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PBR IL: John A. Logan / SIC / Rend Lake / Kaskaskia, Takeaways

September 14, 2023
By: Peter Hamot
Area Scout, Staff Writer

On Thursday, September 7th, our staff traveled down to Carterville, IL to host the John A. Logan, Southeastern Illinois, Rend Lake and Kaskaskia Scout Day. This event was host to over 60 players from the schools previously mentioned, all with the similar goal of finding a four-year program to attend in the near future.

The Great Rivers Athletic Conference is one of the strongest collections of junior college programs in Illinois, and this event was further proof of that. Numerous players showed well for themselves on the day and raised their stock heading into this coming spring season. 

Click HERE to view the full event page, and continue reading below to see which players popped in front of our staff.

 

John A. Logan  

John Connors, CIF, Lincoln-Way East (IL), 2023
True freshman. 6-foot-2, 212-pounds, physical with strength throughout. The left-handed hitter was all over the barrel throughout BP, reaching up to 102.6 mph for his max EV and averaging 94.6 mph. He showed the ability to drive the ball with backspin to his pull-side, reaching up to 389’ for his max distance.  

Jayden Malone, OF, Metea Valley (IL), 2023
True freshman. 5-foot-10, 180-pound frame, athletic with room to add on strength. Started his day by cruising to a 6.94 in the 60, athletic strides that translate to the outfield with easy range. The right-handed hitter stays short and direct to the ball with above-average BLAST metrics; averaging 25.5 mph (T26.3) for his hand-speed, 77 mph for his bat-speed (T79.1 mph) and 28.3 for his rotational acceleration (T31.8).  

Cordell Coburn, C/3B, Evansville North (IN), 2021
Redshirt sophomore. 6-foot-2, 210-pounds, strong/durable build with round shoulders. Coburn displayed an easy and balanced right-handed stroke in BP, working the ball with authority up the middle and to the opposite field. According to TrackMan, Coburn reached up to 98.1 mph for his max EV with an average of 94.5 mph, reaching up to 362’ for his max distance. He moves well for his size, running to a 7.15 in the 60. Clean catch/throw operation behind the plate, reaching as low as 2.02 for his pop-time with a max velocity of 76 mph.  

Levin East, Paducah Tilghman (KY), 2023
True freshman. 6-foot, 185-pounds, athletic with room to add on strength. East showed off some tools throughout the event, starting with a 6.80 in the 60-yard dash. At the plate, the right-handed hitter displayed quick hands and easy bat-speed, working line-drives to the whole field with a max EV of 98.8 mph, averaging 95.5 mph with a max distance of 368’. 

Cameron Hill, OF, Brother Rice (IL), 2022
True sophomore. 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame, evenly proportioned strength throughout. Hill gave one of the more impressive looks on the entire day, showcasing loud tools across the board. He started his day by running a 6.77 in the 60-yard dash, long/athletic strides, moves extremely well for his size. The right-handed hitter has easy strength in his bat, reaching up to 104.4 mph for his max EV with an average of 99.8 mph, also reaching up to 391’ for his max distance with an average distance of 340’. He creates well above-average bat-speed, averaging 77.8 mph and topping out at 82.3 mph. In the outfield, Hill has steady hands and plays athletically through the ball, reaching up to 97 mph from a crow hop.  

Jake Munroe, CIF, Champaign Central (IL), 2022
Louisville commit and true sophomore. Physical, 6-foot-2, 225-pound frame, durable with a strong lower-half. The right-handed hitter put on a show during BP, reaching up to 105.3 mph for his max EV while averaging 99.2 mph with a max distance of 392’, driving the ball with authority to the entire field. He registered every ball he hit at over 90 mph, per TrackMan while staying on the ‘sweet spot’ 92.9% of the time. His swing has little perceived effort and minimal unnecessary movement, looking to play well against premier velocity. On the infield, Munroe has steady hands with smooth actions, reaching up to 87 mph across the diamond with carry. Munroe was one of the top performers for the Vols last spring, putting up a .339 batting average in 174 at-bats with 12 home runs, 14 doubles and 54 RBIs. 

Jaden Correa, MIF, De LaSalle (IL), 2023
True freshman. 6-foot, 175-pounds, lean strength with room for added muscle as he matures. Athletic infield profile, showcasing smooth actions and soft hands up the middle. Above-average foot speed with range to both sides of the glove (6.87 60-yard dash). Present strength in his right-handed stroke with a high likelihood of more to come, reaching up to 97.6 mph for his max EV with an average of 92.5 mph. He also put up impressive BLAST metrics, averaging 23.5 mph for his hand-speed (T25.4 mph). 

