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Indiana Class of 2026 Initial Rankings

November 16, 2022
Cooper Trinkle & Staff
PBR Indiana

We are excited to announce our initial rankings for Indiana’s class of 2026. This class features power arms, middle-of-the diamond athletes, as well as a few prospects that have already committed to Power 5 programs. 

The Top 10

1. Tate Troxell, RHP/3B, Guerin Catholic HS

The physical, 6-foot-3, 200 pounder headlines this list and looks to be next in line in Indiana’s tradition of producing powerful right-handed arms. Troxell has a clean, quick arm and moves down the mound with aggressive intent. Troxell already sits 86-90 mph on his fastball, and possesses good feel for an 11/5, 70-72 mph curveball with good shape. Tate has already garnered interest from major programs across the country and will be a fun one to follow over the next four years.

 

2. Rhys Wolf, RHP/OF, Martinsville HS

The Notre Dame recruit has an athletic delivery with compact arm action and electric arm speed, producing fastballs that sit in the mid-to-upper 80s, topping at 88 mph. The 6-foot, 170 pounder has a wipeout, low-70s mph curveball (2400+ spin) that he commands at will and an advanced, fading changeup in the upper-70s. Wolf has an elite combination of athleticism, arm speed, and pitchability that cements him as a top prospect in the class. 

 

3. Aiden Reynolds, SS/3B, Noblesville HS

When discussing the top pure hitters in Indiana’s 2026 class, it's tough to find one better than Reynolds. He has a long, athletic 6-foot, 165 pound frame paired with a loose, fluid swing that produces easy juice. Reynolds consistently hits in-game, showing advanced barrel control and balance at the dish. A 7.10 runner, Reynolds has soft hands in the infield with some arm strength already (83 INF Velo). 

 

4. Dylan Bowen, SS/RHP, Hanover Central HS

Bowen may be the best pure athlete on the list, a two-sport standout that ran a 6.89 60 at last year’s Preseason All-State showcase. The athletic, 5-foot-11, 150 pounder has twitchy lateral movements in the infield with soft hands, quick feet, and advanced defensive actions for the class. At the dish, Bowen is a leadoff-type with a short, quick swing. Expect Bowen’s arm strength and bat speed to continue to improve as he adds size and strength. 

 

5. Trent Gill, SS/RHP, Valparaiso HS

An Indiana recruit, Gill really hit in multiple looks throughout the 2022 season. Gill has a long, athletic 6-foot-1, 155 pound frame with a clean, upward stroke that produces power to the pull-side. He has extremely quick hands at the dish and produces advanced bat speed (75+ mph). Gill shows quick lateral movements in the infield with some arm strength to go with it (83 INF Velo). 

 

6. Sammy Swank, RHP/3B, McCutcheon HS 

Swank has an uber-projectable, 6-foot-3, 170 pound frame and his fastball touched 87 mph at the PBR Junior Future Games. Swank has long, clean arm action with advanced arm strength for the class, combined with solid pitchability, showing the ability to throw a three-pitch mix for strikes. He has a short, tight, 69-71 mph slider that will continue to improve as he gains velocity. Swank will also flash a changeup at 77-80 mph with sinking action and command to his armside. 

 

7. Kobe Cherry, RHP/1B, Center Grove HS

A three-sport athlete with a strong, 6-foot-3, 210 pound frame. Cherry impressed on the mound at the PBR Junior Future Games, where he sat 85-86 mph on his fastball. Cherry has clean, compact arm action and creates easy arm speed with good hip-to-shoulder separation. He also has feel for his 69-70 mph curveball that shows good downward action. With Cherry’s strong frame and easy arm speed, expect his fastball velocity to jump sometime in the near future. 

 

8. Hudson DeVaughan, RHP, Martinsville HS

A right-hander with a ton to dream on, DeVaughan oozes projectability, with a long, lanky 6-foot-2, 160 pound frame. DeVaughan has a clean, athletic delivery and has already been up to 85 mph on his fastball. He pitches from an over-the-top arm slot that produces good downward plane on the fastball, along with a tight, 11/5 curveball. DeVaughan’s upside makes it easy to project that his fastball velocity will continue to climb as he adds size and strength. 

 

9. Nate Millington, SS/OF, Terre Haute North HS

A Kentucky recruit, Millington has an interesting profile with a high upside. He’s a long, lanky 6-foot-2, left-handed hitting middle infielder with solid bat-to-ball skills and defensive versatility. At the plate, Millington is a top-of-the order type bat with a short swing and a line drive approach. Already a 7.19 runner, expect that number to go sub-7.0 as he adds strength. In the infield, Millington shows the ability to play multiple positions with soft hands and athletic feet. 

 

10. Jackson Gilley, LHP/OF, Zionsville HS

The top left-handed arm that we’ve seen in Indiana’s 2026 class, Gilley impressed our staff on the bump in multiple looks throughout the 2022 season. An athletic, 6-foot, 175 pounder, Gilley sits in the low-80s, touching 83 mph with his fastball. Gilley shows good athleticism and balance throughout his delivery and can really command his three-pitch mix. He pitches from a high ¾ arm slot with a quick, clean arm. Currently, Gilley’s best offspeed offering is his slurvey, 72-73 mph breaking ball. Gilley has also shown some two-way abilities, with a short, quick left-handed swing and athleticism in the outfield. 

