With the conclusion of our 2023 events now behind us and as the offseason rolls along, our staff thought it was time to shed some light on some best uncommitted prospects the Badger State has to offer. We will start this uncommitted series with the top backstops in the state’s senior class that, to our knowledge, have not announced their commitment yet.

Make sure to follow along as we will continue to highlight some of the top uncommitted prospects in Wisconsin’s 2024 and 2025 classes over the next handful of weeks.

UNCOMMITTED CATCHERS (LISTED ALPHABETICALLY)

Griffin Bowers C / Homestead, WI / 2024 Rankings, PBR Wisconsin: No. 169 Built at a long and lean 6-foot, 165-pounds, Bowers remains an uncommitted backstop to know inside of the state’s senior class. Offensively, Bowers swings an easy right-handed bat that has the ability to rip line drives back up the middle of the field, and in our looks has created exit velocities upwards of 92 mph. Behind the plate, Bowers’ athleticism is noteworthy as he is a quick mover with an arm that has topped at 80 mph which has helped him record pop-time lows of 2.04 in front of our staff.

Brady Coons C / 3B / Kimberly, WI / 2024 Rankings, PBR Wisconsin: No. 148 From 8/24/23 “...impressed from the left side of the plate at the Eastern Wisconsin Open. Listed at 5-foot-9, 175 pounds, the incoming senior featured a powerful bat that produced multiple exit velocities in the 90’s. Coons displayed strong hands and a fluid pre-pitch rhythm that allowed him to consistently find the barrel. With a gap-to-gap approach, the backstop showed clear power inside of a compact frame that has strength throughout. Behind the dish, the right-handed throwing catcher stayed compact throughout his throwing motion. A result of his impressive day in Sheboygan, Coons emerged as a winner from the event and is a name-to-follow as he heads into his senior year.”

Bryce Duszak C / 3B / Menasha, WI / 2024 Rankings, PBR Wisconsin: No. 149 From 2/18/23 “...is a 6-foot-1, 200 pound athletic framed back stop who had an impressive showing behind the plate and with bat on Saturday. Defensively, Duszak showed off his arm with an event best 2.03 pop time and 82 mph velocity with carry through the bag. He folds well with soft hands during his receiving work and has established himself as a solid defensive performer. With the bat, Duszak his with a simple centered and quiet approach with quick hands with the ability to produce exit velocities in the low-90s (max 92.0 mph).”

Brady Johnson C / 3B / St. Thomas More, WI / 2024 Rankings, PBR Wisconsin: No. 77 From 2/18/23 “...showed well in Waukesha, listed at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds with a strong frame. From the right-handed box, Johnson showed a short and quick swing that produced a max exit velocity of 90.6 mph, at an average EV of 86.1, and he used the entire field well. Behind the plate, Johnson has quick feet and a smooth transfer. His quickness and arm strength pair well, which allowed him to reach a 79 mph high on his throws to second, producing a low pop time of 2.01, and both measurements led the showcase.”

Nate Novinska C / OF / Verona , WI / 2024 Rankings, PBR Wisconsin: No. 142 From 3/12/23 “...took an impressive round of BP in front of our staff. With a quiet hand load, he works into an uphill path with bat-speed, working lifted contact up the middle and to the pull-side, reaching up to 93.1 mph for his max exit velocity. Behind the plate, Novinska recorded pop times in the 2.07-2.26 during his round of catcher defense, and topped at 75 mph on his hardest throw down. He also took a clean round of outfield defense and his arm strength transferred over nicely as his hardest throw came in at 88 mph.”

Peyton Ryback C / OF / Nathan Hale, WI / 2024 Rankings, PBR Wisconsin: No. 61 From 6/03/23 “Across two looks, Ryback, an uncommitted senior was impressive on both sides of the ball. At the plate Ryback collected three hits, two of those going for doubles, across both games driving in four runs and showing the ability to impact the ball especially to the pullside. Defensively Ryback impressed behind the dish with his ability as a receiver and his ability to steal strikes on the outer part of the plate.”

Parker Schwake C / 1B / Wauwatosa West, WI / 2024 Rankings, PBR Wisconsin: No. 81 From 6/20/23 “Standing at an imposing 6-foot-4, 215-pounds with obvious strength throughout his frame, Schwake put together the loudest round of BP of the day. Schwake started off hot with his very first swing registering a 102.1 mph EV and when it was all said and done, he reached highs of 104.8 mph (90.7 mph avg.). Schwake is able to use his long levers to leverage baseballs and drive them in the air, mostly to the left-center gap with his farthest driven ball traveling 405 ft. While he led in many batted ball metrics, he also led in a number of Blast Motion ones, too, highlighted by a max bat speed of 80 mph. Defensively, behind the dish Schwake showed the tools to control the run game, with a quick and clean transfer and advanced arm strength up to 79 mph on his hardest bullet. Schwake was able to get the ball out quick and produce an accurate throw to second that carries through the bag and record pop-time lows of 2.01.”

Quade Thompson C / 3B / Wrightstown, WI / 2024 Rankings, PBR Wisconsin: No. 117 From 7/11/23 “...attracted attention at the PBRT Wisconsin Open in late June and has had his name rise as an uncommitted catcher in the 2024 class. Thompson turned in a smooth defensive display behind the dish and showed athletic ability and movement patterns. Listed at 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, Thompson presents an athletic build that works in a larger frame with clear strength in his lower half. The incoming senior showcased a loose rhythm with the bat in his hands and stayed long through the zone during his round of BP. With a wide, open setup, Thompson recorded a maximum exit velocity of 95.1 mph and consistently back-spun the ball while working middle-in.”

Carter Vieth C / 3B / Elk Mound , WI / 2024 Rankings, PBR Wisconsin: No. 184 From 7/21/23 “...is another catching prospect from the northwest portion of the state who performed well on Tuesday. The former 2022 Top Prospect Milwaukee participant stands at a strong 5-foot-9, 175-pound frame, as he turned in a solid outing at the plate in his BP session. Offensively, Vieth finished with exit velocities in the upper-80s throughout, maxing out at 88 mph from the right-handed batter’s box. His relaxed hands and quick bat path allowed him to be a standout amongst the pool of hitters, ranking in the top half of hitters, metrics wise. As a catcher, Vieth reached 73 mph from behind the plate, continuing to show improvement within his footwork and arm strength, as he reached 70 mph over the winter. Vieth’s all-around performance keeps him on our radar in the Eau Claire area for the future.”

2024 PRESEASON ID CALENDAR

Showcase	Date	Location
Kenosha Preseason ID	02/03	Puma Academy Training Facility, Kenosha, WI
Eau Claire Preseason ID	02/10	Valley Sports Academy, Lake Hallie, WI
West Milwaukee Preseason ID	02/17	STiKS Academy, Waukesha, WI
Green Bay Preseason ID	02/24	Impact Sports Academy, De Pere, WI
South Milwaukee Preseason ID	03/02	Hitters Baseball Academy, Caledonia, WI
Madison Preseason ID	03/10	GRB Academy, Windsor, WI
Milwaukee Preseason ID	03/16	MOSH Performance Center, Milwaukee, WI

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