Gage Griggs, MIF, Paducah Tilghman (KY), 2022
True sophomore. Compact and athletic 5-foot-8, 170-pound frame. Griggs returns to the Vols with 209 at-bats under his belt from last spring, turning in a respectable .263 batting average with 35 RBIs and 24 stolen bases on 25 attempts. 6.84 runner in the 60, speed plays on the defensive side as well with easy range to both sides of his glove. On the infield, Griggs has soft and confident hands with a quick/clean transfer, reaching up to 84 mph across the diamond. The right-handed hitter has a flat and fluid swing with extension through contact, creating line-drives with a max EV of 95.8 mph.  

Jackson Kranawetter, LHP, Trico (IL), 2022
True sophomore. Listed at 5-foot-11, 192-pounds, evenly distributed weight. The southpaw moves athletically down the mound, creating a fastball in the 86-87 mph range. He went to a curveball/slider combination with feel for both offerings, dropping the curveball in at 68-71 mph with sharp 1/7 action and between 2300-2400 RPM - while the slider played at 74-75 mph with 10/4 action at over 2600 RPM. He also featured a changeup at 78-79 mph with heavy arm-side run at times, thrown for strikes.  

Jake Gothrup, RHP, William Henry Harrison (IN), 2022
True sophomore. 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame, athletic with room for added strength. Smooth, controlled delivery, arm works out of a ¾ release. Gothrup worked his fastball up to 93 mph, sitting in the 91-92 mph range with over 12” of run at times. He went to a 10/4 slider with late bite at 81-83 mph, while also going to a fading changeup at 82-84 mph, killing spin and keeping it mostly down. 

Eli Pillsbury, LHP, Castle (IN), 2022
True sophomore. A top returner for the Vols staff, the southpaw had one of the highest K/9 rates on the team last season at 15.19, striking out 36 in 21.1 innings. From an over-the-top-slot, Pillsbury cruised with his fastball at 87-88 mph, playing with carry and at the top of the zone. His curveball profiles well of his fastball, playing with big 12/6 action and depth at 72-74 mph, 2700-2800 RPM. His final offering was a fading changeup at 78-80 mph, thrown with fastball arm-speed.  

Drew Pestka, RHP, Carterville (IL), 2022
True sophomore. Yet another top returner for the Vols, Pestka collected a 7-2 record in 68.1 innings pitched last season with a 3.69 ERA and 85 strikeouts. Listed at 6-foot-5, 235-pounds, Pestka has started to trim down his frame and add on muscle. The big right-hander worked his fastball in the 93-95 mph range, topping out at 95.6 mph with easy life out of the hand. His curveball played with sharp 11/5 action at 76-78 mph, spinning between 2500-2700 RPM. He also went to a slider with shorter 10/4 action, 80-84 mph. His final offering was a fading changeup at 84-86 mph, thrown with arm-speed and intent.  

Jaxson Davis, RHP, Lexington Christian Academy (KY), 2021
Redshirt sophomore. Davis returns a perfect 7-0 record with 47 innings, a 2.87 ERA and 51 strikeouts. Listed at 6-foot-4, 240-pounds, the big right-hander sat in the 88-89 mph range with his fastball, setting up a slider/splitter combination. His slider played at 78-82 mph and flashed sharp 10/4 action, while his splitter played in the 80-82 mph range with killed spin and downward movement.  

Evan Lopez, RHP, Bremen (IL), 2023
True Freshman. Lean and projectable 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame. The right-hander displayed an innate feel to spin all his pitches, starting with his fastball that sat in the 86-88 mph range (2300-2500 RPM), playing with up to 16” of run at times. His slider spun between 2600-2700 RPM, playing with sharp 10/4 action at 73-78 mph. Lopez also went to a changeup, though killing spin on this offering, 75-79 mph with slight arm-side run.  

Matt Tarr, RHP, West Aurora (IL), 2022
True sophomore. 6-foot-1, 200-pound frame with clear strength, athletic build and round shoulders. Tarr will look to add depth to the already impressive Vols pitching staff, and he already showed flashes of success last spring with 19 strikeouts in 14.1 innings. The right-hander showcased a lively fastball at 91-93 mph, playing with life through the zone and over 2300 RPM. His slider has true plus potential, spinning over 2800 RPM with sharp slurvy action, 78-79 mph, though he struggled to command it in this look. He also flashed a fading changeup at 85-86 mph, playing with just over 13” of run.  

