We’re back at The Rock Sports Complex in Franklin, Wisconsin yet again this weekend for our final tournament of the summer circuit. This tournament serves as a second look at the Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota 2024/2025 classes for our staff this summer, giving these athletes another opportunity to get their names out there in front of us.

The first two days of the tournament will serve as pool play games, with bracket play starting on Saturday and the championship games for each respective level being played on Sunday. We’ll highlight notable performances or players that stood out to us after each day, starting with Day One. 

13U

+ It was a productive day at the plate for the Midwest Halos 13U squad as they scored 14 runs in just three innings of play. A patient approach at the plate, collectively, helped in the run scoring department, as the Halos received 11 free passes from their opponent. They did swing it well, however, and were led on offense by SS/RHP Jack Poellet (Living Word Lutheran, 2024) and CIF/RHP Maxime Vernon (Arrowhead, 2025). Poellet, a switch-hitter, singled from both sides of the dish and started on the mound too, striking out four through two innings of work. Vernon’s lone hit was a single into right field that drove in two runs. The Halos will enter the second day of pool play as the number one overall seed in their respective 13U bracket. 

+ Despite losing their only game of Day One, Revolution Baseball did have two standout performers on offense: Chase Peterson (2025) and Scotty Szafraniec (2025). Peterson hit out of the three-hole and went 2-for-2, driving in two and walking once. He also showed well on the mound, allowing just one earned run in 4.1 innings of work and striking out seven. Szafraniec, the number five hitter, doubled into the gap and singled, driving in two runs as well. 

+ Thunder Gold 13U scored one run in the bottom of the fifth inning, prior to the time limit expiring, to win their first game of the tournament 6-5. They were led offensively by three key contributors, all of which recorded two hits and at least one RBI: Ike Derechin (2025), James Georgopolous (2025), and Dylan Hecht (2025). Hecht, in particular, was responsible for putting the ball in play that ultimately resulted in the winning run crossing the plate. A 30+ win team in their respective season thus far, the Thunder Gold 13U squad enters Day Two of bracket play as the third overall seed in their division. 

+ One specific team to monitor as the weekend goes on is the GRB Rays Yellow 13U squad. They introduced themselves to our staff loudly, scoring 16 runs and scattering 12 hits over six innings of play. 1B Lars Swanson (Waunakee, 2024) went 2-for-4 and drove in four runs, three of which came on a bases-clearing double to center field in the fifth inning. RHP/INF Dominic Malich (Waunakee, 2025) is a lean, lanky right-handed hitter that found the barrel for both of his hits, driving both of his hits with some authority into left field. Boden Frosch (2025) was an all-around offensive player for the Rays, as he collected two hits, drove in two runs, and scored three times. They’ll finish their lone pool play game on Saturday and look to ride their hot offensive start into a deep bracket play run. 

+ There’s a lot to like about GRB Rays Yellow 13U OF Ezra Liggon (2025). A left/left prospect with a highly projectable and wiry frame, Liggon looked every bit the part of a follow prospect on Thursday morning. He embraced the role of leadoff man admirably today, reaching base in all four of his plate appearances. He sent two fastballs right back up the middle for singles and took some confident takes at the dish en route to two walks. His swing is short and quick to the ball, maintaining a fluid rhythm throughout. Liggon is certainly someone to keep an eye on as the weekend roars on. 

+ Our final game of the day over at Pirates Field was an offensive bout featuring GRB Rays White 13U and Snappers 13U. There were a total of 23 runs scored between the two teams, with GRB ultimately coming out on top in the last inning. Jared Erickson (2025) and Trenton Rodefeld (2025) each contributed heavily to the Rays victory. Erickson collected three hits and drove in a run, including a loud double. Rodefeld hit out of the two-hole and served as a major table-setter on offense, doubling twice and scoring three runs, too. Both Joseph Tunzi (2025) and Trevor Brouette (2025) had extra-base hits as well.

