PBR Future Games: Illinois Workout Day Recap

August 5, 2016

By Drew Locascio
Illinois Scouting Director

Day one of the PBR Future Games took place today with a position player workout at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana. Team Illinois position players ran 60’s, participated in defensive evaluations, and took batting practice on the field in front of 150 plus college coaches.

The most impressive position group from Team Illinois when you break down the stats, had to be the outfielders. Out of the five outfielders, four of them were 89 mph or higher from the outfield. Three of the five also had exit velocities of 96 mph or better and all but one ran a sub 7.0 60. Here is a look at some standouts from Team Illinois today.

Zaid Walker, OF, Homewood-Flossmoor, 2018 – The 6-foot-1, 200-pound, chiseled, right-handed hitting outfielder put together an impressive stat line today. He began by running a 6.76 laser-timed 60 (his previous best at a Prep Baseball Report Showcase had been a 6.95). He also was 92 mph from the outfield and registered a 96 mph exit velocity; both of those numbers were also personal best’s.

Brooks Coetzee, OF, Mahomet-Seymour, 2018 – 6-foot-1, 191-pound, strong, athletic outfielder, put up impressive numbers as well. In the outfield he was clocked at 91 mph, with throws flashing carry, true flight and accuracy. He also ran a 6.93 60 and registered a 97 mph exit velocity. Offensively, it took a little bit for Coetzee to heat up but once he did, he flashed a compact swing with easy pop.

Matt McCormick, C/3B, St. Laurence, 2019 – Currently ranked No. 1 in the Illinois’ 2019 class. 6-foot, 195-pound, left-handed hitting catcher/third baseman with a sturdy frame and strong lower half. Took one of the more impressive rounds of batting practice on the day. Bat stays extremely flat through the hitting zone and gets extension through contact. Made consistent hard contact and back spun baseballs to both gaps; exit velocity clocked at 97 mph. Defensively, McCormick showed best behind the plate. Throws were clocked at 77 mph from the crouch and pop times ranged between 1.97-2.07.

Anthony Herron, 1B, Simeon, 2018 – 6-foot-1, 235-pound, extra-large, put together, right-handed hitting first baseman. Ran extremely well for his size, a 7.11 laser-timed 60. Offensively, flashed impressive bat speed and pull side power. Consistent, loud contact; registered a 96 mph exit velocity. Defensively, moves well around the bag and first base and flashed soft hands.

Other Notable Performances:

MIF D’Eric Shenault (Kenwood, 2018) and MIF Jamarion Loston (Morgan Park, 2018) showed they can stick at shortstop. Both flashed athletic actions, soft hands, range and accurate arms.

3B Francois Castillo (Roberto Clemente, 2018) flashed soft hands and a big arm as he registered the top infield velocity for Team Illinois, 88 mph. INF Sam Jones (Brother Rice, 2018) took one of the better offensive rounds for Team Illinois and was steady on the infield.

C Jordon Rogers (Simeon, 2018) ran the best 60 time for Team Illinois, 6.63, was 78 mph from the crouch and pop times ranged between 1.97-2.09. C Will Pudik (Peoria Notre Dame, 2018) is a physical 6-foot, 195-pound backstop who ran a 7.27 60 and natural lift in swing. Pop times ranged from 2.05-2.16.

Outfielders Tyler Acosta (Barrington, 2018) and Dakota Kotowski (Providence Catholic, 2018) showed off their offensive prowess. Acosta flashed quick twitch and hard contact while Kotowski doesn’t get cheated at the plate and tied for the top exit velocity for the entire event at 100 mph. Outfielder Myles Norman (Morgan Park, 2018) ran a 6.85 60, was 90 mph from the outfield and flashed a loose swing with a gap-to-gap approach.

CLICK HERE for a complete list of stats in PDF format.

Tomorrow we begin the games portion of the event. A full schedule and pitching rotations can be found HERE

For a full Illinois Future Games Roster CLICK HERE