PBR at The Rock Fall Championships: Committed Watchlist

From 6/26/23 “...Iowa commit. Alivo did it all on both sides of the ball on Monday when we saw him. After coming in to get the save in the semi-final game for PTA with a fastball that touched 90 mph, Alivo would start the championship game as well. At the plate, he launched a home run over the left-center fence to help his own cause on the mound. On the bump, he worked a three-pitch mix with the fastball primarily working 87-89 mph, the slider was in the upper 70’s and got swings and misses throughout the outing, as well an 81 mph changeup that has true out-pitch potential. Punched out seven in five innings.”

From 4/19/23 “...Missouri commit. Large, highly physical 6-foot-2, 230-pound frame with broad sturdy shoulders and noticeable lower half strength. Toed the rubber in a start for the Kahoks against Edwardsviille. Quick worker, drop/drive delivery, stays connected to his backside through footstrike, strides across body. Short arm action, ¾ slot. Fastball touched 91 in the second, sat 87-90 mph throughout, backspun it when he stayed behind the baseball, and did cut it at times. Turned to a tight slider often that flashed swing-and-miss spin at 79-80 mph towards the glove-side of the plate, developing consistency.”

From 3/12/23 “...Columbia commit. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound left-handed hitter put on a show during BP, reaching up to 99.3 mph for his max exit velocity with a 90.7 mph average. He creates easy power from his frame, staying short to the ball with a flat to uphill path, working line-drives and hard elevated contact up the middle and to the opposite field. Defensively, Brewer showed a quick and live arm with soft hands - his max velocity on throws to third base was 89 mph. During his ‘pen, he showed a fluid arm action out of a ¾ slot with a fastball that sat 84-85 mph with carry and life through the zone. He mixed in a slider and changeup; his slider showed sweeping actions with depth that he found around the zone; his changeup plays with fade and depth, and he showed feel for the arm side.”

From 8/21/23 “...Kansas State commit. The 6-foot, 190-pound right-hander features a unique delivery in which he creates some cross-fire action and pairs it with a strong arm from a low 3/4 slot that surely makes it tough for opposing hitters to pick up. During his ‘pen, Buss ran his fastball up to 93 mph, while sitting in the 91-92 mph range throughout. Also, Buss created over 14” of induced vertical break on average; that paired with an average release height of 4.7 feet makes this play with even more carry than previously mentioned. As for his offspeeds, Buss featured a wipeout slider in the 79-80 mph range with late bite and averaged nearly 15” of horizontal movement, too. He also showed an improved feel for a deceptive changeup in the mid-to-high-80s with late fade and depth to put the finishing touches on his powerful three-pitch arsenal. The uniqueness mixed with the power stuff that Buss possesses makes him one of the most intriguing arms in the entire state, and he is surely someone we are eager to continue to follow as he enters his final prep season.”

From 2/17/23 “...Iowa commit. Campbell has continued to shape his 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame and he seemed determined throughout his round to show off as much power to all fields as he could while staying easy, balanced and fluid throughout. It was an extremely mature round of BP that led to an event-best 98.7 mph max exit velocity and max batted ball distance of 369’. Campbell moves well for his size laterally with sure-handed actions and a clean transfer. His arm played with some ease and life out of the hand, reaching up to 81 mph across the diamond.”

From 8/8/23 “…Louisville commit. Listed at 6-foot-5, 215-pounds, long limbs. Eberle is deceptive with his delivery, working with a big leg-lift into a slight coil before striding across his body slightly down the mound. Hides the ball well with his short arm action and low ¾ release. The southpaw worked his fastball in the 85-87 mph range with up to 18.4” of run, averaging 16.5”. He went to his sweeping slider most often, ripping it confidently for strikes and to put hitters away, 71-73 mph with 2/8 shape. Flashed a straight changeup at 77 mph. Quiet confidence, “try and hit it” mentality.”

