Prep Baseball Report

Prep Baseball Midwest Procase: Event Preview


Rob Allison
Prep Baseball Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa - On Wednesday, February 21, Prep Baseball heads to Waukee’s SportsPlex West to host the Midwest Procase event. This invite-only event is an exclusive opportunity for top prospects in the 2024 and select 2025 grads.

The Prep Baseball Midwest Procase will be an opportunity for top prospects in the 2024 draft class, including some select underclass players, to showcase themselves to multiple MLB organizations who will be in attendance. Scouts across the country are drilling into the 2024 class, and this event will feature many top potential draft prospects in the Midwest.

This event aims to bring potential draft candidates from our area into one location to showcase their abilities in front of the professional scouting community. This year’s event will showcase a star-studded roster with many of high-end Division 1 and JUCO commits from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. The roster is a Who's Who of Midwest prospects committed to high-end institutions across the country (University of Iowa, Wichita State, TCU, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Minnesota to name a few).

EVENT HISTORY

Last year's Procase saw many of the top grads add their names to follow lists for the MLB Draft. We look forward to continuing this opportunity for the top players in the Upper Midwest. 

For the better part of a year, Kale Fountain (Norris, NE, 2024) has been putting his name all over the national conversation. The 12th ranked prospect nationwide had a solid performance at the 2023 Midwest Procase, which kicked off a whirlwind year that saw the LSU commit participant in the All American Games and the recent Super 60. At the Procase, the Norris, NE native ran a 6.7, posted a max exit velocity of 106.1, and fired a 91 MPH bullet across the infield. 

University of Oklahoma commit Drew Dickerson’s Procase showing definitely hit all the high-notes for this tooled-up shortstop from Lees Summit West, MO. Dickerson ran a 6.68, maxed at 103.2 MPH and threw 86 MPH across. Another Super 60 participant, Dickerson is ranked 2nd in Missouri’s class of 2024 and 83rd nationally.

Isaac Morton (Spring Lake Park, MN, 2023) saw his fastball reach 94.6 MPH with an impressive 2,400 RPM spin rate. What’s more, his cutter/slider was captured at 91.0 MPH with 2,600 spin. With baseline metrics like that, it’s little wonder why the Milwaukee Brewers tried to steal him in the 19th round of the 2023 draft. The righty instead opted to go to Texas A&M where he was throwing 97 in the fall. 

The six-foot-two right-hander Brayden Olson (St. Croix Falls, WI, 2023) turned out to the Procase and unleashed a fastball that ran up to 93.4 MPH.  He paired it with a banger of a curveball that spun in at 2,400 and had a good feel for his changeup. Olson is a freshman with Purdue.

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEDNESDAY

The Midwest Procase roster is always chocked full of premium talent but these four players are expected to supply standout performances in 2024:

Jake Quinn and Paul Jones II are teammates at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul, MN. Quinn, an outfielder headed to the University of Minnesota, ran a 6.6 at the Prep Baseball Minnesota Preseason All-State in 2023 while uncorking 92 MPH seeds from the outfield. At six-foot-three, look for Quinn to have filled out more since his Preseason All-State appearance a year ago. 

Jones, a Maryland commit, is attending his second Midwest Procase. In 2023, Jones posted a 102.2 MPH exit velocity demonstrating how well the left-handed hitting first baseman can generate pull side power. Look for him to show off that hit tool on Wednesday night.

Drew Rerick (Fargo Davies, ND, 2024) last appeared at the 2023 Preseason All-State in Minnesota. There, the Texas A&M committed right-hander touched 91.6 MPH with over 2,500 RPM. Prep Baseball scouts have seen him multiple times in tournament play, recording him up to 93 in game. At six-foot-five, Rerick is an imposing presence on the mound and is reportedly up to the mid-90s this offseason. 

Jaron Bleeker (Bishop Heelan Catholic, IA) was up to 88.2 MPH at the 2023 Prep Baseball Iowa State Games, generating good spin with a short, quick arm. An Iowa commit, Bleeker is the 11th ranked player in the class of 2024. 

FULL ROSTER

ITINERARY

Date: Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Location: SportsPlex West, Waukee, Iowa
Check-in Time (All Players): 4:00-4:15 PM
Start Time (Position & Two-Way Players): 4:45 PM

MORE EVENT DETAILS