi to score and Iffrig to come all the way around to third base. A Kaden Griffitts (Williamsville, 2023) RBI groundout, scoring Iffrig, led to the second and final run of the game for Team Illinois.
C Colin Barczi (@RedhawksBB2021, 2023) has a special, physical skill set, as a 6.77 runner who hits the ball especially hard from the right side. He averaged an exit speed of 97.3 mph in BP, with a 101.8 max.#PBRFG21 | #TeamIllinois pic.twitter.com/MazuQa59ty
— PBR Illinois (@PBRIllinois) July 30, 2021
3B Charalambos Nicoloudes (Naperville Central, 2023) and OF Brenden Stressler (New Trier, 2023) also singled in the loss.
Team Illinois will conclude the PBR Future Games on Saturday at 10:15 AM with a matchup against Minnesota/Iowa/Nebraska.