The Illinois Scout Blog provides insider information and scouting notes from the PBR Scouting Staff during the season. This running blog will feature information on underclass prospects, unsigned seniors, draft prospects, and anything else that is notable. We will provide a wide range of information, including player evaluations, velocities, pop times, home to first times, and more. Simply put, the Illinois Scout Blog is loaded with information …

4A Regional finals

Riverside-Brookfield vs. Whitney Young - (5/28/22)

+ Owen Murphy, RHP, Riverside-Brookfield, 2022
Notre Dame commit, currently ranked No. 2 in Illinois, No. 35 in the country. Athletic, 6-foot-1, 195-pound frame, round shoulders with a lean/strong build. Started on the mound for the Bulldogs in their Regional Championship and was lights out, tossing a complete game shutout while allowing just one hit, striking out 15 and walking one. The right-hander’s arm works with a clean/repeatable path out of the glove, long circle into a high ¾ slot that plays with arm-speed. Murphy shows tremendous body control throughout his delivery, working with a controlled leg-lift, coiling into balance point before riding down the mound with a strong lead hip, driving off his back leg and remaining in-line throughout, repeating with ease. His fastball plays with riding action through the zone, working 93-95 mph early and topping out at 96 mph; he settled in mostly 90-93 mph later in the day, locating to both sides of the plate as well as up in the zone, manipulating shape to achieve sinking action at times. His curveball plays off a sharp 11/5 plane, playing with late depth and tunneling off his fastballs placed up in the zone, 76-78 mph and thrown for strikes. He went to a cutter multiple times throughout his outing, playing with shorter shape than his curveball off a 10/4 plane, 88-89 mph. His final offering was a fading changeup at 85 mph, thrown with arm-speed and a similar fastball appearance out of the hand. Murphy boasts all kinds of elite metrics throughout his repertoire; with his fastball maxing out the hop and rise scores and his curveball maxing out the hammer and sweep scores. These metrics paired with high-level spin, velocity and mature control over the zone make Murphy one of the most intriguing high school arms in the country for this upcoming draft. 

(Owen Murphy)

+ Luke Yolich, SS, Whitney Young, 2025
Uncommitted. Currently ranked No. 19 in the Illinois 2025 class. The right-handed hitter put together a couple highly impressive at-bats against one of the top prep arms in the country. He finished the day with one hit, but his at-bats were eye-opening nonetheless; fighting off 92-94 mph fastballs to work counts, then sitting on a breaking ball and shooting it to the right side for the only hit of the game. His hands work short and quick to the ball with a flat path allowing him to fight off plus velocity in on his hands; also creating extension through contact while remaining on-time throughout his at-bats.

3A/4A SUPER SECTIONALS

Nazareth vs. St. Ignatius - (6/6/22)

+ Luca Fiore, LHP, Nazareth, 2024
Uncommitted, currently ranked No. 29 in the Illinois 2024 class. 5-foot-8, 140-pounds, compact build with an athletic look. Came out of the ‘pen for Nazareth in the Super-Sectionals and impressed over his inning of work, striking out two against two walks and not allowing a single hit. The southpaw is an athletic mover down the mound, moving with an up-tempo pace and repeating the operation with ease. His arm plays from a loose ¾ slot, producing a fastball in the 85-86 mph range with sink. He went to a sweeping 2/8 breaker at 73-74 mph, thrown with similar fastball intent. His final offering was a changeup at 80-81 mph, thrown with intent and fastball arm-speed to create deception. Fiore also impressed at first-base throughout the State Tournament, moving athletically around the bag and making a couple nice plays on pop-ups in foul territory; moving confidently and maintaining awareness of his surroundings. The left-handed hitter went on to swing it well throughout the Tournament as well, utilizing a quick/simple line-drive stroke with a flat path; also coming up clutch in the State Finals game with the first two RBIs of the game.

(Luca Fiore)

Brother Rice vs. Lincoln Way-West - (6/7/22)

+ Cole Van Assen, RHP, Brother Rice, 2023
Purdue commit, currently ranked No. 24 in the Illinois 2023 class. 6-foot-3, 185-pounds, lanky/projectable build with room to fill out. Started on the mound for Brother Rice in the Super-Sectionals and fired a complete game with three hits, one earned run, 14 strikeouts and just one walk. Van Assen work with some pace on the mound, also utilizing an up-tempo delivery throughout his operation; moving into a quick/repeatable leg-lift that transitions into a tall/fall lower-half, remaining in-line with the plate. His arm works with a short circle out of the glove, moving into a high ¾ slot. He showed the ability to command his fastball to the arm-side with ease, pounding the corner and playing with sink, holding 87-88 mph throughout. He showed control over two breaking balls; the first being a sharp 11/5 curveball in which he was able to keep down in the zone consistently at 76-77 - while the second breaking ball was more of a cutter/slider, playing with short horizontal action at 79-82 mph, thrown for strikes. His final offering was a fading changeup at 78-79 mph, thrown with arm-speed and feel down. Highly polished 2023 arm that projects as a starter at the next level. 

