By Sean Duncan

Two of Illinois’ top Class of 2014 prospects are now off the board, as Lemont LHP Jake Latz and Granite City C Chad Spanberger have picked their schools recently.

Latz, a 6-foot-2, 170-pound left-hander, verbally committed to LSU recently. Latz is currently ranked No. 2 in Illinois’ Class of 2014 and No. 5 overall in PBR’s coverage area. Latz had a strong sophomore season at Lemont, and watched his stock skyrocket this summer. He became one of the most coveted left-handers in the country after his performance at the Midwest Future Games in August. Latz showed an easy 88-89 mph fastball that climbed as high as 92, in addition to throwing a changeup and curveball for strikes.

Spanberger, a left-handed hitting catcher from Granite City HS, committed to the University of Arkansas. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder has big power potential, and hails from the same school as former catching star Jake DePew. Spanberger is currently ranked No. 13 in the Class of 2014.