By Rob Allison
Prep Baseball Report Minnesota

The Prep Baseball Report Minnesota's Preseason All-State event took place on Saturday February 28^th at the Vadnais Sports Center in Vadnais Heights, MN. The showcase featured over 70 prospects from the 2016 class who showcased their talents in front of our scouting staff, college coaches, and professional scouts.

36 pitchers performed at this event; giving 25+ recruiters and scouts a glimpse of their ability. Many of these prospects are multi-sport athlete's and to combine the fact that many were not in baseball shape yet; the talent present at the event and their ability was truly outstanding.

Today we unveil our analysis of the pitchers at the event.  When we create this list we evaluate the overall package of abilities along with future projection at the college level.

We've broken our list into the top left-handed and right-handed pitchers at the event due to the sheer number and quality present.

The top overall pitching prospect at this year's MN Preseason All-State event was Prior Lake's Nick Hanson. The  6-foot-5 prospect stood out with his fastball velocity, ability to spin a hard breaking ball, and overall ability to throw 3 present pitches for strikes. As he continues to mature and add strength; Hanson, who is already receiving significant recruiting interest, will continue to grow as a national prospect.

Here's the top left-handed and right-handed pitching prospects at the MN Preseason All-State event:

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Top left-handed pitching Prospects

1. Jacob Raether, LHP, Minnetonka, 2016
6-foot-3, 175-pound left-handed pitcher. Loose lean body. Arm works free and easy. Arm is fast. Moderate effort on fastball. Has made huge strides in arm action and overall feel since October 2014. Fastball is 83-85 mph with above average life. Command is solid. Good extension out front. Curveball has tight rotation and shows ability to throw for strikes. Flashes hard late break. 70-72 mph. Changeup is flat at times but serviceable presently. 70-73 mph. Overall one of the top left-handed pitching prospects in state; should continue to see jumps in velocity in future.

2. Sam Goodman, LHP/OF, Champlin Park, 2016
6-foot-3, 206-pound 2-way player with a long athletic frame who ran a 7.4 60. Quick twitch actions on mound. Collapses at balance point. Front leg swings open but lands closed at times. Arm is explosive and very fast with 87-89 mph fastballs. Breaking ball is sharp and thrown with tight rotation at 70-72 mph. Has feel for a changeup and throws for strikes at 77-78 mph. Absolutely has high end stuff. Once he continues to repeat and clean up mechanics; has the highest of ceilings.

3. Eric Stolt, LHP, The Blake School, 2016
6-foot-4, 185-pound left-handed pitcher. Tall projectable body with room to add additional weight. Good direction to plate. Has good coordination in body. Front leg swings open early at times causing misses up and to arm-side. One-piece arm action with some leverage on ball. Comes out of hand clean with fastball velocity in 82-85 mph range. Curveball shows average break at 66-68 mph. Has good fade on changeup and ability to show in bottom of zone at 68-70 mph. 6-4 lefties are a commodity; especially one’s like Stolt who show projection and flashes of feel; is continuing to develop and will be a High Follow into the Spring/Summer season.

4. Shannon Ahern, LHP/OF, Academy of Holy Angels, 2016
5-foot-10, 155-pound 2-way player who ran a 7.6 60. Shows good balance and rhythm in delivery. Fastball is thrown for strikes with late cutting action at 76-79 mph. Breaking ball has depth with 1/7 shape at 67-69 mph. Changeup has late arm-side fade and shows ability to show in zone and take away. 74-75 mph. 3 pitch mix for strikes. Some funk in short arm action creating deception. Overall shows the ability to win on mound.

5. Alex Farley, 1B/LHP, Anoka, 2016
6-foot-3, 210-pound 2-way player. Large build. Moves well for size and shows athleticism. Comes out of balance point early in delivery. Arm starts long and shortens up mid-way through. 2 piece arm action with average arm speed. 79-81 mph fastball thrown for strikes. Curveball has 12/6 shape and good down action for strikes. Changeup is firm with minimal fade at the plate. Will be competitive on mound in high school; projects to be middle of order corner player in college.