From 8/8/23 “...Eastern Kentucky commit. At a chiseled, yet still projectable, 6-foot-5, 200-pounds, Flowers ran a 6.69 60 and reached 20.6 mph of run speed as well. He almost exclusively elevated the baseball in BP (80%) from the left side and hammered his hardest barrel up at 98.3 mph while launching his furthest barrel 360 feet, per TrackMan. Flowers was also up to 90 mph from the outfield, though we’ve seen him touch 94 mph previously, and flashed his natural arm strength in game on a lively throw to third base from right field. His tools, physical stature, and upside should undoubtedly draw professional buzz around Flowers this fall and into the spring season.” 

From 2/25/23 “...SIUE commit. To start his day, Grams registered the best 60-yard dash time of the event at 6.60, and his top run speed was 21.0 mph, which was another event high. He continued to show off his athleticism during his two jump mat tests, where he reached a jump power of 2,019 and a vertical jump of 36.9 inches, two more event-best measurements. Then during his ‘pen, he used his raw athleticism to sit in the 86-88 mph range with some rise/run traits through the zone. He also featured two breaking balls, a curveball and slider. Both have shorter action to them, but the slider does play off some sharper depth. He was also able to kill spin on his changeup that played with downer action and some fade. Grams is a next-level athlete with even more ceiling.”

From 5/2/23 “...Kentucky commit. 6-foot-4, 205-pounds, physical, broad-shouldered, right-handed hitter. Got the start at shortstop and batted second going 2-for-4 on the day with a double and three RBIs. The right-handed hitting shortstop has quick, athletic hands through the zone with a compact swing. Creates natural back spin and drives the ball into the gaps with power. Defensively, made one play to the glove side working with athletic movements to the ball with a clean glove to hand transfer.”

From 3/12/23 “...Notre Dame commit. Hayes is listed at an attention grabbing 6-foot-7, 215-pounds and he put together a solid ‘pen during our time in Windsor. Hayes ran his two-different fastballs, a two-seam and a four-seam, up to 84.6 mph and sat 83-84 mph. The four-seam plays mostly straight with some occasional arm-side run; the two-seam features more run, roughly more than 13’ on average. One of the more impressive things about his fastball is that he spins it at an average of 2534 rpm which makes this pitch seem even that much harder. Hayes’ feel to spin transfers over to his curveball that averages 2556 rpm and plays with short 11/5 action. He also is able to effectively kill spin on a changeup, roughly 1640 rpm on average.”

From 6/21/23 “...Oklahoma commit. Infelise solidified himself as one of the top backstops in the Class of 2025 after turning in an impressive spring en route to being named the Chicago Catholic League Blue Player of the Year. The IHSBCA Class 4A All-State selection turned-in a .525/.636/.717 slash line with two home runs, 35 RBI’s, 13 doubles and 52 hits against a tough slate of opponents, and was an anchor for a Providence Catholic squad that finished with a 30-7-1 overall record. Infelise also continued to show his prowess behind the plate, registering a .984 fielding percentage on the season.”

From 7/11/23 “...Illinois-Chicago commit. Built at an athletic 6-foot-4, 210-pounds with noticeable strength in his lower half, Jibben features a clean and repeatable delivery on the mound. Out of a ¾ slot, Jibben’s fastball topped at 88.8 mph and sat in the 85-87 mph range throughout his outing. He also showed confidence in a pair of developed offspeed pitches, the first being a 11/5 curveball with late bite. The second was a deceptive changeup that played with late depth and fade, averaging nearly a foot of horizontal movement. Jibben has been on a tear throughout the last calendar year or so, and Tuesday was yet another solid showing from arguably the top uncommitted arm in the state.”

From 4/14/23 “...Illinois State commit. Physical, 6-foot-2, 215-pound build, continues to advance his frame with muscle, appearing to be leaner since our last look. At the plate, the right-handed hitter has advanced bat-strength, especially for this age - seemingly flicking a ball to the opposite field for a double in his first at-bat. He’s always been a vocal leader behind the plate, and his defense looks to be trending upwards - showing improved hands while receiving with a hop to his step, also flashing a well above-average arm down to second. High-level 2024 backstop that profiles in the middle of the order at the next level.”

