Kenosha Preseason ID: Quick Hits
January 31, 2022
On Sunday, Jan. 30, the PBR Wisconsin team kicked off the 2022 winter showcase circuit with the annual Kenosha Preseason ID showcase at Fielder’s Choice Training Facility in Kenosha, Wis. Nearly 40 players made it out to this event, providing us with updated looks and a new list of players to follow in Wisconsin, as well as a handful of players from just over the Illinois border.
Today, we’ll be highlighting the players who stood out in Kenosha 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.
CLASS OF 2022
+ One of the day’s only seniors in attendance, uncommitted RHP Christian Schaller (Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran) impressed throughout a polished ‘pen. Built at an athletic 5-foot-10, 160-pounds with room for added mass, Schaller’s fastball sat at 82-83 mph with above-average vertical ride into the zone and he threw it for strikes, too. He spun two different breaking balls, a 69-70 mph curveball and 72-74 mph slider, for strikes and his changeup flashed present arm-side run, averaging 14 inches of horizontal movement.
CLASS OF 2023
+ Making his PBR showcase debut this past weekend was RHP Matthew Schulz (Westosha Central, 2023), who came away a winner after an upside showing in his ‘pen. Schulz creates deception and makes for an uncomfortable at-bat from his delivery, utilizing his long 6-foot-4, 170-pound levers to jump on opposing bats. He releases the ball from ¾ slot and pumped a straight fastball into the upper quadrants of the zone at 83-84 mph. His best secondary in this look was a 74-75 mph slider with tight bullet spin and occasional late action off a lateral plane. Schulz is a name that has performed in front of our staff multiple times and we’re excited to see him again this spring on a quality Westosha Central squad.
+ C Leo Koenig (Edgewood, 2023) produced one of this event's most noteworthy recordings, racing to a 3.93 home-to-first time from the right-handed box to start his day. Offensively, he moved as a lean athlete with quickness from a balanced setup. He enters the zone deep with large separation from nose to knob. His swing move was very grounded, making the most of his lower half. For a 5-foot-10, 160-pound quality athlete, he struck the ball well to all fields.
+ C David Kleier (Wauwatosa West, 2023) was an interesting right-handed bat in attendance on Sunday. Setting up in a wide, balanced, and crouched stance, Kleier made a direct attack to the baseball and his loose barrel and quality lag through the zone allowed him to utilize both gaps well. His backside stayed involved through impact, and he maintained connection to the ground longer than most amateurs. He also showed the ability to change planes and strike the low ball well with adjustability.
+ MIF David Ripke (Shorewood Lutheran, 2023) offers a well-rounded set of skills, and he performed well on Sunday from both sides of the ball. He took a fundamentally sound round of infield defense, gaining ground efficiently to both his forehand and backhand, maintaining rhythm within his footwork on approach. Ripke also generated carry across the diamond, aided by his smooth glove-to-hand transfers. From the right-handed batter’s box, he made a firm front leg plant with well-timed rhythm, and created a connected attack with more vertical orientation. He notably kept his barrel tracking through impact, chasing the flight of the ball with his release. Ripke is a solidly built 5-foot-11, 170-pound prospect to keep an eye on in his junior spring.
+ OF John Perugini (St. Catherine’s, 2023) is a muscular 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, and he averaged some of the day’s hardest contact, with a 94.3 mph max exit velocity measured during his round of BP. His best batted ball traveled an estimated 346 feet, which was also good for the second farthest of the event. Perugini also reached an 86 mph high to home, tops among 2023s, and he recorded a 4.13 down the line from the righty box, too – combining for one of the day’s best statistical performances.
+ OF Caden Burbey (Racine Horlick, 2023) has a physical 5-foot-11, 178-pound build that he used to take a sound round of batting practice from the right side, using the entire field capably. He averaged an exit speed of nearly 85 mph, and his innate strength played from the outfield where he reached an 85 mph high to home plate.
