Prep Baseball Report

IL/WI Preseason ProCase: Preview


By Andy Sroka
Illinois and Wisconsin Assistant Director

On Saturday, Jan. 29, Prep Baseball Report’s Illinois and Wisconsin staffs will meet at the Pullman Community Center in Chicago to host the inaugural Preseason ProCase – an invitation-only event designed to pull together some of the area’s top draft talent within this year’s senior class. Historically, PBR’s premier annual event – the Super 60 Pro Showcase – has heavily featured the top draft prospects in the Midwest. Though, as PBR’s reach has expanded nationwide over the past four years in particular, it’s naturally resulted in less regional representation at the Super 60, which created the need for an event just like this Saturday’s.

As it stands, 13 of the top pro prospects in the Class of 2022 from Illinois and Wisconsin are set to attend this weekend’s event in Chicago, and we’ll spend some time highlighting those players today.

PITCHERS

Alex Alberico RHP / Providence Catholic , IL / 2022

From 5/14/21: “... 6-foot 200-pound frame, strong right-handed pitcher; developed lower-half. Looks to be one of the top uncommitted 2022 arms in the class. Started on the mound against Lemont. Competitive demeanor on the mound, pitches off his fastball. Arm works quick and from an over-the-top arm slot. Pitched exclusively from the stretch, feet staggered, front foot closer to third-base. Athletic leg-kick in balance point, drop and drive type delivery, strides in-line with the plate. Featured a fastball that sat 88-90 mph early on, settling in at 87-89 later in the game; plays mostly straight, occasional arm-side-run, late jump through the zone at times. Curveball was thrown at 70-74 mph flashed biting 11/5 action, struggled to locate it. Changeup was 79-84 mph thrown with the same arm-speed as his fastball. Overall, one of the stronger arms in the class. Should continue to ascend if he can harness his overall repertoire.”

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(7/6/21)

Caden Capomaccio RHP / Notre Dame Academy, WI / 2022

From 3/14/21: “At our Madison Preseason I.D. event, Capomaccio took a major leap forward since our last look at the 6-foot-1, 180-pound right-hander. Capomaccio was up to 91 mph with his fastball, sitting 89-90 mph with control of the zone. Most impressive was his sinking changeup that was thrown aggressively, with heavy action and the bottom just falls off. His slider showed some depth and control as another viable offering. Look for his name to rise up the rankings board before this pivotal summer junior-to-senior summer.”

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(3/14/21)

Tyler Deleskiewicz RHP / Lake Geneva Badger, WI / 2022

From 7/24/21: “… The 6-foot-5, 210-pound right-hander pumped his fastball in at 89-91, touching 92 mph throughout from a quick, whippy arm and also flashed swing-and-miss spin on a handful of sliders, too. Deleskiewicz threw five innings, striking out 10 at our PBR at The Rock 17U Championships.”

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(7/6/21)

Brayden Marks RHP / Elkhorn Area, WI / 2022

From 3/21/21: “Marks was responsible for one of the day’s most impressive overall performances. Built at a sturdy/strong 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, Marks has genuine feel for four pitches, showcasing the ability to spot each at times, while the fastball and breaking balls feature high spin. He really gets down the mound, working on line, to produce an upper-80s fastball that sat 88-89 mph exclusively, reaching 90 max with natural arm-side run. The separators for Marks are his two breaking balls, a slider and curve, that each work a little differently and both break sharply with advanced spin rates, measured at an average of 2,305 and 2,441 rpm on average, respectively. The curve is 12/6 with tight/short action under the zone, while he demonstrates greater confidence in the slider, at more of an 11/5 shape that he was landing for strikes with frequency, still with biting action. He also utilizes a quality changeup, thrown at arm speed, that looks like a viable fourth pitch to round out a mix… ”

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(7/6/21)

Matthew Tarr RHP / West Aurora, IL / 2022

From 3/20/21: ““One of the top two-way performances on the day came from C/RHP Matthew Tarr. Tarr, listed at 6-foot-1, 195-pounds, started his day on the mound sitting 87-90 mph, T91 with a hard biting, downer curveball at 76-78 mph and an average spin rate of 2568 rpm. Tarr then proceeded to top at 84 mph from the crouch with his low pop time hovering around the 2.00 mark. Tarr then proceeded to take one of the loudest BP rounds of the day showing present pull-side power and feel to hit. Tarr registered the third highest average exit velocity of the day at 94.48 mph off the bat with the second furthest batted ball of the day at 374 feet. High-follow two-way prospect.”

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(3/20/21)

POSITION PLAYERS

Christian Holmes SS / 2B / Brother Rice, IL / 2022

From 9/30/20: “6-foot, 180 pounds; athletic build with sneaky strength. Even with the slick on-field conditions after the rainfall Sunday, Holmes could be relied on to range around the infield to make the savvy play with delicate hands and smooth footwork. Holmes also has some surprisingly big pull-side pop, as he knows how and when to backspin and elevate baseballs. He crushed a low-and-in fastball for a no-doubt homer that had some serious hang time. Earlier in the day, he barreled an upper-80s fastball for a line-drive single to center, showcasing a feel to hit, in addition to his power profile.”

