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.

We have covered a handful of the main conferences over the last week, and today we will be taking a look at all of the players from Illinois signed to play Division One that have not been mentioned yet. 

Big East

Xavier 

Xavier was the lone Big East school hitting the recruiting trail in Illinois, and they are leaving with a good haul.

RHP Luke Mensik (Lincoln-Way Central) is the top ranked player from Illinois signed to Xavier, currently slotted at No. 14 in the state, and there’s a lot to like about the 6-foot-1, 180-pound right-hander. He has an innate ability to spin the baseball, most notably on his slider that will play in the 2400-2600 rpm range with hard bite. His fastball also plays up with his spin, cruising routinely over 2300 rpm and reaching up to 91 mph. 

From 8/1/24: “RHP Luke Mensik (Lincoln-Way Central, 2025) Displaying an athletic and proportionate 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame, Mensik was shoving for Sparks. The righty came in to relief in the middle of the third inning and pitched 2.2 innings striking out four batters and not allowing any walks. Mensik has a long stride fully extending over his left leg. He short arms his delivery and throws out of a high 3/4 arm slot with a tight window. Mensik throws an 87-90 mph fastball with natural cut. He complements his fastball with a 76-79 mph slider that has an impressive 2400-2600 rpm spin to it.”

The Musketeers grabbed an intriguing two-way prospect in OF/LHP Joey Arend (St. Charles East). Currently ranked No. 22 in the state, the former Future Gamer swings an athletic bat from the left side with more strength to come in his 6-foot-1, 175-pound frame. He’s an above-average athlete with a 6.81 in the 60, and he’s more than capable of covering ground in the outfield. On the mound, the southpaw will work in the mid/upper-80s with natural sink to his fastball, and he complements it with a heavy fading changeup and a tight slider. 

From 2/24/24: “OF/LHP Joey Arend (St. Charles East; Xavier commit) gave our staff an impressive two-way look over the weekend. At the plate, the left-handed hitter has an upside stroke with a projectable frame to pair at 6-foot-1, 168-pounds. He has loose, whippy hands through the zone that look to stay flat and keep the ball on a line, creating easy jump off the bat with his levers (T97.8 mph). He’s a fluid mover in the outfield, displaying soft hands that play through the ball. He has plenty of arm-strength, reaching up to 89 mph from a crow hop, also showing no trouble translating his arm over to the mound. Arend is an athletic mover downhill with a clean arm that has clear acceleration out front. His fastball sat 85-86 mph with arm-side run, and he landed it in the zone 67% of the time. He threw an upper-70s changeup with heavy fade, creating an average of -17.4 inches of horizontal movement. Arend landed his mid-70s slider for strikes 80% of the time, and it showed tight, sharp break.”

RHP Lincoln Causero (Hersey) is another talented arm for the Musketeers, showing off a big fastball this past winter at our Preseason All-State event, topping out at 92 mph with over 2400 rpm on average (T2572 rpm). He also showed some feel for a tight slider (T2401 rpm) and running changeup. Listed at 6-foot-4, 198-pounds, he moves well for his size with some athletic movement patterns, and there is likely still more velocity in the tank. 

From 2/24/24: “Besides throwing the hardest fastball of the event and sitting at 91-92 mph throughout his ‘pen, RHP Lincoln Causero (Hersey, 2025; Xavier commit) has intriguing pitch data to back his loud stuff. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound junior spun his fastball at 2483 RPM on average, peaking at 2572 RPM, with 96% spin efficiency. He also averaged 17.7 inches of vertical break on his fastball, peaking at 20.6 inches. Causero also threw a tight, hard slider at 79-80 mph from a lower slot, on average, than his fastball, and he limited spin (1436 RPM) on a 80-83 mph changeup that reached 17.5 inches of horizontal movement at peak.”

Mountain West

Air Force 

LHP Joshua Holst (Libertyville) is a physical left-hander that has shown well to our staff throughout the years. A former Future Gamer, Holst attacks hitters with a fastball up to 88 mph, though we expect that number to keep rising, and he is not afraid to challenge hitters in the zone while collecting whiffs. He also has proven to be a threat at the plate, wielding a heavy barrel from the left side, and he was a mainstay in the middle of Libertyville's order this past spring. 

