Prep Baseball Report

MLB Draft: Wisconsin Day 2


By Andy Sroka
Staff Writer

It’ll be tough to follow up the excitement that Jarred Kelenic brought the prep baseball scene in Wisconsin’s during the first day of the MLB Draft, but we’ll do our best by taking you through all of the Wisconsin-related action on Day Two. We'll go through these four draftees out of college who all attended Wisconsin high schools. Owen Miller (Illinois State; 2015) was the first player drafted on Tuesday with Wisconsin prep ties, and 12 picks later Terrin Vavra (Minnesota; 2015) was selected. Two more Wisconsin high school alum were taken on Day Two of the draft, and we’ll break them down a little more thoroughly below.

Owen Miller, SS, Illinois State (Ozaukee HS, 2015)
3rd Round, 84th Overall, San Diego Padres

The former Ozaukee shortstop came out of high school as one of Wisconsin’s highest rated players. He followed through on his commitment to Illinois State where he’s started since he arrived on campus as a freshman. He accrued some national honors for his performance as a freshman and produced at a similar rate in his sophomore campaign. In 2018, Miller took a step forward. He slashed .390/.432/.531 for the Redbirds this spring and it lifted him all the way into the third round of the MLB Draft where he was taken by the San Diego Padres.

Report from HS: 2/1/15 – He was one of the bright spots representing Wisconsin at the Super 60. No overwhelming tools but did everything above average, showed confidence and reliability in his game. Athletic frame with room to fill out, 6-foot, 185-pound infielder. Offensively hits with a balanced approach, short stride, excellent balance through contact. Repeatable swing, works the middle of the field, sees the ball well, good barrel control, showed a consistent ability to square the ball up, line drive spray hitter, quiet approach with hard contact. 86 mph exit velocity from the tee. Defensively showed soft hands, consistently plays through the baseball, moved well laterally, knack for putting himself in good position to field the baseball, 6.92 runner in the 60. Arm action is short, over the top slot, highly accurate, plays well across the diamond with carry, 84 mph across the diamond. Miller doesn’t have a plus pro tool and might not “wow” the pro scouting community, but there is no doubt Miller should be a four-year impact player at Illinois State.

Owen Miller (4/21/18)

Terrin Vavra, SS, Minnesota (Menomonie HS, 2015)
3rd Round, 96th Overall, Colorado Rockies

A little more than 10 picks later, Terrin Vavra was selected out of Minnesota, byway of Menomonie High School. The junior shortstop bounced back from a somewhat disappointing sophomore season in 2018. As a freshman, Vavra slashed .358/.398/.467 in the 32 games he played in. When he took over the starting role the following year those numbers dipped but they’re all back way up this spring. Vavra’s slugging .620 and has launched seven homers this season, four more than his first two years combined. He leads the Golden Gophers in batting average (.385) and in homers as Minnesota prepares to take on Oregon State in Friday’s Super Regional.

Report from HS: 4/10/15 – Should be one of the more coveted available seniors in the Midwest. Athletic defender, hands works well, soft, aggressive coming to get the baseball. Arm carries, short over the top and accurate, can play on the move. High level defender. Handles the bat extremely well, very barrel aware, top of the lineup type hitter, high rate of contact. Spray hitter, uses the whole field, hits where pitched. Will be a high average hitter. Also saw him on the mound, strong competitor. Fastball sat 80-83 mph.

Jonathan Stiever, RHP, Indiana (Cedarburg HS, 2015)
5th Round, 138th Overall, Chicago White Sox

Jonathan Stiever had generated some draft buzz because of his improved performance, statistically, on the mound as Indiana’s Friday night starter for the second straight season. The Cedarburg product was actually ranked No. 157 on our draft board. His strikeout numbers jumped up this spring without a discernible change within his arsenal or his velocity. He’s simply improved on what got him to Bloomington. This spring, Stiever has an ERA of 3.41 and has struck out 97 batters in 100.1 innings as the Hoosiers’ No. 1. The increased K-rate had the White Sox call his name in the fifth round yesterday.

Report from HS: 6-foot-2, 185-pound, right-handed pitcher with a lanky, athletic build. Indiana commit, currently ranked No. 11 in the Wisconsin Class of 2015. On the mound works from a ¾ arm slot with a long, loose arm action. Good tempo with a tall and fall online delivery, spins off towards first base side trying to work down glove side. Slider has the makings of a plus swing and miss pitch when he locates it down and away to right-handed hitters. Got multiple K’s on slider. Looks to backdoor lefties with SL and occasionally leaves it over the plate. Slider sat 77-79 mph in the outing. Fastball flashed sink at 85-87 topping out at 88 mph with some effort.

Jonathan Stiever (2/20/18)

Scott Schreiber, OF, Nebraska (Kimberly HS, 2014)
9th Round, 282nd Overall, Houston Astros

The final former Wisconsin prep selected in yesterday’s MLB Draft was the Kimberly grad Scott Schreiber. Schreiber was selected in last year’s draft (26th round, Tampa Bay Rays) as a junior but wisely returned to school where he improved on his draft stock, becoming one of the Big Ten’s most potent bats. His power potential is what allures teams and what got the Houston Astros to call his name in the ninth round. He hit .369 this season for the Huskers, the second-best mark on the team, and slugged 18 homers, a team-high.

Report from HS: 2/3/14 – When talking about raw athleticism and projectability, Scott Schreiber left a lot to the imagination for pro scouts in attendance at the Super 60. Schreiber who was Wisconsin’s Gatorade Player of the Year in Wisconsin as a junior last year is also an All-State quarterback in a state more well known for its gridiron prospects than baseball players. Schreiber’s raw athleticism stands out maybe more than anyone at the event. He stands 6-foot-3, 215-pounds and is light on his feet. Schreiber ran a 6.78 in the 60-yard dash and posted a 97 mph exit velocity, a rare combination of speed and strength. Schreiber’s arm also plays on the mound and at third base. He was 85 mph across the diamond and sat 89-90 on the mound. Schreiber’s upside as both a position player and pitcher could bode well for him in the draft because if he ever hits his way out of being a position player his arm would always give him a second life on the mound. One thing is for sure, Schreiber added Kimberly, WI to the travel plans of many scouts this spring.

Scott Schreiber (2/4/14)

RELATED CONTENT