Illinois Class of 2024 Rankings: Newcomers
August 25, 2023
With the summer winding down, it is only fitting that we update the state's rankings as we head into the new school year. Earlier this week, our staff officially updated our 2024 board, highlighting several of the state’s top prospects within our release. You can find that by clicking HERE.
Today, we take a look at a number of players making their debut in the rankings thanks to their helium summers.
Newcomers
Isaac Flowers SS / 3B / Newton Community , IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 52 / POS: 14
From 8/08/23: "...Coming off an impressive spring season with Newton, INF Isaac Flowers (2024) left a more than positive first impression on our staff after this event and left Rantoul as unquestionably one of its’ biggest winners. A running back and linebacker for the Eagles’ football team, Flowers’ athleticism showed quickly, as he ran a 6.74 60 with a 1.64 10-yard split while reaching 20.4 mph at peak speed. That athleticism shows on the infield, where Flowers showed easy, fluid footwork and clean, athletic actions on the dirt. Offensively, Flowers was on the barrel to all fields a handful of times throughout the event from a short, compact left-handed swing. On Wednesday morning, Flowers took an outer-half slider in a left/left matchup and swatted it off the left field fence for an opposite field double. Flowers jumped on the scene after this event and is one of the top uncommitted prospects in the Illinois’ 2024 class."
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Jake Troyner 1B / 3B / Joliet Catholic, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 71 / POS: 1
From 8/08/23: "...An uncommitted left-handed bat that stood out was CIF Jake Troyner (Joliet Catholic, 2024), who helped lead the Hilltoppers to consecutive 2A state titles this spring. At 6-foot-2, 188-pounds, Troyner has an upside frame with noticeable athleticism and room to fill out. Troyner first caught our attention during batting practice where he showed a fluid, easy swing that stayed on the barrel, while also using the whole field. He started the gameplay portion of the event out strong, blasting a no-doubt home run to the pull-side on Tuesday morning, finishing the event 3-for-6 with a double, home run, and two RBIs."
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Gabriel Vojak OF / Mascoutah, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 91 / POS: 15
From 8/08/23: "...OF Gabriel Vojak (Mascoutah, 2024) is a scrappy L/L prospect to know from southern Illinois. Compact, strong frame, listed at 5-foot-10, 165-pounds. Was consistently on the barrel throughout the week, finishing 4-for-8 with a home run, double, three RBIs and four runs scored. Showed easy bat-strength in his flat stroke, taking his home run to the opposite field on a pitch up and away. Accurate reads in the outfield with a quick first step, 7.07 runner in the 60. Reached up to 84 mph from the OF in workouts. Hard-nosed kid that plays the game hard."
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Kameron Yearsley OF / LHP / Yorkville, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 95 / POS: 17
From 5/02/23: "...Uncommitted. 5-foot-9, 187-pound left handed hitting outfielder with an athletic, well-proportioned frame. Got the start in center field and hit third in the order. Balanced, athletic look in the box, minimal pre-pitch movement, looks to use the whole field. Pulled a sharp RBI single to right-field in his first at-bat. Sat back and shot the ball through the 6-hole in his second at-bat. Followed up in his third at-bat with a line-drive single to left-center field. Also, hopped on the mound in the seventh inning where he gave up one hit, one walk and struck out one. Fastball played with straight movement and sat 82-83 mph. Main off-speed was a 1/7 curveball at 70-71 mph. Uncommitted junior to follow moving forward."
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Lance Kiesewetter RHP / RHP / Henry-Senachwine, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 98 / POS: 33
From 8/08/23: "...His physical 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame is hard to miss on the bump, and his two innings at the Illinois State Games did not disappoint. He struck out three and allowed no hits in 1 ⅔ innings of work. His fastball sat 83-86 mph, topping out at 86.5 mph with clear carry and rise through the zone (T24” IVB). He mixed in a curveball with tight, 11/5 shape that sat 71-74 mph with quality spin at a max of 2428 RPM. Kiesewetter’s metrics have continued to tick up since the spring, and he is showing more confidence in his breaking ball as well. The uncommitted incoming senior is a name-to-know in the state’s 2024 class."
