Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

Green Bay Preseason ID: Quick Hits

February 28, 2022
By Tell Taylor, Andy Sroka and Diego Solares
Wisconsin Staff

On Feb. 27, PBR Wisconsin hosted its first annual Green Bay Preseason ID at the brand new Impact Sports Academy in De Pere, Wis. Nearly 100 players made it out to this event, providing us with updated looks and a new list of prospects to follow in an area of Wisconsin that’s begun to produce more and more next-level talent.

Today, we’ll be highlighting the players who stood out in the Green Bay area within this Quick Hits piece. Stay tuned throughout the week as we continue to break down the in-depth metrics measured at this event, with the help of our tech partners TrackMan, Blast Motion, and Vizual Edge. Each of the players listed below are uncommitted unless stated otherwise.

QUICK HITS

TAKEAWAYS

TJ Hauser RHP / INF / Appleton East, WI / 2023

Just a couple weeks back, RHP/INF T.J. Hauser (Appleton West, 2023) greatly impressed our staff at the Fox Cities Preseason ID, namely for his work on the mound where he sat 88-89 mph with a high-spin slider featuring swing-and-miss break, as well as an effective changeup that tunnels well, thrown at arm speed. On Sunday, Hauser’s pitch mix measured out similarly, though he threw all three pitches for strikes more consistently this time around. His round of batting practice in Green Bay was also much louder, and he demonstrated barrel feel while averaging an 87.0 mph exit speed with a 94.0 high from the left-handed batter’s box. Hauser carries high projectability as a 6-foot-1, 175-pound two-way prospect, though his future looks particularly promising on the mound. He’s among the top uncommitted 2023s in Wisconsin entering this spring.

Benje Hencke 3B / RHP / West De Pere, WI / 2023

Without a doubt, INF/RHP Benje Hencke (West De Pere, 2023) emerged from Sunday’s trip to Green Bay as a priority player to check in on this spring and summer. Listed at a physical 6-foot, 185 pounds, the infielder started his day by running a 6.64 in the 60-yard dash and went on to record one of the event’s top rounds of batting practice. From the right-handed box, Hencke worked a toe-tap from a tall setup with a flat swing path. He turns tightly to the ball with authority and generates backspin flights with considerable leverage throughout his swing. During the infield session, he traveled low to the ball with clean infield actions and a very solid glove. Hencke was up to 87 mph across the diamond with a clean arm action, showcasing an upside skill set as an impressive athlete. He hopped onto the mound to conclude his day where he was up to 87.8 mph with a short wrinkle curveball to go along with it.

Easton Arendt OF / RHP / De Pere, WI / 2024

OF/RHP Easton Arendt (De Pere, 2024) impressed across multiple portions of Sunday’s event. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound lean and wiry sophomore showed line-drive feel in BP, maintaining a level plane through the zone to contact. Arendt displayed above-average arm strength for his age by recording one of the day’s hardest throws home from the outfield, peaking at 87 mph during his workout. That quick arm translated to the mound, as he worked both corners of the plate with an 83-84 mph fastball, and there’s more untapped potential in the tank, too. Arendt threw his changeup at arm speed down in the zone and he threw his breaking ball for strikes – a pitch that flashed sharp spin off an 11/5 plane with depth and all-around feel. Arendt’s improvement in all areas of his game cemented him as a winner from this event.

Avery Duncan RHP / Notre Dame Academy, WI / 2024

Inside of an upside, high-waisted 6-foot-1, 160-pound frame, RHP Avery Duncan (Notre Dame Academy, 2024) exhibited some high projection from the mound on Saturday, reaching back for an 85.9 mph high with the fastball, the tops among sophomores in attendance. Duncan gets to his velocity without much effort, combined with a fluid delivery down mound, maintaining sturdy posture and a looseness that results in large elbow flexion from a ¾ slot. His arm slot results in big horizontal action on the fastball, averaging over 13 inches of arm-side break. Reportedly, Duncan is relatively new to pitching, but you wouldn’t know it by the confidence he has in his splitter. He throws it aggressively and kills the spin on it effectively, and he consistently spotted it at or under the bottom of the zone. Duncan also uses a short sweeping slider that projects, backed by quality spin that he showed the signs of gaining the control over. Overall, the Notre Dame Academy prospect has earned a place among the top 2024 arms we’ve seen this winter.

