From Sept. 25 to 27, the PBR Wisconsin staff hosted its final tournament at The Rock in 2020, featuring prospects ranging from the 2024 through 2021 classes. We produced day-after content after each gameday, which you can find at the following links: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3. We also published posts last week highlighting the players of the tournament, which you can find here: All-Underclass Teams | All-Upperclass Teams.

Our first half of this tournament's Scout Blog was published yesterday here, featuring the event's Underclass talent. Today, we're concluding this tourney's analysis with reports some of the juniors and seniors who showed well at The Rock, all of which you can find below.

UPPERCLASS

CBT 2021/2022

Carl Cano, RHP, Bay Port, 2021
University of St. Thomas commit. 6-foot-1, 175-pound right-handed pitcher, athletic frame with strength. Simple delivery with shorter, connected arm action, works out of high ¾ slot. Fastball played 85-87 mph, topped at 88 mph. Swing and miss breaking ball, slider action, 11/5 shape, late tight breaking action, 77-78 mph. In a dominant outing, Cano K'd eight in four frames and allowed just one hit and walked none.

Jalen Gellings, INF, Campbellsport, 2022
5-foot-10, 188-pound right-handed-hitting infielder with a strong build on an athletic frame. Coming off a strong summer where he saw his prospect stock rise. Defensively, saw time at both shortstop and third base. Smooth actions on the left side of the infield, showed off his athleticism on a couple of slow rollers. At the dish, Gellings sets up in a balance stance with a toe-tap trigger. He showed off his present bat strength and feel for the barrel by hitting an 84 mph fastball over the center field wall with a wood bat. Follow 2022 prospect.

Thomas Hunt, RHP, Almond-Bancroft, 2021
Bryant & Stratton commit. 6-foot, 190 pound right-handed pitcher with a strong lower half. Made a relief appearance against RakeCity on Saturday. His fastball sat 84-85 mph, running up to 87. Mixed in a curveball at 72-73 mph with 11/5 shape to help miss barrels. He also showed solid feel for his breaking ball. Final line: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 5 K.

Benjamin Lee, RHP, Amherst, 2022
6-foot-6, 195-pound right-handed pitcher with long levers and a lanky and projectable frame. Took the mound on Friday night against Illinois Indians. Lee showcased long and loose arm action from a high ¾ window. His fastball sat 81-83 mph, touching 84, and playing with some downhill tilt that’s created by his size. He also mixed in a breaking ball at 69-70 mph that plays with depth. Lee finished with seven strikeouts over five innings of work. 

Logan Paplham, RHP, Denmark, 2021
5-foot-8, 170 pounds; thin frame with long levers. Made a really interesting appearance at this tournament, sitting 81-83 mph in relief with a quick arm. Changeup showed genuine swing-and-miss qualities; thrown at arm speed, with natural fade, and he was flipping in his breaking ball for strikes.

Easton Zempel, INF/RHP, Middleton, 2022
6-foot-6, 180 pounds; tall stature with projection in long levers. Took the mound in a relief appearance on Friday night where he was up to 82 mph and he struck out four in two frames. He shows offensive upside too, with a loose right-handed swing. It’ll be an interesting offseason for Zempel, as his obvious projection could really get him to earn more attention.

Jacob Kleeman, OF, Bay Port, 2021
5-foot-9, 165-pound left-handed-hitting outfielder, strong build. Quick leg kick stride, on time, short path to the baseball with above average bat strength. Hit a double and single in-game; barrel feel helps him connect for hard-hit contact into both gaps.

GRB RAYS GREEN

Mason Kirchberg, 3B/2B, DeForest, 2021
6-foot, 190 pounds; all-around athlete with strength in build. Kirchberg has been one of the summer’s hottest hitters in front of our staff, as he’s constantly on the barrel. His scouting report hasn’t changed much since we wrote this up in July: Right-handed hitter, long and loose swings with bat speed; demonstrated excellent bat-to-ball skills, barreling pitches around the zone with an up-the-middle approach. Creates some loud contact, utilizing both gaps. Played shortstop for GRB Rays, dependable there, though the skills translate best to third where he can become an even greater asset.