14U

+ Our staff’s first look at ISA Stars Royal’s 14U squad this summer allowed us to get another look at a few selections to Team Wisconsin’s Junior Future Games roster: C Cal Casper (Pulaski, 2024), RHP Donatello Badalamenti (Pulaski, 2024), 3B/1B Javin Gauthier (De Pere, 2024; Illinois State commit), and OF Bryson Koehne (Pulaski, 2024). Casper particularly stood out on this day, scalding a double center in his first at-bat of the weekend and earning walks in his next two at-bats. Casper also plays with a high in-game IQ, consistently looking to take the extra base at opportune times. He’s also a capable backstop who’s quick out of the chute – he threw a would-be base-stealer out, too.

Badalamenti is a sturdy 5-foot-7 with strength in his build and he uses it on the mound. The Pulaski righty started and pitched a couple frames, where he was up to 78 mph, sitting 75-77. Look for Gauthier and Koehne to make their presence felt later in action. The staff also uncovered a couple more follows in the state’s 2024 class to keep close tabs on: Micah Marzec (Notre Dame Academy, 2024) and Colton Angell (Oshkosh North, 2024).

+ PTA White’s Murphy Monreal (2024) had himself a day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three singles, all of which went to his pull-side. Monreal drove in three runs, which ended up being the difference maker for PTA White en route to a 5-1 victory. His teammate, RHP Alex Wilkinson (20204), led them on the mound, tossing six innings of one-run ball. Wilkinson filled up the zone early and often, throwing only 72 pitches in this outing, 69% of them for strikes. He contributed at the plate as well, going 1-for-3 with two RBIs. 

+ We had ourselves a pitcher’s duel over at Fenway Park between Phenom Illinois 14U White and the Milwaukee Hitmen. RHP Haiden Janke (Huntley, 2024) got the nod for Phenom and RHP/C Max Johnson (South Milwaukee, 2024) opposed him as the Hitmen starter. Janke went the distance for Phenom, surrendering only one earned run through five innings while striking out five. Johnson only went three innings, but he looked sharp, striking out seven and not allowing one hit. RHP/SS Evan Saxe (Franklin, 2024) picked up right where Johnson left off, tossing up zeros through three innings and striking out five. This tight, competitive contest went into the last inning tied at 0-0 before OF Jerimiah Mitchell (2024) drove in the winning run for the Hitmen. A left/left athlete, Mitchell poked a fastball down the left-field line that scored his teammate OF Parker Fraser (Franklin, 2024) from second base. 

+ Arguably the most impressive performance we saw today came from RHP/C Angel Jimenez (N/A, 2024). A former Team Illinois Junior Future Games participant, Jimenez started on the hill for Coamo Legends and was flat-out dominant. He threw five solid innings, allowing only two runs on two hits and struck out eight batters. Jimenez’s fastball clocked in at 80-82 mph and he held it throughout his 88-pitch outing, hitting the 82 mph mark several times in both the fourth and fifth inning. It played heavy and lived mostly down in the zone, getting some ugly swing-and-misses and hardly got barreled all game. He occasionally flipped in a curveball at 64-65 mph, but used it mostly as a change-of-pace pitch to compliment his fastball. Jimenez looked the part at the plate, crushing a standup double into the left-center gap in his second at-bat. There’s a lot to like with Jimenez, especially on the mound, and he’s a high-follow prospect in his class. 

+ Few kids his age bring a more physically imposing presence into the box than CIF Justin Vera (N/A, 2024). A strong, right-handed hitting corner infielder with clear definition in his lower half, Vera’s future power potential was on display today. He went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and both of his hits were loud, including a rocket single that jumped off the barrel into left-field during his second at-bat. There’s advanced raw power and bat strength for his age in Vera’s swing and he’s only going to tap into that more as he continues to mature.

+ This was our third look this summer at RHP/SS Grayson Fluguar (Franklin, 2024) and he’s impressed each time. Fluguar is a noteworthy athlete with a right-handed bat that lags through the zone, with barrel feel. He squared up multiple baseballs on Thursday and tallied three hits, a single and a pair of doubles. Fluguar also hopped back up on the mound, sitting 75-77 mph, touching 78, with a quick arm, mixing in a 10/4 breaking ball at 60-62 that shows advanced break for his age. The Franklin two-way incoming freshman is looking increasingly like a name to know inside his class.

+ RHP Carter Giesen (2024) toed the rubber for NorthStar Navy 14U in their lone game of Day One. A lean, high-waisted righty with more projection to come, Giesen threw 4.1 innings of two-run ball and struck out six. 

RELATED CONTENT