From 5/15/24: “Air Force commit. Currently ranked No. 34 in the state. Strong-bodied, 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame with some physicality throughout. Got the start on the mound and struck out 14 over 5.2 innings, allowing only one run. Athletic mover for size, loose and flexible, gains easy ground downhill, delivers his arsenal from a ¾ release with a clean path. Heavy dose of fastballs, cruised around 85-88 mph, flashed hard arm-side life, worked the whole zone. Flashed a 1/7 curveball at 66-69 mph, slight decel, big-breaking with some depth.”

IVY LEAGUE

Columbia 

RHP Henrik Conniff (New Trier) is an impressive all-around athlete that Columbia should be excited about. Currently ranked No. 67 in the state, Conniff possesses a power arm from the right side that will work up to 90 mph with his fastball with quality spin (T2472 rpm). To pair off the fastball he goes to a hard, downer curveball with some sweep at times, spinning over 2400 rpm as well. On the other side of the ball, Conniff has an athletic right-handed swing at the plate that can work into the upper-90s for his EV, and he’s also a steady defender with fluid footwork on the infield. 

From 3/15/24: “Columbia commit. Currently ranked No. 67 in the state. Projectable 6-foot-3, 199-pound frame, athletic with some strength throughout. Came out of the ‘pen and was dominant over three innings of work, allowing just one run, one walk and punching out five. The right-hander has a controlled tempo with a tall/fall operation, quick arm with an athletic finish. He worked his fastball up to 90 mph multiple times throughout the day even into his second inning, cruising comfortably in the 86-89 mph range throughout. He went to his slider often, playing with sharp 10/4 action and depth at 74-78 mph, showing the ability to land for strikes and to put hitters away.”

Dartmouth

LHP Nathan Matoush (Hillsboro) and OF Henry Murray (Lane Tech) are a couple strong prospects from Illinois that beef up Big Green’s recruiting class. 

Matoush, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound southpaw, creates a tough look for opposing hitters with his long-levered delivery and crossfire stride. He will work his fastball up to 88 mph while cruising in the mid-80s, setting up a curveball, slider and changeup mix. 

Murray, a switch-hitting outfielder, swings a heavy barrel from both sides of the plate. He has some present strength in his 5-foot-10, 180-pound frame, and he swings with intent to do damage from both sides, reaching as high as 99 mph for his max EV in-event. 

A10 CONFERENCE

St. Louis 

INF Drew Kleinheider (Father McGivney) won’t be headed too far away to St. Louis next fall, and he’s one of the top infield prospects in the state. Currently ranked No. 46 in Illinois, the right-handed hitter has a polished approach with quality bat-to-ball skills. On the infield, Kleinheider has natural actions with confident hands, and he should be able to stick on the dirt moving forward.

From 5/2/24: “St. Louis commit, ranked No. 66 overall in the state’s junior class. Compact frame with lower half strength, started at shortstop and hit third for the Griffins. Went 1-for-3 with a walk and three barrels. Short and direct path to contact, stays in the hitting zone and knows how to use the whole field. Goes with the pitch, doesn’t try to do too much and is comfortable hitting off platform. Doesn’t swing-and-miss much, shortens up with two strikes and competes. Fluid on the infield, soft hands, free mover, can stick up the middle at the next level.”

American Athletic Conference

Navy 

INF Julian Ashley-Friedman (Barrington) recently landed with Navy, and he was one of the biggest winners from the Illinois portion of the Senior Future Games in LakePoint. He’s a lean and athletic 6-foot, 180-pounds, and you can certainly expect him to fill out more in the coming years. The right-handed hitter has a loose, balanced swing that can work the ball to the whole field, and he’s a bouncy defender on the infield with soft hands. 

