On Sept. 28th, PBR Illinois traveled to Lincoln Trail College in Robinson, Ill., for the Lincoln Trail Scout Day. The event featured over 20+ players that allowed our staff to get an inside look ahead of their 2024 season.

We’re diving deeper into the event today with these takeaways, where you’ll learn more about a handful of the day’s standouts, below.

TAKEAWAYS

+ A recent NC State commit, OF Brayden Fraasman (Ross, 2022; OH) returns to the Statesmen after an explosive freshman campaign where he slashed .353/.409/.642 over 190 at-bats, totaling 30 extra-base hits, including 11 home runs. Fraasman put together a highly impressive round of BP, barreling the baseball with authority to the middle of the field from a fast, twitchy right-handed swing. Fraasman generated easy bat speed and rotation out of load, squaring his hardest ball up at 101.7 mph with an average mark of 96.6 mph. Each ball he hit traveled further than 300 feet, while his furthest comfortably cleared the left field wall at an estimated 397 feet. Fraasman showed above-average arm strength from the outfield too, topping at 91 mph on his firmest throw home. Headed into his sophomore spring with plenty of positive momentum behind him, Fraasman figures to be one of the top offensive threats in the GRAC. 

+ There’s no shortage of physicality with 1B Gunnar Lakins (Franklin, 2021; OH), who steps up to the plate at 6-foot-4, 240-pounds of pure muscle. Lakins ambushed baseballs on repeat from an ultra-quick right-handed swing, staying flat through the zone with pull-side leverage. He comfortably led this event in max exit velocity, screaming a ball 105.9 mph laser off his barrel. Lakins averaged 95 mph per swing, and his furthest ball cleared the left field wall at an estimated 346 feet. His strength showed on the infield defensively, as Lakins was up to 87 mph across the diamond from first base. 

+ UTL Oscar Pegg (Shakamak, 2022; IN) was another returner for the Statesmen who showed well in multiple areas of his workout. The 6-foot, 195-pound sophomore worked on the barrel to the middle-in part of the field consistently from a leveraged and balanced right-handed swing. Pegg consistently found the barrel, averaging 89.4 mph per batted ball while squaring his firmest ball up at 93.4 mph, and he also produced the event’s third-furthest batted ball (363 feet). He looked the part at a few spots defensively, starting behind the plate, where he was accurate and on the bag from the chute. His hardest throw (T80 mph) and top pop time (1.94) led this event’s group of backstops. Pegg worked out on the infield too, where he showed natural footwork feel and soft hands to pair that should profile at either corner spot at the next level. 

+ Sophomore OF Paul Osting (Trinity, 2022; KY) is a strong-bodied 6-foot, 190-pound switch hitter that showed well in last week’s workout. Offensively, Osting worked uphill with intent to elevate the baseball from both sides of the plate with strong hands to pair. His furthest ball traveled 361 feet, the fourth highest mark of this event, and his average mark of 265 feet finished second among all position players in attendance. Osting’s arm played true from the outfield with natural life and carry, topping at an event best 94 mph on his hardest bullet. 

+ C Colin Horneman (Mount Carmel, 2022; IL) returns to Lincoln Trail after a successful freshman campaign in a brief sample (76 ABs), batting .316 while reaching base at a .465 clip. Horneman’s swing is simple and direct with an accurate right-handed barrel, spraying line drives to the middle of the field during his round. Defensively, Horneman peaked at 78 mph from the crouch with a 1.96 pop on his quickest throw. 

+ INF/RHP Dane Ebel (Lincolnview, 2023; OH) has all sorts of wiry strength and quick-twitch athleticism within a 6-foot-1, 188-pound frame. Ebel started his day off by running a 6.81 60, one of the fastest marks of the event, and he also led all infielders in throwing velocity with a 93 mph high. Ebel, a left-handed hitter, worked uphill through the zone and to the opposite field throughout his round of BP. His most impressive showing may have come on the mound, however, where he pitched at 89-91 mph with a carry fastball (T20.6” IVB) that spun at 2400+ RPM with 100% spin efficiency as well. Aside from that heater, Ebel ripped off a slider at 76-78 mph that reached 3013 RPM, averaging 2939 RPM per pitch, and he also showed a changeup at 75-79 mph with 17 inches of horizontal movement on average. Ebel is another name-to-know newcomer for this Lincoln Trail squad. 

