Prep Baseball Report

Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 13 Mahomet-Seymour


By: Diego Solares
Area Scout, Illinois & Missouri

The Illinois high school baseball season kicks off on March 13, opening day for regular season action under IHSA regulations. Over the next two weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2023 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, counting down 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 2023 preseason coverage continues today.

Team: Mahomet-Seymour
Preseason Rank: No. 13
2022 Record: 27-6
Conference: Apollo
IHSA Class: 3A
Head Coach: Nic Difilippo

ROSTER PREVIEW

NAME POS. SCHOOL CLASS COMMITMENT
Blake Wolters RHP
Mahomet-Seymour 2023 Arizona
Mateo Casillas OF Mahomet-Seymour
2023 SIU-Edwardsville
Carter Selk
OF
Mahomet-Seymour
2023 Quincy
Braden Houchin INF
Mahomet-Seymour
2023 Augustana
Carter Johnson C Mahomet-Seymour 2023 -
Alex McHale RHP/INF
Mahomet-Seymour
2023 -
Dallas Nelson C
Mahomet-Seymour
2023 -
Jacob Waldinger
OF Mahomet-Seymour
2023 Wheaton (football)
Alec Bergman RHP Mahomet-Seymour
2024 -
Finn Randolph RHP/INF
Mahomet-Seymour
2024 -
Noah Butler
OF Mahomet-Seymour
2024 -
Cade Sterrick OF/RHP Mahomet-Seymour
2024 -
Matt Orr INF
Mahomet-Seymour
2024 -
Ray Long RHP/INF
Mahomet-Seymour
2025 -
Mason Orton LHP/INF
Mahomet-Seymour
2025 -


KEY PLAYERS LOST

+ C Brayden Smith
+ 3B Chase Wagers

STAT RAT

27 - The amount of games that Mahomet-Seymour won in 2022, which is the highest mark throughout head coach Nic Difilippo’s 16 year tenure. Difilippo’s won 299 games over his time as the Bulldogs’ program leader, surpassing the 20 win mark seven times and capturing four regional championships, too.

X-FACTOR

Blake Wolters, RHP, 2023, (Arizona): The heart and soul of this team, Wolters has done nothing but trend up over the last calendar year. He’s seen a meteoric rise since the start of last high school season – one in which he led Mahomet-Seymour to a sectional championship appearance and earned PBR First Team All-State honors as a result. Wolters struck out 94 batters over 46 ⅔ innings in 2022, allowing just 16 hits in total with a 0.30 ERA and 0.71 WHIP. He further showed his talents at the plate, batting .510 with six home runs, 41 RBIs, a .590 on-base percentage, and he swiped 19 bags to top things off. Few in the country made a name for themselves more than Wolters this winter, who absolutely exploded onto the national stage after a special showing at the Super 60. There, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Wildcats’ recruit broke the long-lasting event’s max fastball record, bumping a 97.7 mph high on his hardest bullet, and eclipsing the 97-plus mph mark two other times in his ‘pen. A quick nugget on his memorable day from our President of Scouting, Shooter Hunt:

“...perhaps the highlight of the entire event, especially on the mound…the 6-foot-4, 215-pound, broad-shouldered, explosive, right-hander set a Super 60 velocity record on the mound, running his fastball up to 97.7 mph on consecutive pitches, sitting 95-97 mph throughout his electric ‘pen with an average spin-rate of 2,350 (T2466), an average IVB of 16.9 (T19.9) up to 14.4 inches of horizontal movement. Behind the electric velocity was also a feel for the zone with the pitch, as he poured it in for strikes at a 70% clip, which was third-best of the event. His fastball wasn’t his only impressive offering, as he went to a firm, tight, hard-spinning 10/4 slider at 82-83 mph (T2742 RPM) that has the makings of a true out-pitch moving forward. His changeup sat 77-80 mph and was not in the zone in this look. His arm is noticeably quick through release, playing with a long arm swing out of the glove into an over-the-top/high ¾ slot. His delivery is explosive while staying controlled and in rhythm with a recoil finish. Wolters, a former three-sport athlete, has made significant jumps as of late, jumping four mph from 93.6 from our previous look this past summer, and it wouldn’t be out of the question to see another jump in velocity in the coming years. Wolters was one of the biggest revelations of the event and sure to make a big rise in our next rankings update, from a State, National and Draft Board perspective."