Top right-handed pitching Prospects

1. Nick Hanson, RHP, Prior Lake, 2016
6-foot-5, 205-pound right-handed pitcher. Highly projectable build. Lands closed to plate with good direction. Fastball shows hard boring action with downhill plane. Short high ¾ action with arm speed. Fastball was consistently 87-89; topping out at 90 mph. Good feel for zone with 3 pitches. Breaking ball was firm with 12/6 shape and tight rotation at 78-80 mph. Showed ability to throw for strikes and spot in zone and take away from hitter. Changeup was heavy and had good fade down in zone. Presently the top 2016 pitching prospect in the state. Will continue to mature and add strength. Feel for 3 pitches, present velocity, and ceiling to improve.

2. Caleb Malek, C/RHP, Northfield, 2016
6-foot-2, 215-pound catcher/right-handed pitcher with a strong durable frame who ran a 7.44 60. Has size and strength on mound. Shows great rhythm and upper/lower half are well sequenced together. Arm is clean with good extension and finish. Lead leg will swing out on him at times causing him to miss up in zone. Fastball shows great life with late cutting action at 88-90 mph; topping out at 91 mph. Continues to improve secondary offerings. Has made huge strides since September 2014 with off-speed. Curveball shows flashes of sharp 12/6 break. 74-75 mph. Changeup feel is above average. 78-81 mph. Keeps secondary pitches in bottom of zone majority of time. Has flexibility and looseness to body. Moderate effort on fastball. Easy to dream on him being low-mid 90’s power arm.

3. Charlie Sheehan, RHP, Eden Prairie, 2016
6-foot-1, 185-pound right-handed pitcher. Shows good rhythm and sequence in athletic slightly cross-fire delivery. Has arm speed and ball jumps out of hand. Fastball is light and quick. Moderate effort. Fastball has cutting action at 87-89 mph. Throws two types of breaking balls. A slurvy 10/4 curveball with good tilt and large break at 70-71 mph and a slider at 73-75 mph with sharp late break with cutter action. Changeup shows varying action from split like sink to arm side fade. 77-80 mph. Overall one of the top pitching prospects at the event and state-wide for the 2016 class. His stuff is top-notch and should see considerable recruiting interest continue to increase over next few months.

4. Tyler Eckberg, SS/RHP, Edina, 2016
6-foot-4, 170-pound 2-way player with long athletic body who ran a 7.35 60. Lean projectable frame on the mound. Simple clean arm action from high ¾ slot. Fastball shows varying cut and sink at 85-87 mph. Slider shows big tilt with sharp break at 73-74 mph. Changeup is firm and thrown for strikes at 81-82 mph. Eckberg has positioned himself as one to the top 2-way players in the state and should draw considerable recruiting interest from major colleges.

5. Ryan Swanson, RHP, Eden Prairie, 2016
6-foot-5, 205-pound right-handed pitcher. Tall lean projectable body. Once Swanson begins to fill out his 6-foot-5 frame; the sky’s the limit for this right-hander. Simple step to balance point. Leaks out early from balance point. Lands slightly across body to target with an upright finish after release. Long clean arm action from high ¾ slot. Shows arm quickness out front. Easy effort in arm and delivery. Consistently spots fastball at 84-86 mph. Has ability to spin breaking ball for strikes with sharp break and depth at 75-76 mph. Changeup has minimal action but is thrown near fastball arm speed and he shows good feel for the pitch in the zone. With continued strength gains; Swanson could poise himself towards the top of the list of prospects in the 2016 class.

6. Mark Ehresman, RHP/UTL, Eden Prairie, 2016
6-foot-1, 195-pound RHP/Utility player with a 7.37 60 time. Up-tempo delivery with in-line stride. Arm works from high ¾ slot. Arm is fast and ball jumps on hitter. Fastball shows cutting action for strikes at 84-86 mph. Sharp 11/5 breaking ball thrown with conviction and has depth. Wrist is stiff at times with changeup; minimal fade at 73-74 mph. Overall works with fast tempo, three pitches for strikes, and breaking ball is above average.

7. Kyle Ferderer, 3B/RHP, Burnsville, 2016
5-foot-11, 180-pound 2-way player who ran a 7.5 60. Ferderer performed as well as anyone at the event. Shows good overall “stuff” on mound. Up-tempo delivery. Short 2-piece arm action with above average arm speed. Tucks in balance point. Hides baseball from hitter. Fastball shows late movement at 82-85 mph in the zone. Slider shows sharp 11/5 break late in zone at 73-74 mph. Changeup is currently average with flashes of being better- especially out of stretch. High Follow going into Spring/Summer that colleges will be watching closely as a 2-way prospect.