From 8/14/24: “INF Julian Ashley-Friedman (Barrington, 2025) is a physical 6-foot, 183-pound uncommitted middle infielder to know from Team Midwest. Currently ranked No. 61 in the state, Ashley-Friedman’s tools were on display all week down at LakePoint. Starting on the workout day, he ran a 6.95 60, reached a max vertical of 34”, and also tossed an 89 mph bullet across the infield. The right-handed hitter also had a loud showing during batting practice at the event - posting a 96.5 mph exit velocity (avg. 91.1), while also reaching a max distance of 333 feet. Ashley-Friedman also showed to have some of the quicker hands on average for the event at 24.1 mph. His power translated in-game as well, blasting a home run, among other extra-base hits during gameplay. Ashley-Friedman is certainly an uncommitted senior to monitor as we exit the summer circuit.”

Wichita State 

The Shockers inked RHP Gino Zagorac (Benet) in late August, and he’s been an arm that has steadily been on the rise over the last year. Initially standing out early in the spring, the trim right-hander showed a big fastball up to 90 mph while also spinning in a tight slider at 74-78 mph. He’s an easy mover with little perceived effort, and his projectable 6-foot-3, 183-pound frame should only continue to trend up in the coming years. 

From 8/21/24: “RHP Gino Zagorac (Benet Academy, 2025) continues to show intrigue on a projectable 6-foot-3, 183-pound frame and is one of the top arms still on the market in the state’s senior class. A clean, fluid mover that controls his long levers well and keeps his direction to the plate, Zagorac ran his fastball up to 88 mph in this look, pitching at 85-87 mph over his two innings of work that played with late run. That synced up well with a fading changeup at 79-80 mph that he favored to left-handed bats, and he also showed a tight breaking ball at 78-79 mph.”

CONFERENCE USA

Western Kentucky 

RHP Mac McGarry (Nazareth) has been one of the top arms for the Roadrunners over the last couple of years, and he will be headed to Western Kentucky next fall. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound right-hander moves well for his size and slings it from a lower ¾ slot. His fastball will reach up to the 88 mph mark with natural sink, and he will compliment it with a 10/4 slider (T2418 rpm) and straight change. 

From 4/13/24: “Uncommitted, ranked just outside the top-100 for the state currently. McGarry is an intriguing uncommitted arm to follow after our look at him Saturday. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound righty is an athletic mover on the mound paired with a loose, quick, and compact arm. He came out of the ‘pen for the Roadrunners and tossed two perfect innings against a very talented Hilltopper lineup to earn the save. He pounded the zone, with 20 of his 23 pitches finding the strike zone to make for an impressive 86% clip. His fastball played with sink and sat 86-87 mph, touching 88 mph a couple times in his first inning of work. His go-to secondary offering was a short, late-breaking slider that also flashed wipeout capabilities. McGarry will be an arm to continue to monitor on a very talented Nazareth squad. Final line: S, 2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 R, 4 K”

Northeast Conference NEC

Mercyhurst 

The Lakers are new to the Division One landscape, and they are adding OF/INF Derrick Holmes (Homewood-Flossmoor) to help add some depth to their roster. Holmes provides some defensive versatility, having shown the ability to hold his own both in the outfield and on the infield. There is plenty of athleticism in his 6-foot, 174-pound frame, sporting a 6.89 in the 60 and also a well above-average arm (T94 mph OF; T90 mph INF). He also has some twitch from the right side of the plate, working his EV in the low-90s on numerous occasions. 

From 2/25/24: “OF/INF Derrick Holmes (Brother Rice, 2025) put together arguably his top performance we have seen to-date at the event. Holmes, a high-follow uncommitted junior, impressed in all areas on the day starting with a polished, intentful round of BP. Holmes was on the barrel throughout, making loud contact to the big part of the diamond. Holmes averaged 86.6 mph off the bat, T93.1 and launched his furthest batted ball 343’. He also worked out on the infield and outfield, showing much improved arm strength, topping at 94 mph from the outfield while showing athletic actions and soft hands. A name to follow this spring and beyond.”

HORIZON LEAGUE 

Oakland 

C Mason Palermo (Oswego East) is a nice addition for Oakland, as he’s a strong right-handed hitter with a motor behind the plate. He swings with intent, both in BP and in-game, and he looks to elevate the ball to the whole field. He has a strong arm from the chute, topping out at 78 mph and also reaching as low as 1.94 for his pop-time.

