Prep Baseball Report

Peoria Preseason ID: Takeaways


By: Illinois Scouting Staff

On Wednesday, February 22nd, the PBR Illinois staff traveled to the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria, IL., to host the sixth annual Peoria Preseason ID. This open event provided our staff an opportunity for an up-to-date look on players from the Central Illinois area prior to the start of the high school season. 

For a complete list of the player’s that attended this event, click HERE.

Now, lets take a look at some of the players that stood out to our scouting staff.  

2024 Prospects 

+ INF Lance Ingold (Rochester, 2024) was the most physically impressive prospect in attendance, standing at 6-foot-5, 220-pounds. At the plate, the imposing left-handed hitter controlled his levers, was able to stay short to the ball and elevated hard contact, leading the event with a 96.3 mph max exit velocity and 360’ max batted ball. He also turned in high-level Blast Motion numbers with 24.3 mph average hand speed and 21.3 g average rotational acceleration. 

+ INF/RHP Joseph Catalano (Williamsville, 2024) was another frame that stood out on the day, listed at 6-foot-3, 185-pounds, with long levers and some strength throughout. He has a simple, quiet right-handed swing that repeated, stayed on plane and flashed sneaky jump off the barrel, peaking at 93 mph. He also moved around well on the infield, topping at 83 mph, as well as 83.3 mph on the mound.

+ RHP Ben Carnahan (University, 2024) is listed at an athletic 6-foot, 170-pound frame. On the mound Carnahan had one of the better looks during our time in Peoria. Running his fastball up to 87.1 mph, its a pitch that plays with carry averaging 17.1’ of induced vertical break and gets on would-be opposing hitters quickly as it jumps out of the hand. Also showed a tight breaking slider with above average spin rates 2375 rpm (2461 max) that he consistently threw for strikes, and showed feel to throw his changeup for strikes.

+ RHP Tanner Spangler (Morton, 2024) is listed at a athletic 6-foot-5, 210-pounds with room to add mass onto and he made for a good look during our time in Peoria. Out of a simple and repeatable delivery, Spangler ran his fastball up to 88.1 mph, which was an event high, and this is a pitch that plays with carry, maxing at 19.5’ of induced vertical break. As for his offspeeds, he featured two different breaking balls, the first being a short wrinkle slider that averaged 2,382 rpm and the second being a 11/5 curveball that he was able to spin at 2,470 rpm on average. He rounded out his four-pitch mix with a changeup that flashed some hard running action through the zone. 

+ INF/RHP Enrico Veach (Springfield, 2024) was one of the top two-way guys of note on the day. Veach’s arm stood out without even looking at the radar gun, playing fluidly into release with noticeable looseness and ease (T80 mph). That same easy, loose arm played well on the mound, sitting an easy 82-85 mph but it was his high-spinning, tight curveball that turned heads. Veach featured arguably the best breaking ball of the day, playing with feel (75% strikes), all kinds of depth and spinning at an average of 2643, T2784. He rounded out his three-pitch mix with a mid-to-upper 70s changeup that was in the zone 60% of the time. At the plate, the right-handed hitter has a fluid on-plane right-handed swing that gets extension through contact and registered a T93.2 mph exit velocity with a max batted ball of 330’. 

+ RHP Korbin Woerly (Canton, 2024) made for a good look during his PBR event debut on Wednesday. Standing at 5-foot-8, 160-pounds, Woerly ran his fastball up to 85.2 mph but what was the most interesting thing about this pitch was the amount of run that it possessed, roughly 19’ of horizontal movement on average. As for his offspeeds, he featured a tightly spun slider that he was able to throw for strikes, and a somewhat developing changeup that flashed late fade and depth. Also, ran a 7.24 60 and flashed some twitchy hands at the plate.

+ C Sam Descarpentrie (Normal West, 2024) is built at an athletic 5-foot-11, 179-pounds and he improved all of his numbers across the board since the Central Illinois Open last August. The right-handed hitter has an easy, balanced swing and was on the barrel throughout his round of BP while using the whole field. Defensively, he is up to 75 mph from the crouch (72 mph in 2022) and he shaved his low pop time down to a 2.06 (2.14 in 2022). Upside catcher with a well-rounded skill set.

+ INF/OF Jude Strahm (Brimfield, 2024) is a multi-positional prospect listed at a long-levered, projectable 6-foot-2, 180-pounds. As a 7.02 runner in the 60, Strahm’s athleticism plays up on the infield; ranging easily to both sides and utilizing accurate angles and routes to cut off balls - also showing similarly athletic actions from the outfield with soft hands at both positions and a strong arm (T87 OF; T81 INF). At the plate, the right-handed hitter has athletic, loose hands working uphill through the zone while flashing more jump off the barrel than we have seen in the past. Plenty of upside and projection left to tap into.

+ INF/RHP Nolan Schaefer (Pekin) and OF/RHP Jake Branch (Normal Community) are a couple of 2024 two-way, sub-7.0 60-runners, who saw themselves towards the top of multiple statistical categories from the day. Schaefer ran a 6.97 was 84 mph across the infield, T94 mph exit velocity and also sat 82-83 mph on the mound. Branch has a 6-foot-3, 175-pound highly-athletic build, ran a 6.94 60, was 90 mph from the outfield, sat 82-85 mph and registered a max exit velocity of 94 mph off the bat.

