The Prep Baseball Report Indy Invite Only Showcase on August 28 at Lawrence North HS featured good talent from across the state.  Several players established themselves as college prospects, certainly players to pay close attention to this upcoming spring.

A look at the top 20 players at the event:

 

1.  Brian Wichman, LHP/OF, Columbus East HS, 2013:  Wichman is an undersized 5-foot-10 inch, 150 pound lefty.  He works at a quick pace, with a quick, short arm action.  His fastball is consistently in the mid-80’s (84-85 mph), and is able to locate the pitch well.  He displays two plus breaking pitches; a 12/6 curveball and 72-74 mph slider.  Wichman was the top prospect at the event 

 

2.  Ames Walker, SS, Heritage Christian HS, 2013:  Walker is an athletic shortstop with quick feet and soft hands.  He shows solid fielding mechanics and a strong arm across the diamond (81-86 mph).  At the plate he shows a short compact swing with good bat speed. Walker gets to extension well, spraying line drives across all fields.   He also runs well, running a 6.97 sixty.

 

3.  Matt Eppers, OF, Elkhart Central HS, 2013:  Eppers is projectable 6-foot-2 inch, 165 pound outfielder.  He was a member of Team Indiana at the PBR Under Armour Midwest Futures Games.  From the outfield he shows a strong accurate arm at 84-86 mph.  He displays good athleticism and covers a lot of ground running a 6.8 sixty.  At the plate he has a balanced approach with good bat speed.  His swing plane is slightly uphill and long, but shows good pop to the left side.  Eppers displays the ability to hit the ball to all fields, but his strength is up the middle and to left.

 

4.  Alex Benson, C, Lawrence North HS, 2012:  Benson is a 6-foot, 160 pound catcher with good athleticism, quick feet, and a quick release.  His pop time is consistently below a 2.0, being clocked as high as a 1.89.  He received the ball and blocks the ball well.  At the plate he shows a balanced approach with a good swing plane.  He is a line drive hitter, with the ability to hit the gaps.  Benson is a high grades prospect, and is someone to follow this upcoming spring.

 

5.  Tyler Hurt, RHP/IF, Bloomington North HS, 2012:  Hurt is a 5-foot-9 inch MIF/RHP with good athletic ability.  In the field he shows good actions with soft hands and good range.  Across the diamond he is 82 mph.  On the mound he shows a quick arm, and is a consistent 82-84 mph with his fastball, topping out at 86 mph.  He throws a 71-72 mph slider with good movement, along with a curveball at 69-70 mph.  At the plate he has the ability to hit from both sides.  He shows good pop to all fields.  His swing path gets to extension well, allowing him to barrel up the ball on a consistent basis.  Hurt shows power when he’s able to turn on the ball. 

 

6.  Brad Hartman, SS, St. Joseph’s HS, 2013:  Hartman is a 6-foot, 150 pound SS with good athleticism.  In the field his mechanics are smooth and shows good range.  His arm action is solid and has good carry on his throws (81 mph).  At the plate he shows good eye hand coordination and bat speed.  His swing is athletic and handles the bat well.  Hartman is a typical 2- hole hitter, making solid contact, spraying the ball to all fields. 

 

7.  Jake Celleghin, OF, Westfield HS, 2012: Celleghin is a 6-foot, 145 pound OF that shows good mechanics in the outfield and good arm strength at 83-84 mph. He also shows the ability to cover a lot of ground with good speed, running a 6.97 sixty.  At the plate he’s athletic and displays good bat speed and rhythm.  He has a short, compact swing that produces good pop.  Celleghin is a plus hitter with the ability to hit the gaps.

 

8.  Alec Shull, OF/2B, New Palestine HS, 2012:  Shull is a 5-foot-9 inch, 170 pound OF/2B.  He has a strong athletic build and good speed, running a 6.9 sixty.  From the OF he shows a strong arm at 84-85 mph.  He’s able to cover a lot of ground and plays through the ball. At the plate he displays quick bat speed and gets to extension well.  Shull is a line drive hitter that produces power when able to pull the ball to left. 

 

9.  Max Gray, IF/RHP, Lawrence North HS, 2014:  Gray is a 5-foot-10 inch, 165 pound sophomore RHP/3B.  Across the diamond he shows good arm strength at 80 mph.  On the mound he is a consistent 78-81 mph with his fastball.  His best pitch is his 68-71 mph, 11/5 breaking ball.  Gray is able to locate his breaking ball well and throws it with good power.  At the plate he displays good bat speed with a slightly uphill swing path.  He gets to extension well, producing a line drive swing. 

 

10.  John Leffert, RHP, Lawrence North HS, 2013:  Leffert is an undersized 5-foot-9 inch RHP, with a good athletic build.  He shows good arm strength with a consistent mid 80’s fastball, topping out at 86 mph (an event best).  From the stretch he shows a good breaking ball at 73-77 mph.  His mechanics need refined, but does show good projectability on the mound.

