Prep Baseball Report

Unsigned Senior Showcase: The Top Pitchers



The Unsigned Senior Showcase proved there are still some talented players left on the board.  Here is a look at some of the pitchers that performed well.


Blake Higgins, RHP, Jackson CC
Higgins came to the Unsigned Senior Showcase despite being a junior college player.  He asked if he could attend because of the exposure that PBR can provide.  It was certainly worth his time as he sat 91-94mph with his fastball.  Higgins has a great frame to work with at 6-foot-6, 195-pounds and his levers are long and loose.  He displayed more than just velocity as he possesses a power slider at 82-83 mph and a more-than-serviceable curveball.

Dakota Mekkes, RHP, Jenison HS
Mekkes continues his climb in the rankings and as a prospect. Mekkes was little known four weeks ago. After touching 90 mph at the Unsigned Senior Showcase Mekkes will be sure to garner plenty of attention.

Keegan Akin, LHP/OF, Bullock Creek
Akin, like Mekkes continued his rise in the rankings.  Akin was 86-88mph with his fastball.  He showed good downward action with some run.  His arm works extremely well and projects to add some velocity down the road.  Akin does need to work on his secondary pitches.  He is a good candidate to add a slider or a cutter to offset his breaking ball at 65-66 mph.

Alex DeYonker, LHP, Livonia Franklin HS
Mekkes, Higgins and Akin may have headlined the Unsigned Senior Showcase but Alex DeYonker was one of our favorites.  DeYonker has a ton of upside.  It is easy to see that he will eventually be a mid-80's pitcher with the ability to reach the upper 80's.  His arm was lightening quick and easy.  He is only 6-foot tall but 155-pounds, which leads us to believe that he will add a good 20-30 pounds.  His breaking ball was tight and down in the zone.  DeYonker if given time to develop will be a good pickup.

Jack Hranec, LHP/1B, Brandon HS
Hranec is a big bodied lefty that showed well.  He worked his fastball from 78-84 mph mainly sitting 82-83.  He had good downward tilt  produced from his high 3/4 slot and showed some feel of his secondary. His breaking ball had good downward tilt and sat at 71-72 mph.  Hranec seems to have some feel for pitching and will be able to help a program eat some innings.

Mitchell Dehn, RHP, Niles HS
Dehn is another big bodied pitcher that has a good arm. His fastball has been up to 86 mph in the past but he sat 80-83 at the Unsigned Senior Showcase.  Dehn seems to have some feel for pitching and he uses his 6-foot-5 frame to generate down action.  HIs delivery is clean and smooth. HIs arm works well and is quicker.  Dehn certainly is a good pickup for the right program.  He will need to work on his body to maximize his potential but everything works well.

Ty Rock, RHP/1B, Gobles HS
Rock showed a loose arm and a 3/4 arm slot while he ran his fastball up to 85 mph.  We have seen his breaking ball better than what he showed at the Unsigned Senior but he recently came off of a hamstring injury so his time on the mound has been limited recently. His delivery has good intent and is upbeat in nature. Lastly, Rock has a good motor and a drive to win.

Jose Morales, RHP/SS, Detroit Western
Morales showed extremely well all around at the Unsigned Senior. On the mound he displayed his arm strength to the tune of 85-88mph with his fastball.  Morales is lean and athletic at 6-foot-2, 160-pounds. His breaking ball has the makings of a solid pitch and spins well.  Overall Morales is a strike thrower and a good competitor.

Alex Lewandowski, RHP, Macomb Dakota HS
Lewandowski has a chance to be a steal.  As a 6-foot-2, 180-pound athlete, he is long and lean with plenty of room to grow.  He was up to 88 mph at the Unsigned Senior.  Lewandowski certainly does not get cheated in his delivery.  At times he seems to be a bit max effort but his arm is loose and fast.  He does show both a curveball and a slider.  We preferred his slider over his curveball as it had better bite.

Jake Semak, RHP, Livonia Stevenson HS
Semak looks to be a solid consistent performer.  A strike thrower by nature his delivery is simple and repeatable.  His fastball sat 80-83 mph but there should be a bit more in the tank as his body continues to mature.  Semak has a big frame to work with at 6-foot-2, 185-pounds.  He has been a varsity starter for 4 years and this past year helped lead his team to a State Quarterfinal appearance.