+ RHP Hayden Christiansen (Wilmot Union, 2023) offers upside attached to a lean 6-foot, 145-pound frame. Christiansen featured a four-pitch mix, all of which he threw around the zone, including a fastball that sat at 81-82 mph with straight four-seam action.
+ INF Vincent Sacchetti (Antioch Community, IL, 2023) put together one of the day’s better rounds of infield defense. Built at a lean, lanky 6-foot, 150-pounds, Sacchetti made the most of his capacity. On the dirt he circled ground balls from right to left with early glove presentation. His glove is soft, and made very crisp infield actions, delivering from a high ¾ slot with carry. In the box he offers a balanced, simple setup. He made a large negative move and considerable forward advance in his drift. He unloaded aggressive rotation into plan with some bat speed for his stature. His swing possesses high quality angles and barrel release with consistency, while showing quality impact transmission for his size.
CLASS OF 2024
+ RHP/OF Jack Olson (Antioch Community, IL, 2024) is a long levered two-way player, listed at 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, and he put together arguably the best performance of the day, regardless of class. In the left-handed batter’s box, Olson stood wide and balanced with a stock hand set. Throughout his BP round, you’d get the impression he understands how to repeat backspin line drives with leverage to the pull side. He stayed grounded throughout his swings and gave a tough-to-get-off-balance appearance to his operation. Olson reached an 87 mph high to home from the outfield, and that arm strength translated even greater on the mound. There, the Antioch sophomore delivered from a high ¾ slot with a stacked in line and athletic mound move – utilizing a long loop and loose action. The fastball occasionally cut, reaching an 84 mph high, and his curveball showed some vertical depth while spinning at nearly 2,400 rpm on average. Olson came away as arguably the day’s biggest winner, showcasing to our scouts a relatively high ceiling on both sides of the ball.
+ MIF Joseph Rodriguez (Westosha Central, 2024) was a standout defender for his age. Built at a wiry 5-foot-9, 135-pounds, Rodriguez traveled low to ground balls, utilizing light quick feet across the infield. His arm played above size with his well organized feet and created momentum into throws that carried well and accurately. His glove to hand exchanges were clean and perhaps the quickest of the bunch. In the box, Rodriguez swung a clean, easy left-handed stroke with quality feel for the barrel and gave the appearance of an athlete that tracks pitches well. Currently 5-5, 120lbs, and a hopeful late bloomer, he showcased a refined defensive skillset.
+ CIF Zachary Pyles (Warren Township, IL, 2024) is another interesting prospect from Illinois. Standing in at a stout 6-foot, 200 pounds, Pyles generated the highest exit speed of the day (99.4 mph), averaging marks in the low-90s, connecting for the farthest hit ball of the day, measured at an estimated 379 feet. His setup was crouched with arm spacing and a somewhat closed stance, and his barrel set is more vertical and delivered with aggressive rotation and solid barrel feel, which resulted in high rates of line-drive contact.
+ C Mason Mitacek (Westosha Central, 2024) is a sophomore to keep an eye on. Standing at a thin 6-foot-1, 157 pounds, he recorded pop times in the 2.13-2-27 range from behind the dish, with clean funneling to the target. In the box, Mitacek sets up tall and open, and he stays stacked throughout his move with a spinning posture and a flat path. He offered the best line-drive repeatability throughout the day, measuring an 87 mph max exit speed that landed on the barrel with one of the day’s highest frequencies. And, given his stature, he can greatly improve his batted-ball profile by adding strength over the coming years.
CLASS OF 2025
+ C Nathan Urban (Indian Trail, 2025) established himself as a follow name in the state’s current freshman class early into our winter cycle. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound backstop took one of the event’s cleanest rounds of BP, repeating an athletic stroke with a flat path to contact throughout while flashing feel for the barrel.
+ RHP Brody Schulte (Westosha Central, 2025) stands out at first glance, featuring a lanky long-levered 6-foot-3, 160-pound frame. Schulte hopped on the mound towards the end of his workout and utilized his size to bump his fastball up to 79 mph, a noteworthy number for someone his age.