Charlie Bogue, C, Mount Horeb, 2021
5-foot-11, 185 pounds; leaning out his frame, adding strength. Has performed well this summer, and has always shown an above-average skillset from behind the plate. He has efficient actions from the crouch, enhanced by his trimmer build. Simple right-handed swing has repeatedly shown the ability to connect on loud contact, and he did so again at this tournament.

GRB RAYS MKE

Max Stocco, MIF, Marquette University 2022
5-foot-7, 155-pound left-handed-hitting middle infielder with an athletic build and plenty of room for physical maturity. Batted at the top of the order throughout the weekend for GRB. Sets up in a crouched and athletic stance with a short toe tap stride. He has smooth loading actions and a short stroke with excellent bat-to-ball skills. Consistently put together quality at bats throughout the weekend. Finished the weekend 3-for-7 with four RBIs. 

Michael Carpenter, LHP, Arrowhead, 2022
Wiry, quick-twitch left-handed pitcher, 6-foot, 165-pounds. Started on the mound against Top Tier 17U on Saturday morning. Athletic tall/fall type delivery, closed front side, creates some deception, athletic finish through release. Long and loose arm action, high ¾ slot. Fastball sat 77-79 mph, touching 80 mph, most effective down in the zone, groundball type of pitch with the fastball. Heavy emphasis on attacking the arm-side of the plate to right-handed hitters in this start. Curveball sat 64-67 mph, 1/7, breaks early, velocity difference off fastball effectively kept hitters off balance. 

Matthew Mueller, LHP, Brookfield Central 2022
6-foot-4, 195-pound tall and lanky left handed pitcher with a projectable frame. Mueller is one of the top ranked southpaws in the states 2022 class. Long and loose arm action from a high ¾ window. Mueller’s arm works well out front with solid arm speed. He doesn’t have too much effort in his delivery. Fastball sat 81-82 mph, touching 83 mph a handful of times early on. Mixed in a breaking ball with 1/7 shape at 65-67 mph to help miss barrels. He flashed feel for his breaking ball, and tends to slightly slow down his arm speed while throwing it. His final line was 5 IP, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. 

ILLINOIS INDIANS (2021)

Justin Colon, OF, Dundee-Crown, IL, 2021
A high-energy player in a smaller, athletic frame. Colon impressed in several ways at this tournament, and first stuck out for his fast, whippy right-handed bat that ran into several hard-hit, bad-luck outs at The Rock. Hitting at the top of the order, Colon’s aggressive swings seemingly favor the right-center gap. He’s an athletic, hard runner and he bursts from the batter’s box well, while also roaming around center field with bounce. He threw out a runner at third base, too, with a strike to the base.

ILLINOIS INDIANS (2022)

Ryan Henschel, OF, Glenbrook North, IL, 2022
A strong 5-foot-11, 178-pound prospect with tools. Henschel’s aggressive right-handed bat has some length to it, but he uses it to make hard, lofted contact well, and there’s some notable bat speed attached to it. A corner outfield profile, Henschel’s arm strength should also fit well in either spot.

Jake Kohanzo, RHP, Barrington, IL, 2022
A big and strong 6-foot-2 righty who gets to some easy velocity. It looked like he was showing a couple different fastballs Sunday, one four-seam type that was able to reach 86-87 mph and a heavy, running two-seam type in the low-80s. He also mixed in an aggressive curveball with above-average depth.

Gavin Sitarz, LHP, St. Charles East, IL, 2022
5-foot-11, 155-pound southpaw with room for continued physical maturity. Sitarz tossed one of the more dominant outings this past weekend. Sitarz has a drop and drive delivery and showed off long and loose arm action with some deception. His arm works from a high ¾ slot. His fastball sat 80-82 mph, touching 83 mph a variety of times. His heater plays mostly straight and was located throughout the strike zone. He mixed in a breaking ball at 70 mph with 12/6 shape and a changeup at 74-75 mph with nice fading action. Showed excellent control of the strike zone, as he allowed only one walk throughout his complete game outing. Final line: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 16 K. 

