Prep Baseball Report

Unsigned Senior Showcase: Quick Hits


By Steve Nielsen and Drew Locascio
Illinois Scouting Staff

The Unsigned Senior Showcase took place on Sunday, October 7th at the Max in McCook, Illinois. The event featured close to 160 players from the 2019 class who took part in a pro-style workout in front of the PBR Scouting Staff and more than 35 colleges. Today we kick off the event analysis with some of the top performers from the event.

QUICK HITS

PITCHERS

RHP Zachary Gould (Joliet Catholic) entered the Unsigned Senior Showcase as one of the more highly touted prospects in attendance. Gould was formerly committed to Memphis and ranks in the top 70 in the state of Illinois. On top of that Gould was one of Joliet Catholic’s top arms and showed dynamic stuff on Sunday. Gould sat 86-88 mph with a tight 10/4 slider at 72-74 mph, both above average pitches. His changeup rivals to be his best secondary pitch with power action at 79-82 mph.

RHP Kyle Pothoff (Marquette, MO, 2019) came from Missouri with a big projectable frame at 6-foot-5 193-pounds, Pothoff has a loose upside arm action and an 83-85 mph fastball with hard slider at 74-76 mph.

RHP Ryan Mintz (Willowbrook) followed up his performance from the Senior Games in August with another strong showing this Sunday. Mintz uses a ¾ slot to get a running fastball at 85-86 mph and a plus potential changeup at 77-79 mph.

RHP Mike Sullivan (Wheaton North) also goes into the category of firm breaking balls, he flashed at 73-76 mph curveball with depth on 11/5 plane to go with an 82-84 mph fastball and 78-80 mph change.

RHP Shawn Kwasny (Westmont) showed some serious projection. He’s a long limbed 6-foot-2, 170-pound righty with a long, loose arm and above average changeup. His fastball ranged 82-83 mph with a 75-78 mph straight change.

Cameron Mulvihill was one of the few southpaws that showed next level stuff and projection. The Evanston LHP showed a sneaky fastball at 82-83 mph, topping at 84 mph and showing feel for three pitches including an above average slider and changeup.

Jake Kmiecik (Metea Valley) showed a sinking fastball from a ¾ slot that worked 84-85 mph and topped at 86 mph. Kmiecik is an athletic arm who looks to have more in the tank and just scratching the surface of his potential on the mound.

Jake McKendry (Providence) is a right-handed arm who showed an easy 83-85 mph fastball. His secondary stuff is still behind his fastball but the ball comes out really easy and looks to have more in his 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame.

RHP Ayden Head (Hinsdale Central) has a heavy fastball that touched 85 mph. His sinking action in the strike zone should yield plenty of soft contact this sporing.  

At 6-foot-5, 210-pounds, Tim Rybarczyk (Lincoln-Way Central) was one of the larger arms in attendance. His big frame produces a fastball at 83-85 mph and a short 69-72 mph breaking ball.

CATCHERS

Sean Blanchard (Plainfield East) has a strong, durable catcher’s frame at 5-foot-11, 185-pounds and athletic actions behind the plate. Blanchard routinely put throws on the bag with carry, topping at 79 mph. At the plate, right-handed hitter made consistent hard contact to the pull side.

Catcher Jack Jonota (Stevenson) natural, athletic actions behind the plate, flexible hips, bounces out of the crouch and is an agile blocker. Had a low pop time of 2.04 and was 77 mph from the crouch.

Catcher Daniel Hawes (Glenbrook South) had some of the quickest feet behind the plate, a highly-accurate arm and pop times that ranged from 2.05-2.12. At the plate, right-handed hitter, has quick hands and stays short to the ball. Also, a 7.22 runner in the 60, laser-timed.

The top arm from the crouch at the event belongs to Brett Bushka (Glenbard East), who topped at 81 mph. Bushka also registered a low pop time of 2.00.

INFIELDERS

6-foot-3, 185-pound, INF/RHP Nick Black (Geneva) had a solid all-around day. Black showed a big arm across the infield (87 mph), has a short loose swing, ran a 7.23 60 and was up to 83 mph on the mound.  

One of the top middle-infielders in attendance looked to be Jack Moran (Loyola Academy). Moran ran a 6.87 60, showed active, athletic feet on the infield, soft hands and was 82 mph across the diamond. Right-handed hitter, has a quiet, calm swing with loose hands and a line-drive approach.

Another infielder who made an impression at the event was 6-foot, 169-pound, switch-hitting infielder Maximus Bullock (Morgan Park). Bullock ran a 6.83 60, handles the bat from both sides of the plate, flashed loose hands, a quick bat and controls the barrel. Defensively, fluid footwork, infield actions and soft hands.

One of the top Wisconsin prospects in attendance was INF Logan Mantz (Slinger). Mantz registered the top exit velocity of the event, 101 mph off a tee. Mantz has loose, strong hands and during his round of BP he routinely made hard contact to the middle of the field. Defensively, he has athletic infield actions, sure-hands and topped at 85 mph across the diamond.

OUTFIELDERS

Left/left outfielder Barry White (Simeon) showed dynamic actions running a 6.81 60 and loose quick hands at the plate. Short, fluid stroke at the dish and showed aggressive actions in the outfield that profile in centerfield.

Another L/L outfielder, Connor Krantz (Chesterton, IN) showed similarly dynamic action in the outfield with a compact swing from the left side of the plate that stays on top of the baseball.

Trevor Jaloszynski was another Willowbrook product who showed well. He ran a 7.06 and showed well in BP. His hands played loose at the dish and showed a knack for the barrel with gap-to-gap line drives profiling as a two-hole type hitter.

Colin Olkiewicz (Minooka) took one of the best BP rounds of the day. He hits out of an athletic right-handed setup with loose live hands that consistently found the barrel to the middle of the field. The outfielder sprayed hard contact off the bat as shown by his 94 mph exit velocity from the tee. His 6.89 60 wasn’t too shabby either and showed athletic actions playing through the baseball that potentially profile in centerfield.

Left/left outfielder Lawrence Noble (Gwendolyn Brooks) has an easy left-handed stroke that repeats contact to all fields. His line drive gap to gap approach showed well to go along with a 6.97 60 and a projectable 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame.

Peter Fusek, a Homeschooled prospect, put up one of the best stat lines of the day. He’s a physical 6-foot-1, 195-pound outfielder who ran a 6.79, threw it 89 mph from the outfield and posted a 93 mph exit velocity from the tee.

Stay tuned over the next few days for a look at the statistical analysis from the day.

CLICK HERE for a look at the full roster.

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