+ OF Rodney Rachel (Badin, 2023; OH) joins the Statesmen this fall and figures to be an impact newcomer for Lincoln Trail in his freshman year. Rachel holds plenty of strength and athleticism within a muscled-up 6-foot-1, 220-pound frame, starting his day off by running a 6.79 60. Rachel showed high end bat speed in BP and the ability to regularly barrel the baseball to the opposite field as well. He averaged 95.8 mph per batted ball, the second highest mark of this event, with his hardest (100.6 mph) and furthest (379 ft.) barrels also finishing towards the top of the day’s hitting leaderboard. Rachel was accurate and on line from the outfield with his hardest throw checking in at 89 mph. 

+ INF Jesus Sosa (Pro Baseball Academy, 2023; PR) is a highly projectable, loose-levered 6-foot-3, 175-pound athlete worth a follow from this event. A switch-hitter, Sosa showed loose, free-flowing hands at the plate, spraying line drives back up the middle of the field from both sides of the plate. 

+ Sophomore RHP Owen Payne (Daviess County, 2022, KY) is an athletic moving right-handed pitcher with a quick arm that reached 93.6 mph on his fastball while 90-93 throughout his ‘pen. He went to a firm changeup that he threw at arm speed and could locate in the zone often, and his final offering was a tight breaking curveball with downer action that sat in the upper-70s.

+ LHP Aiden VanDeHatert (Badin, 2023, OH) is a highly projectable left-handed pitcher standing at 6-foot-4, 195-pounds. VanDeHatert is an athletic mover down the mound with a smooth and easy arm action, running his fastball up to 92.4 mph while sitting 90-91 throughout his ‘pen. His slider sat 80-81 mph with short, 2/8 shape, and his change-up sat 81-83 mph with a max of -10” of horizontal movement and a 60% strike percentage. VanDeHatert should be one of the top newcomers in the GRAC this spring. 

+ RHP Eric Rawlings (Badin, 2022; OH) stands in a 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame with strength throughout. A stretch-only delivery, Rawlings keeps it simple with high-intent as he moves down the mound. He has a full arm circle with clear acceleration out front that produced a fastball up to 90.4 mph. Sitting in the upper-80s, his fastball has mostly straight actions with life through the zone. Rawlings’ showed feel to spin his slider (T2366 RPM), which sat 76-77 mph with a short, horizontal wrinkle. Rounding out his arsenal, he threw a change-up with fading action (11.2” HM), which he threw with the same armspeed as his fastball. Rawlings was one of the Statesmen top arms last spring and figures to be another key figure within this Lincoln Trail rotation. 

+ RHP Justin Hoevel (Badin, 2023; OH) stands in a physically imposing 6-foot-6, 250-pound frame. Hoevel works only out of the stretch and has minimal effort as he works down the pound. He has a loose and full arm circle out of a ¾ slot. Hoevel’s fastball sat 87-89 mph, topping out at 89.6 mph with an average of 13.7 inches of horizontal movement. He threw a hard-breaking slider that sat in the upper-70s with shorter break. Hoevel threw a fading change-up that had an average of 18.9 inches of horizontal movement, all while maintaining his fastball’s arm speed. 

+ RHP Hayden Trier (Trinity, 2023, KY) is an athletic right-hander standing in at 6-foot-3, 210-pounds. During his ‘pen Trier showed feel for his four-pitch mix, starting with a sinker that he ran up to 92.8 mph and sat 91-92 throughout that averaged 4.7 inches of IVB and 20 inches of run. Trier also showed feel to land a mid-80s cutter in the zone with above average spin (T2534 RPM) and a low-80s slider (T2606 RPM). To round out his arsenal, Trier threw a low-to-mid-80s changeup that averaged 17.3 inches of horizontal movement.

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