ISA STARS FALL 17U

Brandon Black, 1B/RHP, Bay Port, 2022
6-foot-2, 225-pound frame; inherent strength. Right-handed bat features some power potential, and his feel for the barrel allows him to spray hard-hit balls into either gap. Mature, confident approach helps him handle velocity well. Simple, short path to the zone. Connected for a loud double last weekend against one of the state’s top-ranked senior arms.

ISA STARS FALL 18U

Gage Smith, RHP, Appleton North, 2021
6-foot-3, 175 pounds; high-end projection to lean, lanky frame. Smith is beginning to come into his own as one of the state’s most intriguing upside arms. At this tourney, Smith sat 83-85 mph early with a quick, loose arm that creates a steep angle to home. The curveball flashed sharp action, with potential to become a go-to out-pitch down the road. A notable on-the-market arm to check in on.

Tanner Katers, LHP/OF, Ashwaubenon, 2021
5-foot-11, 155 pounds; a competitive two-way player to know in the state’s 2021 class. Recorded a terrific outing on Saturday morning, limiting his opposition to just one run on one hit, one walk, and he struck out nine in four innings. Fastball sat in the upper-70s and low-80s, topping 82 mph. Feel for his offspeed; a tight breaking ball and a fading change. Also operates as his team’s lead-off hitter, a simple singles-type approach with a tendency to go the other way from the left-handed batter’s box.

Thomas Ellisen, RHP/INF, Kimberly, 2021
6-foot-3, 185 pounds; premium combination of athleticism and size. Ellisen has enjoyed a productive summer that’s landed him way up the senior rankings. Most of that attention came from his work on the mound, where his velocity just continued to climb throughout the year, up to 89 mph at the end of the summer. However, he may need to be earning some more attention for his right-handed bat, in addition to his upside on the mound. He tallied four hits at this tourney without striking out, and he’s a sub-7.00 runner with a raw athleticism that could be molded into a viable third base profile. Either way, Ellisen remains one of the more intriguing uncommitted players in Wisconsin’s senior class.

MIDWEST HALOS

Adam Balcerak, RHP/OF, Muskego, 2022
6-foot, 180 pounds; an athlete who’s emerged as an interesting junior follow in the state this summer. Twitchy all-around game, it’s repeated hard-line drive contact from the right-handed batter’s box and is a sub-6.90 runner. Quick, loose arm on the mound, long arm circle, sat 81-84 mph, touched 85 early. Raw feel for spin, but the breaking ball projects, flashed some sharp action.

Ryan Campbell, SS/2B, Brookfield Academy, 2022
5-foot-10, 155 pounds; athletic, thin look. Stood out for his work from the left-handed batter’s box. Confident, comfortable approach that projects as a top-of-the-order type. Loose hands, repeatable swing, barrel feel. Was one of the offensive sparks for Halos at this event.

Mason Krznarich, 1B/RHP, Arrowhead, 2022
6-foot-5, 235 pounds; large frame that’s gotten trimmer as the year’s gone on, adding more muscle. He initially jumped out this year for his arm on the mound; it’s been up to 84-85 mph with carry through the zone, he’ll be working on reining it in to land more strikes, and the changeup looks like a viable outpitch at times. But Krznarich also swings a hefty, fast, strong left-handed bat with bat speed, loose hands. He launched a couple opposite-field doubles at this tournament, so it remains to be seen where he exactly projects best.