 

11.  Chris Minks, C/OF, Crawfordsville HS, 2012:  Minks is a 6-foot-1 inch, 215 pound big bodied catcher.  He was a consistent 2.06-2.12 with his pop times.  At the plate Minks shows good power with an explosive lower half.  He displays a long swing, but gets to extension well and has good rhythm.  He will occasionally hit off his back side, but still produces good pop up the middle and to left. 

 

12.  Craig Larew, OF/RHP, Lawrence North HS, 2012:  Larew is 6-foot-1 inch, 165 pound OF/RHP.  From the OF he shows a long and loose throwing motion with good carry (80-82 mph).  On the mound he displayed a 79-81 mph fastball along with a 2-seam fastball that has late movement.  He throws two off speed pitches for a strike; an 11/5 breaking ball at 67-73 mph and a 72-73 mph changeup.  At the plate, Larew shows a good approach with an explosive lower half.  He is a gap to gap hitter with the ability to hit for some power.  Larew shows good speed, running a 6.99 sixty.

 

13.  Tregg Scherer, RHP/C, Charleston HS, 2012: Scherer is a 6-foot, 160 pound righty with a consistent fastball at 82-84 mph.  He throws two off speed pitches, a 10/4 curve ball with late break and a 73-75 mph changeup.  Scherer’s out pitch is his curveball.  He’s able to throw the curve consistently for strikes and locates it well.

 

14.  Tylor Martin, RHP/MIF, Greenwood HS, 2013: Martin is a 5-foot-9 inch, 165 pound RHP/MIF.  In the field he projects as a second basemen.  He shows good footwork and plays through the ball.  He has good arm strength at 81-83 mph across the diamond.  On the mound his mechanics are smooth and throws a consistent 81-83 mph fastball.  His 12/6 curveball has good potential for an out pitch at 64-67 mph. Martin shows a plus changeup with good sink at 70-71 mph.  At the plate he displays an uphill swing path with the ability to turn on the ball. Martin displays good pop and some power. 

 

15.  Zach Hull, 1B, Northview HS, 2012:  Hull is a lanky 6-foot-4 inch first basemen.  He shows some athleticism in the field and picks it well.  At the plate he has power potential.  He’s able to get to extension and shows good balance.  On occasion Hull will get under the ball, but when he stays on top he shows good pop, producing line drives.

 

16.  Daniel Marlow, SS/RHP, Terre Haute South HS, 2012:  Marlow is a 6-foot-2 inch, 180 pound short stop with an athletic build.  He shows the ability to pick it well and has good range.  At the plate he displayed an open stance with good balance.  Marlow shows an uphill swing plane that produces good pop to the left side. 

 

17.  Blake Baumgartner, OF/RHP, Fishers HS, 2012:  Baumgartner is a 6-foot-2 inch, 190 pound OF/RHP.  In the outfield he’s 80-82 mph with a high ¾ armslot.  He shows good footwork and plays through the ball well.  On the mound his fastball is a consistent 79-81 mph, topping out at 83 mph.  Baumgartner displays two off speed pitches; a 70-73 mph breaking ball with gradual movement and a 68-72 mph changeup.  His changeup has better movement when throwing from the stretch.  At the plate he displays an open stance.  His swing plane is a little long at times, but shows the ability to hit well to opposite field.

 

17.  Ben Seefeldt, 2B, Lawrence North HS, 2012:  Seefeldt is an athletic 6-foot, 165 pound second basemen.  In the field he shows good range with quick feet, and is 75-80 mph across the diamond.  At the plate he hits from the left side, displaying good bat speed with a short uphill swing path.  Seefeldt is a good contact hitter with the ability to be a gap to gap hitter. 

 

18.  Glenn McClain, C/RHP, Freemont HS, 2013:  Freemont is a 6-foot, 175 pound C/RHP with an athletic build.  Behind the plate he is a strong armed catcher (76 mph), with a 2.15 pop time.  He shows projectability as a catcher.  On the mound he is a consistent 77-80 with his fastball.  Offensively he is a line drive hitter that displays good bat speed with a slightly uphill swing plane.

 

19.  Tyler Beck, RHP, Greenwood HS, 2012:  Beck is a 6-foot-2 inch, 185 pound right handed pitcher.  He throws a consistent 78-81 mph fastball.  Beck throws two off speed pitches; a 10/4 curve ball at 74-75 mph, and a changeup at 74-75 mph. 

 

20. Aaron Wells, C, Cowan HS, 2012:  Wells is an athletic 6-foot-2 inch, 165 pound catcher.  He shows a consistent 2.09-2.13 pop time. At the plate he displays a good approach with good use of his lower half.  His swing is short and level, and gets to extension well.  Wells is a line drive hitter.   

 

20. Adam Meadows, C, Heritage Christian, 2013:  Meadows is a good bodied catcher at 6-feet, 185 pounds.  Behind the plate he is a consistent 2.1 with his pop time.  At the plate he shows a line drive swing with good bat speed.  He has the ability to hit for some power.