Uncommitted Spotlight: 2024 LHP Benton O'Banion

The Sr. LHP from Highland Park threw on opening day and was electric. He came on in relief and proceeded to go 5 innings while striking out 12. The 6-foot-1 LHP has a fastball that sits in the mid 80's and topped out at 87. There is some deception in the pitch, and he got a lot of swings and misses in the zone with the fastball. He threw a quality changeup off of the fastball that was in the 78-80 mph range that he threw with the same arm action and hand speed as his fastball. He also had a feel for some spin with a big curve ball that was in the low 70's. It isn't a swing and miss pitch right now, but he could steal strikes with it and showed good command of it. As he throws it with more power, it should make a jump.  O'Banion showed strike-throwing from the left side with a fastball that plays in the zone, and has another jump in it. He will be a great senior pickup for some school.