By Drew Locascio 
Illinois Scouting Director

The Prep Baseball Report Scouting staff hosted a Pitcher Showcase and Analysis on Thursday, October 20th at Legacy Athletics in Shorewood, IL. The event saw fourteen pitchers from the 2017-2019 classes work directly with the PBR scouting staff in a hands-on, extended bullpen setting. Today we roll-out the scouting reports from the event.

Plainfield South’s Trey Ricko, a junior, sat in the low-to-mid 80’s with his fastball and showed good action and feel on his changeup.

Another RHP with good feel and action on his changeup was sophomore Ryan Cermak. Cermak who was up to 83 has a quick arm and some life to his fastball.

Steven Brink from Lincoln-Way West is another sophomore to keep an eye on moving forward. The projectable RHP is listed at 6-foot-4, 150-pounds and has a loose, whippy arm action.

Pitcher Reports (Listed Alphabetically)

Steven Brink, RHP, Lincoln-Way West, 2019
Long gangly frame, 6-foot-4, 150-pound right-handed pitcher, projectable frame, slender build. Delivery works in line, lands square, lower half gets collapsed. Arm action is long and loose, high ¾ slot, projectable arm speed. Fastball sat 75-78 mph, slight arm side action and showed an ability to create tilt and stay down in the zone. Loose curveball, 62-66 mph, rolling action. Changeup is firm, has slight sink action, 71-74 mph, ability to keep down in the zone.

Alex Buchanan, RHP, Kaneland, 2019
6-foot, 185-pound right-handed pitcher. On the mound works from a high ¾ arm angle with a long arm action. Stab out of glove with a long draw. Tall and fall, slow paced delivery with a closed toe landing. Falls towards home plate upon release. Fills up the zone out of the windup. Fastball was mostly straight, showing occasional running action at 75-78 topping out at 79 mph for strikes. Curveball has 11-5 shape, tended to spike it at 66-71 mph. Changeup was straight at 69-73 mph.

Nino Carra, RHP, Plainfield South, 2019
6-foot-3, 145-pound right-handed pitcher, thin wiry frame. Tall and fall delivery, minimal effort, balanced finish. Arm action is long, firm release, wraps on backside, high ¾ slot. Fastball has slight run action, control, 71-73 mph, touched 75 mph. Curveball sat 59-62 mph, 11/5 shape, casts deep. Changeup has sink and fade, pushes, 64-67 mph. 

Ryan Cermak, RHP, Riverside-Brookfield, 2019
6-foot, 160-pound, athletically built right-handed pitcher with a live arm. Drop and drive, slow-paced delivery, stays on-line, lands square with effort throughout. Arm works long and quick out of a high ¾ slot. Fastball flashed life, straight action, sat 79-81 mph, touched 83. Changeup is currently best secondary offering; advanced feel for the zone, pounded the bottom quadrant, fade and sink action at times, 64-67 mph. Curveball, varying, arm speed, depth and sharpness; when thrown aggressively flashed sharp spin and depth 11/5 shape, ranged between 59-66 mph.

Nick Cerrato, RHP, Plainfield North, 2018
6-foot, 155-pound right-handed pitcher with a thin frame. On the mound works from a high ¾ arm angle with a short arm action. Tall and fall, online delivery with easy effort. Athletic, upright finish with good balance throughout. Fastball was mostly straight, flashing occasional run at 78-80 topping out at 81 mph. Curveball has 11-5 shape with gradual breaking action at 65-67 mph. Showed feel for his changeup out of the stretch with occasional cutting action at 68-72 mph. 

Joseph Crisp, LHP, Metamora, 2018
6-foot, 175-pound left-handed pitcher. On the mound woks from a ¾ arm angle with a short arm action. High back elbow at draw. Drop and drive delivery working in line with home plate. Square landing with an athletic finish and smooth rhythm. Fastball showed slight running action working down in the zone at 74-77 topping out at 78 mph. Curveball has slurve shape with gradual action at 64-67 mph. Changeup has solid fading action at 70-72 mph.