Cole Bensen RHP / OF / Bay Port, WI / 2023

RHP Cole Bensen (Bay Port, 2023) is another name at this event that saw an uptick in his raw arsenal after a productive offseason. We last saw Bensen in July at the Badger State Battle, where his fastball played at 82-84 mph and his secondaries were still fully developing. Now, it’s clear that the more physical 6-foot, 195-pound junior has added strength to all areas of his frame. Bensen’s day started when he ran a 6.86 in the 60-yard dash and followed it up by barreling his hardest-hit ball up at 96-plus mph in BP. He jumped on the mound later in his workout and pumped a lively fastball in at 85-87 mph with above-average spin rates (2,200-plus rpm average) and occasional arm-side life. The separator in this look for Bensen was the improvement of his breaking ball; thrown with more intent that resulted in tighter spin and later break off an 11/5 plane, creating a swing-and-miss profile recorded at 2,200-plus rpm with over 14 inches of horizontal movement on average. We’ve witnessed Bensen’s hyper competitiveness on the mound ourselves, and that mentality, coupled with his enhanced arsenal, clearly elevates the uncommitted right-hander’s ceiling.

Brady Koester LHP / 1B / Kimberly, WI / 2024

LHP/1B Brady Koester (Kimberly, 2024) provided quite the upside look to our staff during his ‘pen at Sunday’s event. The long-limbed 6-foot-4, 180-pound southpaw pumped his fastball in at 83-84 mph from a high release height on average (6.3 feet), while averaging 18.8 inches of vertical break, per TrackMan. Though still developing his secondaries, Koester did flash feel for a sinking changeup at times while maintaining fastball intent and slot. In the box, he sets up standing straight up. Dropping in with control to plant, and maintaining soft elbows and grip in transition. Koester notably works from inside the ball with an advanced feel for using the backside gap with clean spin and carry. He also looks in control of his barrel throughout the swing. This was our first up-close look at the Kimberly sophomore and we’re eager to see the progress he makes as the year rolls on.

Javin Gauthier 3B / SS / De Pere, WI / 2024

Committed to Illinois State, INF Javin Gauthier (De Pere) has been a name on our radar in the 2024 class for quite some time now. Built at a leaner 6-foot, 175 pounds – with room to add strength onto his frame – Gauthier’s left-handed bat added more physicality this offseason. He reached a peak exit velocity of 94.5 mph in BP, up nearly 10 ticks since he attended the Fox Cities Preseason ID a year ago, averaging 86.4 off the bat. Gauthier drove the ball more from a pure distance standpoint as well, reaching a peak batted distance of 346 feet. His ability to keep his barrel in the zone and create leverage out front aids him in working gap-to-gap more consistently, which enhances his future middle-of-the-order potential because of the added thump to his barrel. 

William Hoerner C / Appleton North, WI / 2024

C William Hoener (Appleton North, 2024) made a positive first impression on our scouts in his PBR event debut. Currently built at a well-proportioned 5-foot-10, 170-pounds with room to add more strength onto his stature, Hoerner started his workout by running a 7.02 in the 60-yard dash. Inside the left-handed batter’s box, Hoerner brought with him a calm and mature presence throughout his round of BP. He stayed tall throughout his swing and was direct to the ball, using the middle of the field with his swing direction. Hoerner is a very advanced, mature player who projects well both athletically and physically. Defensively, Hoerner peaked at 76 mph from the pop with a clean release and some on-the-bag accuracy, clocking a 2.09 pop time on his quickest throw.