8. Jimmy Larson, RHP, Prior Lake, 2016
6-foot-6, 190-pound right-handed pitcher. Long lanky build. Larson has a chance to move himself into the upper echelon of arms in Minnesota by the end of the Spring. Athletic in his delivery. His arm works very well and is long and loose. Fastball shows life and comes out of his hand very well at 80-83 mph. Downhill plane to fastball. Just coming out of basketball; about 75% right now. Has shown good feel for secondary in previous event. Struggled with release point at times. Breaking ball 12/6 shape with flashes of tight rotation. Huge projection. Once he begins to mature and add strength; easy to dream on him being low 90’s, athletic on mound, with feel and ability to throw 3 pitches for quality strikes.

9. Matt Wallner, OF/RHP, Forest Lake, 2016
6-foot-4, 190-pound 2-way player with a tall athletic build who ran a 7.06 60. Highly projectable body/ athletic player who opened eyes at event. Wallner tall and projectable on the mound. 2-piece arm action that starts long and begins to shorten mid-circle. Fastball shows above average run at 83-85 mph. Shows flashes of a breaking ball with tight rotation and sharp break. Wrist is stiff and pushes changeup at times causing flat action at 73-74 mph. Feel for zone with 3 pitches. Strong Follow into Spring/Summer season once he is in baseball shape.

10. Nathan Sprouls, RHP, Rosemount, 2016
5-foot-10, 160-pound right-handed pitcher. Medium build. Room for added strength. Short leg kick into balance point. Hips come out slightly early. Has life on fastball from over-the-top slot. Shoulder tilt in front with minor stab in the back. Arm works well out front with arm speed. Creates downhill plane on fastball with high release point. 83-85 mph fastball with varying cut action. Throws true 12/6 breaking ball with good depth and solid rotation at 66-68 mph. Changeup is kept in bottom of zone with fade at 70-71 mph. Average effort on pitches. Shows ability to throw strikes with 3 pitches. Strong Follow going into Spring/Summer.

Second Flight (listed alphabetically)

Carter Elliott, 3B/RHP, Hudson (WI), 2016
6-foot-2, 185-pound 2-way player. Larger square build. Ran 7.19 60. Projectable body on mound. Quicker delivery. Lands open at times to plate. Should tilt in delivery. Arm works and is fast out front. Fastball shows downhill plane with slight cutting action at 82-84 mph. Breaking ball shows gradual break with 12/6 shape. Changeup shows average fade at 73-76 mph. Overall Strong Follow for 2016 class with ability to hit and can stay at third base and defend along with ability on mound.

Dan Hansen, RHP/3B, Park Center, 2016
6-foot-3, 185-pound 2-way player who ran a 7.85 60. Tall projectable build. Balanced delivery with good body control. Short arm stroke from over-the-top slot. Lands across body with limited finish in delivery. Fastball was straight at 79-81 mph topping out at 83 mph. Has good feel in zone with off-speed. Breaking ball shows good late 11/5 break with tight rotation. 70-73 mph. Arm stiffens up some on changeup. Keeps ball in bottom of zone with decent fade. 72-74 mph. Solid Follow as 2-way player at college level.

Alex Pribyl, RHP/SS, Anoka, 2016
6-foot-1, 180-pound 2-way player with athletic build. Ran a 7.81 60. Good balance in delivery with in-line stride to catcher. Long one-piece arm action. Body is loose and has some life. Cutting action to fastball at 82-85 mph. Ball comes out clean. 12/6 breaking ball with average break. Shows fade to change and is thrown for strikes. Mixed in a knuckleball at 65-68 mph. Follow on the mound through Spring/Summer.

Jesse Retzlaff, RHP, Minnehaha Academy, 2016
6-foot, 150-pound right-handed pitcher. Thin build with long legs. Up-tempo delivery. Pre-set hand position. 3 pitches for strikes. Fastball shows late run and sink. 80-81 mph. Arm is clean with looseness out front. Curveball shows almost 10/4 shape with late break and tight rotation. 68-69 mph. Changeup is thrown at fastball arm speed and shows good fade. 74-75 mph. Overall has good package of skills and ability to pitch. Strong Follow into Spring and Summer once he is at 100% and in game action. Good feel for 3 pitches in zone and to spots.

