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Northeast Indiana Preseason ID : Quick Hits

February 22, 2024
Cooper Trinkle
Lead Scout

On Sunday, February 18th, the PBR Indiana staff traveled to Huntington, Indiana to host the Northeast Indiana Preseason ID. This is our second event of our state-wide Preseason ID tour and it was held on the campus of Huntington University.

40 prospects from around the state, with many coming from the Fort Wayne area, showcased their talents this past weekend and participated in a pro-style workout, gathering unrivaled access to data through our state-of-the-art tech partners, as well as in-depth scouting analysis from our Prep Baseball Indiana staff. Read along to find notes on the top perfomers of the day. 

Find the full statistical breakdown, HERE.

+ '25 OF/RHP Reed Hayes (Fort Wayne Canterbury) had another quality showing, backing his performance at the Rawlings Tigers Scout Day in January. The muscular, 6-foot-1, 195 pound outfielder posted triple-digit exit velocities once again, reaching 102.5 mph in his batting practice round at the Northeast ID. Hayes reached 106 mph in January, and even though he didn't quite reach the exit velocities that he posted in New Albany, he still showed premium, top-of-the-class bat strength. Power is a real tool for Hayes, along with arm strength, as he reached 93 mph from the outfield. A 7.14 runner, Hayes is more of a position player prospect in my eyes, however he was able to run his fastball up to 86 mph at the Northeast ID, suggesting a two-way profile at the next level is not out of the question just yet. 

+ '26 OF Garrett Pohler (Westfield) was an interesting sophomore prospect from the Northeast ID. Holding strength in a compact, 5-foot-9, 190 pound frame, Pohler flashed premier bat strength with an exit velocity that reached 98.2 mph. It is a high-effort operation in the right-handed batter's box, but the physical outfielder shows above average bat speed that pairs with the bat strength to create a run-producer profile. A solid overall athlete, Pohler turned in a 7.03 60 and 85 mph outfield velocity to round out a quality toolset. 

+ '25 SS Carter Wilkinson (Central Noble) backed a strong showing from last fall's Canes Scout Weekend with a good performance at the Northeast ID. A left-handed hitting middle infielder with a proportional, 5-foot-11, 170 pound build, Wilkinson has a short, simple swing that is geared towards line drive contact. The barrel accuracy stood out throughout his batting practice round, a trait that Wilkinson showed against higher-end velocity last fall. Arm strength is an above average tool as he showed some carry across the infield, and reached 84 mph on his fastball during his bullpen. Sure-handed on the dirt, Wilkinson profiles as a bat-first infielder with a chance to play multiple infield spots at the college level. 

+ I like the upside that '27 RHP Jayden Kieler (Leo) showed during his bullpen session. A big-bodied, 6-foot-3, 205 pounder that will mature into more strength to improve his overall body composition - Kieler was up to 82 mph on the fastball with plenty left in the tank. The arm works clean with a more compact circle to a 3/4 release point, and he was able to get in the zone with all three of his offerings. Kieler showed a slurvey breaking ball at 72-74 mph, but I liked his fading, 75-77 mph changeup as his best off-speed pitch. The front leg swings open at landing causing a bit of inconsistency, however this is a small mechanical adjustment that is easily fixable and should clean up his overall command and improve his velocity. Kieler shows shades of a younger Jack Grunkemeyer, a current SR signed to Northwestern University, and established himself as a '27 follow after his performance this weekend. 

+ '25 RHP Evan Anderson (Homestead) provided an upside look with an uber-projectable, 6-foot-6, 185 pound frame. Anderson filled the zone on a consistent basis with all three pitches, highlighted by a low-effort fastball that reached 83 mph. Anderson flashed a curveball with depth at 69-70 mph, and dropped his slot a tick on a sinking, 71-74 mph changeup. The delivery is repeatable with a long, uninterrupted arm action that releases to a 3/4 release point. There is significant velocity projections left in the frame, and it will be interesting to follow the long-levered strike-thrower's development. 

+ One of the more intriguing prospects in attendance was '25 3B Landon Ruoff (Leo). Ruoff immediately passes the eye test with a projectable, 6-foot-4, 210 pound frame. The left-handed hitting infielder flashed real bat strength with a peak exit velocity of 98.9 mph. Ruoff hits out of a balanced stance, using a small load before delivery a barrel that works downhill & direct. The swing is geared towards leveraging the ball to the pull-side, but the forward move tends to get heavy on the front foot to create some inconsistencies. Also a standout on the basketball court - the frame makes it easy to dream on Ruoff developing even more pull-side strength, and he showed the best bat speed numbers of the day, averaging 78.4 mph while peaking at 83.4 mph. 

Other Notable Performers