Bryson Koehne 1B / OF / Norte Dame Academy , WI / 2024

1B/OF Bryson Koehne (Notre Dame Academy, 2024) has a very physical appearance at a broad 6-foot, 190 pounds. In the box, Bryson worked from a stock setup, with a noticeable hinged posture. His swing was connected with a flat orientation and barrel depth in the zone. Koehne drove balls with pop (98.8 mph max) to all fields, yet mostly used the pull-side for elevation. On the infield, he traveled low to the ball with simple actions and quality tempo.

MORE NAMES-TO-KNOW

CLASS OF 2023

+ OF AJ Korth (Menasha, 2023) was one of the first hitters at Sunday’s event and he set the bar high early on with a loud showing in BP. A multi-sport athlete who doubles as Menasha’s starting quarterback, Korth is built at a strong, mature 5-foot-11, 185 pounds. He showed above-average bat strength from the left side of the plate, working hard line-drive contact to all fields and with clear juice off the barrel. He recorded one of the event’s highest hard-hit rates (number of batted balls over 95 mph), measured at 69.2 percent, averaging 88.1 mph off the bat with a 97.7 max exit velocity. Korth’s true elevated power plays to the pull-side, as evidenced by a 350-foot shot he drove to right field in BP. He’s certainly an uncommitted name to follow in the state’s junior class as we approach the spring and summer.

+ INF Garrett Hietpas (Appleton North, 2023) was another solid left-side infielder in attendance. From a tall setup, and aggressive rhythm, Hieptas generated sufficient bat speed (71.7 mph max), and recorded a max exit speed of 92.1 mph. In the righty box, he lifts through impact and sends hard contact to all fields, a skill he’s demonstrated in front of us in-game as well. On defense, he moves well with quality up-tempo action, and carries the ball across the field at 83 mph. Hietpas also ran a modest 7.26 time in the 60-yard dash, showcasing footspeed that played up in shorter, more baseball-specific environments. Hietpas’ is a well-rounded player and competitor who has historically performed for us in-game, which complements this aforementioned skill set.

+ OF Alex Hanneman (Appleton East, 2023) put together one of the best batting practice rounds of the day. From a tall setup, striding with a toe-tap, he repeated hard line-drive contact with exits recorded as high as 98.2 mph. Most of the round, Hanneman worked a pull-side approach with consistent backspin flights, generating batted distances that reached as far as 344 feet, estimated. During his defensive session, he ranged well from side to side with athletic footwork, and made clean transitions and throws with arm strength (89 mph high) from the outfield.

+ RHP/INF Austin Grube (Chilton, 2023) is a wiry 6-foot-1, 175-pound right-hander with an upside frame that projects. Grube took the mound after working out as an infielder and quickly caught our attention, pumping his fastball at 83-85 mph with above-average arm speed to pair. His best secondary offering in this look was his breaking ball; a pitch that played at 71-74 mph and spun off a 10/4 plane with sweep across the zone. Grube also showed well as a position player. Driving balls to all fields while keeping his barrel working on path through impact. On defense, he showed sufficient actions and glovework while throwing with carry.

+ Evan Olson (Kimberly, 2023) was an impressive catcher in attendance – running a 7.17 time in the 60-yard dash, popping an event-best 1.97 with throws at 75 mph, all while showing well in the right-handed box. From a stock setup, and a buried frontside, he created an 80 percent sweet spot rate, up to 91.6 mph off the bat, creating 73.8 mph max barrel speed. While Olson could benefit from a few ticks on his exit, he made advanced moves in the box, and looked the part of a player who can handle different types and looks.

+ 1B/LHP Eli Retzlaff (Fox Valley Lutheran, 2023) was tasked with taking the day’s first round of batting practice, and he didn’t flinch at the opportunity. Retzlaff made it count, taking advantage of his robust 6-foot-3, 230-pound stature to record a loud round of BP from the left side. He struck contact at an average exit speed of 87.1 mph, with a 98.4 max, and his best batted ball traveled 351 feet, estimated. The junior was also up to 81.1 mph from the mound while flashing some spin feel on a curveball that spun at a rate around 2,100 rpm.

