Prep Baseball Report

Underclass Games: Quick Hits



By Illinois/Wisconsin Scouting Staff

The Underclass Games at UIC has quietly became one of the more premier events for incoming sophomores in Illinois and Wisconsin. In its inception year, the 2016 class had the likes of high draft picks Gavin Lux (Indian Trail, WI) and Ben Rortvedt (Verona, WI). This year the 2020 class featured a bevy of high ceiling arms who are already showing premium velocity for their age.

Here’s some quick hits and notes from the event:

  • The highlight of this year’s event came from the depth of velocity on the mound where there were over a dozen low to mid 80’s arms, and some of the best velocity cam from the left side. Southpaws Luke Fox (Catholic Memeorial, WI) and Noah DeLuga (Lake Zurich, IL) touched 85 mph and 86 mph respectively, while right-handers Eben Heine (Plainfield North, IL), Tyler Chadwick (Marshall, WI) and Zach Hise all touched 85 mph or better.

  • DeLuga put together the most dominant outing of the day, striking out four in his inning of work. He showcased an electric fastball for his age with late action sitting 84-85 mph, touching 86 mph.

  • Middle infield play has always been a standout at this event and the 2020 class did not disappoint. Michael Seegers (Home School, WI), Ed Howard (Mount Carmel, IL), Anthony Mangano (Lake Zurich, IL) and Tony Livermore (Mount Carmel, IL) all showed advanced skill sets to stick in the middle infield at the next level.

  • Profiles such as 6-foot-2, 180-pound Jacob Mote (Normal University, IL) and 6-foot-3, 185-pound Colton Coca (Case, WI) showed hands to stick on the dirt but may outgrow the middle infield as both are physically advanced and carry power potential bats.

  • The biggest bat of the day came from the left-handed hitting OF Marquis Jackson (Brother Rice, IL). Jackson showed big time pull side pop for his age, leaving the yard twice in BP. His swing is short and compact with a slight natural lift that should ideally translate to power numbers.

  • Another standout outfielder and potential big riser in the 2020 Wisconsin Rankings was Alex Ryan out of Lakeside Lutheran. Ryan is a quick twitch athlete that showed advanced bat speed for his age. None of his raw tools will jump off the stat page but Ryan projects as a high end outfielder who plays the game at a different pace than his peers.

  • Left-handed hitting catcher Trevor Davis (Danville) stood out behind the dish. Davis has a big arm that carries well out of the crouch, and his bat may be even more advanced than his arm.

Check back tomorrow for more on the Underclass Games, including full statistical analysis.

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