PROPLAYER HURRICANES (2022)

Nico Acevedo, C/RHP, Crystal Lake Central (IL), 2022
Strong, compact catcher/right-handed pitcher, 5-foot-10, 190-pounds. Started against Prospect Training Academy Cardinal on Saturday morning. Works exclusively out of the stretch, methodical drop and drive delivery, low-effort throughout. Plays the game with emotion; noticeable confidence and moxy in himself to succeed on the bump. Long arm action, high ¾ slot. Fastball comes out clean, sat 81-83 mph, touching 84 mph with straight action. Landed curveball for strikes, 63-65 mph, 11/5 shape with depth. Changeup thrown with near fastball arm speed, 71-73 mph, natural pronation creates tumbling arm-side action. Feel for mixing his pitches and not becoming too predictable with sequencing; intriguing arm to follow in the Fox Valley Conference. 

PROPLAYER HURRICANES (2021)

Jaden Carr, OF, Huntley, IL, 2021
5-foot-10, 170 pounds; athletic frame, wiry strength. An athletic uncommitted senior who showed well this weekend. He plays the game at a fast pace, which works well with his best tool, speed, which helps him patrol the outfield and run the bases well. It's a long right-handed swing with above-average bat speed.

Tyler Castro, 2B/SS, Huntley, IL, 2021
6-foot-1, 160 pounds; a thin athlete. Castro has above-average actions across the board, and his competitive at-bats regularly set the table for the hot hitters lined up behind him in ProPlayer's (2021) order. He sprays contact around the field, with barrel feel, from the left-handed box with loose hands. Defensively, he's smooth with a second base profile, and he's reliable in that role.

Daniel Contreras, C, Rockford Boylan, IL, 2021
5-foot-11, 195 pounds; sturdy, strong backstop in the state’s senior class, still uncommitted. Contreras consistently demonstrates an advanced feel to connect for loud, hard contact from the right-handed batter’s box. His physical, fast swings are athletic enough to land barreled contact to all fields. Defensively, he’s quick out of the crouch, an efficient catch-and-throw skillset, and he’s shown to be a soft blocker.

Kyle Hayes, 1B, St. Charles East, IL, 2021
Kirkwood Community College commit. Strong, physically advanced right-handed hitting first baseman, 6-foot-1, 220-pounds. Middle-of-the-order bat for Pro Player Canes 2021 on Sunday, leading them offensively to a championship. Strong hands and wrists, present bat speed to pair, bat travels on a short uphill trajectory, natural loft through contact. Ball sounds different when he finds the barrel, tremendous pull-side power to pair. Hammered a first pitch fastball for a three-run home run in the semi-final game; finished that affair by driving in five total runs. Profiles long-term as a true cleanup thumper type of offensive threat. 

Camden Janik, C, Wauconda, IL, 2021
5-foot-9, 195 pounds; compact, strong athlete who is committed to Illinois. Janik crushed two baseballs into each gap on Friday, both of which went for extra bases and then deposited a couple balls over the fence to make for one of the more productive stat lines of the weekend. Defensively, he's extremely reliable with leadership traits from behind the plate. He’s an all-around athlete that plays with a high motor and is a top-15 ranked prospect in Illinois’ 2021 class.

A.J. Kutcher, LHP, Antioch (IL), 2021
Muscular, well-proportioned left-handed pitcher, 5-foot-11, 165-pounds. Uncommitted arm that started for Pro Player Canes 2021 against Prospect Training Academy Cardinal on Friday afternoon. Low-effort tall/fall type delivery, high leg kick at balance point, works in line and lands square to target. Long and loose arm action plays from a clean ¾ slot. Fastball sat 77-80 mph, touching 81 mph with heavy arm-side action, thrown for strikes, and played up from a lower release angle. Curveball worked in the 65-68 mph range, 1/7 shape, gradual action, decelerates arm action through release. Attacked left-handed hitters with curveballs, got some ugly swings-and-misses doing so. Pitchability southpaw that remains uncommitted. 

Dylan Petrey, RHP, Hampshire, 2021
5-foot-11, 165-pound right-handed pitcher, works out of a ¾ slot with long arm action. Showed well above-average fastball control, command at times, sat 80-83 mph, topped 85. Curveball has slurve type action, 65-70 mph. Petrey's feel for his big mix is what separates him from fellow uncommitted arms in the region. He came in clutch for ProPlayer on Sunday in the team's championship game, too, and was credited with the victory.