Billy Riach, RHP, Lakeville North, 2016
6-foot-2, 170-pound right-handed pitcher. Continues to impress on the mound. Above average feel for 3 pitches. Competitive in bottom of zone. Velocity continues to climb. Up to 83 mph at this event. Thin frame. All 3 pitches show good action. Throws softer curveball with 12/6 shape for strikes. Also harder slurve/slider at 71 mph with 11/5 shape and deeper break. Changeup will flatten out at times when he flies open with front side. Cuts and sinks pitches with depth. Tough guy to consistently be able to square up.

Nathan Santos, RHP/3B, Altoona (WI), 2016
6-foot-1, 200-pound 2-way player. Ran a 7.38 60. Shows rhythm and ability to repeat on mound. Long loose ¾ arm action with arm-side life on fastball. Fastball was 79-81; topping out at 83 mph. Curveball had tight rotation with late break in zone. Changeup showed cutting action. Arm works well and fastball jumps on hitter. Good feel for 3 pitches in/around zone.

Connor Stroh, RHP, Lakeville South, 2016
6-foot-3, 160-pound right-handed pitcher. Lean athletic body with long limbs. Stroh continues to make strides on the mound. Easy effort in balanced delivery producing fastballs in the 81-83 mph range. Fastball shows late run and has ability to command to both sides of plate. Good fade on change at 71-72 mph. Curveball was more loose than previous outing in October; but thrown for strikes consistently. Once he consistently throws breaking ball with more conviction; Stroh will start to turn heads even more. Strong Follow going into Spring/Summer who should continue to mature physically and has considerable projection.

Best of the Rest (Listed Alphabetically)

Benjamin Arndt, SS/RHP, Providence Academy, 2016
5-foot-10, 150-pound 2-way player who ran 7.28 60. On the mound has balance with high controlled leg kick. Lands in-line with catcher. Lands on stiff front leg. Arm is long and loose from high ¾ slot. Fastball is 76-78 mph. Gets on side of breaking ball creating sideways break and spin. 65-67 mph. Changeup is thrown near fastball arm speed with stiff wrist. Flashes of fade. 68-69 mph.

Max Elofson, OF/LHP, Minneapolis Washburn, 2016
6-foot-1, 180-pound 2-way player who ran a 7.35 60. Has projectable body on mound. High leg kick. Stride foot out away from body. Shows body control and balance. One piece arm action. Shows ability to throw FB to both sides of plate with slight sink to outer half at 74-76 mph. Curveball has gradual break at 687-69 mph. Changeup has fade at 71-73 mph.

Nolan Friedrichs, 1B/RHP, Edina, 2016
6-foot-3, 215-pound 2-way player who ran a 7.6 60. Friedrichs improved in every stat category since his last performance in October 2014. Velocity continues to move forward on mound. Fastball was thrown for strikes at 78-81 mph. Curveball looked sharper with 12/6 shape. Showed ability to start changeup in zone and take away from hitter with downhill plane at 72-74 mph.

Matthew Grove, RHP/3B, Edina, 2016
6-foot-3, 180-pound 2-way player with lean athletic build. Ran a 7.59 60. Fastball shows arm-side life and is thrown for consistent quality strikes. Arm is quick out front. Some shoulder tilt in delivery. Working himself back into shape over winter. Plus feel for changeup to both sides of plate with average sink. Curveball was thrown in upper 60’s; typically in 73-76 mph range. When in shape one of better 2016 pitching prospects in state. High Follow for 2016 class as a 2-way player in college.

Tom Kolar, OF/RHP, St. Thomas Academy, 2016
5-foot-11, 160-pound 2-way player with an average build who ran a 7.53 60. Simple delivery on mound. Lands across body and falls off to first base side. Arm is long and loose. Fastball shows cutting action at 74-76 mph. Breaking ball has 12/6 shape with gradual break for strikes. Changeup misses arm-side due to mechanics with average fade. 72-73 mph. Overall showed decent feel for zone with 3 pitches.

