Drew
Koenen

Dartmouth commit. Ranked No. 34 in the state. 6-foot-3, 215-pounds with a durable build. Koenen has made some impressive strides since last spring, improving his pitchability with an up-tick in velocity. He cruised early on at 88-90 mph, reaching back for 92 mph with ride through the zone. He went to a short, lateral breaking ball at 81-82 mph, though he was able to manipulate the shape into more 11/5 at times, playing 79-80 mph. He flashed a straight change that worked 81-83 mph, but relied more on the FB/BB. Intriguing arm to keep tabs on, especially with his recent jump in velocity. 

RHP Drew Koenen (Maine South, 2023) was one of the biggest takeaways on the mound from the Illinois State Games. At 6-foot-3, 210-pounds with present strength and room for more, Koenen generated upper-80s velocities relatively easily, pumping a 90.3 mph max on his hardest bullet. Koenen’s primary secondary offering was a firm 77-80 mph breaking ball thrown with conviction and intent, peaking at 2,500+ RPM on our TrackMan. With a starter’s frame and more in the tank, Koenen is a high-follow uncommitted senior in the state.

Positional Profile: RHP
Body: 6-3, 210-pounds. Wide-shouldered, strong build.
Delivery: Simple delivery, deliberate pace, short point of balance, tall/fall operation down the mound, remains in-line with the plate. In-game stats: 3 IP, 3K, 4BB, 1H, 0R
Arm Action: RH. Short arm circle into an over-the-top slot.
FB: T90.3, 87-89 mph. Tilt through the zone with some ride. T2434, 2277 average rpm.
CB: 78-79 mph. Sharp, tight 11/5 shape. T2520, 2217 average rpm.
CH: 79-82 mph. Slight fading action to the arm-side. T1684, 1639 average rpm.

Uncommitted 2023 right-handed pitcher. Got our second look at him in the matter of a couple of weeks. Started on the mound against Glenbrook South. Showed an uptick in the velocity from his last outing. Sat mostly 86-88 mph, touched 89. Also, mixed in a 77-81 mph changeup which we did not see in his previous outing. Showed confidence in it while flashing sinking action. Curveball continues to show as an above-average pitch at 68-70 mph with depth and 12/6 shape. Picked up the complete game, seven inning win, throwing 93 pitches and landing 70% of them for strikes. Scattered two hits, one run, none earned, stuck out eight and walked one. Impressive showing for the uncommitted junior. 

Uncommitted, currently ranked No. 153 in the Illinois 2023 class. Wide-shouldered, 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame, evenly distributed weight. Came out of the ‘pen for Maine South and impressed over three scoreless frames, striking out four with only one hit allowed. The right-hander works with a short arm circle out of the glove, transitioning into an over-the-top slot. His delivery remains simple, dropping quickly into his back leg from balance point and striding in-line to the plate with little perceived effort. Koenen’s fastball sat comfortably in the 84-87 mph range, playing with ride and finish through the zone, also setting up his off-speed effectively. His go-to secondary pitch was a sharp 11/5 curveball, thrown off a near identical fastball plane while laying with late action and depth, 67-70 mph. 

RHP Drew Koenen (Maine South, 2023) emerged a winner from this past weekend after giving our scouting staff a strong look in his ‘pen. The strong-bodied, 6-foot-2, 200-pound right-hander works with a controlled tempo on the mound, using an unhurried leg-lift before moving into a drop/drive lower-half downhill. His fastball cruised at 88-89 throughout his ‘pen, playing up in the zone and setting up a sharp 12/6 curveball at 71-72 mph, starting on a similar plane to his fastball. He throws his changeup at 81-83 mph, mirroring fastball arm-speed with fading action to the bottom of the zone. 

Positional Profile: RHP/C
Body: 6-2, 200-pounds. Lean strength throughout.
Delivery: Slow, deliberate leg-lift into balance point, moves with a drop/drive lower-half down the mound, spine tilts slightly back while striding out, remains in-line to the plate with front foot landing square.
Arm Action: RH. Short, repeatable arm circle that moves into an over-the-top slot.
FB: T89.4, 88.1-89.2 mph. Ride through the zone, mostly straight with some finish through the plate, slight action to the arm-side at times.  T2178, 2120 average rpm.
CB: 71.2-71.9 mph. Sharp top-to-bottom break with depth, 12/6 plane when stays on top, feel for the pitch. T2553, 2463 average rpm.
CH: 81.2-82.8 mph. Gradual running action to the arm-side. T1808, 1725 average rpm.

Positional Profile: RHP/C
Body: 6-foot-1, 180-pounds. Strong, physical frame; wide shoulders.
Delivery: Tall/fall type delivery, early hand draw, upright at balance point, strides in line to target and lands square.
Arm Action: R. Shorter draw on the backside, high 3/4 slot.
FB: T86.7, 83.8-86.1 mph. Higher release slot creates a steep, downhill angle as it enters the zone. T2127, 2055 average rpm.
SL: 76.9-78.3 mph. Power-type pitch that's thrown with fastball conviction, tighter shape, around the zone some. T2338, 2259 average rpm.
CH: 77.4-79.3 mph. Works with similar arm speed to fastball and from a lower slot on average, flashed sink. T1831, 1729 average rpm.