Mason Schwalbach, 3B, Marian Central Catholic (IL), 2021
Physical left-handed hitting third baseman, 6-foot, 225-pounds. Primarily hit towards the middle-of-the-order for Pro Player 2021 this weekend. Strong hands and wrists, advanced raw power to all fields, generates natural loft on swing from an uphill plane. Controlled the barrel well, confident bat-to-ball skills as well; works counts and chokes up when he gets behind. Hammered the baseball all weekend, including a no-doubt home run over the right-field scoreboard on Friday afternoon. Had multiple other extra-base hits throughout the tournament, shooting the ball into both gaps. Power-hitting corner infield prospect that remains uncommitted. 

PROSPECT TRAINING ACADEMY CARDINAL

Taylor Kilps, LHP, Whitnall, 2022
6-foot-2, 175 pounds; lanky, high-waisted junior who projects well. While raw, Kilps offers some substantial upside given his quick, loose arm that was up to 85 mph at this tourney. The ball jumps from his hand, and it features some natural, hard arm-side action that can jump on the hands of hitters. Still searching for a go-to offspeed offering, Kilps is going to be an especially intriguing prospect to check back in on after another offseason.

Owen Rice, LHP, East Troy, 2021
6-foot-4, 175 pounds; lanky levers, high projection. An uncommitted Wisconsin senior who has been on the rise this late summer and fall. Rice’s upside on the mound is undeniable, as the long-levered left-hander makes for an uncomfortable at-bat against anyone. He came out of the 'pen sitting 82-84, touching 86 mph on his fastball that effectively plays up in the zone from a high release point. We also saw him spin off some breaking balls that flashed sharp actions, playing from a 1/7 plane at 68-70 mph.

Ethan Sawyer, 2B/OF, Germantown, 2021
5-foot-10, 170 pounds; Sawyer’s put together a very productive summer, offensively, and it has landed him on the radar late in the recruiting game. His well-rounded game helps him contribute in multiple ways, too. Right-handed hitter, loose swings off an uphill plane, connects for some loud, lofted contact with barrel feel, favors the pull-side. Projects best defensively at second base, where he’s shown above-average hands and actions.

Jacob Thoresen, RHP, Oak Creek, 2021
Strong, wide-shouldered right-handed pitcher, 6-foot, 199 pounds. Drop and drive type delivery, loads well into back hip, works direct to target, repeats well. Short arm action, over-the-top slot; quick arm. Fastball sat 83-85 mph, heavy action, four-seam type, works best down in the zone. Challenges hitters with his heater, fastball dominant sequence throughout this outing. Curveball played in the 65-68 mph range spinning off an 11/5 plane, gradual action. Uncommitted arm in Wisconsin’s 2021 class. 

RakeCity

Max Babich, LHP, Benet, IL, 2022
5-foot-11, 170-pound left-handed pitcher, average build. Delivery works slightly rotational, arm plays with longer draw and out of a shorter window, high ¾ slot. Fastball played with slight arm side run, sitting 80-84 mph, occasionally worked with angle. Curveball continued to gain fell as the game progressed, 1/7 shape at 68-69 mph, tight spin at times.

Mason Baer, OF, York, IL, 2022
5-foot-11, 180-pound right handed hitting outfielder with an athletic build. Baer’s got quick hands that help him generate fast bat speed, and showed off some sneaky pop against CBT. He drove a crucial RBI double off the wall in Center Field, putting Rake City ahead for good.

Waylon Deck, RHP, Homewood Flossmoor, IL, 2022
6-foot-1, 175 pounds; strength in the lower half, lean levers. In RakeCity's first game of the day on Saturday, Deck went the seven-inning distance after pitching around some trouble at the beginning and end of his start. He allowed just one run and K’d 10; he was up to 85 mph this summer at a PBR Illinois event and he’s ranked inside the state’s top-120. It's a quick, clean arm with some upside.