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Enrico Veach SS / RHP / Springfield, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 120 / POS: 25
From 8/08/23: "...pairs athleticism and polish to provide positive impact in multiple areas on the diamond. A strong-bodied athlete at 5-foot-11, 165-pounds, Veach was on the barrel from a short, level right-handed swing throughout his BP round with balance throughout. He showed more bat strength than we had seen from him previously, averaging 91.1 mph per batted ball, up eight ticks from the winter, and hitting his hardest ball at 96.1 mph while sending his farthest 350 feet. As his offensive profile trends up, Veach continues to look the part of a sure-handed defender on the dirt, covering ground confidently with soft hands to pair. He has the arm strength to stick as well, firing an 87 mph across the diamond on his firmest bullet. On top of that, Veach hopped on the mound at this event and pitched in the low-80s, touching 85 mph, with a low-70s breaking ball that breached the 2500 RPM mark."
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Quinn Boyer OF / OF / Montini Catholic, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 122 / POS: 21
From 5/06/23: "...Uncommitted. 6-foot-2, 183-pound frame, appears larger than listed with some room to add on strength. Started in center field and hit out of the two-hole for the Broncos as he finished the day with a home run, RBI single and two walks. The right-handed hitter gives off a comfortable appearance in the box, some pre-pitch rhythm in his hands while staying simple and short to the ball with clear strength in the barrel, looks to handle velocity well. Quality defender in the outfield with accurate routes and steady hands. Arm plays with clear life out of the hand and accuracy, reaching up to 85 mph in-event. Follow 2024 prospect."
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Aidan Nolan OF / New Trier, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 128 / POS: 23
From 8/08/23: "...Started for the Trevians en route to their state playoff run this past spring, riding that positive momentum throughout the summer, including at the Illinois State Games. Nolan carries strength and athleticism (6.81 60) on a 6-foot, 185-pound frame that flashed in BP, sending his furthest batted ball an estimated 342 feet, from a long, leveraged right-handed swing."
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Braden Grimm RHP / 2B / Evanston, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 129 / POS: 44
From 8/08/23: "...There’s plenty to like with RHP Braden Grimm (Evanston, 2024), who’s a long, projectable 6-foot-1, 165-pound athlete with more to come. Grimm’s fastball played at 84-87 mph with noticeable raw spin (T2540 RPM) and carry (20.2 IVB) as well. He spun two breaking balls off his fastball; a low-70s curveball that peaked at 2636 RPM with more bend/depth and a tighter, bullet-like slider at 74-79 mph, topping at 2538 RPM." |
Gage Luttrell RHP / 1B / Sacred Heart Griffin, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 155 / POS: 51
From 8/08/23: "...Made for a quality look on the mound during the first day of action in Rantoul. Built at 6-foot-4, 215-pounds, Luttrell is a simple mover pairs it with a strong arm that topped at 87.5 mph on his hardest bullet to the plate, while sitting in the 83-86 mph range. One of the noteworthy things from Luttrell’s two innings of work was the confidence he had in a low-to-mid-70s breaking ball, as he was consistently able to land it both in the zone and throw it outside for whiffs. He rounded out his three-pitch mix with a changeup that ranged from 76-81 mph and played with fade/depth."
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Derek Ittner SS / OF / Lake Park, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 163 / POS: 29
From 8/6/23: "...Stood out thanks to his motor, foot speed and all-around solid performance throughout the two days. The 5-foot-8, 150-pound, right-handed hitter ran a 6.88 60, was 83 mph across the infield and showed easy, smooth defensive actions. Offensively, he stays short to the baseball and controls the barrel. Athletic middle infielder to follow that can handle the bat." |
Brock Suding C / 3B / Tolono Unity , IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 177 / POS: 19
From 8/08/23: "...Looks the part of a high-level backstop, and has repeatedly shown advanced catch and throw skills behind the dish. A physical 6-foot-2, 200-pound athlete, Suding moves well behind the dish, and he’s a comfortable blocker laterally, too. He showed advanced arm strength behind the plate (T81 mph), the second highest mark of the event, and he was accurate with quickness to the bag, popping at 1.93-to-2.02 in his workout."