 

No. 11-20

Checking in at No. 11 is RHP/OF Colt Dehart (Indian Creek HS). Dehart is a legitimate two-way prospect that is equally impressive on both sides of the ball. ​​Dehart has an athletic, projectable, 6-foot-2, 165 pound frame that has plenty of room to add size and strength. He ran his fastball up to 84 mph this fall with a low-effort level and a clean, slight-crossfire delivery, and showed good feel for a tight, 66-69 mph breaking ball. As a position player, Dehart has an intriguing profile. The RH thrower / LH hitter shows the ability to play multiple OF positions, as well as 1B, and projects to be at least an above-average runner. At the dish, Dehart has a balanced swing with an efficient barrel turn that gets him on plane early.

At No. 12 we have RHP Kellen Thomson (Center Grove HS). A high-upside righty, Thomson has already been up to 83 mph on his fastball. The long, athletic 6-foot-3, 180 pounder has tons of feel for his slurvey, 70-74 mph breaking ball. His athleticism and high-waisted frame suggests a velocity jump will come soon. 

 A pair of primary catchers are next on the list, with C/OF Jace Watson (Castle HS) checking in at No. 13 and C/RHP Rob Czarniecki (Chesterton HS) at No. 14. Watson is a strong, 6-foot, 190 pounder that hits from the left side and consistently produces in-game. Watson has a short, flat bat path with plenty of bat speed, producing a max exit velocity of 94 mph this fall. Watson is a hard-nosed defender behind the dish with a top pop time of 1.99. Czarniecki is also an advanced athlete, standing at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds. A 7.02 runner, Czarniecki possesses a rare power/speed combo, producing advanced bat speeds and a max exit velocity of 94.7 mph. Czarniecki also shows two-way prowess, sitting 81-83 T 84 mph on the bump with a diving, 70-72 mph splitter. 

The No. 15 ranked prospect in Indiana’s 2026 class is SS/RHP Peyton Gray (Heritage Hills HS). Gray is a high-waisted, 6-foot-1, 165 pounder with smooth defensive actions and a clean, upward right-handed stroke. Gray possesses solid arm strength (84 INF Velo) and can also hop on the mound and sit in the low-80s with his fastball. 

LHP Beckett Doane (Noblesville HS) enters at No. 16. The long, projectable, 6-foot-4 southpaw currently runs his fastball into the upper 70s, but expect the velocity to continue to jump. Doane has a long, whippy arm action from a high ¾ slot, and also shows a sweeping breaking ball in the upper 60s. Doane is a high follow in the 2026 class with a velocity jump looming in the near future.

OF Landon Hughes (Noblesville HS) checks in at No. 17 on the list. Hughes is a two-sport standout with an athletic, 6-foot-1, 185 pound frame. Hughes has a short, fluid stroke with quick hands.

At No. 18, we have C/OF Reed Robinson (New Prairie HS). Robinson is an athletic, 5-foot-9, 170 pound switch-hitter with an athletic swing and some quickness in his hands. Robinson has good arm strength and projects to be an above average runner.

Checking in at No. 19 is SS/RHP Gannon Grant (Center Grove HS). Grant is a smooth defender in the middle infielder with soft hands and plays with fluid tempo. At the dish, Grant hits from an athletic stance, uses a toe-tap stride, and has an uphill swing plane. Grant is a two-way player who sits in the low-80s on the mound with an athletic delivery.

Rounding out the top 20 is RHP/OF Aiden Smith (Shelbyville HS). Smith is a lanky, high-waisted righty with an athletic delivery and clean arm action from an over-the-top slot that already sits in the low 80s. He has feel for a tight, 68-71 mph slider. Smith is another arm that we expect to jump in velocity in the near future. 

TOP 20

RANK   NAME STATE SCHOOL CLASS POS COMMITMENT
1 Tate Troxell IN Guerin Catholic 2026 RHP  
2 Rhys Wolf IN Martinsville 2026 RHP Notre Dame
3 Aiden Reynolds IN Noblesville 2026 SS  
4 Dylan Bowen IN Hanover Central 2026 SS  
5 Trent Gill IN Valparaiso 2026 SS Indiana
6 Sammy Swank IN Mccutcheon 2026 RHP  
7 Kobe Cherry IN Center Grove 2026 RHP  
8 Hudson DeVaughan IN Mooresville 2026 RHP  
9 Nate Millington IN Terre Haute North 2026 SS Kentucky
10 Jackson Gilley IN Zionsville Community 2026 CF  
11 Colt DeHart IN Indian Creek 2026 OF  
12 Kellen Thomson IN Center Grove 2026 RHP  
13 Jace Watson IN Castle 2026 C  
14 Rob Czarniecki IN Chesterton 2026 C  
15 Peyton Gray IN Hertige Hills 2026 SS  
16 Beckett Doane IN Noblesville High School 2026 LHP  
17 Landon Hughes IN Noblesville 2026 OF  
18 Reed Robinson IN New Prairie 2026 C  
19 Gannon Grant IN Center Grove 2026 SS  
20 Aiden Smith IN Shelbyville HS 2026 RHP