Nicholas Ferguson, RHP, Plainfield North, 2017
6-foot-1, 160-pound, lean, athletically built, right-handed pitcher. Delivery works slightly closed, lands square and finishes upright. Short arm action from an over-the-top slot. Fastball, works mainly straight, occasional cut action, 75-77 mph. Curveball, shortens arm action, 12/6 to 11/5 shape, flashed feel and sat 62-64 mph. Changeup, located down, better feel out of the stretch, near fastball arm speed and slight cutting action, 67-70 mph.  

Eric Fitzmaurice, RHP, Plainfield South, 2017
6-foot, 195-pound, strong, well-proportioned right-handed pitcher. Tall and fall delivery, slight pause at balance point, square landing, upright finish and regular effort throughout. Slide step out of the stretch. Short arm action out of a high ¾ to over-the-top slot. Fastball, arm-side-run and sat 78-82 mph. Curveball looks to be best secondary offering; thrown confidently with feel, sharp 12/6 action and ranged between 65-71 mph. Changeup, firm, fade action, 73-77 mph.

Garrett Gillund, RHP, McHenry, 2018
6-foot-1, 180-pound solidly built right-handed pitcher. Drop and drive delivery, rhythm, works slightly across body and regular effort throughout. Long, loose arm action from a low ¾ slot. Threw a four-seam and two-seam fastball. Two-seam fastball has sink and heaviness at times, 75-77 mph touched 78. Curveball has 11/5 shape, raises arm slot, ranged between 68-70 mph. Changeup, slows arm,  feel, sink and fade action, 70-73 mph.

Ryan Harty, LHP, Plainfield South, 2018
6-foot, 150-pound left-handed pitcher with a thin, lanky frame. Works from a ¾ arm angle with a long, quick arm action. Tall and fall, slowed paced delivery, works in line with home plate. Falls off to the third base side after release. Fastball was straight at 78-80 topping out at 81 mph. Throws off speed with conviction. Curveball has 12-6 shape at 66-70 mph for strikes. Knuckleball was thrown aggressively at 68-72 mph with tumbling action. Dropped arm slot on slider, showed sweeping action at 68-73 mph.

Simon Lane, RHP, Hinsdale Central, 2019
5-foot-10, 185-pound right-handed pitcher.  Delivery is compact, tall and fall type, stays upright through finish, little effort. Arm action is short and over the top. Fastball flashed arm side run, occasional late action through the hitting zone, touched 80 mph, sat 77-79 mph. Throws two breaking balls. Curveball has 11/5 shape, 66-69 mph, good action. Slider has flatter action, occasionally under the baseball 67-71 mph. Showed feel for his changeup, thrown near fastball arm speed, 71-73 mph with arm side run and control of the zone.

Trey Ricko, RHP, Plainfield South, 2018
6-foot-1, 180-pound right-handed pitcher. Delivery has some effort, slightly uptempo, squared landing, closed toe, knee to knee load out of the stretch. Arm action is long, high ¾ slot. Fastball is mostly straight, occasional arm side run, controlled it better out of the stretch, 83-85 mph. Curveball has 11/5 shape, 67-71 mph, lacked control, tends to pull and under the baseball. Changeup is firm, arm side action, showed feel for zone, 75-80 mph.

Devin Smith, LHP, Minooka, 2017
6-foot, 165-pound left-handed pitcher. On the mound works from a high ¾ arm angle with a long, stiff arm action. Drop and drive delivery working in line with home plate. Slight closed landing with an upright finish. Fastball was mostly straight flashing occasional running action at 77-79 mph. Showed feel for the curveball with 1-7 shape and gradual action at 65-67 mph. Threw every curveball for strikes. Maintained fastball arm speed on changeup at 67-73 mph, struggled to command it.

Cade Thornberry, RHP, Plainfield Central, 2017
6-foot-3, 200-pound right-handed pitcher, large frame. Arm plays from a high ¾ slot. Tall and fall delivery, occasionally gets on heels, lands square with closed toe. Fastball is straight, 78-80 mph, topped at 81 mph. Curveball has 11/5 shape, occasionally gets 12/6, had feel and action, 64-67 mph. Changeup flashes arm side run, 72-74 mph.  

CLICK HERE for a complete statistical breakdown of the Pitcher Showcase and Analysis in PDF format.

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