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Coop's Scoop : 22 Memorable Moments from 2022

December 30, 2022
Cooper Trinkle
Lead Scout

With 2022 coming to a close, we're taking this time to take a look back at some of the most memorable moments from the year. Our staff worked diligently throughout the year, covering high school games in all parts of the Hoosier State during the spring, covering PBR Tournaments throughout the summer and fall, on top of hosting 33 different showcases where we had the opportunity to identify talent. Today, I am highlighting 22 of the most memorable moments that I witnessed during 2022. 

1. Jayce Lee Calls Ballgame

Playoff baseball has a different feel to it, but playoff baseball between cross-town schools has an unmatched intensity. Mishawaka Marian and South Bend Saint Joseph met in the 3A sectional semifinals in front of a packed crowd, and the game did not disappoint. Marian took an early 4-0 lead thanks to big swings from Bryce LaSane and Cole Hundt, but Saint Joe clawed back and eventually took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the 6th. Marian didn’t go away easily, regaining the lead in the next half with RBIs from JJ Oliver and Chase Bays. St. Joe brought the top of the lineup up in the bottom of the 7th, setting the stage for a potential walkoff moment. After an HBP from Joe Washburn and a single from Zachary Stawski, Jayce Lee stepped to the plate. Lee worked himself into a 3-1 count and took a massive hack on the 3-1 fastball, fouling the ball straight back. However, he did not miss the 3-2 pitch. Lee absolutely crushed a 3-2 fastball well over the left field wall for the walkoff homerun and as he stepped out of the box, he took his time to look at the camera and do his best Vince Carter “it’s over” impression. The walkoff moment was borderline-cinematic and was the perfect ending to one of the most emotion-filled games I watched in 2022. 

2. Preseason All-State Weekend 
The Preseason All-State Weekend took place during the first weekend in March at Pro X Athlete in Westfield, IN. The talent level at this invite-only event is unmatched. Looking back at this event, there are 89 players from last year’s event now committed to play college baseball, including 44 of those commitments being to division one programs. 16 pitchers were 88 mph or better on their fastballs. 39 hitters posted exit velocities over 95 mph. We saw 39 guys run sub 7.0 60 yard dashes. The pure amount of talent at Preseason All-State makes it one of the top moments of 2022 for me. 

3.Caden McCoy dominates Team Texas 
I could highlight multiple guys from Team Indiana’s Future Games squad, Jayce Lee (Notre Dame), Mason Barth (Notre Dame), and Isaac VanderWoude (Virginia) all had big weeks that led to their Power 5 commitments. I could highlight Team Indiana winning an absolutely loaded pool that included California, Texas, and Georgia. However, the most memorable performance came from Caden McCoy in a late night game against Texas, punching out 5 hitters in 2 innings in front of a massive crowd of college coaches. I watched Caden throw a handful of times in 2022, but this was his best performance, hands-down. He ran his fastball up to 89 mph and had his slider really working in this outing, carving through a tough Texas lineup. McCoy committed to Texas A&M shortly after the Future Games. 

4. Major Risers 
My favorite part of working for PBR is witnessing players mature and improve. Throughout 2022, we witnessed multiple guys improve their stock, earn college scholarships, and shoot up our rankings. With that being said, I wanted to highlight a few of the most memorable risers for me. First, 2023 RHP Walker Brodt (Brownsburg HS) sat 78-84 mph on his fastball at our Preseason All State event in March. I then watched Walker sit 86-88 T 90 mph in a start in early October where he carved through a very solid lineup. Brodt committed to Winthrop shortly after this start. Next, 2024 RHP Paddy Keefer (Mishawaka Marian HS) came to an open event in late-August and sat 80-81 on his fastball, touching 81.9 mph. Keefer came back to an event in October as a completely different kid, running his fastball up to 87 mph and showing a quality three-pitch mix. Finally, probably the most impressive riser in 2022 was 2024 SS Joshua Girvan (Zionsville HS). I have followed Girvan for a few years and I was impressed with his growth at this years’ Indiana Bulls Fall Scout Day, where he ran a 6.88 60, showed solid glove actions at SS, and hit a couple of balls in the low 90s. Girvan continued to show well throughout the fall of 2022, but then he showed up to our Hoosier Holiday event in December and showed that his growth was going to continue. Girvan reached a peak exit velocity of 100.1 mph at the Hoosier Holiday, averaging 90 mph throughout his batting practice round, a number that was a maximal exit velocity just a few months prior. This exit velocity jump was due in large part to a massive increase in maximal bat speed, average bat speed, and hand speed, all of which increased significantly. Not only did Girvan improve drastically offensively, but his infield velocity increased by 8 mph in the 3 month span, another very impressive improvement. 