Blake Edmonds, 2B/OF, Hinsdale Central, IL, 2022
5-foot-10, 180 pounds; lean athlete who projects well. Edmonds recorded a couple barrels for singles with his timely left-handed bat Saturday, and he played a dynamic second base – he ranged up the middle for a phenomenal, backhand and throw for the out, and later dove to his left, deflecting a ball with his body and gathering it again for another out. His hard-nosed performance captured the energy inside RakeCity's dugout, one of the weekend's top performing squads.

Parker Baryl, OF, St. Rita, IL, 2022
5-foot-9, 160 pounds; lean frame with athleticism. He robbed the Illinois’ top-ranked junior, Alex Stanwich, of a first-inning home run in the semifinals. Baryl tracked a high fly ball to the left-center fence and jumped as he arrived to the warning track to perfectly reel in the would-be homer. Later, he barreled a Stanwich heater for a single up the middle. Baryl’s an athletic left-handed hitter with a loose, simple swing that works to utilize the middle of the field.

Cooper Ohlson, OF/3B, Lyons Township, IL, 2022
6-foot, 205 pounds; advanced strength in athletic build, broad shoulders. Ohlson makes some special contact off the barrel. His contact was some of the loudest of the weekend, and he connected for a home run, as well as more hard-hit damage as the weekend went on. It's a quick, loose right-handed swing with a natural feel for pull-side power. He has quick feet, and fits in either a left field or corner infielder's profile.

Dom Corgiat, LHP, Fenwick, IL, 2022
Corgiat nearly tossed a complete game in his outing, falling an out short, but he looked even more in control of his start. He was attacking the strike zone with 81-83 mph velocity, up to 84-85 early, with arm-side action combined with an aggressive breaking ball. He struck out 12 in 6.2 innings without allowing a run. He has a loose, quick arm in a 6-foot-2, 170-pound frame and is ranked inside Illinois' top-60 for its 2022 class.

Brian Twomey, C, Riverside Brookfield, IL, 2022
6-foot-2, 190-pound right handed hitting backstop with athleticism. Sets up in a balanced stance with smooth loading actions and a leg lift trigger. Twomey has a compact swing, and takes violent hacks each time at the plate. Came up big in Rake City’s victory over CBT, driving in a pair of runs with a hard hit ball up the middle. 

Jake Munroe, 3B, Champaign Central, IL, 2022
6-foot-2, 205-pound right handed hitting infielder with a strong frame and broad shoulders. Batted in the cleanup spot for a strong Rake City lineup this weekend. Munroe’s got a long swing with present bat strength and a gap-to-gap approach. His bat strength translates to power to all fields. He showed this off by jumping on a fastball driving a solo shot over the center field wall against CBT on Saturday to jump start Rake City’s offense. 

STARTERS 17U NATIONAL

Kyle Hvidsten, 3B, Jordan, MN, 2022
6-foot, 210-pound right handed hitting corner infielder with a strong frame. 2020 Future Games participant. Batted third and played third base for the Starters against GRB Green. In the field, he showed good range at third base. Strong arm that played accurate across the diamond. At the dish, sets up in a balanced stance with a slight leg lift trigger. Has quick bat speed, bat travels on a slightly uphill path through contact. Drove a ball hard up the middle for a crucial RBI single in a close victory. Landed a couple more clutch hits through the rest of the weekend; bat is fitted for extra-base production.

Maddox Mihalakis, SS, Hopkins, MN, 2022
6-foot-2, 175-pound left handed hitting shortstop with an athletic body that has some projection. Played for team Midwest Select in the 2020 Future Games. Batted second and played shortstop against GRB Green. At the dish, he has a short and quick swing that produces line drives to all fields. Showed off natural actions in the infield. 

Cade Weigert, RHP, Southwest Christian, MN, 2022
6-foot-3, 190-pound right-handed pitcher, lean frame. Tall and fall delivery, arm works out of high ¾ slot, athletic arm action. Fastball sat 83-84 mph, touched 85-86, mostly straight four seam action. Flashed curveball at 69 mph, and changeup at 70 mph.

