Preseason Bubble Teams: Rochester

March 1, 2019
By Drew Locascio
Illinois Scouting Director

The Illinois high school baseball season kicks off on March 11, opening day for regular season action under IHSA regulations. Over the next several weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2019 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, leading into a countdown through the official PBR Illinois Preseason Power 25 Rankings.

Perennially, we’ve submitted a Preseason Questionnaire to high school head coaches across the entire state. Their responses have been flooding in and we’re using the detailed insight they’ve provided in our team-by-team preseason analysis.

Our 2019 preseason coverage continues today.

Team: Rochester
Preseason Rank: On the Bubble
2018 Record: 25-7
Conference: Central State 8
IHSA Class: 3A
Head Coach: Matt Carlson
Playoff Run: Sectional Final loss to Chatham Glenwood
2018 Final Rank: NR
Returning Starters: 4
Returning Pitchers: 3

TOP PLAYERS

NAME	STATE	SCHOOL	CLASS	POSITION	COMMITMENT
Cameron Edmonson	IL	Rochester	2019	LHP	Indiana State
Drew Henrikson	IL	Rochester	2020	RHP	-
PJ Jerszynski IV	IL	Rochester	2020	C	-
Logan Sapp	IL	Rochester	2020	OF	-
Jayden Myren	IL	Rochester	2020	2B	-
David Yoggerst	IL	Rochester	2020	OF
Griffin Neuweg	IL	Rochester	2021	RHP	-
Seth Parkinson	IL	Rochester	2022	SS	-

KEY LOSSES

Name	State	School	Class	Pos	Commitment
Nic Baker	IL	Rochester	2018	3B	-
Ben Chapman	IL	Rochester	2018	C	Lincoln Land CC
Casey Dowllar	IL	Rochester	2018	RHP	-
Jackson Mendenhall	IL	Rochester	2018	2B	-
Jayden Reed	IL	Rochester	2018	SS	Lincoln Land CC

OUTLOOK

Last spring, coach Carlson's club ran into the top 2018 arm in Illinois, RHP Jacob Maton (Coastal Carolina commit) and a veteran Glenwood team in the Sectional final. It was a disappointing end to a successful season that saw the Rockets rack up 25 wins.

Looking ahead at this season, Rochester will rely heavily on their top two returning arms; 2019 LHP Cam Edmonson and 2020 RHP Drew Henrikson. Edmonson (video below), an Indiana State commit, has a fast arm, runs his fastball into the upper-80’s, has feel for an advanced four-pitch arsenal with his curveball being a swing-and-miss offering. Henrikson, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound, athletically-built, right-handed pitcher has a low-80’s fastball with run and sink. He also relies on a sweeping slider that he is comfortable throwing in any count. Both Edmonson and Henrikson should factor into the offensive lineup in some capacity as well.

Positionally, they will be looking to replace plenty of talent, especially up the middle of the field. Junior Jayden Myren seems to be a logical answer to move from 2B to SS this spring. Myren recently impressed at the Peoria Preseason I.D. The switch-hitter has added quality strength to his frame, handles the bat from both sides of the plate and is a natural infield defender with enough arm to play shortstop if needed. Another junior who should impact the lineup in a big way this spring is OF Logan Sapp. Sapp is a physically-advanced left-handed hitter that has power in his bat. Another outfielder poised to step up this spring is David Yoggerst, a highly-athletic right-handed hitter. It is uncertain if INF Seth Parkinson will impact varsity as a freshman but he will be one to watch in the coming years.

There are some holes that coach Carlson will need to fill this spring but with two aces to ride throughout the season and playoffs, the expectations are high for the Rockets in 2019.

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

Cameron Edmonson (6.5.18)

Make sure to follow @PBRIllinois on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2019 season.