Each summer, the PBR Future Games concludes the summer baseball circuit by collecting the country’s top uncommitted incoming juniors in one place. This year, that place is the LakePoint Sports Complex in Cartersville, Ga.

Today, we’re going to spend a little time introducing you to Team Wisconsin. From all corners of the Badger State, some of the best on-the-market 2021s will be repping Wisconsin at our Georgia complex.

MIDDLE INFIELDERS

In the infield, Bobby Ball (Brookfield Central), Carson Shepard (Sun Prairie), and Ryan Taylor (Verona Area) all make it look easy on defense, but bring other elements to the table on offense. Ball is probably the smoothest defender of the bunch, and it’s where most of his value lies as a next-level prospect. He has a simple, level-planed swing, geared for line-drives and is a smart, aggressive baserunner who can affect the game in a multitude of ways.

Shepard plays with a confidence and moxie that plays from the batter’s box, the infield, and the basepaths. He’s a heads-up type who just has an instinctual handle on the game. From the right-handed batter’s box, he has some sneaky juice, too, and he’s capable of barreling the baseball to all fields. Shepard has an exciting profile for the next level, and he should be able to make himself known to recruiters and evaluators outside of Wisconsin this week.

Carson Shepard (3/10/19)

As for Taylor, he’s a mixture of the two mentioned above – though he hits from the left side and has a little more projection because of his lean 6-foot-1 frame. He’s trending way, way up, too, after spending the summer playing up a level on the STiKS’s 17U squad and showing a real feel to hit in our looks. His barrel feel and pitch selection allows him to comfortably spray the ball all over the field, and he also generates a little natural lift in his swing, which might help him get to more pop down the road. Defensively, he held down shortstop this summer, primarily, and showed the range, hands, and arm strength to stick to the position for the foreseeable future. He’s a high-level follow to circle ahead of Team Wisconsin’s first game on Thursday.

CORNER INFIELDERS

Liam Moreno (Sun Prairie) might spend a little time in the outfield, but he is probably a more comfortable fit for the hot corner. Regardless, he might be one of, if not the, best pure hitters on the team. He has an exceptional feel for the barrel, a loose right-handed swing that redirects baseballs into either gap, but he also picks and chooses when it’s time to try and turn and pull a ball over the left field fence. Moreno’s compact 5-foot-9 build is misleading, he’s a sub-7.00 runner who’s light on his feet and has the present actions to fit at third.

Liam Moreno (4/5/19)

Jared Everson (La Crosse Aquinas) will be occupying first base this week for Team Wisconsin, wielding one of the squad’s best left-handed bats. He has a fluid, loose, fast bat with gap-to-gap abilities built through bloodlines, too. He’s a natural first baseman and his type of athleticism fits perfectly at the spot.

Lastly, Whitefish Bay’s Brady Marget was one of the best bats on a young, talented Blue Dukes squad. He has an advanced approach with patience above his years, which allows him to select his pitch to jump on and mash from the left-handed batter’s box. He has an upside 6-foot-4 frame and is pretty agile for his size and has all the actions to fit at third base for now, though his long-term home may be on the other corner of the diamond. Don’t worry though, the bat will make the move seamless.

OUTFIELDERS

Outfielders Tanner Marsh (Mondovi) and Luke Nowak (Menomonee Falls) will be gliding the outfield turf, with the likes of Stumpf, Moreno, and others filling in the third spot – but it’s Marsh and Nowak as the main ones to know as the outfield-only prospects.

Marsh is a strong and athletic type who swings a loose left-handed bat, which can be counted on to provide some juice, with some gap-to-gap authority. His bat strength is what separates him from his peers, but he has the athleticism and actions in the outfield, too.

Nowak is a natural athlete, a sub-6.90 runner who can chase ‘em down in center field. Because of his feel on defense, his raw left-handed bat doesn’t have to bring much to the table. He’s still refining it, but it’s already short, quick, and level to the ball which helps him produce some line-drive/spray contact.

CATCHERS

There are two catchers on this roster: Kaden Kosobucki (West De Pere) and Josh Caron (Sun Prairie). Kosobucki broke his wrist toward the end of the spring season, but is back healthy, as evidenced by his performance at The Rock a couple weeks ago. There, he showed his steady, level right-handed bat, fit with solid bat-to-ball skills. Defensively, he’s an all-around reliable defender. He can block and is quick out of the crouch, which makes his average arm strength play up a tick.

As for Caron, he’s built at a strong, athletic 6-foot which helps his catcher profile. He has all the physical traits to make him a successful backstop at the next level – athletic, quick footwork, soft hands, strong arms, and a clean transfer and release. Caron was also a go-to run producer for a Sun Prairie team that made it to the state title game this spring. He swings a loose, projectable right-handed bat with an innate feel for the barrel.

 

Josh Caron (3/3/19)

ITINERARY

Briefly, the format of the week will flow as follows:

+ Wednesday: Team Wisconsin will separate into their positional groups to participate in a showcase-style workout that will take place all day. Corner infielders will run the 60-yard dash, take batting practice, and go through defensive evaluations beginning at 9:30 a.m. The middle infielders will follow in the same order, the outfielders after that, and the catchers will conclude the day.

+ Thursday: Team Wisconsin will play its first game in the evening, with pre-game on-field BP taking place at 7 p.m., first pitch at 8:15 p.m., against Team Indiana. 

+ Friday: First pitch vs. Team Illinois scheduled for 12:15 p.m. Note: there will be no BP on Friday.

+ Saturday: Batting practice will begin at 8:15 a.m. with first pitch vs. Team Iowa/Minnesota at 9 a.m.

RELATED CONTENT