PBR Future Games: Team Illinois Preview
July 30, 2018
On August 1, PBR will bring to you the summer’s premier scouting event: Future Games. Taking place at the state-of-the-art Grand Park complex in Westfield, IN., this four-day event will pit some of the country’s top 2020 and 2021 prospects against one another in front of hundreds of college scouts.
The Illinois roster is full of high-end talent and will showcase some of the top uncommitted prospects in the 2020 class. There are only five uncommitted prospects in Illinois’ current top 15 in the 2020 class, and all five will be in attendance at the Future Games. C Jack Payton (Brother Rice), RHP Eben Heine (Plainfield North), LHP Noah DeLuga (Lake Zurich), INF Jacob Mote (Normal University) and C Trevor Davis (Danville) make up some of the premier prospects in attendance.
Payton and Davis headline a trio of catchers that includes Riverside-Brookfield’s Mike Schicker. All three have the physicality to be long term receivers and carry flashes of pop in the bat, Davis being the only left-handed bat of the three. All three are likely to make their mark out of the crouch. They are all above average catch and throw guys who may have three of the stronger arms in attendance.
At the other end of the battery, Eben Heine and Noah DeLuga headline a pitching staff that will not be short on velocity. Every one of the arms have been at 86 mph or better at past events, and expect to see several make serious upticks at the Future Games. RHP Ryan Mankiowski (Providence) is poised to open some eyes, Manikowski has one of the better breaking balls in the class. It’s a hard tight slider up to 80 mph, and expect it to get plenty of swing and misses.
Brennyn Cutts the only 2021 arm on the roster recently showed well at the Illinois/Wisconsin Underclass Games. Cutts is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound right-hander with a clean arm, has a fastball that sits in the mid-80’s and has an above-average breaking ball to go along with it.
Brennyn Cutts (7.23.18)
Jacob Mote is the top ranked infielder still on the market in Illinois, he’s a dynamic bat that packs some punch and play the left side of the infield. Benet’s Connor Hincks has been on the rise this summer and looks the part, standing 6-foot-1, 160-pounds, he’s a live body athlete who swings it from the left side of the plate. Mount Carmel’s Anthony Livermore, Joshua Houston and Tre Hondras (Homewood-Flossmoor) round out the infield prospects. All have a soft glove hand that plays well on the dirt. Hondras, also has the athleticism and versatility to be a top end defender in the outfield as well.
Anthony Livermore (2.18.18)
The crop of outfielders features a number above-average runners and two two-way players. Both OF/RHP Isaiah Jackson (Champaign Central) and OF/RHP Austin Greco (Mundelein) will intrigue on the mound and with the bat. Jackson has a highly-advanced 6-foot-5, 185-pound, frame, creates leverage at the plate and possesses a power arm. Greco, consistently runs his fastball into the upper-80’s and has been swinging one of the hotter bats in the state as of late. Connor Milton and Ryan Thiesse are sub-6.85 runners and bring physicality to the plate. Hondras, listed above, will also see time in the outfield and has the ability to play all three spots.
There are a number of arms not mentioned above who are poised to break out at the event.
ILLINOIS ROSTER
NAME | STATE | SCHOOL | CLASS | POS | COMMITMENT |
Mason Burns | IL | Normal Community | 2020 | RHP | |
Isaiah Coupet | IL | Homewood-Flossmoor | 2020 | LHP | |
Brennyn Cutts | IL | Toledo-Cumberland | 2021 | RHP | |
Trevor Davis | IL | Danville | 2020 | C | |
Noah DeLuga | IL | Lake Zurich | 2020 | LHP | |
Drew Detmers | IL | Chatham-Glenwood | 2020 | RHP | |
Austin Greco | IL | Mundelein | 2020 | RHP | |
Eben Heine | IL | Plainfield North | 2020 | RHP | |
Connor Hincks | IL | Benet | 2020 | SS | |
Zach Hise | IL | Joliet Catholic | 2020 | RHP | |
Tre Hondras | IL | Homewood-Flossmoor | 2020 | OF | |
Joshua Houston | IL | Mount Carmel | 2020 | 3B | |
Isaiah Jackson | IL | Champaign Central | 2020 | OF | |
Jake Kuntzendorf | IL | Aurora Christian | 2020 | RHP | |
Anthony Livermore | IL | Mount Carmel | 2020 | SS | |
Ryan Manikowski | IL | Providence Catholic | 2020 | RHP | |
Connor Milton | IL | Champaign Central | 2020 | OF | |
Jacob Mote | IL | Normal University | 2020 | SS | |
Jack Payton | IL | Brother Rice | 2020 | C | |
Mike Schicker | IL | Riverside-Brookfield | 2020 | C | |
Ryan Thiesse | IL | St. Charles North | 2020 | OF | |
Vytas Valincius | IL | St. Laurence | 2021 | 3B |