Underclass Showcase: Top Overall Prospects

December 8, 2022
By: Illinois Scouting Staff

On Sunday, October 16, the PBR Illinois staff hosted the Underclass Showcase at The MAX in McCook, Illinois. The event featured just under 70 players from the 2025-2026 grad classes and brought together some of the most talented underclass prospects in the state.

Today we are highlighting the players that our scouting staff deemed as the top overall prospects, split up between the 2025 and 2026 grad classes.

Top 2025 Overall Prospects

1. Jaden Fauske C / 3B / Nazareth Academy , IL / 2025

Positional Profile: SS/C
Body: 6-2, 182-pounds. Advanced strength throughout.
Hit: LHH. Narrow, open setup, slightly crouched, fluid load into a controlled medium stride. Loose athletic hands, short to contact, uphill through the zone and works gap-to-gap. Effortless rhythm, ball jumps off the barrel with ease. Middle-of-the-order type bat.
Power: 97 max exit velocity, averaged 90.5 mph. 355’ max distance.
Arm: RH. C - 79 mph. INF - 84 mph. Firm, strong arm, high 3/4 slot.
Defense: Worked out behind the plate and on the infield. Hands play low and steady on the infield. Quick glove-to-hand abilities, advanced release. Smooth double play turn on the infield. Athletic and quick behind the plate with advanced glove-to-hand release.
Run: 7.13 runner in the 60.

2. Anthony Karbowski LHP / 1B / Hampshire, IL / 2025

Positional Profile: LHP
Body: 6-2, 180-pounds. Athletic build, proportioned strength.
Delivery: Hands rock over head to initiate an athletic drop/drive type delivery, works closed off from target to footstrike, athletic finish through release.
Arm Action: LH. Long and loose arm action, 3/4 slot.
FB: T87, 85-87 mph. Ball jumps out the hand with life up in the zone. T2497, 2369 average rpm.
CB: 68-73 mph. 2/8 shape, sweeps it from a similar fastball slot. Knuckle-curve grip. T2486, 2267 average rpm.
KN: 69-70 mph. Thrown with intent, knuckling action.

Positional Profile: 1B
Hit: RHH. Balanced setup, quick hand waggle to a back load, leg lift trigger, short stride. Athletic swing, on plane and natural lift throughout. Pull-side, lifted tendencies.
Power: 93 max exit velocity, averaged 85.6 mph. 307’ max distance.
Arm: LH. INF - 84 mph. Loose/clean arm path, 3/4 slot.
Defense: Athletic actions, smooth/soft hands, fluid footwork, plays around and through the baseball.
Run: 7.42 runner in the 60.

3. Ben Toft OF / LHP / New Trier, IL / 2025

Positional Profile: OF/LHP
Body: 5-10, 163-pounds.
Hit: LHH. Wide, crouched setup, loads into back knee, short stride. Athletic hands, short and level bat path, line drive approach with feel to work back up the middle.
Power: 93 max exit velocity, averaged 83.7 mph. 309’ max distance.
Arm: LH. OF - 86 mph. Short, quick arm, works from a high 3/4 slot.
Defense: Athletic feet, natural actions, fluid defender with soft hands. Clean release with length.
Run: 6.93 runner in the 60.

4. Keegan Luxem RHP / 1B / Hersey, IL / 2025

Positional Profile: RHP/1B
Body: 6-4, 200-pounds. Athletic, strong lower-half, long limbs with room for added strength.
Delivery: Stretch only, simple delivery with a medium balance point, tall/fall lower-half, shoulders remain level throughout, stride works in-line.
Arm Action: RH. Medium arm circle into an over-the-top slot.
FB: T84.5, 83-84 mph. Plays with life out of the hand and finish through the zone. T2330, 2262 average rpm.
CB: 66-67 mph. Sharp, downer 11/5 action with late bite, feel for the pitch. T2266, 2232 average rpm.
CH: 75-76 mph. Plays with fading action to the arm-side, maintains near fastball arm-speed. T1638, 1563 average rpm.

5. Tyler Dowling 2B / RHP / Bloomington , IL / 2025

Positional Profile: 2B/RHP
Body: 6-2, 160-pounds. Long-levered, highly-projectable frame.
Hit: LHH. Wide base, crouched setup, knee-knocks into a medium stride, simple/minimal hand load. Loose, long and uphill bat path, gap-to-gap approach. Upside levers, backspin to the pull-side on occasion.
Power: 87 max exit velocity, averaged 78.9 mph. 291’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 78 mph. Athletic, easy arm, can throw from multiple angles.
Defense: Steady hands, clean glove-to-hand release, smooth infield actions. Comfortable on the move, maintains body control.
Run: 8.06 runner in the 60.

6. Henry Murray OF / 3B / Lane Tech, IL / 2025

Positional Profile: OF/3B
Body: 5-10, 175-pounds.
Hit: SH. Balanced setup, high leg-kick, hangs foot into a long stride. Strong hands with bat speed, rotates with intent out of load, long and uphill path to contact. Physical presence, swings with aggression.
Power: 96 max exit velocity, averaged 87.9 mph. 359’ max distance.
Arm: RH. OF - 82 mph. Long arm swing, finishes from a high 3/4 slot.
Defense: Active feet, plays through and fields in rhythm, clean release.
Run: 7.15 runner in the 60.

