Prep Baseball Illinois Player of the Week: Austin Rutter
March 26, 2025
INF Austin Rutter (Sacred Heart-Griffin, 2027) had quite the start to his varsity career this past week, helping the Cyclones to a perfect 4-0 record on the week, now sitting at 5-0 on the year. The young infielder finished his week at a 7-for-11 clip with a home run, two triples, two doubles, 12 RBIs, three runs scored and three stolen bases. For his outstanding efforts, he has been selected as our first 'Player of the Week' of the spring.
Rutter got going right away on opening day, going 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored in a 11-1 win over Pawnee.
The following day, the Cyclones took down Williamsville 7-1, with Rutter going a perfect 2-for-2 with a triple and two RBIs.
He kept things rolling into Saturday in a 7-5 win over Quincy in which Rutter went 2-for-4 with a triple, double, two RBIs and a run scored. He capped things off going 1-for-3 in the second game of the day, a 12-4 win over Quincy Notre Dame, collecting five RBIs with a double.
The left-handed hitter is a lean, upside prospect with still plenty more to come physically, and he will be a fun one to follow throughout the rest of his prep career and beyond.
We're thankful for the POTW submissions we received from the coaches across the state. The players who garnered POTW consideration will earn a place within tomorrow's Diamond Notes story, so be on the lookout for that.
Scouting Report
Displaying an athletic and proportionate 5-foot-9, 150-pound frame, Austin Rutter got the win on the mound for Extreme Elite Springfield. The righty threw six full innings while not giving up a single run and only two hits while striking out nine. Mechanically, Rutter is loose and relaxed on the bump with a small leg lift and rides down the mound with a 3/4 arm slot. Rutter’s fastball was consistently 77-81 mph which touched 83 mph. His diving changeup had hitters off balance being thrown at 64-67 mph as well as a sharp 61-63 curveball. On the other side of the ball, Austin Rutter shows a lot of promise at shortstop in the future. The rising sophomore showcased many tools throughout the tournament. The leadoff hitter for Extreme Elite Springfield, Rutter is able to keep his weight balanced on both fastballs and offspeed pitches and found the barrel multiple times. The left handed hitter features a crouched stance and quick swing that pulls momentum towards the first base line. At short, he presents confidence in his hands with a good sequence of footwork with solid range throughout the position.