(Cole Van Assen)

 

4A STATE 

Edwardsville vs. Brother Rice - (6/10/22)

+ Grant Huebner, C, Edwardsville, 2022
St. Charles CC commit, currently ranked No. 41 in Illinois. 5-foot-11, 180-pounds, lean build with room to fill out. Impressed behind the plate with a well above-average high school arm, playing with backspin out of the chute (82 mph in warmups), also popping sub-1.90 in-game. Athletic defender with steady hands, works with fluid footwork out of the crouch. At the plate, the right-handed hitter shows barrel control with quick-twitch in his hands, working with a line-drive approach to the gaps, power potential in college as he continues to add strength. 

(3/19/22): St. Charles CC commit, currently ranked No. 53 in Illinois. Spark plug type player; highly athletic with a 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame. Defensively impressed behind the plate with an extremely strong arm and steady hands; arm plays with backspin through second base, recording as low as 2.08 on his pop-times from his knees - also delivering accurate throws on the bag. Offensively, Huebner hit in the three-hole for Edwardsville and finished 2-4 on the two with a single and a double, both hard-hit. He moves with a fluid pre-pitch rhythm, starting slightly open and working back to the plate with his stride; quick/twitchy hands to the ball that play flat through the zone. 

(Grant Huebner)

+ Adam Powell, OF, Edwardsville, 2022
Uncommitted. 6-foot, 175-pound frame, athletic build. Showed off his knack for the bat over the course of the State Tournament, particularly his go-ahead opposite field home run in the State Finals. The left-handed hitter works with an athletic setup, front foot open, fluid load that works into a leg-lift timing trigger, hangs foot; his hands work inside the ball with bat-strength, easy pop off the bat with back-spin, demonstrating opposite field power in-game. 

(Adam Powell)

Mundelein vs. McHenry - (6/10/22)

+ Bennett Musser, RHP, Mundelein, 2023
Uncommitted, currently ranked No. 62 in the Illinois 2023 class. 6-foot-1, 182-pound frame, athletically built with room for added strength. Impressed in the State Semifinals with a complete-game shutout, only allowing one hit, striking out four and walking three. The lean right-hander works with a slightly up-tempo pace on the mound, moving with a drop/drive lower-half into a stride that works in-line with the plate, front foot landing closed. His arm works with a loose arm swing out of the glove, transitioning into a free-and-easy high ¾ slot, playing with arm-speed. His fastball worked in the 85-88 mph range with life through the zone. His go-to secondary offering was a sharp 10/4 breaking ball at 75-77 mph, sweeping across the zone with late bite. His final offering was a straight change at 77 mph, diving late to the bottom of the zone at times. 

+ Daniel Pacella, OF, Mundelein, 2022
Illinois State commit, currently ranked No. 12 in the Illinois 2022 class. Played a key role at the plate in Mundelein’s success throughout the week. The left-handed hitter starts in a relaxed setup, fluid load with a slight coil into his leg-lift; hands work quick through the zone, uphill path with intent to lift, recording multiple hard-hit balls throughout the week, also showing the ability to turn on balls on the inner-half of the plate. In the outfield, Pacella patrols the outfield with athletic strides, taking easy reads on balls in the air while also showing off reliable hands that play through the ball. 

(Daniel Pacella)

+ Cooper Cohn, C, McHenry, 2023
Uncommitted, currently ranked No. 68 in the Illinois 2023 class. 5-foot-10, 180-pound frame, athletic/lean build with evenly distributed weight. Reliable defender behind the dish, soft hands that work under the baseball, presents pitches in and around the zone with subtle frames; athletic into blocks, moves well side-to-side, deadens the ball out front. Quick/clean transfer out of the crouch, arm plays with clear life out of the hand and carry, 1.97 in-game pop-time. At the plate, the right-handed hitter works with an open setup, slight knee-knock stride; quick hands to the ball with a level path, loose arms through contact with extension, present bat-speed within his line-drive approach.

+ Lleyton Grubich, LHP, McHenry, 2023
Uncommitted, currently ranked No. 84 in the Illinois 2023 class. 6-foot-1, 185-pounds, round shoulders with an athletic build. Impressed throughout his start with a live arm and feel for three pitches. Controlled tempo on the mound, gains ground with his lower-half as soon as he lifts his leg; stride remains in-line to the plate with a square landing foot. The southpaw’s arm plays with a long/loose arm swing out of the glove, transitioning into a ¾ release. His fastball sat in the 82-84 mph range, playing with higher perceived velocity due to arm speed and life through the zone. His go-to secondary offering was a sharp 1/7 breaking ball that he showed mature feel for, placing on the back-foot of righties often throughout the outing, 75-78 mph. His final offering was a fading changeup at 75 mph, thrown for strikes with fastball arm-speed. 