From 4/20/24: “Currently ranked No. 87 in the state. 6-foot, 180-pound frame, athletic look with some strength throughout, evenly proportioned. Started behind the plate and hit out of the five-hole for the Wolves. Strong defender, works to present pitches around the zone, active and willing out of the crouch, both on block and on pop-ups foul, highly aware of the game situation. Strong arm down to second, plays with life and carry, quick transfer, recorded a pop-time of 2.01 in-between innings. Strong right-handed swing, didn’t record a hit but was on the barrel with a ball hit to second, ball jumps off the bat. Intent in the stroke, flat path, works uphill at times with intent to elevate.”

RHP Will Paxson (Normal University) is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound right-hander who has consistently shown well on the Prep Baseball tournament circuit. He has a simple delivery that he can repeat, pairing with a quick arm and ¾ release. His fastball has already reached as high as 89 mph in previous looks, and he can spin his curveball over 2500 rpm with tight action. 

From 6/26/24: “6-foot-1, 185-pound right-hander showed well in his first outing of the weekend. Paxton (Normal University, 2025 oakland Commit) had a clean motion with a whippy arm from a high ¾ slot. The slider worked well off of his fastball throughout his outing. The right hander had a heavy fastball that topped at 89 mph, sitting 85-88 mph. Paxton used his slider in every count sitting 75-78 mph.The slider froze many hitters when Paxson was ahead in the count. Also used a change up in various counts that was 77-79 mph. Paxson struck out eight batters through three innings pitched allowing only one hit and zero earned runs. In addition to his outing, Paxson swung a loud bat that was consistently on barrel all weekend.”

Wright State 

OF Luke McCLure (Champaign Central) is one of the best athletes in the state, regardless of class, and Wright State is getting a dynamic athlete with game-changing speed. The left-handed hitter has a flatter path through the zone that looks to keep the ball on a line and on the ground, allowing him to use his speed and beat out balls kept on the infield. A 6.48 runner in the 60, he covers plenty of ground in the outfield, and he also has a strong arm to pair (T88 mph). 

8/21/24: “OF Luke McClure (Champaign Central; Wright State commit) had a quality showing with the bat during gameplay and the workout portion of the event. The left-left prospect is an athletic 5-foot-10, 162-pounds, and swings a flat and repeatable path at the plate that can handle velo and find the barrel. While taking batting practice, he posted an average exit velocity of 90.8 mph (T94), which had him among the event’s leaders for that particular metric. McClure stood out in other areas on the workout day as well - running the third-fastest 60 time for the event at 6.48 seconds, and also tossing one of the hardest bullets from the crow hop at 88 mph.”

Northern Kentucky 

C Zach Pomatto (Joliet Catholic) is a strong-bodied 6-foot, 218-pound backstop that the Norse should be excited about. He has some thump in his left-handed bat, reaching into the upper-90s for his EVs, but where he really stands out is behind the plate. He is an active and willing blocker, putting his body on the line without a second thought, and he will help limit the run game with a strong arm (T81 mph; 1.94 pop-time).

From 8/21/24: “C Zach Pomatto (Joliet Catholic) is an uncommitted backstop to know from the event. A sturdy and strong 6-foot, 218-pounds, Pomatto stood out on both sides of the ball during gameplay. Defensively, he works hard behind the plate, trying to present pitches around the zone, while also being a willing blocker. Offensively, the left-handed hitter uses a simple, compact swing that was on the barrel for a double in game one of the State Games.”

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

Manhattan 

RHP Matthew Steinberg (St. Charles East) is an intriguing arm to know headed to Manhattan next fall. Listed at a projectable 6-foot-3, 188-pounds, Steinberg moves well for his size with an athletic finish, pairing with a clean and quick arm from a ¾ window. His fastball will play anywhere between 82-87 mph, and he has shown the ability to spin his slider for strikes with quality spin (T2392 rpm).

From 6/5/24: “RHP Matthew Steinberg (St. Charles East, 2025) is a 6-foot-3, 183-pound athletic mover to know from the event. From a quick, ¾ slot, his fastball sat 85-86 mph with some occasional ride through the zone. His curveball played at 65-67 mph with an average of -23.4” of horizontal movement, while his slider played in the zone 75% of the time at 71-77 mph.”

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