5. A look into the future of baseball in the Hoosier State 
The coolest part of the PBR Junior Future Games is getting to check out some of the state’s top up-and-coming talent. This year’s bunch was no exception, as five players from our 14U group have now made Power 5 commitments (Tate Troxell / Alabama, Rhys Wolf / Notre Dame, Trent Gill / Indiana, Sammy Swank / Kentucky, Nate Millington / Kentucky). One of the coolest moments of this event was watching Tate Troxell, who committed to Alabama in November, touch 90 mph on his fastball as a 14 year old. Our 13U squad was filled with talent as well, including 2027 Drake McClurg, an uber-athletic, switch hitting SS/CF, who will be a must-know name in Indiana in the coming years. 

6. Bishop vs Biven 
The best pitching matchup that I saw in the 2022 high school season was the sectional matchup between Hoosier Hills Conference rivals, Floyd Central and New Albany. Floyd Central rolled out their ace, Bishop Letson. The 2023 Purdue recruit started the game sitting 91-92 mph on his fastball and struck out three Bulldog hitters in the top of the first. However, New Albany brought firepower on the mound as well. Tucker Biven, a Louisville recruit, got the start for New Albany and put up an incredible performance on this night. Biven sat 94-95 mph on his fastball in the bottom of the 1st while striking out the side for New Albany. Letson finished the night with 7 strikeouts in 5 innings of work, allowing just one run. New Albany came out on top behind Biven’s spectacular, complete game “W”, where he punched out 14 and allowed just 4 baserunners all game. It's tough to beat watching two of the state's top arms go toe-to-toe with their season on the line.

7. Denny leads the Pioneers over No. 1 ranked Center Grove 
Aside from the state finals, this had to be the largest crowd I saw at a game last spring. Mooresville and Center Grove fans filled not only the bleacher area, but the entire area down the foul lines and almost all of the area behind the outfield wall. Indiana recruit’s took the hill for both sides, with Ben Murphy getting the start for Center Grove and Hogan Denny for Mooresville. While Denny is heading to Bloomington because of his impressive right-handed swing, he was dominant on this day on the mound. Denny shut down one of the state’s top lineups with a heavy dose of wipeout, mid-70 mph sliders and unmatched competitiveness. Denny attacked the Trojan lineup without fear, earning a complete game shutout win to advance the Pioneers, the eventual sectional champions, to the sectional championship game. 

8. Will Eldridge at 95 
I was unsure what game to go see on Tuesday, May 10th and decided about two hours before gametime to head to Carroll County, Indiana to watch 2A #1 ranked Carroll HS play and in particular, watch Will Eldridge throw. I had seen Eldridge in the fall of 2021 throw a couple times, topping out 89 mph, and expected this day to maybe see the Indiana Wesleyan recruit touch 90 mph. However, nearly twenty pitches into the game, Eldridge hadn’t thrown a fastball below 93 mph. Eldridge sat 92-95 mph that day, still touching 95s in the 3rd inning, and was virtually unhittable. Eldridge finished his day with 4 innings pitched, striking out 11 batters. I expected Eldridge to dominate his start, but the electric fastball that he showed that day made his start one of the most memorable outings I saw in 2022. 

9. Max Clark - Human Highlight Reel 
Every time our staff saw Max Clark in the 2022 spring, he provided some sort of jaw-dropping highlight. Whether it was hitting home runs, running his fastball up to 97 mph, or just simply taking an extra base, Max always provided a highlight. My two looks at Max were no exception. First, I watched Max, in a March scrimmage, touch 96 mph on the mound. The next time I saw the Vanderbilt recruit, he hit a ball in the first inning of a game against Mooresville that appeared to still be rising as it flew over the centerfield wall. Max is the top ranked player in the 2023 class in the country and will undoubtedly provide more memorable moments as professional scouts flock to Franklin, IN this spring to see the potential first overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. 

10. Teammates Trade No-Hitters 
College coaches flocked to Grand Park to watch the Grand Park Summer Championships in late June, but 2024 arms Simon Wilkinson and Caden McCoy both drew particularly large crowds to watch their starts. Neither arm disappointed, in fact, they both threw complete game no-hitters on back-to-back days. Wilkinson, now committed to Illinois, sat 84-87 mph while striking out 10 batters, coming short of a perfect game by allowing just one baserunner on an HBP. McCoy, now a Texas A&M recruit, turned around the next day and sat 85-88 mph as he struck out 8 and allowed just two baserunners in his no-hit bid. The pure dominance that these two showed, coupled with the overall talent assembled on their 16u Indiana Bulls squad, made this one of the more memorable moments I witnessed in the summer of 2022. 