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Nick Jukovich RHP / Glenbrook North, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 182 / POS: 57
From 8/8/23: "...Listed at 6-foot-3, 210-pounds with some present strength and room to add on muscle in the coming years. The tall right-hander ran his fastball up to 87 mph with some carry and run to his arm-side, sitting in the 83-86 mph range. His curveball played with sharp 11/5 action, routinely spinning over 2,300 RPM at 67-69 mph. He also went to a fading changeup with over 16" of run at times, 79-81 mph."
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Nicholas Franklin C / 1B / Father McGivney Catholic , IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 186 / POS: 23
From 5/12/23: "...Uncommitted. Physical 6-foot-2, 225-pound backstop with strength throughout, particularly in the lower half. Started behind the plate for Father McGivney in this look and hit in the seven spot. Looked the part defensively, comfortably handling a high-end arm with soft hands and down-to-up glovework, presenting the baseball properly. Offensively, drove two balls with authority to the deepest part of the park from a long, uphill bat path."
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Brady Bengtson RHP / Normal Community, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 189 / POS: 60
From 8/08/23: "...Brings a hulking 6-foot-6, 205-pound frame to the mound with room to add on mass as he continues to mature. Bengtson uses his levers to create a tough look on opposing hitters, working across his body from a lower arm angle. His fastball played at 82-84 mph, touching 85 mph, and averaging 16.8 inches of run, per TrackMan. He showed confidence in both of his breaking balls; an 11/5 curveball at 71-74 mph and a 10/4 slider at 67-69 mph, and he landed them both for strikes, too."
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Cody DelFavero OF / LHP / Morris, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 194 / POS: 34
From 8/08/23: "...Is a strong, compact 5-foot-10, 180-pound uncommitted senior with athleticism, running a 6.87 in the 60 to start his workout. He was all over the barrel in BP, generating power (94.6 mph and 361 feet) from a short, flat left-handed stroke with hand speed to pair. DelFavero showed that inherent strength in game, missing a home run to the pull-side in gameplay by a few feet."
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Trey Thompson LF / OF / Bloomington , IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 199 / POS: 1
From 6/24/23: "...The 6-foot, 180-pound, athletic-framed first baseman was a standout performer Saturday. The L/L first baseman went 1-for-2 with a triple and an RBI out of the three-hole for Game Seven. Thompson displayed a smooth, easy stroke that stays on the barrel and induces power. A bat to follow the rest of the weekend."
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Collin Severson OF / Sycamore , IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 201 / POS: 37
From 7/12/23: "...The right-hander hitter impressed at the ESP Scout Day earlier this past summer. Listed at 5-foot-10, 165-pounds, wiry frame with room to add on strength in the coming years. The right-handed hitter creates some whip in his barrel, working through the zone with an uphill path and intent to lift the baseball, reaching up to 91 mph for his max exit velocity. Steady, reliable defender in the outfield, fluid footwork, plays through the ball with intent and confident hands. Moves well into a crowhop, reaching up to 83 mph." |
Noah Tomaras C / 3B / Lemont, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 202 / POS: 24
From 8/08/23: "...Had a strong showing behind the plate during Tuesday’s workout. The uncommitted 5-foot-11, 180-pound backstop led the entire event in pop times (1.88-1.97) with a quick, accurate release, topping at 77 mph from the crouch. Tomaras flashed bat strength at the plate as well with a 95.9 mph max exit velocity and 368 ft. peak batted distance."
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Alexander Clark OF / LHP / New Trier, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 203 / POS: 38
From 7/11/23: "...Was one of the top performers from this event. A left-handed hitter, Clark showed quick, loose hands and he peppered balls gap-to-gap throughout his round of BP. He worked on the barrel throughout and posted one of the highest exit velocities (92.2 mph) of the day. Aside from his efforts at the plate, Clark roamed around the outfield with comfort as well. Still on the market, Clark came away from this event as a follow uncommitted left-handed bat in the state’s 2024 class."
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Andrew Lucas SS / 2B / Oak Forest, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 205 / POS: 32
From 8/08/23: "...Is another uncommitted senior infielder to follow from this event. At 5-foot-11, 170-pounds, Lucas ran a 6.97 60 while reaching a peak speed of 20.1 mph. He worked on the barrel to the pull-side in BP from a short, flat right-handed stroke, averaging 87 mph per batted ball with a 92.3 mph peak exit velocity. Lucas also flashed above-average raw power, elevating his furthest ball 346 feet, per TrackMan. He showed arm strength on the infield too, firing an 87 mph high across the diamond on his firmest bullet."