From 6/6/23 “...Cincinnati commit. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound, long-limbed, athletic, right-hander works primarily out of the stretch and is an easy mover down the mound with a drop and drive delivery that works slightly across his body. The arm works clean with acceleration out front, from a ¾ slot. Fastball worked in the zone 67% of the time and sat in the mid-80s, T87.3 mph (average 2429 rpm). Slider played out of a similar window as his fastball, flashing sweeping action at 76-77 mph. Koch rounded out his three-pitch mix with a changeup that he kills spin on at 82 mph with some run and sink action.”

From 2/18/23 “...Louisville commit. Kussow stands 6-foot-5, 195 pounds, with extra-long levers that he repeats well for his age and size, especially. He moves smoothly down the mound and, even with his long arm circle, he releases the ball consistently from a high ¾ window that makes for a steep entrance to and through the zone on a fastball that lived in the 88-89 mph range (89.5 max). He pairs the firm, heavy fastball with an out-pitch weapon, his slider. It’s an aggressive, go-to secondary that he showed excellent feel for, landing it in and beneath the zone regularly at 79-80 mph. It has sharp, late, downer action that spins right around the 2,700 rpm range on average, with a firm, fading changeup, 82-84 mph, as a fine third pitch in his mix. Kussow exemplified why he is one of the top arms in the entire Midwest, and he’s gaining even more momentum after this performance.”

From 7/23/23 “...Illinois commit. Highly projectable, 6-foot-2, 170-pound frame. Advanced catch/throw operation, consistently working around 1.90 seconds for his pop-time while even reaching slightly lower at times. The right-handed hitter has a fluid load with a simple and short stride. He fires through the zone with a loose and uphill path, power should continue to rise as he fills out and matures. Showed the ability to work the ball to the whole field with authority.”

From 3/18/23 “...Ohio State commit. Standing at a projectable 6-foot-3, 185-pounds, Lange is an easy mover on the bump and utilized a loose, quick arm to create fastball velocities up to 87.6 mph with carry through the zone, roughly 15’ of IVB on average. He also spun in a sweeping type curveball with depth that flashed sharpness in the low-70s. He rounded out his three-pitch mix with a hard thrown changeup in the high-70s with fade and run action. In game Lange is one of the states fiercest competitors and after blowing up at the Future Games last summer, he seems all the much more of one of the state’s top pitching prospects going into his junior campaign.”

From 8/8/23 “...Indiana commit. Stands at 6-foot-1, 180-pounds with lean strength and plenty of room to add on muscle in the coming years. The right-hander hitter has fluidity and looseness in his stroke, remaining on the barrel throughout the weekend with hard contact to his pull-side. Power potential in the swing as he continues to put on good weight. Reached up to 98.1 mph for his max exit velocity with a max distance of 349’. His BLAST Metrics are also worth noting, as he averaged 22.7 mph for his hand speed and 73 mph for his bat speed. On the infield, Malamazian moves with ease and rhythm, shifting easily to either side of his glove with confident hands and actions. His arm plays with easy life across the diamond and on the move, reaching up to 89 mph in the workout.”

From 2/9/23 “...Xavier commit. Nobe’s day started when he ran one of the day’s fastest 30-yard dashes (3.75) and posted a 1.64 10-yard split, which was also amongst the event’s leaders. He showed an athletic, uphill left-handed swing in BP that produced regularly elevated contact both on average (307 ft.) and peak (356 ft.). Nobe’s hardest barrel jumped off his bat at 97.4 mph and his regular knack for hard contact (89.2 mph) proved throughout. He hopped on the mound afterwards and produced the day’s firmest fastball velocities, sitting at an effortless 89-90 while topping at 91 mph. He spun a tight, firm 77-79 mph slider with depth as well, mixing in an 82-83 mph changeup throughout his ‘pen. Nobe’s status as a premier prospect in this class is evident, and he’s amongst the state’s top uncommitted juniors heading into the spring season."

From 3/18/23 “...North Carolina commit. Palkowski stands 5-foot-10, 190 pounds with a compact and well built frame. The University of North Carolina commit and former Future Gamer showcased exactly why he is the 11th ranked player in the state for a very deep 2024 class. Palkowski displayed lightning fast hands and bat speed and hit rockets through both gaps with a swing that allows him to backspin rockets to both gaps. His max exit velocity of 95 mph was one of the best of the day and his 88.2 mph average exit velocity indicates how consistently hard he was hitting the ball during his round of batting practice. On defense, he charges the ball aggressively cutting down the distance to home and his 90 mph throws from the outfield were the 5th best velocity of the day. Palkowski is a dynamic athlete whose tools certainly play in between the lines.”

