Week 4 Games
April 12, 2023
The Illinois Scout Blog provides insider information and scouting notes from the PBR Scouting Staff during the season. This running blog will feature information on underclass prospects, unsigned seniors, draft prospects, and anything else that is notable. We will provide a wide range of information, including player evaluations, velocities, pop times, home to first times, and more. Simply put, the Illinois Scout Blog is loaded with information …
EDWARDSVILLE AT O'FALLON - APRIL 4TH, 2023
By: Diego Solares
Area Scout, Illinois & Missouri
Logan Geggus, LHP, Edwardsville, 2023
Uncommitted. Strong, physically built 6-foot-2, 205-pound athlete. Started on the mound for Edwardsville against O’Fallon, allowing two hits over five innings of work while striking out five. Works exclusively out of the stretch, front hip coils inward as lead leg lifts, tucked onto his backside at balance point, gets down the mound in a tall/fall pattern. Stays closed to footstrike with a strong front side, finishes onto a firm lead leg and lands square to target. Arm plays with some length and reach on the backside, over-the-top slot. Fastball touched 88 three times early, holding 85-87 mph throughout his start. Heavy, bowling ball like action, worked best down at the zone and will induce plenty of ground balls at the next level. Showed a 72-73 mph breaking ball with slurvy action off a 2/8 plane, landed it for strikes on occasion with some feel to back foot it to right-handed hitters. Threw four changeups at 80 mph. Remains one of the top senior arms on the market in Illinois.
Joseph Chiarodo, RHP/OF, Edwarsdville, 2025
5-foot-11, 180-pound frame with athleticism and strength, particularly in the lower half. Started in center field and hit in the two-hole for the Tigers in this look. Brings a confident and competitive presence into the batter’s box, starts balanced in the box, hands load back with some waggle and rhythm, strides short. Fast hands, works direct to the baseball on a short, level path. Has a clear knack for the barrel with juice off it to all fields - screamed a double into the opposite field gap in his first at-bat, and pushed a hard single through the right side later on. Drove a deep lineout off the barrel to center field too. Finished 2-for-4 with a double, run sored, and a stolen base. Entered yesterday’s game slashing .565/.688/.870 over 32 plate appearances. Also upper-80s on the mound with swing-and-miss spin on his breaking ball and advanced feel for a changeup. One of the top prospects in the state’s sophomore class that’s been a star on both sides of the ball for the Tigers thus far.
MASCOUTAH AT BELLEVILLE WEST - APRIL 3RD, 2023
By: Diego Solares
Area Scout, Illinois & Missouri
Austin Musso, RHP, Mascoutah, 2025
6-foot-1, 180-pound well-proportioned athlete with plenty of physical projection to come. Started on the mound for Mascoutah in this contest against a strong Belleville West team. Hurled six no-hit innings, striking out eight. Allowed one baserunner to reach throughout his outing, issuing a walk in the bottom of the sixth. Works with pace and tempo on the mound, lead leg lifts to an upright posture at balance, tall/fall type mover downhill. Consistently finished in line and onto a firm front leg, tall through release. Clear competitive presence on the mound, challenged and trusted his stuff throughout, got ahead often. Short quick arm draw out the glove, finished from a clean high ¾ slot. Fastball touched 88 mph twice in the second inning, held 85-87 mph in a 90+ pitch outing. Flashed some life up in the zone, worked mostly on the corners with comfort going in-and-out to both handed hitters. Commanded it in the zone throughout. Landed a 70-71 mph curveball with depth and gradual action for strikes. Turned to a firm, tight, more laterally spun slider at 74-77 mph for whiffs, used it mostly to the glove-side corner of the plate. In 17 innings pitched this spring, across four starts, has struck out 31 batters and walked only five, failing to allow an earned run yet. Has the stuff, makeup, and mound presence to be a frontline arm now, and at the next level. Continues to show out as a high-follow arm in the state’s 2025 class.