Brady Ginaven, RHP, Munster (IN), 2022
Redshirt freshman. Strong frame, listed at 6-foot-4, 225-pounds. The big right-hander worked his fastball in the 86-88 mph range and set up a slider/changeup combination. His slider played in the 75-77 range with over 18” of sweep at times. His changeup ran to his arm-side slightly, sitting around 79-80 mph and flashing the ability to land it for strikes.  

Colin Tarr, RHP, West Aurora (IL), 2023
True freshman. Lean and projectable, 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame with room to add on strength. Athletic mover down the mound with a loose arm action, more velocity to come as he continues to fill out. The right-hander worked his fastball in the 89-91 mph range, topping out at 92 mph with life through the zone and slight arm-side run. He showed a knack to spin the breaking ball, ripping his slider off at 77-81 mph with over 2600 RPM at times, sharp/late bite. His final offering was a fading changeup right at 84 mph, playing with over 15” of run at times. 

KASKASKIA  

Dylan Johnson, C, Waubonsie Valley (IL), 2023
True freshman. 6-foot-2, 215-pounds, some strength throughout the frame and in the lower-half. The left-handed hitter was on the barrel throughout his round of BP with controlled aggression and intent to lift the baseball to his pull-side, reaching up to 99.1 mph for his max EV and averaging 94 mph (T374’ max distance). Defensively, Johnson has steady and reliable hands that work quickly throughout his transfer, working in-line to second and reaching as low as 2.01 for his pop-time (T76 mph).  

Hayden Brazelton, LHP/OF, St. Joseph-Ogden (IL), 2022
True sophomore. 5-foot-10, 175-pound frame with room for added strength. Brazelton showed well as a two-way throughout the event, starting with his round of BP where he showcased a flat/simple swing that worked up to 91.2 mph for his max EV. Defensively, he moves well in the outfield with fluid footwork, playing through the ball with intent. His arm is plenty strong, reaching up to 89 mph from a crow hop and also transferring easily over to the mound, where he sat 83-85 mph with ride/run through the zone. He also went to a 2/8 slider at 70-73 mph and fading changeup at 74-78 mph.   

Benjamin Loyd, MIF, Tremper (WI), 2021
Redshirt sophomore. 6-foot-1, 177-pound frame with some athleticism. The left-handed hitter has a smooth stroke, looking to keep the ball on a line and reaching up to 96.2 mph for his max EV while averaging 89.6 mph (T346’). Smooth defender up the middle with soft hands and a quick/clean transfer. He has easy range to both sides of his glove and plays on the move, reaching up to 80 mph across the diamond.  

Michael Ascencio, CIF, Joliet Catholic (IL), 2022
Redshirt freshman. 6-foot-2, 225-pounds, durable with strength throughout. The right-handed hitter had one of the loudest rounds of BP on the day, reaching up to 101.1 mph for his max EV with a max distance of 390’. On the infield, he has soft and steady hands, moving well for his size and reaching up to 86 mph across the diamond.  

Ryan Kelly, C, Huntley (IL), 2022
Freshman. 6-foot, 205-pound frame. The right-handed hitter was all over the barrel in BP, working with a simple and repeatable stroke that stays mostly flat through the zone, reaching up to 102.1 mph for his max EV with an average of 92 mph. Clean catch/throw operation behind the plate, reaching as low as 2.02 for his pop-time with a top velocity of 77 mph.  

Cody Schneider, OF, Beavercreek (OH), 2022
Redshirt sophomore. 6-foot, 190-pounds, lean and athletic with some room to add on muscle. The right-handed hitter has a fluid rhythm and repeatable operation on the box, working on the barrel consistently and reaching up to 97.9 mph for his max EV with a max distance of 380’. Above-average runner with a 7.00 in the 60, and his speed plays in the outfield with above-average foot speed. Schneider also boasts a strong arm, reaching up to 87 mph from a crow hop, playing with carry to his target.  

Mason Robinson, OF/RHP, Altamont (IL), 2023
True freshman. 6-foot-3, 185-pounds with lean strength and room to add on more muscle as he continues to mature. Impressive two-way showing for Robinson, starting with his round of BP where he powered line-drives up to 96 mph, averaging 90.8 mph for his EV. He has well above-average arm-strength, reaching up to 91 mph from the outfield, later hopping on the mound and sitting 86-87 mph with carry. He showed a knack to spin both of his breaking balls, with the slider playing at 76-79 mph (2300-2400 RPM) and his curveball playing at 75-77 mph (2500+ RPM).  

