Indiana Scout Blog : Bullpen x Prep Baseball Indiana Series
April 8, 2024
This weekend was our 2nd annual Bullpen x Prep Baseball Indiana series, an invite-only event that featured some of the top-ranked teams from all-parts of the Hoosier State. Read along to find scouting notes on players that stood out throughout the weekend.
You can find all Indiana Scout Blog coverage from the 2024 spring, HERE.
Seniors
Jayce Lee, OF, 2024, South Bend Saint Joseph
Coming off a state championship run on the hardwood, Lee now shifts focus to the baseball diamond and I was able to catch the first start of this senior season. Lee came up hitless in this one, just missing a homer that was knocked down at the centerfield track in 40 degree weather with wind blowing in. A high-upside prospect with an ultra-athletic, 6-foot-3, 190 pound frame - Lee had a handful of scouts in attendance during this look, a potential draft prospect with a tooled-out profile. The Notre Dame recruit creates loads of bat speed in a fluid, uphill stroke that holds significant power potential. He showed plus arm strength during pre-game I/O and turned in a 4.4 H-1st on a groundout.
Griffin Tobias, RHP, 2024, Lake Central
Tobias showed well in a two-inning stint, striking out five. A top-ranked arm in the senior class, currently signed to play at Indiana University, Tobias is an athletic mover with electric arm speed that works to a high 3/4 arm slot. Tobias sat 90-92, touching 93 mph on his best bullet, on a fastball with late arm-side life. His fastball was paired with a wipeout, 77-80 mph slider that he used as a put-away pitch in this look. The slider tunnels well off the fastball, coming out of the hand with a fastball look, before taking a late, sharp turn to miss barrels. Griffin provided a different look with a mid-80s cutter, as well. The Indiana recruit pitches with a competitive moxie and is one of the most reliable arms in the Hoosier State, currently.
Brady Minnick, 1B, 2024, Homestead
Minnick is an interesting unsigned senior that I have seen quite a bit of early in this season. A projectable, 6-foot-5, 200 pound left-handed hitter - Minnick sets up in a taller stance with a higher handset before a simple load and a closed stride. The swing works direct, geared towards leveraging the ball to the pull-side, and there is plenty of bat strength in the left-handed stroke, with room in the frame for more physical strength. Minnick should be a priority watch for recruiters looking to add a bat to their 2024 recruiting class.
Juniors
Josh Flores, RHP, 2025, Lake Central
Flores offered an electric look in a relief stint for Lake Central, striking out four in an inning and a third. The 6-foot-1, 195 pound Cincinnati recruit is a dynamic mover with electric arm speed that owns some of the best pure stuff in Indiana's junior class. Flores worked up to 94 mph on his fastball, settling at 91-93 with some carry in a 30 pitch stint. The separator is his ability to spin, showing two breaking balls that are present swing-and-miss offerings. Flores worked in the low-80s on a hammer curveball, a pitch that induces freeze-takes, and he also showed a tightly-spun, mid-80s slider with vicious late bite. Flores rounded out a dynamic arsenal with a mid-80s changeup that has serious horizontal break. Flores shows more control than command at this time, however his stuff is some of the best in the class. The future-Bearcat holds a reliever's profile at this time, however if he sures up command questions, his stuff could undoubtedly play in a starter's role.
Joe Washburn, SS, 2025, South Bend Saint Joseph
One of the top-ranked uncommitted position players in Indiana's junior class - Washburn collected two hits, including a triple, and stole two bases in St. Joe's 4-1 win over #2 Mooresville. A twitchy, athletic, 5-foot-8, 155 pounder that represented Indiana at the 2023 Future Games, Washburn hits from the left-side of the dish, hitting out of a wide, balanced stance before making a simple load/stride to land in an ideal hitting position. His hands are quick and deliver a short, accurate barrel. Washburn shows more bat strength than the frame suggests, just missing a pull-side homer in this look. Washburn is a quick-footed defender in the middle of the infield, showing range in this one by going up the middle to take away what appeared to be a single up the middle off the bat.
Huston Dunn, SS, 2025, Fishers
Dunn put together a really solid day in my look, going 4 for 6 with two doubles in the two game set. A physical, 6-foot-2, 195 pounder - Dunn's carrying tool is his bat. Dunn starts in a taller, athletic setup before a quiet, repeatable load. The left-handed swing is short, quick, and impactful - working on an ideal plane. The Ball State recruit widens out with two-strikes, simplifying his moves, but still holds the ability to impact the baseball as he simplifies - driving a pull-side gap with two-strikes in my look. Dunn is a fundamental defender on the dirt, with a more athletic look to the frame this season compared to the past.