+ Another 2024 who flashed some above-average tools was INF/RHP Landen Hidden (East Peoria). Hidden ran a 6.95 60, was 90 mph across the infield while peaking at 91 mph off the barrel in BP. He also sat 83-84 mph on the mound with a mid-70s slider.

2025 PROSPECTS

+ C Tyler Humphrey (Washington, 2025) showed off a polished, mature approach at the plate, staying quiet and balanced while creating above-average bat strength and working to both gaps with authority at times. Humphrey registered a max exit velocity of 90.8 mph with a max batted ball of 342’. Behind the plate, Humphrey showed off a clean catch/throw operation that produced pop-times as low as 2.06 seconds (T74 mph). He boasted a clear feel for the position, showing confident actions and efficient footwork out of the crouch. 

+ INF Cole Yates (Illinois Valley Central, 2025) turned in one of the smoother rounds of defense on the day, moving around fluidly with confident and soft hands, making plays look easy to both sides of his glove. The 7.30 runner also took a polished round of BP repeating his right-handed swing, staying flat through the zone and spraying contact to all fields. 

+ C Lawson Alwan (Peoria Notre Dame, 2025) is a left-handed hitting sophomore with a strong, 5-foot-11, 185-pound build and showed well across the board at Peoria. He stays short to the ball with a simple, easy handsy swing that shows above-average feel for the barrel and uses the whole field. The 7.26 60 runner also showed well behind the plate with a strong arm at 75 mph and low pop time of 2.15.

+ RHP/3B Lane Wheelwright (Farmington, 2025) is a clean 6-foot, 160-pound, right-handed pitcher with a clean operation and sat 82-83 mph, T84 with a three-pitch mix. He also ran a 7.00 60, was 85 mph from the outfield and registered a peak exit velocity of 88 mph.

+ Macon Kessler (Rushville-Industry, 2025) is a switch-hitter that handled the bat equally as well from both sides of the plate. Kessler has a 6-foot-1, 165-pound, long-levered frame, easy simple swing with an uphill, spray approach. He also ran a 7.29 60 and worked in the low-80s on the mound.

+ Another Washington HS product, INF Gavin Lawrence (2025), has strength in his compact right-handed swing and is an above-average runner as well, registering a 7.02 on the Swift timing system. Lawrence swings with natural lift, easy effort throughout and averaged 80.6 mph off the bat throughout his round. 

2026 PROSPECTS

+ A trio of Morton HS 2026 graduates; INF Camden Taylor, RHP/INF Cameron Crawford and OF Andy Ballard showed well at the Peoria event. Taylor has a fluid, projectable left-handed swing that stays on-plane while using the whole field. Crawford has a strong durable frame with above-average bat strength for his age (T89.9 mph with a max distance of 315). He also sat 77-78 mph on the mound. Ballard has a 5-foot-11, 160-pound frame, ran a 7.16, was 80 mph from the outfield and showed off a simple repeatable left-handed swing that was on the barrel up the middle of the field with easy effort throughout.

+ Along with Morton, Washington HS was well represented by talented 2026s as well in Anson Zaiser, Haydon Hawksworth and Eli Roedell. Of the three, Zaiser made some of the most impactful contact at the plate, peaking at 89.7 mph, averaging 86.5 mph, meaning he stayed on the barrel with hard contact throughout his round. He takes an intentful, aggressive swing and stays on-plane through the zone.

+ INF Luke Martin (Mt. Pulaski), INF Drew Phelps (Moline) and C Talon Thompson (Routt Catholic) are a trio of 2026 bats to keep tabs on as they progress through high school. Martin especially has added strength throughout his frame since our last look and the ball was jumping off the barrel throughout hsi round of BP. Martin has strong hands and swings with controlled aggression with his hardest ball leaving the bat at 90.6 mph and a furthest batted ball of 305’.

+ RHP Andrew Dawson (Tremont, 2026) Impressed during his ‘pen, standing at 5-foot-10 160-pounds. Out of a repeatable delivery, Dawson showed a loose arm to go along with a four-pitch mix. Running his fastball up to 84.8 mph that projects to add more velocity as he matures into his frame. Also throwing a slider with some sweep and a curveball with gradual break and depth. To round off the arsenal Dawson showed off his fading changeup with depth.

2027 PROSPECTS

+ C Coley Palmer (Princeville, 2027) Despite not even being in high school yet, Palmer fit right in with the older crowd throughout the event. Appearing completely unphased that he was at least one year younger than everyone in attendance and with a quiet confidence, Palmer took a mature round of defense from behind the dish with efficient footwork and a clean catch/throw. The 5-foot-10, 140-pound, long-limbed, right-handed hitter has a simple, athletic repeatable swing with a mature up-the-middle approach while staying flat through the zone. Young prospect to keep tabs on moving forward.

+ CLICK HERE for a complete look at the Peoria Preseason ID.

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