Dalton Boruff, RHP, Breese Central (IL), 2022
True sophomore. 5-foot-10, 180-pound frame, some strength in the lower-half. Athletic mover on the mound, backed up by his 6.97 in the 60-yard dash. The right-hander worked his fastball in the 86-88 mph range (2200-2300 RPM) with carry and life through the zone. He creates well above-average spin on both his breaking balls, with his slider playing over 2500 RPM at 78-79 mph with 10/4 action and his curveball playing between 2400-2500 RPM at 72-75 mph. He also flashed a fading changeup averaging 13” of run, 77-78 mph.  

Landon Geragosian, RHP, Breese Central (IL), 2022
Redshirt freshman. 6-foot-1, 190-pounds, evenly proportioned weight. The right-hander showed the ability to spin the ball at a high level on all his pitches, starting with his fastball that sat 84-86 mph with carry at 2400-2500 RPM. His curveball played at 74-75 mph with sharp 11/5 action (2500-2600 RPM), while his slider showed sharp 10/4 action at 75-77 mph (2200-2500 RPM). His final offering was a straight changeup thrown with fastball arm-speed, 79-80 mph.  

Mason Tibbs, RHP, Brownsburg (IN), 2023
True freshman. 6-foot-6, 220-pound frame with some strength and evenly proportioned weight, room to add on muscle. The right-hander worked his fastball in the 87-88 mph range and set up a short, bullet slider at 77-80 mph. To fill out his arsenal he went to a splitter at 77-78 mph with killed spin.  

Aidan Dodson, RHP, South Central (IL), 2023
True freshman. 5-foot-10, 170-pounds, compact build with lean strength. Dodson works with a slightly up-tempo delivery, moving athletically downhill and into release. He worked his fastball in the 88-89 mph range, topping out at 89.8 mph with some carry through the zone. His curveball showed depth off an 11/5 plane, thrown with arm-speed at 72-73 mph (2300+ RPM). His slider was thrown with similar intent at 73-75 mph, playing with more 10/4 shape. His final offering was a changeup at 80-83 mph with over 11” of run.  

Nile Adcock, RHP, Pinckneyville Community (IL), 2023
True sophomore. Athletic build with room to add on strength, 6-foot-3, 190-pounds. Adcock had one of the more impressive showings on the day, working his fastball up to 92.8 mph and cruising right at 92 mph throughout. He spun both his breaking balls in the 2500-2600 RPM range, starting with a sharp 11/5 curveball at 81-83 mph and also going to a shorter 10/4 slider at 83-84 mph. He then went to a straight changeup at 83-86 mph, thrown with fastball intent. Adcock has already seen some success at the collegiate level, striking out 71 in 65.1 innings last spring.  

Clayton Taylor, RHP, Columbus East (IN), 2021
True sophomore. Lean and projectable 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame. Taylor returns just over 37 innings to the staff from last season and he will look to be an important piece for Kaskaskia this coming spring. The right-hander worked his fastball in the 88-89 mph range, topping out at 90 mph with some carry through the zone. His curveball shows out-pitch potential, playing between 76-78 mph with sharp 11/5 action (2500-2700 RPM). His slider shows similar traits except off more of a 10/4 plane, playing between 79-81 mph (2100-2500 RPM). His final offering was a heavy fading changeup at 80-82 mph, playing with over 13” of horizontal movement. 

Southeastern Illinois  

Bryce Cape, OF, F.J. Reitz (IN), 2021
Sophomore. Compact, 5-foot-9, 165-pound frame with an athletic build. Cape was one of the top performers for SIC last spring, posting a .287 batting average in 143 at-bats with 27 RBIs. The right-handed hitter reached up to 93.3 mph for his max EV, averaging just over 88 mph. He has a fluid rhythm at the plate with sneaky jump off the bat, creating extension through contact. 7.10 runner in the 60-yard dash.  

Ryan Taylor, OF, Conant (IL), 2021
Sophomore. 6-foot, 195-pound frame, physical and mature build with strength attached. Taylor gave an impressive look on the day with multiple tools to show for it, starting with his round of BP where he reached up to 95.2 mph for his max EV. Strong, fluid right-handed swing, stays through the baseball and works the ball to the whole field. Above-average athlete, recording a 6.90 in the 60-yard dash. Steady defender in the outfield with soft hands, plays through the ball with intent and reached up to 85 mph with a crow hop, hitting his target consistently at the plate with accurate throws.  