+ INF Landen Lozier (Notre Dame Academy, 2023) improved in a couple different areas in a short period of time on Sunday, recording a new personal best 7.02 time in the 60-yard dash, and an exit speed from the left side that climbed up to 92.1 mph – which is up five ticks from the Fox Cities ID. Lozier makes authoritative contact for his size, listed at a wiry strong 5-foot-10, 145 pounds, but he added strength over the offseason and is generally an athletic prospect who plays the game at an uptempo pace.

+ C Grant Gill (Bay Port, 2023) is a follow backstop in this junior class. He reached a 76 mph high from the chute while popping in the 2.09-2.16 range, and he was among the most sure-handed and dependable receivers in attendance during the pitching portion of the event. He regularly made his presence felt while sticking pitches around the zone and blocking balls in the dirt. Gill also swings a quiet, aggressive right-handed bat with a simplicity that allows him to locate the barrel consistently.

+ This event was the first time we’d seen LHP Jeremiah Jahnke (Winneconne, 2023) in a showcase setting since 2020, and the southpaw put together a polished ‘pen towards the end of the day. Jahnke has a physical build and a thick, strong lower half that moves in a fluid pattern on the mound, stacking onto his backside early and quickly accelerating downhill. His arm plays long and loose on the backside while working from a clean, high ¾ slot. Jahnke’s fastball worked from a lower average release height at 81-82 mph and it aided him to create some upper-quadrant life as it entered the zone. He threw his changeup at 73-75 mph, at arm speed, flashing sink and fade, while spinning a handful of sharp slurve-type breaking balls out of the stretch at 65-66 mph.

+ C Rheis Johnson (Denmark, 2023) is another prospect who attended both the Fox Cities ID and Green Bay ID events and earned attention at both. Sunday, Johnson recorded the highest velocity at his position (79 mph) while popping consistently in the 2.13-2.16 range. He’s built at broad, barrel-chested 6-foot, 200 pounds, and his inherent strength reveals itself most inside of his barrel speed, which reached a 79.3 mph max at this event. His right-handed bat showed well during Denmark’s postseason run in 2021, and he’s become one of Wisconsin’s uncommitted backstops to follow this spring and summer.

CLASS OF 2024

+ Listed at a muscular 5-foot-9, 173 pounds, C Brady Coons (Kimberly, 2024) is a noteworthy sophomore prospect to monitor as a left-handed-hitting catcher who looks the part of a backstop defensively. Coons’ bat strength allowed him to record a 90.0 mph max exit speed from the left side, upping his positional value, and he creates bat speed, too, recorded at a max of 75.0 mph. Coons also popped as low as 2.09 with 71 mph arm strength from the crouch, and he notably ran a 7.02 in the 60.

+ LHP/OF A.J. Price (Neenah, 2024) brought one of the best arms in attendance at just 5-foot-9, 135 pounds. Reaching an 89 mph high during outfield defense, he ventured onto the mound shortly after and showed disciplined restraint. From the rubber, he was very methodical in his delivery, and controlled in his move down the mound. The fastball came out at 81.1 mph at 2,200 rpm, indicating upside backed by his throws from the outfield. The curveball spun at 2,400 rpm, and he ripped off a couple individual ones that featured real bite and sweep as he gained confidence in it. The changeup projects, too, as another useful pitch to combine for a quality mix that makes Price a solid pitching prospect whose interest will rise as his velocity does.

+ Listed at a mature 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, RHP Logan Kurth (Coleman, 2024) showcased upside arm strength from the mound for a sophomore, recorded at an 83.4 mph high that flashed both hop and run through the zone. Kurth’s breaking ball flashed quality action, too, and his changeup complements the mix altogether, forming a useful profile that’s worth watching over as he continues to develop.