TOP TIER 17U

Shane Curtin, LHP, Lyons Township, IL, 2022
5-foot-11, 160 pounds; lean, wiry athlete. Curtin can always be relied on to turn in a competitive outing. The highly athletic southpaw attacks the strike zone, sitting 83-85 mph, regularly going to his advanced changeup. It features swing-and-miss fade, thrown at arm speed. Curtin can also spin a breaking ball, though it’s presently more of a change-of-pace offering, more effective in left-left matchups. His ability to spot his full arsenal helps his stuff play up.

Christian Holmes, SS, De La Salle, IL, 2022
Kansas State commit. 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.

Evan Jones, OF, Normal University, IL, 2022
6-foot-2, 183 pounds; big frame, strong levers, projects. Jones was one of the weekend's hottest hitters. A right-handed bat with a long, fast swing that uses the middle of the infield well in his approach. He repeats his swing well, which helped him land multiple barrels. He moves with fluid feet in the outfield which will fit well in a corner, where his arm can be an asset.

Ryan Louthan, C, Joliet Catholic, IL, 2022
5-foot-10, 187 pounds; thick/strong build. Louthan was one of his team’s most productive hitters this weekend, though especially on Sunday. He sliced a couple of barreled baseballs into his opposite left-center gap, and pulled another double into the right field corner. He’s a brawny left-handed hitter who is prone to loud contact, and he showed some upside defensively, with arm strength.

Josh Outlaw, OF, Maine West, IL, 2022
Outlaw has a left-handed swing that’s very pleasing on the eye. It’s smooth, fast, athletic, and he squared up a few baseballs on Sunday with it. He does well to find the barrel and he projects very well, as he adds strength to his 6-foot, 160-pound stature. His natural feel for the game, on both sides of the ball, make him a very intriguing uncommitted prospect in Illinois.

Daniel Pacella, 1B, Mundelein, IL, 2022
Kentucky commit. 6-foot-3, 215 pounds; lean, athletic build with long levers, room to add even more strength. Pacella's barrel feel is premium from the left side, as he can connect for hard, lofted contact that carries the ball far to all fields. He homered in a left-left matchup to the opposite field on Sunday, to support this fact. Pacella's swings are fast, loose, and aggressive, and he has showed the ability to make some of the hardest contact in Illinois in showcase settings.

Jack Scheri, SS/2B, LaSalle-Peru, IL, 2022
5-foot-11, 185 pounds; muscular frame, athletic, broad shoulders. Scheri’s physicality works in conjunction with his quickness and twitch. He’s a 6.60 runner with bat speed and strength, and he plays with a competitiveness that allows him to take reliable reps across the infield, and he really fit the second base role this weekend, playing alongside the aforementioned Holmes. Hits near the top of Top Tier’s lineup, his offensive profile complements that spot in the order. He has a good feel for the zone; patient, confident approach, barrel feel that helps him use the entire field well. Strength shows in his hands/wrists often; launched an extra-base hit to the opposite-field fence over the weekend.

Alex Stanwich, OF, Lincoln-Way East, IL, 2022
Tennessee commit. 6-foot-1, 195 pounds; muscular, advanced athleticism, premium stature. Stanwich is actually one of the country’s best athletes, with a live-wired toolset. He showed off nearly every facet of his game Sunday, too. He barreled several baseballs, including one ripped line-drive that smashed into the right field fence on a direct line. His foot speed helps him get to baseballs in the outfield others just can’t, and he showcased that in center field Sunday. In the team’s semifinal contest, he took the ball on the mound and came out sitting 88-90 mph and it exploded through the zone. He spins a really tight slider, too, thrown aggressively.

Michael Ascencio, 3B/1B, Joliet Catholic, IL, 2022
6-foot-1, 195 pounds; physical, strong stature. Tall/open setup, short to the zone, long through extension, feel to lift hard-hit contact. Was productive at the plate for Top Tier’s 2022 squad, a team that rallied to the championship game, with Ascencio’s help. He’s also shown well on the mound in the past, with a low-80s fastball and the ability to spin a breaking ball.