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Ty Reaka LHP / OF / Belleville East , IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 208 / POS: 22
Well-proportioned 6-foot-3, 210-pound athlete with present strength and room to add more. Short, athletic arm action with some deception, tight and closed delivery. Was up to 87 mph this summer, just recently pitched at 83-86 mph at the Illinois State Games with a tight lateral low-70s slider and more gradual, bendy upper-60s curveball. |
Payton Sensabaugh OF / C / McHenry, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 210 / POS: 40
From 2/15/23: "...Is a highly-athletic, right-handed bat who shined in the Swift athletic testing portion of the event. Sensabaugh led the event with a 33” vertical jump while also running the best 30-yard split of the day, at 3.75. The 5-foot-8, 145-pound, wiry junior also has a loose, quick swing at the plate that stays flat through the hitting zone with ability to backspin line-drives to all fields. From the outfield, Sensabaugh plays through the ball athletically with steady hands, reaching up to 82 mph with a loose/clean ¾ slot."
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Riley Hendren OF / Normal Community , IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 212 / POS: 42
From 7/18/23: "...A standout during the IHSA season to our staff, and earning a mention within the Week 8 Scout Blog, OF Riley Hendren (Normal Community, 2024) has athleticism and projection attached to a 5-foot-11, 165-pound frame. Hendren ran a 6.79 60, reaching a peak speed of 20.3 mph with a 1.66 10-yard split. He showed athletic hands and a short swing that stayed on plane (80%) regularly in BP while spraying line drives to all fields. Hendren plays with pace in the outfield too, and his firmest bullet peaked at 84 mph to home."
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Tristen Wargo SS / Gillespie, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 214 / POS: 33
Lean, athletic multi-sport athlete that started at shortstop and hit towards the top of the lineup for a Gillespie team that made some noise in the 2A playoffs this past spring. Simple and direct right-handed swing with minimal swing-and-miss in our looks, slashed .462/.569/.490 in 132 plate appearances this spring, walking almost three times (26) as much as he struck out (9) while also swiping 16 bags. Comfortable defender on the left side too, fluid mover, confident hands and can play on the move. |
Noah Cryns RHP / 1B / Evanston Township, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 215 / POS: 66
From 2/11/23:
Positional Profile: 1B |
Colbie Glenn OF / RHP / Lincoln Community, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 217 / POS: 43
From 7/18/23: "...Generated some of the loudest contact, both on average and peak, from this event. Listed at 5-foot-11, 180-pounds with well-proportioned strength, Glenn’s hardest ball jumped off his barrel at 98.8 mph and he averaged 88.7 mph per batted ball according to our TrackMan. Glenn generated some of the highest bat speed (79.5 mph) of this event as well. On top of that, he ran a 6.93 60, reaching 20.1 mph of run speed while also topping at 84 mph from the outfield."
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Bauer Dalke RHP / Althoff Catholic, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 220 / POS: 69
From 8/08/23: "...Listed at a long 6-foot-6, 180-pounds, Bauer Dalke (Althoff Catholic, 2024) provided an upside look on Tuesday evening. During his outing, Dalke ran his fastball up to 84.8 mph and sat in the 81-84 mph range throughout with true sink at times. As for his offspeeds, he featured a tight slider that played with cutting action and occasional depth, and was thrown for strikes. He also killed spin on cutting changeup with depth, too."
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Alexander Schiefer RHP / 3B / Kaneland, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 224 / POS: 71
From 8/08/23: "...Flashed some wipeout stuff in the nightcap on day two, striking out four against one walk in 1.2 innings. Simple, compact delivery, drop/drive lower-half that works in-line. Creates carry on his fastball, topping out at 86 mph while sitting 84-85 mph (2300-2500 RPM), averaging 15.2 IVB (T19.6). Was confident in a high-spinning curveball, playing between 2,500-2,600 RPM at 71-74 mph, over-the-top shape and kept mostly down."
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