On Saturday, Feb. 10, the Prep Baseball Illinois staff hosted the McHenry Rising Stars ID at Pro Player Academy in McHenry. This event served as an open identifier into the state's 2028 and 2029 graduates, providing our staff an early look at the area's top players as they continue to progress as prospects.

These early Rising Stars events also serve as key identifiers for future invite-only events, including the Prep Baseball Junior Future Games. 

Today we take a look at a couple of the standouts, as well as breakdown the top statistical performers from the day with our “Statistical Analysis” below.

Takeaways

LHP/1B Tommy Gasner (Huntley, 2028) and INF/RHP Ethan Sehmer (Lakes Community, 2028) were two of the top two-way standouts on the day. 

Gasner has a strong build for his age, listed at 6-foot, 173-pounds and there’s still plenty of room to pack on muscle to his high-waisted frame in the coming years. The L/L prospect led the entire event in max EV (T82.3 mph) and max distance (275’), all while boasting a controlled operation with athletic hands and a balanced finish, displaying feel for the barrel with a middle of the field approach. He displayed soft hands and athletic actions while taking his reps at first base. On the mound, the southpaw displayed a simple delivery with a high leg-kick and drop/drive lower-half, transitioning into a loose, high ¾ slot. His fastball worked up to 74 mph, setting up a low-60s curveball and mid-60s changeup. 

Sehmer had a similarly strong showing on both sides of the ball, starting with his round of BP; as the right-handed hitter showcased loose, athletic hands with some whip through the zone. He showed well on the infield with soft/confident hands and balance throughout his round, also showing the ability to move well laterally. He’s an athletic mover on the mound, repeating his operation and delivering his arsenal from a clean and easy ¾ release. The right-hander worked his fastball in the 75-76 mph range while also going to a curveball/changeup duo to change the pace. 

A compact middle-infielder that showed an impressive feel for the game is Travis Kieffer (Dundee Crown, 2028). The right-handed hitter displayed quick/strong hands with a flat path, staying through the ball and working on the barrel middle/away with extension out front. On the infield, he showed a bounce in his step with athletic actions and soft hands. 

One of the better rounds of BP on the day came from INF Lucas Donaldson (Warren Township, 2028), as the right-handed hitter displayed easy effort into a loose, flat path, creating extension through the ball with balance through impact and a repeatable stroke. 

OF Joey Frano (Johnsburg, 2028) gave a polished look throughout his round of BP. The right-handed hitter had some rhythm in his operation and intent behind his hacks, utilizing athletic hands and a flat path, staying under control with a balanced finish.

We got an upside look from OF Gavin Haurum (Prairie Ridge, 2028) who stands in at a highly projectable 5-foot-10, 130-pounds. The right-handed hitter utilized a simple operation, working from the ground up through impact into a flat path and staying on the barrel up the middle of the field. 

One of the more impressive arms from the day was LHP Ethan Johnson (Lake Zurich, 2028). The southpaw showcased a clean operation, moving fluidly into a high leg-lift with a clean lower-half down the mound. His arm moves with looseness and ease with a clean path and ¾ release. His fastball worked in the 74-76 mph range, setting up a 1/7 curveball at 63-65 mph with some sharp action and feel for the zone.

STATISTICAL Analysis

FASTBALL VELOCITY (MAX)

FASTBALL SPIN RATE (AVG.)

30-YARD DASH

EXIT VELOCITY (MAX)

TOP INFIELD VELOCITY

TOP OUTFIELD VELOCITY

TOP CATCHER VELOCITY

TOP POP TIMES

+ CLICK HERE for a look at the complete statistics from the event.

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