+ SS/RHP Payton Miller (Neenah, 2024) put together a clean bullpen at the end of his workout, working with pace and tempo throughout. Miller controlled his body well on the mound and efficiently moved downhill to footstrike. His arm played long on the backside with above-average arm speed, finishing from a clean over-the-top slot. Miller threw his fastball with true four-seam backspin at 78-79 mph, and there’s room for him to grow into more velocity as he continues to physically develop. He landed a slurve-type breaking ball for strikes with some consistency and threw his changeup at arm speed, too.

+ RHP Caden Schmitting (Chilton, 2024) flashed above-average arm strength for his age on the mound. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound sophomore pumped his fastball at 79-82 mph with relative ease from a loose, quick arm slot. Schmitting is certainly worth keeping tabs on this spring and summer as we get into live gameplay.

CLASS OF 2025

+ One of the top freshman stand-outs in Green Bay, 3B/RHP Lucas Koskey (De Pere, 2025), showed elite bat speed (79.8 mph max) at the plate to snag our attention. From a stock setup, with a small vertical wiggle, Koskey unwinds to the pull-side with a flat bat path. He closes his swing with very strong hand violence. In the field, he showed simple, fundamental action with athletic tempo. He was one of the few infielders with an advanced sense for getting rid of the ball in short windows with clean arm action. This was a quality look at the strong, compact 5-foot-10, 170-pound freshman prospect from De Pere.

+ In addition to Koskey (mentioned earlier), two more 2025 players flashed future intrigue on the mound: RHP/OF Trevor Vande Hey (Wrightstown) and SS/RHP Brayden Steinbecker (Manitowoc Lincoln). Koskey paced the group in fastball velocity, reaching an 82.6 mph high with his heater in an all-around athletic downhill operation. Vande Hey’s physicality was on display a few weeks ago at the Fox Cities Preseason ID and the 6-foot, 170-pound freshman touched 80.7 mph with his fastball in this ‘pen. The lanky, long-levered 6-foot-1, 158-pound Steinbecker reached 79.6 mph and 79.7 mph on his last two fastballs from a quick over-the-top slot, and he similarly flashed some offensive upside from the right-handed box.

+ 1B Pryce Gregoire (De Pere, 2025) is a 6-foot-5, 175-pound freshman with some impressive upside at the dish. Gregoire got the barrel moving at a max of 75.0 mph from a tall setup, and a short stride, swinging a flat, connected path with pop to all fields. He also showed advanced feel for the barrel for a player with such long levers. Naturally, it’s easy to get excited about the power potential for this athlete. On the infield, he worked simple actions with a long ¾ action and no notable concerns on defense.

+ One of the day’s cleanest bullpens came from RHP Keagan Wheeler (Bay Port, 2025). The 5-foot-10, 160-pound freshman threw three pitches for strikes, including a fastball that he easily located to both sides of the plate at 78-81 mph. Wheeler’s fastball spun at a 2,281 rpm on average, an impressive rate for his velocity band, with true backspin and carry out the hand. His breaking ball has out-pitch potential, as Wheeler spun it at 67-69 mph while averaging 2,300-plus rpm that created sharp spin off an 11/5 plane, and he consistently landed it for strikes. Contrarily, he effectively limited spin and vertical rise on his changeup, keeping it down in the zone. Wheeler’s certainly a name we’ll monitor as the spring and summer seasons roll on. 

+ RHP Cullen Pennings (De Pere, 2025) offers projectability inside a lean 6-foot-1, 145-pound frame attached to a loose, quick arm. Pennings reached a 79.8 mph high on Sunday, but really looks like he’s just scraping the surface of his potential, and the fastball also featured some hard sink, recording 15.4 inches of horizontal movement on average, and for consistent strikes. His curveball projects, too, with spin measured into the 2,000-rpm range and the firm changeup tunnels off the sinking fastball effectively at 73-74 mph.

RELATED CONTENT