7. Dominic Holton SS / 3B / Notre Dame Prep, IL / 2025

Positional Profile: SS/3B
Body: 5-10, 165-pounds.
Hit: LHH. Wide, slightly crouched base, balanced setup, short/simple load into a short stride. Athletic hands, short direct bat path, uphill through the zone with extension to the pull-side. Backspin off the barrel to the pull-side.
Power: 85 max exit velocity, averaged 80.8 mph. 285’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 83 mph. Strong arm, plays over-the-top at times.
Defense: Easy, fluid defender, clean footwork and release.
Run: 7.13 runner in the 60.

8. Alex Kiefer C / RHP / Mount Vernon, IL / 2025

Positional Profile: C/RHP
Body: 5-10, 185-pounds.
Hit: SH. Balanced setup, slightly crouched, high-leg-kick into a lift-and-place stride. Strong, quick hands, level path to contact, worked up the middle and on the barrel.
Power: 87 max exit velocity, averaged 83.8 mph. 282’ max distance.
Arm: RH. C - 73 mph. Short out of the glove into an over-the-top slot.
Defense: 2.10-2.33 pop times. Steady hands receiving the baseball, clean catch/throw out of the crouch, footwork gains ground in-line with second on throws.
Run: 7.57 runner in the 60.

9. Logan Nagle 3B / RHP / Lockport, IL / 2025

Positional Profile: 3B/RHP
Body: 6-1, 200-pounds. Some strength throughout the frame.
Hit: RHH. Balanced, quiet setup, smooth hand load, short stride and controlled through contact. Quiet, strong swing, works on-plane and uphill. Sprayed hard contact to both gaps.
Power: 92 max exit velocity, averaged 86.6 mph. 339’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 80 mph. Short, clean arm action, high 3/4 slot.
Defense: Smooth, confident defender, plays with body control and moves better than size would indicate.
Run: 7.78 runner in the 60.

10. Aadden Guerrero SS / RHP / Lyons Township, IL / 2025

Positional Profile: SS/RHP
Body: 5-9, 150-pounds. Compact, athletic build.
Hit: RHH. Quiet start, wide base with balance, hands work back into a strong slot at load, toe-tap trigger. Athletic swing, creates bat speed, quick hands, slight uphill path, on the barrel.
Power: 91 max exit velocity, averaged 81.2 mph. 294’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 82 mph. Quick, strong arm can play from multiple slots.
Defense: Active defender, plays with a motor, soft hands and quick release.
Run: 7.31 runner in the 60.

Top 2026 Overall Prospects

1. Ethan Bass SS / RHP / Glenbrook North, IL / 2026

Positional Profile: SS
Body: 6-1, 160-pounds.
Hit: RHH. Athletic, balanced setup, high hand load, hangs foot into a long stride. Athletic hands with bat speed and strength, rotates with aggression out of load, barrel stays in the zone with a level path. Hard off the barrel, worked gap-to-gap and looks to do damage.
Power: 97 max exit velocity, averaged 89.7 mph. 370’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 82 mph. Loose arm, plays from multiple slots.
Defense: Active feet, plays low and out front at times, easy and clean on the move, advanced double play turn.
Run: 7.09 runner in the 60.

Positional Profile: RHP
Delivery: Athletic, uptempo delivery, high leg-kick into balance point, drop/drive lower-half with a long stride that remains in-line with the plate, shoulders remain level throughout the operation.
Arm Action: RH. Long/loose arm swing into a high 3/4 release.
FB: T83.5, 81-83 mph. Above-average spin, explodes through the zone with arm-side life and finish. T2568, 2514 average rpm.
CB: 65-68 mph. Thrown with intent, 11/5 shape with depth. T2352, 2245 average rpm.
SL: 69-71 mph. Shorter shape than the CB, 10/4 action with sharp bite. T2342, 2302 average rpm.
CH: 66-68 mph. Thrown with fastball arm-speed, plays with fade and dive to the bottom of the zone. T1934, 1692 average rpm.

2. Chase Lockwood RHP / 3B / Libertyville, IL / 2026

Positional Profile: RHP/3B
Body: 6-0, 145-pounds.
Delivery: Tall/fall type delivery, fluid mover downhill with extension, advanced hip/shoulder separation at footstrike. Level shoulders throughout, strides in line to target and repeats.
Arm Action: RH. Loose quick arm circle, finishes from a high 3/4 slot.
FB: T78.4, 78-78 mph. Clean out the hand, primarily cut it but did play up in the zone with backspin from a low slot on occasion. T2338, 2232 average rpm.
CB: 65-66 mph. Above-average spin, maintains arm/hand speed through release, sharp 11/5 shape with depth. T2586, 2513 average rpm.
SL: 69-71 mph. Short 10/4 shape, strikes. T2319, 2285 average rpm.
CH: 72-74 mph. Plays with heavy fading action to the arm-side at times. T1795, 1702 average rpm.

3. Peter Corthinos C / 2B / Maine South, IL / 2026

Positional Profile: C/2B
Body: 5-5, 140-pounds. Compact, athletic look.
Hit: RHH. Athletic look, balanced setup, smooth and simple hand load, short stride and controlled through contact. Level swing, length through the zone, athletic hands, on plane and works gap-to-gap.
Power: 85 max exit velocity, averaged 75.7 mph. 305’ max distance.
Arm: RH. C - 73 mph. INF - 74 mph. Clean catch/release out of the crouch, short arm circle into an over-the-top slot. On the infield, loose arm action that can play from multiple angles.
Defense: 2.11-2.18 pop times. Active defender, worked out on the infield and behind the plate. Natural catcher, quick and bouncy out of the crouch. On the infield, plays low to the ground, clean, quick release.
Run: 7.63 runner in the 60.