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(8/2/20)

Victor Izquierdo 1B / C / Lockport, IL / 2022

From 4/23/21: “Navy commit, currently ranked No. 41 in Illinois. Strong, physical 6-foot-2 200-pound frame. Superior strength throughout frame. Offensively is a catalyst for the Porters hitting in their three-hole. Right-handed hitter, open athletic stance. Features a big leg-kick that helps to keep him in rhythm and on time. Confident and mature presence in the box. Features advanced bat strength combined with a feel to hit. Was on the barrel with authority in two of his four at-bats. Singled hard to right-field and then followed up with a laser into the left-center field gap for extra bases. Also a catcher, Izquierdo spent this game at first base. Frame fits the first base mold at the next level; big target with soft hands. Routinely showed the ability to pick the baseball and handle tough hops. Fluid feet for his size, feel around the bag. One of the top right-handed power bats in the Illinois’ 2022 class.”

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(7/6/21)

Ben Karpowicz OF / South Elgin, IL / 2022

Karpowicz will be making his PBR event debut participating at the first-ever Preseason ProCase. The Illinois State recruit has been one of the state’s best multi-sport talents, starring at quarterback for South Elgin previously, and his skill set translates seamlessly to the diamond where he’s been even better. He’s a 6-foot, 205-pound right/right prospect with an innately strong swing that naturally elevates through the baseball, creating a powerful profile. His over-the-fence capabilities offensively are among the best in the Midwest, with real middle-of-the-order potential at the next level.

Will Plattner C / 1B / Glenwood , IL / 2022

From 3/24/21: “While his right-handed bat is his biggest strength, [Plattner] is increasingly capable of handling the behind-the-plate duties, with some of the group’s lowest average pops in addition to an arm that reached an 81 mph high to second; he also recorded a 100.3 mph max exit speed from the right-handed batter's box.”

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(3/20/21)

Shai Robinson SS / Homewood-Flossmoor , IL / 2022

From 11/19/21: “One of the biggest risers towards the top of the rankings is [Robinson], up five spots in this update, now sitting at No. 11 in the state. An Illinois State commit, Robinson has long been one of the top middle infield defenders in the state and his frame and right-handed bat continue to tick up. Robinson flashed pull-side pop this fall, handling velo and taking consistent, competitive at-bats against velocity."

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(7/6/21)

Brandon Rogers OF / Mount Carmel, IL / 2022

Rogers is committed to Oklahoma for baseball, but since making that announcement in August of 2020, he’s continued to garner attention in football at quarterback. He’d earned himself a reputation as one of the most athletic players in the Midwest, and he’s reportedly added significant strength that’s complemented his athleticism. We’ve not seen Rogers since his time on Team Illinois at the 2020 PBR Future Games, but we’re eager to see how he’s developed over this offseason. Last time we checked in, he looked capable of growing into a center field role while possessing some twitchy bat speed and strength tools from the right-handed batter’s box.

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(8/2/20)

Jack Scheri SS / 2B / LaSalle Peru, IL / 2022

From 5/19/21: “Creighton commit, ranked No. [17]  in the Illinois 2022 class. Compact 5-foot-11 195-pound frame, advanced strength in forearms and lower-half. Continues to show as one of the top prospects in the class. Right-handed hitter starts in an open setup, smooth load into a short-stride. Hands work quick and short through the zone, ball jumps off the bat, showed ability to create backspin with a towering home run to left-field. Advanced pitch recognition for pitches in and around the zone. Finished the day 2-for-2 with a homerun, double and two walks. Defensively; fluid footwork, athletic actions, shows easy range, ability to keep the ball in front to both sides, hands work smooth and through the baseball. Arm plays well with strong and accurate throws to bases. High-follow 2022 Prospect."

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(7/6/21)

Brady Small OF / Lemont, IL / 2022

From 5/14/21: “... 6-foot-2, 200-pound, strong, wide shouldered, left-handed hitting first baseman and pitcher. Potential two-way talent at the next level but bat is currently his calling card. Offensively, athletic setup, toe-tap stride. Hands work quick and short through the zone, above-average bat-speed. Ball was jumping off the bat in BP. Showed big, raw pull-side power with all field power potential in the future. Swings with controlled aggression, strong wrists and feel for the barrel. Creates leverage in swing with the ability to backspin the baseball. The bat carried over into game play where he launched a double to to the right-center field wall. Started for Lemont on the mound for the first time all spring. Loose arm action plays from an over-the-top slot. Tall and fall type delivery that works in-line with the plate. Fastball sat 83-88 mph early on, settling in at 83-86 mph later in the game, above-average spin rate hovering around the 2500 RPM mark. Curveball was 74-75 mph with sharp 11/5 action and spun at 2300 RPM. High Follow 2022."

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(9/5/21)

EVENT DETAILS

Registered position players attending Saturday’s Preseason ProCase are asked to be prepared to check in at 10 a.m.; pitchers-only are asked to check in 1 p.m. Though, continue checking back as times are subject to change. 

Players will be administered through a pro-style workout which includes running times, live BP, defensive evaluations. Pitchers will throw to catchers in a bullpen setting, alongside TrackMan, the top ball-flight tracking technology, and PitchAI, industry-leading biomechanics on-the-go lab. Additional technology includes Blast Motion, Vizual Edge and Driveline. Click here to learn more about these state-of-the-art technologies.

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