Ryne Michaeloff, RHP, 2025, Homestead
Michaeloff turned in a quality start against a top-ranked opponent, earning the win, going 6 innings, allowing 2 ER, and striking out 6. An uncommitted arm that has built plenty of helium behind him thus far, Michaeloff uses a balanced, low-effort delivery and his arm works with a loose, whippy sling to a near-sidearm slot. The slot allows for significant arm-side run on a mid-80s fastball that has touched 88 mph. His best off-speed pitch is his 78-80 mph changeup, a pitch with significant arm-side fade that he is confident to throw against RH & LH hitters. Michaeloff also shows a sweeper at 73-76 mph, a pitch that he can get to his glove-side. The uncommitted junior has control of his three-pitch mix, and is currently one of my favorite uncommitted junior arms available.
Brody Zielinski, RHP, 2025, South Bend Saint Joseph
Zielinski worked three solid innings for St. Joe, exiting with a 2-1 lead over #2 Mooresville. A proportional, 6-foot, 185 pound right-hander, Zielinski uses an up-tempo, athletic delivery, moving down the slope with pace. The arm action is clean and compact, working uninterrupted to a high 3/4 slot, and the arm action allows for further velocity projections. The uncommitted junior worked 83-85 mph on a carry fastball, paired with a 72-74 mph curveball and 78-79 mph changeup, and he shows the ability to command all three for strikes. High follow in the '25 class.
Trevor Hall, UTL, 2025, Fishers
Hall is an interesting uncommitted prospect that hits in the middle of the Fishers' lineup. The projectable, 6-foot-4, 190 pounder went 3 for 6 in my look this weekend, hitting out of a wider stance and showing above-average bat speed in a slightly upward, right-handed stroke. The frame allows for future-power projections and he shows the ability to play both corner outfield and infield spots. Good '25 follow.
A physical, 6-foot-1, 195 pound backstop, Heady immediately passes the eye test with a physical, muscular build. Heady is a quiet receiver behind the dish with solid arm strength, and should be able to stick behind the dish at the collegiate level. Offensively, the right-handed hitter sets up in a wide, grounded stance before shifting weight into the back leg and making a quiet hand load. The hands set in a lower position and he turns a heavy barrel with bat speed on a level plane.
Sophomores
Hudson Devaughan, RHP, 2026, Mooresville
The state's top-ranked sophomore did not disappoint in this look, working four scoreless and earning the win against a top-ranked 4A opponent. The 6-foot-4, 195 pound Alabama recruit put together one of the most complete outings that I've seen of him in this one, attacking the zone with three pitches for strikes and getting tons of fastball swings-and-misses. Devaughan worked downhill on a carry fastball that touched 94 mph, holding 90-93 throughout his outing, with his 66th pitch of the game recorded at 93 mph. Devaughan landed a power curveball at 77-80 mph, inducing freeze-takes along with chase when he needed it. Devaughan also showed a low-90s sinker, and mid-80s changeup, predominantly to left-handed hitters. There is easy intent in the delivery, making it easy to project him to reach into the mid-to-upper 90s during his high school career. Hudson is the most advanced sophomore arm that I have seen in my time with Prep Baseball and appears "next-in-line" to carry on Indiana's tradition of producing power prep arms.
Beckett Doane, LHP, 2026, Noblesville
Doane put together the best start that I have seen of him in a win against #2 Mooresville, working five innings, striking out ten. Indiana's top-ranked sophomore southpaw, Doane holds highest level upside with an uber-projectable, 6-foot-6, 200 pound lanky frame. The delivery works up-tempo, with a tall, tucked, inward turn lift and he lands slightly closed. The arm stroke works uninterrupted to a low 3/4 slot, and he creates deception with the slot, the crossfired stride, and by pitching from the first base side of the rubber. Doane works fast, looking to attack, and he is a firy competitor on the hill. Doane touched 89 mph on his best fastball, sitting at 85-88, with arm-side run. Doane showed a sharp, 78-81 mph slider that is a future-out pitch and also showed the ability to subtract with it and land it for strikes. To round out a starter's mix, Doane showed a 78-81 mph splitter with significant arm-side fade, another future out-pitch. Doane was able to command and generate swings-and-misses with all four pitches in his arsenal, and he is beginning to establish himself as a national-level prospect.
