Black Hawk College reels in four, and other news

Recruiting news from around Illinois:

Black Hawk College landed four prospects, including Danny Dennehey, an athletic 6-foot-3 RHP/OF from Morrison HS who is currently ranked No. 67 in Illinois’ Class of 2012. Black Hawk also received commitments from Canton 6-foot-3 RHP Cody Smith, Glenbrook North RHP/3B John Boidanis and Sherrard 6-foot-4 RHP Bryce Frennell.

Both Smith and Boidanis were standouts at the Prep Baseball Report Unsigned Senior Showcase in January. Unknown to us heading into the event, Smith opened eyes with his potential on the mound. Smith, who has a projectable 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame, should continue to throw harder as he fills out.  Working from over the top slot, Smith has a quick, long arm action and throws with easy effort. Smith’s fastball sat in the 84-86 range with some run. He also throws a 67-69 mph curveball that has an 11/5 shape and a changeup that sits 71-72 mph.  Smith continued to display his athleticism in the field, showing solid actions in the outfield, clocked at 83 mph.  Additionally, Smith ran a 7.29 60.

Boidanis is a 6-foot, 190-pound two-way player who showed solidly in all aspects.  On the mound, he operates from from a high-3/4 arm slot with a fastball that was in the 82-84 mph range. He also flashed a solid curveball that demonstrated some late bite at 72 mph. Offensively, Boidanis has a balanced setup with a smooth load and short stride.  He has an explosive lower half with good balance throughout and generated some bat whip as he drove the ball with authority to both power alleys.

Dennehey is a standout quarterback on the football team, but on the baseball field, he possesses impressive raw abilities. On the mound, Dennehey has a quick arm and a mid-80s fastball, which he used to go 5-1 with a 2.39 ERA last spring. A sub-7 runner, Dennehey also has shown arm strength in the outfield, in addition to quick hands at the plate, evidenced by his .458 batting average, 9 doubles, 2 homers and 31 RBI.

In other news, McHenry County College landed three prospects when it received commitments from Prairie Ridge 3B/RHP Corey Peterson, Huntley OF Nick Corpolongo and Belvidere INF Hunter Grady. Peterson was one of the top performers at the recent Unsigned Senior event. Peterson impressed with his two-way abilities, as he showed well in all facets of the game.  Standing at 6-foot-2, 205-pounds, Peterson features a strong, athletic frame.   On the mound, Peterson comes from a 3/4 arm slot.  He has a smooth, clean delivery and good feel for all three of his pitches, all for strikes. His fastball sat at 79-82 mph and showed some run and sink.  His best pitch, however, was his curveball that had an 11/5 shape with sharp, late break to it. His arsenal also included a 72-73 mph changeup that also flashed sink. Peterson continued to impress at the plate, where he proved to be one of the best overall hitters at the event. He has a balanced setup, takes an economical approach to the baseball and is able to generate bat speed. 

Also, Mitch Stefani, a RHP from Waubonsie Valley HS, committed to Webster University.

Send all Illinois recruiting information to [email protected]