From 5/17/23 “...Illinois commit. Strong-bodied, 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame with strength throughout. Started at third base and hit out of the five-hole for the Red Raiders, finishing the day with a grand slam and two walks. Strong right-handed swing, loads with some rhythm and hangs foot for timing; showed easy opposite field power, staying through a pitch on the outer half and driving it over the wall for his grand slam on a line. Mature approach, limited his chases out of the zone and had a clear plan of attack. Steady actions at third base with a strong arm (T83 mph in-event). Profiles on the corner of the infield and middle of the lineup at the next level. High-follow 2025.”

From 2/25/23 “...Pepperdine commit. Listed at a strong, imposing 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, St. John still managed to run a 7.12 in the 60-yard dash, which is an excellent time for his age and even more impressive given his large stature. At the plate, the Altoona prospect registered a max batted distance of 400 feet which helps underscore the quality of contact he’s capable of generating. St. John averaged an exit velocity over 96 mph, with his hardest hit ball leaving the barrel at 105.0. His Blast Motion metrics were top-of-the-line as well, as the event leader in average bat speed (80.5 mph) and average rotational acceleration (28.3g). Defensively, his athleticism suggests he can continue to progress as a third baseman, and he has the arm strength for the position too, with throws topping 83 mph across.”

From 3/2/23 “...Michigan State commit. Continues to look like the prototypical left/left, center field, leadoff type. Despite not being able to show his elite ability to track fly balls since we were indoors, Thomas’ athleticism was still very apparent throughout his defensive round. He played confidently through the ball in rhythm and also showed off some improved arm strength, now reaching up to 88 mph from a crow-hop. The 6.89 runner (6.71 in the past) has athletic, twitchy hands, a knack for the barrel and gets a lot more jump off the bat (T94.5 mph exit velocity) than his 5-foot-8, 160-pound, wiry frame would indicate.”

From 7/11/23 “...Bradley commit. Standing at a broad-shouldered 5-foot-11, 190-pounds with strength throughout, Trask features a polished right-handed swing that has the ability to shoot the ball from gap-to-gap. During his round, Trask reached exit velocity highs of 96.5 mph and he showed off his power potential as his furthest batted ball traveled an estimated 348 feet. On the infield, Trask’s loud tools are equally impressive, as he features a strong arm and pairs it with athletic, sure-handed actions that point to him having the ability to stick at any of the infield positions in the future. Trask’s hit-tool is also something that we have consistently seen perform in game, and the live gameplay portion of this event is no different. In his three at-bats, Trask recorded a double and would also show off his speed as he stole a base, too. Trask has been one of the most consistent performers in front of our staff for a handful of years now, and he enters his final summer circuit as even more of an uncommitted name-to-know in the Badger State.”

From 6/23/23 “...Notre Dame commit. Stands in a 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame with athleticism and clear strength starting to form. A former member of Team Illinois at the 2022 PBR Future Games, Tunink has continued to stand out since. The left-handed hitter hit a no-doubt home run over the right field fence, and produced multiple quality swings throughout the rest of the game. Above-average defender with a quick first step and accurate reads.”

From 6/6/23 “...Illinois commit. Weber is an athletic 6-foot-1, 180-pound quick operator with a quality pace during his bullpen, showing a repeatable and athletic delivery. Weber moves fluidly and clean down the mound, working over his front leg. Working with a three-pitch mix, Weber’s fastball sat 89-91 mph, topping out at 91.2 mph (tied for the event high) from a low release height; also averaged 15.4” of horizontal movement, T19.1”. His change-up his arguably his best secondary and showed heavy fade to the armside (20.1” HM avg). Rounding out his arsenal, Weber threw a firm slider that sat 76-78 mph with 12.6” of horizontal movement and 2141 average rpm.”