On Nov. 13th, thousands of high school baseball players across the country signed their National Letters of Intent to lock in their official commitments to their respective schools, with hundreds of these signings hailing from Illinois.

Over the next few weeks, we will spend some time highlighting the names from Illinois that signed their NLI to play baseball at the Division I level. We’ll do so by breaking these names up by conference, continuing with the ACC today. 

Louisville 

The Cardinals are no stranger to Illinois, and they once again have another strong crop headed their way from the Land of Lincoln.

RHP Brandon Shannon (McHenry) is a highly projectable right-hander whose best days are very much still ahead of him. Listed at 6-foot-3, 170-pounds, the projectable right-hander will work his fastball into the low-90s, with reports of him working into the mid-90s on the national circuit in the fall. To pair off his fastball, he can spin both a curveball and a slider in the 2400-2600 rpm range to collect swing and misses. 

From 6/5/24: “Uncommitted. Currently ranked No. 33 in the state, standing in at a loose-limbed 6-foot-3, 160-pounds. Shannon got the start for the Warriors in the Sectional Semifinals and continued to show why his stock has been rising over the course of the year. His fastball played in the upper 80’s consistently throughout the game; sitting 88-90 mph (T91) with life through the zone. His slider played tighter in this look at 77-79 mph, while flashing an 11/5-shaped curve to go with it, rounding out his arsenal with a splitter at 81 mph with downer bite to it. Shannon turned in a final line of: W, 6 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 6 K.”

Another right-hander from Illinois headed to The Ville is Tanner Thomas (Arcola), who made his verbal commitment all the way back in November of 2021. Thomas showed off his big arm at the State Games this past summer, working up to 90 mph with a curveball and diving changeup to pair with it. We’ve seen him up to 91 mph in the past, and we would not be surprised to see that number keep rising. 

From 8/21/24: “RHP Tanner Thomas (Arcola; Louisville commit) showed well on the bump during the State Games. The strong 5-foot-11, 175-pound righty worked his fastball up to 90 mph, while sitting 87-89 (avg. 2200+ rpm). He showed feel for a sharp slider at 73-75 mph (avg. 2400+ rpm), which earned occasional whiffs. Thomas finished his outing with four strikeouts over his two innings of work and will be an arm to continue to follow heading into next spring.”

The Cardinals also grabbed a couple southpaws in Joe Olson (St. Laurence) and Anthony Karbowski (Hampshire).

Currently slotted at No. 20 in the state, Olson will attack hitters with a fastball around the 90 mph mark, reaching up to 91 mph in the past with the ability to work it all around the zone and collect whiffs. When needed, he will show a downer curveball around 75-79 mph and a low-80s changeup. 

From 8/1/24: “LHP Joe Olson (St. Laurence, 2025) Imposing, 6-foot-1, 210-pound frame, was in control on the mound during the Sparks’ 11-1 win Saturday night. The left-hander went four innings of one run ball, striking out six swinging and walking one en route to a dominant outing and win. He was a fluid mover that competed in the strike zone and worked from the first base side of the rubber. Executed a three pitch mix from the windup and stretch on a consistent basis. Displayed feel for tunneling his breaking ball and fastball from his ¾ arm slot, hiding the ball well behind his back hip. Also demonstrated a long arm swing, high leg kick, whippy arm action, well timed shoulder-hip separation, and a slight first base side stride. Fastball showed carry and sat from 87-90 mph. Curveball was a swing and miss putaway pitch at 75-79 mph. Changeup was thrown on occasion versus righties at 80-82 mph. An impressive performance from the Louisville commit, Illinois’ No. 12 overall ranked prospect.”

Karbowski is another high-octane arm that can work his fastball up to the 91 mph mark. Along with the impressive velocity, Karbowski can also spin the baseball at a high level, averaging over 2500 rpm for his fastball and over 2600 rpm for his slider this past winter. 

From 8/1/24: “LHP Anthony Karbowski (Hampshire, 2025) Louisville commit. Karbowski comes in at a well proportioned 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame and showcased a strong feel for spin in Sunday’s 11-4 victory. He spun his fastball up to 2500 rpm, and sat 86-89 mph. He displayed a high spin rate on his slider topping out in the low-2900s, sitting 76-78 mph. He also threw an above average changeup at 75-76 mph. The left-hander possessed a controlled delivery with a loose ¾ arm slot that demonstrated repeatability. An overall impressive outing on the mound for the Louisville commit, and No. 50 player in the state of Illinois.”

Virginia 

The Cavaliers have not signed an Illinois product in about five years, and they are getting a good one in LHP Jack Bauer (Lincoln-Way East). Currently ranked No. 3 in the state and No. 85 nationally, Bauer is no stranger to the national stage, showing well at events such as the Future Games and the inaugural Prep Baseball All-American Game. The 6-foot-3, 191-pound southpaw has an electric arm with a fastball up to 95 mph, pairing with a wipeout slider that can reach over 2700 rpm. 

From 6/26/24: “Virginia commit. Standing in at a projectable 6-foot-3, 175-pound frame, Bauer (Lincoln-Way East, 2025) started on the mound for Top Tier Americans in Saturday’s game, throwing two innings with three strikeouts and not allowing a run. The left-handed pitcher’s three pitch mix gave hitters fits during his outing where he flashed multiple fastballs up to 94 mph and sat 91-94 mph on the day. With his offspeed, he employed a sharp slider at 78-79 mph and a changeup at 80-82 mph. While he continues to develop consistency with his command, his movement on his offspeed was the real breaking point in his performance, causing multiple hitters to freeze up. Bauer’s appearance was strong enough to earn Top Tier an 8-0 victory as he was able to showcase why he is one of the top left-handed pitchers in the country right now.”