Ross Luinenburg, RHP, Rochester Century, 2016
6-foot-5, 230-pound right-handed pitcher. Extra-Large physical build. Early collapse in balance point. Short 2-piece arm action. Lands open to target. Fastball was straight at 69-71 mph; topping out at 73 mph. Breaking ball 58-59 mph with soft gradual break and 12/6 shape. Changeup was thrown for strikes at 62-63 mph. Tended to miss up and arm-side due to direction away from target.

Cody Malan, 3B/RHP, Rochester Mayo, 2016
6-foot-1, 195-pound 2-way player. Strong build. Ran a 8.19 60 time. Slight crouch into balance point. Direction is in-line to plate. Over-the-top arm slot with 2-piece arm action and stab in the back. Fastball shows some life at 74-77 mph. Curveball has 12/6 shape with loose rotation and gradual break. 58-61 mph. Changeup had slight cutting action at 64-65 mph.

Anthoney Overton, RHP/3B, Elk River, 2016
5-foot-10, 195-pound 2-way player with solid compact build with strength. Ran a 7.38 60. Short high ¾ arm action on mound. Closed posture at set position. Hides ball from hitter. Fastball has cutting action for strikes at 78-81 mph. Curveball has short break with 12/6 rotation at 68-71 mph. Tends to rush to plate causing breaking ball to hang. Feel for changeup thrown near fastball arm speed. 70-71 mph. Shows ok command and is around zone with 3 pitches.

Tyler Pedersen, 1B/RHP, Duluth Marshall, 2016
6-foot-2, 210-pound 2-way player. Ran a 7.47 60. Ok direction to plate with minimal extension. Falls off to first base side. Throws mostly upper body from low ¾ slot and short arm action. Fastball was 67-69 mph. Curveball was 58-60 mph. Changeup was 62-64 mph.

Josh Schmidt, RHP/1B, St. Michael Albertville, 2016
6-foot-3, 160-pound 2-way player with a lean build who ran a 8.00 60. Unorthodox delivery on mound. Long whippy low ¾ slot. Around zone with 3 pitches. Works from far right-hand side of rubber with good direction. Underneath baseball at release at times. 69-72 mph fastball. Curveball was 56-58 mph with 11/5 shape. Changeup was 55-56 mph.

Griffin Schneider, OF/RHP, Wayzata, 2016
6-foot-2, 193-pound 2-way player with long projectable body with room to add strength. Ran 7.28 60 at this event. Easy effort in delivery. Arm stroke is loose with moderate length. Hides baseball from hitter. Shows good direction to plate. Consistently threw strikes. Fastball was 79-81 mph with occasional life. Curveball showed average break at 67-70 mph. Changeup had good fade and thrown with appropriate arm speed and action. Easy actions on mound with above average ability to throw 3 pitches for strikes.

Michael Tiede, SS/RHP, St. Cloud Apollo, 2016
6-foot-1, 165-pound 2-way player. Thin build. Ran a 7.5 60. Shows rhythm and body control in delivery. Big front shoulder tilt in delivery. Stabbing arm action on backside and works to get up and over front side on release. Has feel for zone with three pitches. Fastball was mid 70’s and straight. Curveball had 12/6 shape and was thrown for strikes. Changeup was thrown with slight fade and in zone.

Joey Werner, OF/RHP, Hastings, 2016
5-foot-8, 155-pound 2-way player with compact fast twitch frame who ran a 7.15 60. On the mound Werner uses a high leg kick delivery with good direction to the plate. Arm stroke is long and loose out front with some unravel on the backside. Fastball shows life in zone. Is underneath fastball at times with effort elevating pitch. Fastball was 78-79 mph. Slider has cutter action with small sharp break in the zone at 72-74 mph. Changeup is firm right now; but shows good feel for zone and ability to spot pitch.

Ben Zocher, LHP/OF, East Ridge, 2016
6-foot, 195-pound 2-way player with physical build who ran a 7.66 60. Zocher has good rhythm and direction in his delivery. Some funk in arm action with short stiff arm action with minimal extension to plate. Once he is in baseball shape; it will be interesting to see if his arm action will lengthen and become more loose. Fastball was 71-72 mph with sink. Breaking ball was 64-65 mph and changeup was 64-66 mph.