Uncommitted 2022s To Watch This Weekend
March 2, 2021
This weekend marks the start of an especially busy stretch for the PBR Wisconsin staff. We’re in Appleton on Saturday, just south of Milwaukee on Sunday, Madison all of next weekend, and we’re headed back to the MOSH Performance Center on March 21 to close out our high school event circuit prior to the spring.
If you’re not yet registered for any of the upcoming events, there’s still time to do so. You can visit our event page here. Regarding this weekend, Saturday’s Fox Cities Preseason I.D. is now sold out, though there’s still room to register for Sunday’s showcase at Hitters Baseball Academy in Caledonia, the South Milwaukee Preseason I.D.
In anticipation of these events, we’re sharing some insight into the top uncommitted names to know ahead of time – though we’re eager to add to these uncommitted watchlists following this weekend’s two events.
Here’s a list of uncommitted ranked juniors headed to either Appleton or Caledonia this weekend:
POSITION PLAYERS
Josh DeGroot SS / 2B / Union Grove, WI / 2022Union Grove’s DeGroot is simply a well-rounded middle infield who can do a little bit of everything. He swings a simple, repeatable right-handed bat that makes square line-drive contact consistently, and he’s also a sub-7.00 runner with above-average middle infield actions, including big arm strength that reached an 88 mph high along the showcase circuit in 2020. |
Camdin Jansen SS / RHP / Racine Lutheran, WI / 2022Represented Team Wisconsin at the PBR Future Games; scouting report from multiple events in 2020: Positional Profile: SS/2B; One of the class' top defenders at short. |
Jonathan Kim OF / Brookfield Academy, WI / 2022Represented Team Wisconsin at the PBR Future Games (8/2/20): Positional Profile: OF |
DJ Kojis OF / Whitefish Bay, WI / 2022Represented Team Wisconsin at the PBR Future Games (8/2/20): Positional Profile: OF/RHP High ceiling outfield prospect in the 2022 class. |
Dylan Mass OF / Franklin, WI / 2022Scouting report from the Southern Wisconsin Open (10/17/20): Positional Profile: OF |
Sam Meidenbauer 1B / OF / Waukesha West, WI / 2022Scouting report from a Creekside Tournament this past fall (9/13/20): 6-foot-2, 200-pound, physically-advanced, wide-shouldered, right-handed hitter. Was one of the top statistical performers for Hitters throughout the weekend and delivered the game-winning RBI single in the 17U championship game. Presence in the box, stays short to contact, strong hands, stays balanced throughout. His physicality from the righty box projects, and we’ll see how he looks following an important offseason. |
Matthew Miller 3B / 1B / Ozaukee, WI / 2022A sturdy/strong 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, Miller is capable of earning some early attention this winter with his right-handed bat. He’s been something of a late-bloomer in this 2022 class, but coming into his own at just the right time. At last summer’s All-State Games, Miller registered noteworthy bat speed marks (70.1 mph on average), while striking the ball with above-average strength, recording a 93.1 mph max exit speed. He projects at one of the corner infield spots, defensively. |
Jake Petasek SS / 2B / Green Bay Preble, WI / 2022The Preble junior has been a staple on the squad since his freshman year, in which he produced one of the best batting averages within a loaded lineup. He’ll be relied on as the offense’s main cog this year, but he’s clearly capable of taking on that role, as he’s only continued to improve in the time since. Petasek takes a simple, fluid left-handed swing that clearly allows him to utilize the whole field efficiently. At All-State Games, he averaged an exit speed of 83.1 mph with a 93.2 high, and he’s an improving defender up the middle. We saw him in the fall where he looked more natural and comfortable at shortstop, and his feel for the game should allow him to bloom late there, positioning him to break out further in his junior spring. |
