Illiana Preseason I.D.: Quick Hits

Our second showcase of 2020, the Illiana Preseason I.D., took place on Monday, Jan. 20, at the Ho-Chunk Sports and Expo Center in Chicago Heights, Ill. The event featured over 75 prospects ranging from 2020 to 2023 graduating classes, in both Illinois and Indiana with a couple 2024's sprinkled in as well.

Today we take an early look at some of the impressive performances from the day. Stay tuned over the next few days as we will continue our post-event coverage with a full breakdown of the statistical leaders from the event.

QUICK HITS

+ Shane Baumgarten (Wheaton Academy, 2021) took his talents to the mound for the first time at a PBR event and the same athleticism and arm strength he shows on the infield carried over to the bump. Topping at 87 mph, the right-hander sat 83-86 mph with a tight breaking ball at 71-75 mph. He’s a physically strong 6-foot, 185-pounds and continues to improve with the bat as well. Defensively, he showed the same smooth, athletic actions we have become accustomed to seeing. Baumgarten also ran a personal best 6.79 laser-timed 60. Adding his pitching prowess to his resume only boosts the stock of the two-way junior.

+ Left-handed hitting Nick Gehrke (Minooka, 2021) showed a bat to follow with a loose spray type approach yielding hard contact from gap to gap. Gehrke, now listed at 6-foot, 165-pounds (six inches taller than his previous event), played with bounce on the infield, soft hands and an easy arm action that should allow him to stick up the middle of the infield moving forward. 

+ An easy name to remember, and one that will surely be mentioned again - Cash Campbell. A 2024 graduate set to enroll at Montini next fall, this eighth grader was one of the more impressive bats of the entire day. He’s a 6-foot, 180-pound left-handed hitting corner infielder and although an early comparison, swings the bat with decibel levels similar to a Drake Westcott (Edwardsville, 2020). It’s clearly a swing with intent and showed easy plus contact for his age to his pull side. He repeats a natural lifted swing that stays short to the baseball at the same time and will likely project as a menacing middle of the order bat. Looks the part of a corner infielder, displayed sure-hands and a strong arm that could keep him in the infield.

+ Homewood-Flossmoor’s Richard Robinson made an impact with his first PBR showcase. He’s an athletic, multi-positional, junior who showed best in the outfield and swings a short quick right-handed bat. At 6-foot, 155 he has athletic hands and rhythm in the box. Defensively he moved with fluidity, attacked the baseball and played through with rhythm.

+ Justin Janowski (Providence Catholic, 2021) looked to have put in some work this off-season, a bigger version since last seeing the junior infielder, he stands 6-foot-2, 190-pounds and carries lean strength that provides a quick twitch bat in the box. He stays on plane and gets hard gap to gap contact, swinging with intent.

+ Statistically, one of the more impressive outfielders on the day was Cole Luckey (Glenbrook South, 2021). Luckey, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound, right-handed hitter, showed present bat speed and registered a 95 mph exit velocity. Defensively, he was up to 89 mph from the outfield and ran a 6.98 laser-timed 60. 

+ Luke McDonald (Linton Stockton, IN, 2023) is a strong framed 6-foot-1, 180 pound RHP/OF that showed well during his BP round and bullpen session. Offensively, he found the barrel consistently from a level path producing hard hit line drives. On the mound he showcased above average arm speed for his age with a 77-79 mph fastball with run. He also ran a 7.24 in the 60.

+ 2021 Peyton Olejnik (Hanover Central HS) is a long, lanky 6-foot-7, 165 pound right-hander with an 80-81 mph fastball. He pitches from a short, ¾ arm action with average arm speed and tall-to-fall type delivery. His 11/5 shaped breaking ball flashed depth at 62-65. 

+ 20 pounds heavier than he was at the end of last summer, Erik Mitchell (St. Charles East, 2021) looks like a different prospect in the box, he’s using his added strength to generate some of the hardest contact of the day. The added weight is noticeable in his physique boasting a strong build that keeps the bat level and compact through much harder impact than we’ve previously seen.

+ Sophomore Lorenzo Rios (Joliet Catholic, 2022) has grown in a hurry since last year’s Lockport Preseason I.D. An added three inches and 25-pounds has turned him into a sturdy 5-foot-10, 165-pound and looking to do damage with the bat. A left-handed hitter, Rios has an intentful middle of the field approach creating strong contact. His aggressive swing is on time too with a hanging leg lift that keeps him back centered on the middle of the field. Defensively, he showed equally well behind the plate and on the infield. Rios is smooth on the infield, comfortable playing on the move with an athletic transfer.

+ Hunter Mansfeld (Lake Central, IN, 2022) showed off an impressive bat in the cages. The 6-foot, 170-pound sophomore has strong hands and keeps a compact swing that is short to the baseball generating hard contact. Defensively, he is a fundamentally sound catcher, fluid and clean out of the crouch.

+ One of the top defensive infielders on the day was 2021 Ferdinand Centeno (Chicago Hope Academy). Centeno displayed advanced defensive actions, soft, confident hands and the ability to throw from multiple slots. Given Centeno’s foot speed (6.95 60), hands, arm strength and actions it is easy to imagine him sticking at shortstop at the next level.

+ Another prospect who showed the ability to stick on the infield was 2022 Easton Harris, who made the trip up from Washington HS, just outside of Peoria. Harris ran a 7.27, showed twitch in his right-handed swing and took a clean round of defense. Harris is sure-handed, with a quick, clean release and highly-accurate arm. 

+ A projectable left-handed bat, James Blokell (Lyons Township, 2022) will be a sophomore to keep tabs on. Its an easy stroke from the left side that has plenty of upside working on time and gap to gap with a line drive approach. 

+ Nazareth’s Luke Brabham (2022) is an athletic 6-foot-2, 155-pounds and creates a short quick swing working with minimal stride and keeping quiet to stay in the large part of the field with mostly hard line drive contact. Brabham has smooth, easy actions on the infield and took a clean round with an accurate, playable arm across the diamond.

+ Physically impressive young talent is OF Jermaine Young Jr. (2022) out of St. Patrick. Young stands 6-foot-2, 212-pounds and is one of the first prospects you’ll notice in uniform. His game doesn’t stop at the superficial though, Young Jr. put together a resounding round of BP. He’s strong and has the propensity to develop into a power bat. The ball jumps off his bat on a short uphill plane created by robust hands.

+ RHP/INF Ulysses Munoz (Romeoville, 2021) has an athletic, 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame and emerged as a 2021 to follow on the mound. Munoz has a confident look on the mound, works fast with a quick arm and low 80’s fastball. The right-handers best secondary offering was a low 70’s breaking ball that flashed sharp spin.

+ In the freshman class, Tommy Haggerty (Homewood-Flossmoor) looks to be a name to follow on the mound. Haggerty is a lean 6-foot, 155-pounds and showed feel for three pitches including a fastball up to 81 mph and a slurve type breaking ball. 

+ The top two 60’s of the day belonged to outfielders Kameron Gethers (Lake Central, IN, 2023) and Myles Supurgeci (Mount Carmel, 2022).

The names listed above were only a select few standouts from the event. More prospects worth mentioning will be touched on in the upcoming statistical analysis and event analysis which will be coming in a few weeks. 

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