Underclass Invitational: Statistical Analysis
March 30, 2021
On March 27, the PBR Illinois team hosted its annual Underclass Invitational showcase, bringing together a collection of the state’s best freshmen and sophomores in one place, The MAX in McCook, Ill.
We began our post-event breakdown on Monday, detailing the prospects who exited the event with their prospect arrows pointed way up inside of this Quick Hits post. We highlighted the showcase’s biggest takeaways, accompanied by written analysis and video. Today, we’re highlighting additional top performers from Saturday’s loaded event, from a more statistical perspective.
Throughout the remainder of the week, we’ll also shout out the players TrackMan and Blast Motion identified as outliers as well.
MAX FASTBALL VELOCITY
This year’s edition of the Underclass Invitational has a chance to be an especially memorable one, one that we look back on years from now as these players continue their playing careers at higher levels while representing as Illinois natives. This pitching leaderboard underscores this, as 10 sophomores reached a max fastball velocity of at least 88 mph – and four touched 90 or above.
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We broke these two down thoroughly inside of Monday’s Quick Hits, but right-handers Zander Mueth (Belleville East, 2023; Mississippi commit) and Josh McDevitt (Effingham, 2023; uncommitted) each reached the 92 mph high mark, leading their peers at this event. Mueth’s highly projectable 6-foot-4, 170-pound frame generates this kind of advanced velocity easily, and he’s separated himself from the rest of the class in the process. Still, McDevitt has his arrow-up after reaching a 91.7 mph high on TrackMan, which was the event-high. His advanced feel to spin complements his arm strength, and he’s carried himself into a category of the top-ranked uncommitted players in the state’s 2023 class.
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RHP/INF Gavin Parkerson (Armstrong, 2023; uncommitted) has a strong, compact 5-foot-10, 190-pound stature with inherent strength that appears on both sides of the ball. He throws a true four-seam fastball that touched 90.8 mph on Saturday, and he also ran a 6.78 while averaging an exit speed from the right-handed batter’s box of nearly 90 mph; up to 88 across the infield, too.
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The Notre Dame commit RHP Ryan Hussey (Providence Catholic, 2023) has ticked up in velocity. His quick arm and smooth rhythm allowed him to sit 88-89 mph on Saturday in the zone – up from an 84 mph high at August’s PBR Future Game – with feel for his curve-change offspeed.
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At this PBR event debut, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound RHP Zachary Kwasny (Lincoln-Way East, 2023; uncommitted) reached an 89 mph high from a high release point, that created some steepness to home as a true four-seamer.
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A pair more arms touched 89 mph as well: RHP Matt Sauser (Normal University, 2023; Iowa) and RHP Grant Tenuta (Sandburg, 2023; uncommitted). Sauser’s a thin, loose 6-foot-2, 165 pounds, with live arm speed in a frame that projects very well, while harnessing advanced spin feel that will bring him near the top of several TrackMan leaderboards when we break those down later in the week. Tenuta has a clean arm and three-pitch feel; the fastball has heavy traits, with low spin, and he was locating it well on Saturday.
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Built at an imposing 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, RHP Logan Barnett (Pontiac, 2023; uncommitted) is also able to generate arm strength from his physical/strong build. He sat 85-88 mph on Saturday, up from 84 seen last July.
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Freshman right-handers Paul Svanascini (Northridge Prep, 2024; uncommitted) and Ryan Sloan (York, 2024; Wake Forest) led their classmates atop this category. Svanascini’s 87.6 mph high led all freshmen, while spinning at an above-average rate as well (2,220 rpm on average). Sloan, among the first committed ‘24s in the state, sat 85-87 mph with substantial horizontal action/sink.
TOP 60-YARD DASH
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OF/LHP Andrew Garcia (DePaul College Prep, 2023; uncommitted) has, once more, proved himself to be one of the most athletic players inside the state’s sophomore class. After running a 6.50 at the O’Hare I.D., Garcia repeated it with a 6.49 on Saturday, while reaching a 94 mph high to home from the outfield that led all players.
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OF Mikey Murphy (Minooka, 2023; uncommitted) has added muscle to his athletic 5-foot-10 frame, and his premium foot speed is clearly still intact. That added strength did, however, enhance his batted-ball profile, as he averaged an exit speed of nearly 90 mph while reaching a 100.8 max on a ball that travelled 384 feet, estimated.
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Freshman OF Mason Phillips (Oak Park-River Forest, 2024; uncommitted) has advanced athleticism inside a wiry 6-foot, 175-pound stature. In between the late fall and now, Phillips cut his 60 time down from a 6.81 to a 6.67, continuing to show as one of the most athletic ‘24s we’ve seen in the state to this point.
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For a 6-foot-2, 200-pound catcher, Colin Barczi’s (Naperville North, 2023; uncommitted) powerful gait and athleticism generates sub-6.70 speed. His physicality presents itself mainly from the right-handed batter’s box, where he struck the hardest hit ball of the day (104 mph) and also reached an 83 mph high from the crouch.
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South Carolina commit Ryan Bakes (Huntley, 2023) is another brawny backstop with high-end athleticism, as he ran a 6.70 while displaying similarly impressive, loud right-handed bat strength.
MAX EXIT VELOCITY
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The aforementioned Barczi was tied for the lead in this category, continuing to show as one of the top uncommitted sophomores in the state.
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OF Trey Swiderski (Joliet Catholic, 2023; Louisville) has previously been recognized as one of the top ‘23s in Illinois, but his prospect arrow continues to point up after taking an excellent, powerful round of batting practice. Every ball he hit left the barrel at 94-plus mph, at a 97.6 average, with a 103.6 max measured on one of the day’s farthest hit balls (380 feet). Additionally, Swiderski ran a 6.80 and reached a 93 mph high from the outfield.
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INF Cal Sefcik (Marist, 2023) is another high-end uncommitted sophomore in the state to be aware of, if you weren’t already. In a lean, strong 6-foot, 180-pound frame, Sefcik has advanced tools and an athletic, aggressive right-handed swing that generates an impressive batted-ball profile. His athleticism works on the left side of the infield as well, where he reached an 89 mph high across the diamond, which also led the showcase.
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INF Adam Schilz (Warren Township, 2023; uncommitted) led all left-handed hitters in max exit speed, with a 97.8 mph high. He’s come away from two winter events now having recorded one of the day’s best rounds of BP; also a 6.95 runner.
MAX INFIELD VELOCITY
MAX OUTFIELD VELOCITY
MAX CATCHER VELOCITY
TOP POP TIMES
Click here for a complete look at the day's stat leaderboards.