Heath Venne C / Muskego, WI / 2022Scouting report from West Milwaukee Preseason I.D. Quick Hits (2/22/21): Venne is a muscle-bound backstop with a wrestler’s physique, listed at 5-foot-11, 195 pounds. His proportional strength does not inhibit his athleticism, as he’s still able to generate explosive actions from the batter’s box to the crouch. Venne started his day by running a 6.84 in the 60-yard dash, underscoring his quickness from behind the plate, where he took improved reps on defense, popping in the low-2.00s consistently. Naturally, his premium physicality allowed him to hit five balls over 96 mph on Sunday – and his best batted ball was measured at a 96.4 mph exit speed, and it travelled 310 feet. |
TJ Williams SS / 2B / Racine Horlick, WI / 2022Williams is a live-wired, energetic middle infielder who plays at a hasty, competitive pace – on both sides of the ball. Listed at 5-foot-5, 125 pounds, the Horlick middle infielder has some of the best hands, feet, and overall actions in the class on defense, a combination that can help him provide big value at second base long-term, or maybe even shortstop. Williams’ knack for the game, confidence on defense, and competitive nature make it easy to root for him, too. Offensively, he’s a table-setter type with bat-to-ball skills in the lefty box, and he’s a twitchy runner which helps him move down the line quickly. |
PITCHERS
Jaxson Easterlin RHP / Franklin, WI / 2022Scouting report from the Southern Wisconsin Open (10/17/20): |
Luke Klekamp RHP / Oak Creek, WI / 2022Represented Team Wisconsin at PBR Future Games where he threw two of the cleanest innings on the weekend; scouting report from the South Milwaukee Preseason I.D. (3/01/20): Positional Profile: RHP/OF An increasingly interesting name to know in the state's 2022 class. |
Benjamin Lee RHP / Amherst, WI / 2022Scouting report from the Eastern Wisconsin Open (8/17/20): Positional Profile: RHP; A rising junior follow in the state's 2022 class. |
Gradin Taschner RHP / 1B / Neenah, WI / 2022Scouting report from the Badger State Battle (7/2/20): 6-foot-3, 205 pounds; powerful, strong, durable prospect with some huge upside in the state’s 2022 class. Taschner relieved Dobberstein on Saturday night and, like his teammate, came out hot to open his outing, sitting at a casual 82-85 mph but he reached back for an 87 or 88 when he needed to on multiple occasions, especially in two-strike counts. He throws an aggressive curveball, true 12/6 with sharp/late action (73-75 mph), though it can get a little inconsistent he’s relatively new to throwing the pitch. The ease in which Taschner operates suggests he’s in possession of some of the 2022 class’ biggest upside and ceiling. He K’d six in two without allowing a hit or run, and he walked just one. |
Theo Zeidler RHP / INF / Bay Port, WI / 2022Zeidler has long contained two-way potential, given his lean and athletic 6-foot-2, 190-pound physique and loose, quick arm. That athleticism has always translated well to the infield, where he looks the part of a shortstop. He ranges laterally fluidly and that arm strength fits the left side of the diamond perfectly. Zeidler’s bat has continued to progress since we first saw him as a freshman, which has allowed him to maintain some position player upside on top of his work from the mound. He’s a real candidate to earn status a ‘winter winner’ with a tick up in velocity, because we’ve already seen him up to 84 mph with above-average offspeed, including a feel changeup and a curve. |
RELATED CONTENT
Positional Profile: RHP
Body: 6-4, 180-pounds. High-waisted, long levers; physically projects.
Delivery: Upright, staggered start from the left of the rubber; slow tempo to tall balance point, high knee. Drops and drives in a high front, big reach from separation, fluid momentum down mound with substantial extension; average extension was the largest at the event (6.34 feet). Athletic, smooth finish; low effort involved.
Arm Action: RH. Fluid, loose; long draw and circle to high 3/4 slot. Efficient, clean arm action.
FB: T82, 80-82 mph. Straight four-seam type; extension helps increase perceived velocity. Features carry through the zone, at an average induced vertical break of 17.9 inches.
CB: 69-73 mph. Refining feel for spin; generates more horizontal action right now.
CH: 75-76 mph. Matching arm speed and slot helps the pitch tunnel effectively off fastball. Projects to be his go-to offspeed right now. Shows some feel to locate with arm-side run/fade.