(Blake Wolters, 2/5/23)

Mahomet-Seymour’s 2022 was memorable and likely built the foundation for this program’s success down the road. The Bulldogs won the Apollo Conference with an 11-1 record, won 27 games in total, and made an appearance in the sectional championship game for the first time in over a decade.

A large chunk of last year’s success is back for more in 2023, with seven spots in the lineup returning, and a majority of their core made up by seniors. Aside from Wolters and his dominance on both sides of the ball, the Bulldogs have other experienced bats they can rely on who have proven themselves as strong contributors at the varsity level.

A state champion wrestler, OF Mateo Casillas (2023; SIU-Edwardsville) is an integral part of this offense, swinging a physical left-handed bat that slots nicely into the heart of this order. He’s more than capable of repeating as a first team all-conference selection, an honor he earned in 2022, this spring and improving off his junior campaign where he batted above the .340 mark and reached base over 50% of the time.

(Mateo Casillas, 6/2/22)

Two more reliable bats to note are C Carter Johnson (2023) and OF Carter Selk (2023; Quincy), both of which earned first team all-conference honors as juniors and return everyday playing time to the field this year. Johnson steps into this spring as the Bulldogs’ primary backstop, a role that matters mightily given the high-octane arsenal of Wolters that he’ll be catching on a regular basis. His familiarity with his classmate, however, gives Johnson an edge, and his performance on the diamond last spring offensively was key to the Bulldogs throughout, batting above .400 with more than 10 extra-base hits to pair. Selk stands at a physical 6-foot-3, 210-pounds and, like Casillas, wields a physical left-handed bat with a track record of production, nearly leading the Bulldogs in RBI last season with a .380 batting average to pair.

The left side of this infield is made up of two more seniors that saw everyday playing time last spring: INF Braden Houchin (2023; Augustana) and INF/RHP Alex McHale (2023). Houchin is a multi-sport athlete, committed to play both baseball and football at the next level. His speed on the field is evident both defensively and out of the box, and his short, twitchy right-handed swing showed well in our looks last season. McHale will contribute as a reliable piece on both sides of the ball, batting .341 in 2022, and he’ll also see time on the mound, pitching to a 2.33 ERA as a junior.

Two more position players to follow for the Bulldogs that can make an impact: 1B Ben Wagner (2023) and OF Gavin Bailey (2025). Wagner, a football player that makes his return to the diamond, brings a powerful swing to this group and a standout 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame to pair. Bailey could work himself into playing time early, as the left-handed hitting sophomore is starting to generate some buzz for his left-handed stick.

From a pitching perspective, the Bulldogs obviously have an ace in Wolters, and they’ll have a chance to win each game their star toes the rubber. All of the players highlighted above, outside of Selk, are expected to contribute innings in some role throughout the spring as well, which is something they did last season, too. One other arm of note is RHP Alec Bergman (2024), who’s an uncommitted 6-foot-4, 185-pound junior that’s reportedly seen a jump in velocity this winter, now running his fastball in the mid-to-upper-80s.

BOTTOM LINE

Coming off one of the program’s most successful seasons, the Bulldogs are hungrier than ever and expectations to win are at the same level as their desire. They have a star with Wolters and surround him with experienced, proven producers scattered throughout the roster. The Bulldogs are one of the more well rounded teams at the 3A classification and are positioning themselves nicely to make a run at Joliet in June. 

Make sure to follow @PBRIllinois on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2022 season.

Find more information on the 2023 Bulldogs below:

+ Team Website
+ Team Schedule
+ Team Twitter

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