PBR Future Games: Day Three Recap

August 7, 2016

Westfield, IN- Team Illinois played two games on the third and final day of the PBR Future Games. In their first game of the day, Team Illinois matched up with Team Wisconsin at 4:00 pm. After trailing for most of the game, Team Illinois put up three runs in the top of the seventh to come away with a 4-3 victory.

LHP Aiden Tyrell (Joliet Catholic, 2018) took the ball for Team Illinois. Tyrell set the tone for a solid pitching performance out of the Illinois staff. Tyrell worked a perfect two frames striking out three. Tyrell effectively mixed in his breaking ball to go along with his fastball that was up to 87 mph.

After a Tyler Acosta (Barrington, 2018) hit by pitch in the top of the second inning, OF Brooks Coetzee (Mahomet-Seymour, 2018) lined a run scoring triple to right-center field, giving Illinois the early 1-0 lead.

Team Wisconsin answered right back however in the third inning with three runs of their own. That would be all the offense Wisconsin would get, as the pitchers on Team Illinois settled.

RHP Sammy Butera (Niles West, 2018) fired a perfect fourth inning, recording two groundouts and a strikeout. The lone 2019 arm for Illinois, Grant Leader (Lyons Township, 2019) added a pair of scoreless frame later to preserve the win. Leader rushed his heater up to 87 mph.

In the seventh inning, Team Illinois scored three runs to steal the game from Team Wisconsin, 4-3. Jordon Rogers (Simeon, 2018) had an RBI single and scored a run in the frame and Myles Norman also delivered a run-scoring single through the right side. The win over Wisconsin moved Team Illinois to 1-0-1 on the weekend.

Highlights from Game 2

+ Matt McCormick, C, St. Laurence HS (IL), 2019
Solid frame, thicker lower half. Continued to stand out with his left-handed bat. Creates easy bat speed with a middle of the field, gap-to-gap approach. Barrelled a ground ball back up the middle in his second at-bat of the day. Also, walked in his third at-bat. Looked comfortable and confident in the box.

+ Tyler Acosta, OF, Barrington HS (IL), 2018
Wiry, athletic, right-handed hitter. Did not record an official at-bat as he walked twice and was hit by a pitch. Consistently worked deep counts and rarely chased pitches out of the zone. Also, stole two bases and scored two runs. Projects as a top of the order type of bat with occasional power.

+ Brooks Coetzee, OF, Mahomet-Seymour HS (IL), 2018
Strong, athletically built, right-handed hitter. Lined a triple into the right-center field gap in his first at-bat. Also was hit by a pitch and grounded out; 4.44 down the line. Compact swing with a gap-to-gap approach and present bat speed. Rarely leaves the strike zone to chase; pitch recognition is evident.

+ Zaid Walker, OF, Homewood-Flossmoor HS (IL), 2018
Physical, right-handed hitting outfielder with athleticism. Went 1-for-3. Singled to right in his first at-bat; stayed on top of a fastball up in the zone. Grounded out later in the game and ran a 4.32 down the line. Open, athletic setup in the box, hitterish look. Aggressive approach, ready to hit the first good pitch he sees.

+ Grant Leader, RHP, Lyons Township (IL), 2019
Smaller framed right-handed pitcher with quick arm. Fastball topped at 87 mph, sat 84-87 mph. One of the better fastball velocities from a 2019 at the event. Breaking ball played 71-76 mph, showed some feel and ability to control the zone with it. Struck out three in two innings of work.

+ Aidan Tyrell, LHP, Joliet Catholic, 2018
5-foot-11, 155-pound left handed pitcher, average frame. Worked exclusively from the stretch, upper body had tendency to lose its line. Short arm action over the top slot. Sharpened up in his second inning of work. Fastball sat 85-87 mph. Curveball played with short quick action on 1/7 plane, 70-72 mph.

TEAM ILLINOIS GAME 3

In the second game of the day and third and final on the weekend, Team Illinois matched up with Team Minnesota/Iowa/Nebraska. After a back and forth affair, the two teams played to a 3-3 tie.

RHP Jacob Maton (Chatam-Glenwood, 2018) took the ball once again and carried over his dominant performance from Friday night with a quick one-two-three inning to begin the game.

Team Illinois got on the board with one run in the first. 1B Anthony Herron (Simeon, 2018) singled to get things going and later scored on a sacrifice fly by MIF Jamarion Loston (Morgan Park, 2018).

In the third inning, Illinois added to their lead scoring another run. D’Eric Shenault (Kenwood, 2018) was hit by a pitch and later scored on a Sam Jones (Brother Rice, 2018) single.

The final run for Team Illinois came in the sixth inning. Francois Castillo was hit by a pitch and Brooks Coetzee came on to run at first base. Coetzee proceeded to steal second and later scored on an error by Team Minnesota/Iowa/Nebraska.

Team Minnesota/Iowa/Nebraska scored two runs in the fifth inning and one in the sixth. RHP Maton, LHP Sean Sinisko (Geneva, 2018), LHP Danny Zimmerman (Lincoln-Way East, 2018), LHP Steven Sanchez (Mundelein, 2018) and RHP Andrew Hancock (Lincoln-Way Central, 2018) all threw scoreless innings for Team Illinois.

The 3-3 tie for Team Illinois pushed their record to 1-0-2 on the weekend.

Highlights from Game 3

Anthony Herron, 1B, Simeon HS (IL), 2018
6-foot-1, 235-pound, muscle bound, physical specimen, right-handed hitting first baseman. Barreled two baseballs in Team Illinois’ final game of the day. Over the course of the first two games on the weekend, Herron consistently put together good at-bats and put good swings on balls but did not have much to show for it. In his first at-bat of the final game he hit a hard ground ball through the infield and later would score a run. In his next at-bat he barreled a ground ball towards the six hole but the third baseman made a quality play to his glove side and recorded a fielder's choice. Herron also stole a base and was hit by a pitch.

Sam Jones, INF, Brother Rice HS (IL), 2018
Lean, right-handed hitting infielder. He finished the game 2-for-2 with two singles. Aggressive approach at the plate, loose hands and gets extension through contact. Defensively can play anywhere on the infield. Steady, soft hands, clean transfer and throws flashed carry at times. Made all the routine plays he was faced with including a 5-3 double play where he picked a tough in between hop, stepped on third and threw a strike across the diamond.

Jacob Maton, RHP, Glenwood HS (IL), 2018
The projectable right-hander carried over his dominant performance from Friday night with a quick one-two-three inning to begin the game. He struck out one and no ball left the infield in his one inning stint. Maton consistently challenged hitters with his upper 80’s fastball and his hard-biting slider.

Steven Sanchez, LHP, Mundelein HS (IL), 2018
The hulking left-hander came out and repeated his impressive performance from Friday. Sanchez once again ran his fastball up to 87 mph, which flashed lots of tilt and arm-side-run.