Ian Taylor, OF, 2026, Guerin Catholic
I loved what I saw from Taylor in an early season look. An athletic, ultra-twitchy, centerfielder - Taylor was 2 for 3 with two triples in my look. He sets up in a slightly crouched stance before using a hover-type stride and quiet hand load. Taylor turns the barrel with twitchy bat speed behind it, allowing for much more impact than the 5-foot-9, 170 pound frame suggests. The toolset is loud, a plus-runner with plus-arm strength to go along with an impactful right-handed stroke. Taylor is one of my favorite uncommitted position players in Indiana's 2026 class - a high-energy, dirtbag, with no-doubt divison one level tools.
Rodman had a big week for the Panthers, an honorable mention for our Player of the Week award, going 9 for 14 with a double, home run, and 9 RBI. The sophomore catcher is beginning to come into his own this spring, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The 5-foot-11, 180 pounder hits with loose hands that flow well into a simple load. The swing works short and direct, level through the hitting zone with above-average strength. Rodman is an athletic defender behind the dish with above-average arm strength for the class.
Anthony Shields, RHP, 2026, Edgewood
Shields came out of the Edgewood bullpen on Friday night and struck out a pair in his inning of work. The undersized, athletic, 5-foot-8, 155 pounder showed off quick arm speed from an over-the-top slot to produce a fastball that worked at 83-85 mph. Shields showed a tightly-spun, 75-76 mph slider that he used to induce chase late in-counts.
Freshman
Parker Robinson, SS, 2027, Lake Central
The state's top-ranked freshman prospect helped Lake Central to a comeback win over Noblesville in their only game of the event. Robinson was 2 for 3, including a double, and picked up two key RBI's during the comeback. The highly-touted prospect started at shortstop for the #3 ranked Indians, looking the part of a long-term, high-end shortstop with a projectable, athletic, 6-foot-3, 185 pound frame. A good runner underway, Robinson shows clean actions in the infield with confidence in his back hand, firing the ball across with very good arm strength for the age. At the plate, the long-levered right-handed hitter gets his front foot in the ground early, before a slight reload, and turns the barrel through the hitting zone with bat speed. There is a lot to dream on with Robinson and his toolset, frame, and athleticism allow for high-level projections.
Grady Nelson, INF, 2027, Warsaw
A freshman slugger that is arguably the most advanced bat in the class, Nelson looks the part of a run-producer with a physical, 6-foot-4, 230 pound frame. Grady still has room to add strength and should mature into real power as he grows up, already owning special bat strength for the class. Nelson has present power to all fields, clubbing two home runs in just four games in his high school career. Nelson sets up in a wider, grounded base and makes a small move into his backside before turning the barrel on a slightly upward plane. There is significant bat speed in the operation with controlled intent, and he also shows above average awareness of the strike zone. Grady moves well for his massive frame, a 7.16 runner that plays 3B for his high school team.
Liam Delp, SS/CF, 2027, Mooresville
Delp is a dynamic player that put together a solid weekend for the Pioneers. A twitchy, athletic, 5-foot-10, 155 pounder - Delp was on the barrel on multiple occasions against good arms, showing off a short, quick swing. He sets up in a wider, balanced stance and uses a quick load with a shorter stride to optimize timing. Delp works short to it, with standout hand-eye and bat-to-ball skills for the age. A plus-runner for the age, Delp got down the line at a 4.3 and his best recorded 60-yard dash is a 6.89. The twitchy freshman can really go get it on the dirt, showing ultra-quick feet with smooth actions. Owning some of the best foot-quickness in the class, it is encouraging to see Delp competitive against quality arms so early in his high school career.
Mason Meyer, UTL, 2027, Mt. Vernon
Meyer emerged as one of the top hitters in the Mt. Vernon lineup, despite being just a freshman. Batting out of the cleanup spot, Meyer picked up two hits on the day, including a double in game one and the game-tying RBI in game two. Meyer holds compact strength in an athletic, 5-foot-8, 165 pound frame. He hits from a balanced setup, using a small, simple load before a controlled forward move. The bat works on an ideal plane with present, impactful flick. Meyer shows some of the best bat-to-ball skills in the class and should add more bat strength as he continues to mature. Meyer is an above-average runner with tons of defensive versatility, playing 3B in this look, and he also has the ability to play all three outfield spots, second base, and can catch.
Brayden Ring, SS, 2027, Zionsville
Ring got the start for Zionsville as the only freshman in the lineup. An athletic, 6-foot, 160 pound shortstop, Ring collected an RBI single in his first trip to the plate, turning around an upper-80s fastball for a firm liner into rightfield. Ring hits from a wider stance with pre-pitch waggle in the hands. The pre-pitch rhythm flows into the load and he uses a short, repeatable stride. The barrel works level through the zone with projectable bat speed, and he should grow into gap power as he matures into more strength. Ring played LF and 3B in this look, an athletic, reliable defender on the dirt with smooth actions.