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Great Lakes Preseason ID : Quick Hits

February 26, 2024
Cooper Trinkle
Lead Scout

On Friday, February 23rd, the PBR Indiana staff made the trip to Crown Point, Indiana to host the Great Lakes Preseason ID at the newly renovated Great Lakes Sports Hub. This event was the fourth stop on our Preseason ID tour, where we travel around Indiana to identify top prospects from all areas of the state.

Over 40 prospects from the Northwest part of the state showcased their talents this past weekend and participated in a pro-style workout, gathering unrivaled access to data through our state-of-the-art tech partners, as well as in-depth scouting analysis from our Prep Baseball Indiana staff. Read along to find notes on the top perfomers of the day. 

Find the full statistical breakdown, HERE.

+ '25 2-way Jaxtyn Alexander (Crown Point) has made massive strides within his development over the course of the past year, now maturing into a wiry, 6-foot-2, 165 pound frame. Alexander stood out with the bat at this event, standing in the left-handed batter's box and swinging with authority. Producing some of the loudest Blast Motion metrics we've seen throughout our ID events - Jaxtyn flashed present plus bat speed (87.7 mph max bat speed), along with the quickest hand speed of the day. Starting with a slow-tempo leg kick before making an aggressive forward move, the swing works with violent intent, sequencing properly to allow the barrel to move through the zone at advanced speeds. Alexander reached a peak exit velocity of 97.2 mph and his projectable frame suggests he should grow into even more bat strength. 

+ I love the movement patterns that '27 SS Chase Nelson (Andrean) showed throughout the event. Built with compact strength within a 5-foot-6, 145 pound frame - the undersized middle infielder took some of my favorite swings of the night. Starting with a rhythmic waggle that flows to his launch position during the load, Nelson uses a controlled, toe tap stride and the bat works on-plane early & gets to the front of the hitting zone consistently. A fundamental infielder with arm strength for the class and a swing that I am all in on - Nelson will be a fun '27 follow.

+ '26 SS Caden Matusak (Crown Point) emerged as a must-follow '26. He is a projectable, 6-foot-2, 180 pounder with ample arm strength, above average athleticism, and a mechanically sound right-handed swing. A 7.18 runner - Matusak controls his forward move, allowing his back hip to ignite the swing, and his barrel works uphill through the zone. The projectable frame + uphill path suggests more power could come in the future. Matusak's best current tool is his arm strength, touching 90 mph across the infield on his best bullet. 

+ '25 OF Mick Vagner (Crown Point) showed well across the board during this look. Athletic with lean strength in a 5-foot-11, 175 pound frame - the uncommitted '25 outfielder finished the day with the top exit velocity (97.3 mph), second-best OF arm (89 mph), and third-best 60-time (6.94). The swing is very simple - Mick uses a small stride, paired with a compact load, before his hands hands deliver a direct barrel. Vagner has above average bat speed with a swing geared towards line drive contact.

+ '25 RHP/OF Zak Henrich (New Prairie) posted a 97 mph outfield arm, the top outfield velocity that we have seen in an event in 2024. The athletic, 5-foot-10, 175 pounder also posted the top 60 time of the event, turning in a 6.70. The tools transfer best to the mound, where the primary right-handed pitcher sat 83-85 mph on a low-slot (4'5" release height) fastball with arm-side run. His best off-speed offering was his sweeping, 72-74 mph slider, spinning at 2400+ RPM with 18" of horizontal break. Henrich also flashed a 75-79 mph changeup that reached 20" of horizontal break to his arm-side of the dish. 

+ '27 LHP Ryan Mikolanis (Lake Central) provided an upside look in his 'pen. It is easy to project future velocity with his 6-foot-2, 160 pound frame and low-effort delivery. The 4S fastball worked at 78-79 mph with 18" of IVB, and he also showed a 2S fastball that he was able to create 16" of horizontal break with. To round out a four-pitch mix, Mikolanis showed command of a 67-70 mph changeup and 65-67 mph curveball. Looking the part of a future prospect, Mikolanis cemented himself as a '27 follow with his performance at the Great Lakes Preseason ID. 

Other Notable Performers