3A STATE 

Glenwood vs. Washington - (6/10/22)

+ Parker Detmers, RHP, Glenwood, 2023
Louisville commit, currently ranked No. 4 in the Illinois 2023 class. 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame, strong-bodied with a physical lower-half, durable build. Started on the mound in the State Semifinals and dominated; tossing a complete game one-hitter with 14 strikeouts - also while displaying pitchability and mound presence well above his years. Controlling his tempo throughout, Detmers moves with an athletic leg-kick, slightly coiling into balance point before moving with a tall/fall operation down the mound, remaining in-line with the plate and landing with a closed foot. His arm works with a clean/repeatable arm-circle, transitioning into a high ¾ slot. He showed above-average fastball command over the zone, primarily pitching to his glove-side but showing the ability to come inside on righties as well. His fastball plays with some finish/ride through the zone, holding 90-91 mph throughout most of his outing and topping out at 93 mph a couple times. He went to his breaking ball often throughout the outing, thrown both for strikes and to put hitters away while manipulating shape, playing with sharp 11/5 action and depth at 73-78 mph. He flashed a couple changeups throughout his outing as well, thrown with arm-speed and playing with late diving action, 82 mph. High-level 2023 that profiles as a starter at the next level. 

(Parker Detmers) 

+ Will Plattner, C, Glenwood, 2022
Wabash Valley commit, currently ranked No. 33 in the Illinois 2022 class. 6-foot-1, 205-pounds, round shoulders with a strong build, thick lower-half. Impressed behind the plate with his ability to handle one of the top arms in the 2023 class. He moves well behind the dish for his size, dropping athletically into blocks and deadening the ball out front with an angled chest. His hands work soft when receiving the ball, framing pitches around the zone with ease with well above-average velocity. At the plate, the right-handed hitter showed some power to the opposite field, clubbing a triple to the right-center gap. His swing is simple and remains on-time consistently, working with quick hands to the ball and a level path to produce line-drives. 

(3/19/22): Wabash Valley commit, currently ranked No. 36 in Illinois’ 2022 class. Strong build with evenly distributed weight, standing 6-foot-1, 205-pounds. Right-handed hitter, starts in an open stance, utilizes a leg-kick timing trigger that works back to the plate. Strong hands with an uphill path through the zone, creating natural lift. Impressed with mature at-bats on Saturday, remaining selective and also driving a ball deep to the left-center gap for a ringing double. Behind the plate, his hands work to present pitches near the zone, moving subtly around the ball to frame pitches. His arm plays true in-game, creating backspin on his throws to second-base. 

(WIll Plattner) 

Nazareth vs. Crystal Lake South - (6/10/22)

+ Jaden Fauske, INF/C, Nazareth, 2025
Louisville commit. Listed at 6-foot, 155-pounds, looks to have put on a substantial amount of muscle since our last look, round shoulders with a thick lower-half. Took some highly impressive at-bats over the course of the playoffs, more specifically the State Tournament. The left-handed hitter looks extremely comfortable in the box, confidently taking pitches out of the zone and then punishing pitches left over the plate; moving with a fluid tempo throughout his load before firing his hands through the zone. He showed the ability to take pitches where they are thrown as well, driving a triple to the opposite field on a ball over the outer-half. He also showed reliable actions at third-base; moving with fluid footwork and steady hands through the ball. His arm also looks to be making strides since our last look, easily transferring over to the hot corner and playing with carry across the diamond. High-follow 2025 prospect.

(Jaden Fauske)

Nazareth vs. Glenwood - (6/11/22)

+ Nick Drtina, RHP, Nazareth, 2024
Louisville commit, currently ranked No. 15 in the Illinois 2024 class. 6-foot-4, 187-pound frame, lanky/lean build with room to fill out. Started on the mound for Nazareth in the 3A State Finals game and was in control over his 5.1 innings of work while only allowing three hits and one earned run. The tall right-hander cruised with his fastball in the 82-86 mph range, playing with some life through the zone. His breaking ball looked to be the separator in his arsenal, playing with sharp 11/5 action at 75-78 mph. His final offering was a 75 mph changeup, thrown with fastball arm-speed and from a similar fastball release window. High-follow 2024 right-hander. 

Washington vs. Crystal Lake South - (6/11/22)

+ Easton Harris, RHP, Washington, 2022
Bradley commit, currently ranked No. 24 in the Illinois 2022 class. 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame, lean/athletic build with evenly distributed weight. Started on the mound in the State Tournament Third-Place game and fired a complete game gem in his final high school start. The right-hander works with a simple tall/fall operation down the mound, remaining in-line with the plate but occasionally striding across his body. His arm works with a clean arm-circle, notable arm-speed from a high ¾ slot. The right-hander worked in the 86-89 mph range with his fastball early on, playing with some late arm-side life through the zone. His go-to secondary was a sharp 11/5 breaking ball, thrown both for strikes and to put hitters away, 72-75 mph. 

(Easton Harris)

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