John Kiebler, MIF, Paducah Tilghman (KY), 2022
True sophomore. Athletic build, compact frame standing 5-foot-10, 170-pounds. Kiebler is yet another top returner for SIC and he certainly looked the part throughout his workout. Last season the right-handed hitter hit .319 in 138 at-bats and it's easy to see why, as he boasts a loose/athletic stroke with barrel control that looks to keep the ball on a line to the whole field. He’s an above-average defender on the infield, moving athletically to both sides of his glove with some bounce in his step and soft hands. Quick/clean transfer that can play on the move, reaching up to 83 mph across the diamond. 7.17 runner in the 60-yard dash.  

Grant Dalton, OF, Bedford North Lawrence (IN), 2022
Sophomore. 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame, lean with plenty of upside. The left-handed hitter saw some time last season and made the most of his opportunity, turning in a .313 batting average in 48 at-bats. His swing is smooth and fluid, working mostly to his pull-side with intent to lift, registering a max EV of 92.4 mph with a good amount of untapped power still in the tank. Steady defender in the outfield, sure-handed and plays through the ball with intent, reaching up to 86 mph from a crow hop. 7.09 runner in the 60-yard dash.  

Rend Lake 

Blake Templeton, INF, Fort Collins (CO), 2020 
Sophomore. 6-foot, 200-pound frame, strength throughout with round shoulders. The right-handed hitter reached up to 94 mph for his max EV with a max distance of 347’, staying mostly short to the ball and exploding through the zone with hard contact to his pull-side, averaging 72 mph for his bat-speed (T78.7 mph). He creates above-average force through the ball as well, averaging 19.1 for his rotational acceleration (T25.4).  

Luke Bullins, OF, Marion (AR), 2022
True sophomore. 6-foot-2, 185-pounds, lean strength with room to add on additional muscle. Twitchy athlete, started his day by cruising to a 6.89 in the 60-yard dash. Intriguing power/speed combination, as he reached up to 97.6 mph for his max EV with an average EV of 91 mph. The right-handed hitter creates rhythm in his hands before firing through the zone with a flat to slightly uphill path, creating extension through impact and powering-line drives to the whole field. Bullins moves well in the outfield with noticeable foot speed, playing through the ball with intent and steady hands, reaching up to 87 mph from a crow hop.  

Colby Guy, CIF, Eastview (ON), 2021
Sophomore. Strong-bodied, 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame. The left-handed hitter showed off some bat-strength throughout his round of BP, especially to his pull-side where he reached up to 96.2 mph for his max EV with an average of 90.3 mph. He showed intent to lift the baseball throughout his round of BP, reaching up to 370’ for his max distance.  

Derek Lebron, RHP, Riverton Parke (IN), 2022
True sophomore. 6-foot-1, 210-pound frame, strength in the lower-half. The right-hander worked his fastball in the 87-90 mph range, topping out at 91 mph and playing up in the zone. To pair off the fastball he went to a high-spinning duo of breaking balls, the first being a sharp downer curveball at 73-77 (2500-2600 RPM) and the second being a sharp 10/4 slider with shorter shape, 75-78 mph (2400-2600 RPM). To round out his arsenal he went to a splitter with downward action, killing spin at 76-78 mph.  

Holton Compton, RHP, South Spencer (IN), 2022
True sophomore. Towering 6-foot-6, 230-pound frame, athletic with present strength. Compton is a former collegiate basketball player and his upside was some of the highest in the entire event. Athletic mover down the mound, especially through the release, the right-hander worked his fastball in the 90-91 mph range with 12.4” of run on average. His slider flashed sharp 10/4 action when kept to his glove-side, playing in the 77-79 mph range. His final offering was a splitter he started throwing roughly less than a week before the event, and it showed flashes of downward movement in the 78-79 mph range while killing spin.  

Matthew Ray, RHP, Calloway County (KY), 2022
True sophomore. Projectable 6-foot-5, 205-pound frame with room for added strength. Working from a higher release, the right-hander sat right in the 87-89 mph range with his fastball, playing with some carry through the zone. His curveball played at 72-74 mph with gradual 11/5 shape, flashing sharp action with depth when kept lower in the zone. Lastly, he went to a fading changeup at 83-84 mph, playing with over 15” of run consistently and reaching over 18” at times.  

 

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