11. Rhys Wolf Wins Canes Scout Weekend 
Rhys Wolf is a name that our staff has kept a close eye on since he was a member of Team Indiana’s 13U Junior Future Games roster in 2021. Wolf stood out at the Preseason All State in March and earned a spot on the 14U Junior Future Games roster in 2022, where he drew a crowd of college coaches to watch his start in Atlanta. We had seen Wolf touch 84 mph on his fastball in the early fall of 2022, but he saved his best stuff for the last day of the Canes Scout Weekend, where he cemented himself as one of the top arms in Indiana’s 2026 class. Wolf sat 84-87 T 88 mph on his fastball, mixed with a wipeout, low-to-mid 70s breaking ball in his outing at Canes Scout Weekend. His breaking ball produced multiple “sword-like” swings and witnessing a young arm like that take a major step up in velocity was really cool to see. Wolf committed to Notre Dame shortly after his impressive outing at Canes Scout Weekend. 

12. Ianni vs. McCoy
Bloomington North and Columbus East squared off in a sectional semi-final game that ended up being an incredible pitchers’ duel between 2024 LHP Caden McCoy and 2022 RHP Ethan Ianni. McCoy started the game off with 3 punchouts in the first inning, but Ianni followed suit by striking out 4 (one batter reached on a dropped third strike) in his first inning of work. The two arms continued to throw up zeros and trade strikeouts, with McCoy striking out 12 and Ianni striking out 10 through 5 innings of scoreless work. Columbus East junior Chase Zapfe delivered a 2-RBI triple in the top of the 6th that broke the scoreless tie, and that was all that Ianni needed to finish the game. Ianni ended up winning the pitchers’ duel with a complete game, 13 strikeout performance to send his team to the sectional title game. 

13. Eli Bridenthal at Summer Champs 
2023 RHP Eli Bridenthal provided one of the most electric performances that I witnessed this summer at the Indiana Summer Championships in Kokomo, IN. Bridenthal was in complete control of his 3-pitch mix on this day. He ran his fastball up to 89 mph, but dominated hitters with his sharp, 75-78 mph slider that drew a plethora of uncomfortable swings from opposing hitters. The Xavier recruit racked up 16 punchouts in his 7 innings of work to pick up the complete game win. 

14. State Finals 
Victory Field is an incredible place to watch baseball and this year’s state championship was no exception. Pitching dominated the state finals in 2022, with all four winning pitchers throwing complete games in the state finals. The most memorable game from the finals was the 3A matchup between Andrean and Brebeuf Jesuit. Brebeuf had Andrew Dutkanych on the hill, a Vanderbilt recruit who had been up to 97 mph during the regular season. Andrean had Peyton Niksch to toe the rubber. The Purdue Northwest recruit had put up video game numbers in his senior season, including a 10-0 record entering the state championship game. Andrean had big offensive performances from Jax Kalemba and Mason Barth, while Niksch tossed a complete game gem to pick up his 11th win of the season and make Andrean the 2022 3A State Champions. 

15. Penn walks off Lake Central to win the Regional Championship 
Two of the top teams in 4A, Lake Central and Penn, squared off at Laporte High School in the Regional Championship and there was never a dull moment in this game. Western Michigan recruit Adam Lehmann drew the start for Penn and posted three scoreless innings, combined with big swings from Ben Gregory and Cam Dombrowski, to give Penn the early 3-0 lead through 3 innings. Indiana recruit Griffin Tobias entered in relief for Lake Central in the 3rd inning and his performance allowed Lake Central to claw back into the game. Lake Central fed off of Tobias’ energy on the mound to post a 4-run, 4th inning and take the lead. Penn answered right back with a big swing off the bat off Western Michigan recruit Cooper Hums to tie the game up at four a piece. The 4-4 tie continued into the top of the 7th, when Penn brought in Joe Trenerry, a Purdue recruit, to keep the top of Lake Central’s lineup quiet. Trenerry carved through the top of the Indians order, touching 90 mph on his fastball and showing quality command of both off-speed pitches. Dombrowski reached base again in the top of the 7th and swiped 2nd base to set the stage for a possible walk off scenario. Senior Zac David delivered a single into right field to score Dombrowski, sending Penn, the eventual 4A State Champion, to the semi-state.

16. Midnight Action at Championship Park 
Thunderstorms extended Day 2 of the Indiana Summer Championships into the early hours of Day 3, but the late start did not factor into Joe Glander’s dominance in this look. The ‘25 right-hander was electric in his four innings of work, striking out 10 and allowing just two baserunners. Glander overpowered hitters with an 86-89 mph fastball and commanded a three-pitch mix. This was a big jump for Glander, who I had seen about four months prior sit at 83-85 mph at our Preseason All-State event. Glander went on to pitch for Team Indiana at the PBR Future Games and committed to Notre Dame in November of 2022.  