Alex Alberico, RHP, Providence Catholic, IL, 2022

6-foot, 195 pounds; strong, defined frame. Alberico is looking like one of the top uncommitted junior arms in the state of Illinois. Long arm action out of high ¾ slot; quick, low effort. Fastball showed slight arm-side run, sat 84-86 mph, touched 88-89. Curveball plays 11/5 shape, 72-74 mph. Flashed changeup at 79 mph with slight arm side fade.

TOP TIER 18U

Sam Antonacci, SS, Sacred Heart-Griffin, IL, 2021
Heartland CC commit. Left-handed-hitting infielder, high-level barrel control with low swing-and-miss rate. Takes quality at-bats and uses a gap-to-gap approach. Clean reliable hands on the infield, middle-of-the-infield defender. A simple, well-rounded profile that has performed especially well in front of our staff’s numerous looks.

Ethan Bowers, SS, Vernon Hills, IL, 2021
6-foot, 185 pounds; live, athletic, strong frame. Muscles/actions are all-around twitchy, especially his right-handed swing. Above-average bat speed produces some loud contact from aggressive hacks. Quick feet help him project well both at the top of a lineup and in the middle of an infield. Hands are soft, smooth, arm strength is good enough for the left side of a diamond. The tools and athleticism here have Bowers among the most interesting uncommitted prospects in the state.

Jaylon Nauden, SS/3B, Marian Catholic, IL, 2021
Butler commit. 6-foot-1, 190 pounds; good combination of strength and athleticism, sturdy lower half. Right-handed bat is long, creates some hard-hit contact into both gaps, above-average bat speed. Athleticism helps him provide value on the left side of the infield; soft hands, smooth/fluid footwork, short and loose arm with enough strength to stick there. 

Danny Nuccio, C/OF, Plainfield North, IL, 2021
6-foot, 205 pounds; strength and athleticism in his build. Nuccio has been a rising name to know in Illinois' senior class this fall. He offers some interesting tools as a athlete who looks capable of sticking behind the plate or utilizing his sub-7.00 speed in the outfield. His strength helps him make for hard right-handed contact with some consistency; a simple, fast swing.

Daniel Reischl, RHP, Loyola Academy, IL, 2021
Still uncommitted, Reischl earned himself some extra looks with an overwhelmingly dominant performance Friday night. In five innings, Reischl allowed just one hit, walked none, and he struck out 11. Sitting mostly in the 83-84 mph range throughout, touching the occasional 86, while spinning an above-average breaking at 69-70. His projectable 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame suggests there's much more in the tank to tease out, too.

Lucas Spence, OF/LHP, Crete Monee, 2021
6-foot, 165 pounds; wiry, lean frame with twitch and projection. Spence's left-handed bat makes some surprisingly hard barreled contact. He's recorded some advanced exit velo marks at events in the past, and he showed it in-game this past weekend. He homered and squared up some more loud contact and he actually offers some two-way upside, too. He also came out of the 'pen in relief for Top Tier 18U this weekend and pitched off of a plus breaking ball. Arm is quick and works out of high ¾ slot, above average arm speed. Curveball showed plus action, hard tight 1/7 shape spinning at nearly 2,500 rpm, 75-77 mph. Fastball showed arm side run, 81-83 mph.

Peyton Olejnik, RHP, Hanover Central, IN, 2021
6-foot-8, 165-pound right-handed pitcher, long lean frame, think build. Arm works clean and loose out of over the top slot. Fastball played at 80-82 mph with above average spin and finish through the zone. Curveball has 12/6 shape, 72-73 mph. 

Justin Cappis, C, Niles North, IL, 2021
5-foot-11, 175-pound left-handed hitting catcher. Solid receiver, 2.28 in game caught stealing. Left-handed bat shows above average pop, hard off the barrel with a home run and double in game. 

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