By Drew Locascio
Illinois Scouting Director

Now that the 2017 and 2018 rankings have been updated we have moved on to the Illinois 2019 rankings. There have been a number of showcases, camps and high school games since the last rankings update and in that time many new sophomores have come to the forefront. The plethora of new faces and names have allowed us to expand the rankings from 75-to-100.

The Underclass Invitational took place in January and featured many of the top players in the Illinois 2019 class. Also, a large number of the sophomores on the updated list are playing a role on varsity rosters this spring.

RHP Quinn Priester (Cary Grove) is the new No. 1 in Illinois. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound, highly athletic, right-hander is also ranked No. 16 in the overall rankings and is the highest ranked uncommitted prospect in the 2019 class. Priester elevated to the top of the sophomore class in Illinois thanks to his recent performances for Cary Grove. In a start last week, he showed advanced pitch-ability, arm strength and composure for his age. His fastball sat 90-91 mph for the first two innings and touched as high as 93. He has the ability to work both sides of the plate with his fastball and can throw both of his secondary offerings, which flash plus action, at any time.

Catcher Matt McCormick (St. Laurence), a West Virginia recruit, is right behind Priester at No. 2 in the state. McCormick has anchored the middle of the order for the Vikings since his freshman year and continues to prove he is one of the top left-handed bats in the midwest.   

Andrew Wiegman (Carmel Catholic), a Louisville commit, rounds out the top three in Illinois. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound, shortstop, is a high-ceiling athlete with present baseball skill.

The biggest movers at the top of the rankings were Brody Harding (Moline) and Tyler Snep (Lake Zurich), now sitting at No. 7 and No. 8, respectively. Harding, an Illinois commit, is a left-handed hitting shortstop who profiles as a top of the order bat at the next level. Harding controls the barrel and takes competitive at-bats. Snep, uncommitted, is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound, left-handed hitting catcher who has been starting on varsity since his freshman year. Snep has power potential at the plate and a strong arm from the crouch.

UPDATED TOP 10

RANK	NAME	STATE	SCHOOL	CLASS	POS	COMMITMENT
1	Quinn Priester	IL	Cary Grove	2019	RHP
2	Matt McCormick	IL	St. Laurence	2019	C	West Virginia
3	Andrew Wiegman	IL	Carmel Catholic	2019	SS	Louisville
4	Zachary Lee	IL	Effingham	2019	RHP
5	Jason Hodges	IL	Marist	2019	OF
6	Grant Leader	IL	Lyons Township	2019	RHP	Illinois
7	Brody Harding	IL	Moline	2019	SS	Illinois
8	Tyler Snep	IL	Lake Zurich	2019	C
9	Nathan Rintz	IL	Schaumburg	2019	RHP	Arkansas
10	Ryan Keeley	IL	Wheaton Warrenville South	2019	RHP

INF/OF Benji Brokemond (Walter Payton) climbed into the Top 20 after his performance at the Underclass Invitational. Brokemond ran a 6.64 60, flashed athletic defensive actions and a compact right-handed swing with bat speed. Josh Gibson (O’Fallon), a Missouri State commit, is another infielder who made a big jump. Gibson, now No. 25 in Illinois, has been a starter since his freshman season at perennial power, O’Fallon HS, and profiles as a top of the order bat at the next level.

INF Clark Elliott (Barrington) and OF Kyle Hetherington (Crystal Lake South) are two left-handed hitters who now sit in the top 50 after their performance at the Underclass Invitational. Both are interesting athletes with high-ceilings.

With the list expanding to 100, there are numerous players ranked for the first time. Some of the notable newcomers to the list are RHP Tyler Schlaffer (Homewood-Flossmoor), INF/OF Brian Adams (Marist), RHP Luke Markunas (Washington), RHP Charlie Hodges (Delavan), SS/RHP Robby Taul (Alton), INF Brendan Carrane (St. Rita), OF Ethan Schreier (Neuqua), C Andrew McKenna (Nazareth), RHP Dylan Szajkovics and 1B Brennan Geers (Providence Catholic).

CLICK HERE for complete 2019 Illinois Rankings.

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