17. Joey Wilmoth wills Fishers to the Sectional Title Game 
Playoff baseball provides an unmatched energy, but so does Joey Wilmoth when he takes the hill. I saw Wilmoth pick up a win in relief against Zionsville during the regular season, but his win in relief to send Fishers to the sectional title game came with much more excitement. Wilmoth entered the game in the bottom of the 1st inning with nobody out and runners at 1st and 3rd, his team already down 2-0. The Illinois State recruit worked his way out of the jam by only allowing one unearned run, and Carmel wouldn’t score again the rest of the game. Wilmoth proceeded to throw 111 pitches over the next 7 innings, while punching out 13, to pick up the win. The 6-foot-2, 185 pounder got better as the moment got bigger, as he struck out 5 of the last 7 batters that he faced. Wilmoth pitched with major energy and emotion, and he backed it up with a heavy, 92 mph fastball and a 74-77 mph slider that was virtually untouchable in this game. The sheer passion and energy that Joey pitched with in this game, along with the electric stuff that his right arm produced, made this one of the most memorable moments of 2022. 

18. Cam Decker On a cold, windy morning in mid-April
I saw Decker and his Evansville North Huskies take on Evansville Memorial in a doubleheader. Not only did Decker reach base in 5 of the 8 trips he took to the plate, but delivered a long home run in one of his three hits of the day. With that being said, Decker hit multi-digit home runs as a senior, so going big-fly was nothing out of the ordinary to the eventual Los Angeles Dodgers draftee. However, this home run was hit in about 50 degree weather with a major wind blowing in beyond the left field wall, and it still was a no-doubt shot. The bat speed and pure intent to do damage that Cam Decker possessed made him one of the top hitters I watched play in 2022. 

19. 'Duke' Dominates 
Our staff’s first look at Andrew Dutkanych in 2022 was one of the most dominant outings we saw from an arm all year. The Brebeuf senior took the hill against conference foe Roncalli, pitching a complete game, no-hitter while striking out 17 and allowing 0 ER in a 2-1 victory. The Vanderbilt recruit took the mound in front of a packed house of professional scouts and crosscheckers, sitting 95-96 early in the game, touching 97 mph. He allowed just three baserunners on the night, two coming from a walk and one coming from an infield error. Duke decided to pass on professional opportunities in order to attend Vanderbilt, and he is widely regarded as one of the top players from the 2022 class to make it to campus. 

20.  Mason Barth - Ballplayer

Mason Barth is another player that had multiple memorable moments in his freshman campaign in 2022. Frankly, there isn’t one particular moment that stands out for me, because Barth just performed nearly every time I saw him in 2022. Barth had a monster game in the semi-state, where he had multiple hits, including an opposite field, ground-rule double off of Indiana signee, Aydan Decker-Petty, showing his ability to handle low-90s velocity as a freshman. He had a monster weekend at Canes Scout Weekend where he seemed to provide some sort of highlight play every time he had the chance to impact the game. Barth was a top performer at the PBR Future Games, where he hit (.571) on the weekend and picked up multiple RBIs. Lastly, Barth had a major hand in Andrean’s 3A State Championship win, where he again showed comfort handling velocity, this time against Vanderbilt recruit, Andrew Dutkanych, and made multiple big plays for Andrean at shortstop. The Notre Dame recruit will surely continue to provide memorable moments before he graduates in 2025. 

21. Southern Indiana Open 
The Southern Indiana Open was my favorite open event of the year. Open events are always fun, because you never know who is going to show up and show massive improvements. Also, open events allow prospects the opportunity to earn invitations to future events. This event was my favorite because we saw two players, Cole Decker and Reid Howard, earn their PBR Future Games invitation after this event. Decker showed off his blazing, 6.63 speed and his smooth left-handed swing. Howard, now committed to Western Kentucky, showed off his athleticism too by running a 6.86 60, but also impressed with his big arm strength and fluid defensive actions. Also, we saw 2023 OF/INF Jaden Hart for the first time in a showcase setting. Hart was a player that we really liked during the spring season for Jeffersonville HS, but Hart was even more impressive in a showcase setting. Hart showed off an impressive toolset, running a 6.8 60, throwing 91 from the OF, and reaching a peak exit velocity of 95 mph. 

22. Max McEwen puts Jeffersonville on his back 
Jeffersonville and Jennings County squared off in a sectional matchup with two division one recruits on the mound. Jennings County rolled out Jacob Vogel, an Indiana recruit, while Jeffersonville gave the nod to Max McEwen, an Indiana State recruit. McEwen was the storyline in this one, pitching a complete game, 8 strikeout performance to pick up the win. Not only did McEwen earn the win on the mound, but he also came up with 3-run, opposite field home run in the 2nd inning that ended up being all the run support that the Indiana State recruit needed.