Prep Baseball Report

Inside The 2025 Illinois Rankings: On The Radar


By Peter Hamot and Drew Locascio
Illinois Scouting Staff

Our staff recently updated the rankings for one last time in 2022. With the rankings only going up to 60 prospects, naturally there will be players left off that are still highly talented. 

Today, we would like to shine some light on the players that just missed within our rankings, but are very much on our radar.

On the Radar

Noah Brandt C / RHP / Somonauk, IL / 2025

Creekside Super 15 - 7/17/22

Tadgh Callaghan RHP / 3B / Brother Rice, IL / 2025

Illinois State Games - 8/10/22

RHP Tadgh Callaghan (Brother Rice, 2025) had a strong showing throughout his gameplay with a quality three-pitch mix. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound right-hander pitched at 81-83 mph, topping out at 84 mph. He went to a slider at 73 mph and changeup at 75-76 to pair off his fastball. The 2025 struck out three and did not allow a run in his three innings of work at the event.

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Lincoln Causero RHP / Hersey, IL / 2025

Top Tier Scout Day - (6/8/22)

6-foot-3, 180-pound, right-handed pitcher works with a clean, fluid delivery and high-spinning fastball that sat in the low-80s and averaged 2,328 rpm with 17.2 average inches of induced vertical break. Causero also featured a 69-72 mph curveball with >2,00 rpm and killed spin on a low-to-mid 70s changeup. 

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Drew Church MIF / Montini Catholic, IL / 2025

CJ Deckinga 3B / OF / Minooka, IL / 2025

Top Tier Scout Day - 6/08/22

INF Cj Deckinga (Minooka, 2025) was one of the more projectable prospects in attendance, sporting a 6-foot-3, 165-pound, long-levered, high-waisted frame. The right-handed hitter starts from a crouched setup, leg-lift timing trigger and loose, athletic hands with natural lift through the zone. Deckinga made a lot of hard gap-to-gap contact throughout his round. On the infield he has a quick arm topping out at 74 mph across the diamond. His footwork is clean and quick, allowing him to move with ease.

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Dax Dunnill 1B / LHP / Edwardsville, IL / 2025

GBA Scout Day - 5/29/22

LHP Dax Dunnill (Edwardsville, 2025; IL) touched 86 mph from the left side on his final bullet during his bullpen at the GBA Scout Day. 6-foot-2, 175-pound, left-handed arm to follow in Southern Illinois.

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Caden Earing RHP / SS / Mundelein , IL / 2025

Joliet Preseason ID - 2/27/22

RHP Caden Earing (Mundelein, 2025) gave our scouting staff his strongest showing to date, adding five mph to his fastball since our last look this past June. The athletic right-hander ran his fastball up to 82 mph with easy life and finish through the zone, playing with notable horizontal action and pouring it in for strikes. His curveball pairs off his fastball effectively, thrown with intent and breaking off a sharp 11/5 plane with short shape, sitting mostly in the 72-74 mph range. Earing went to an above-average changeup to round out his arsenal; thrown with fastball arm-speed and featuring heavy arm-side sink, also kept down at 74-75 mph. 

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