Hornschemeier has size and desire to excel

Justin Hornschemeier RHP / 1B / Moeller, OH / 2020

CINCINNATI - A UCL sprain in early spring did not hamper the interest in Justin Hornschemeier .. it only showed the desire the 16th-ranked 2020 player in Ohio has to play at the next level.

“You could take it one of two ways,” explained Hornschemeier, who missed most of his sophomore year of high school baseball. “You can do nothing or you can work at what you can do while you’re hurting and get better.”

The 6-4 225-pound right-handed pitcher did the latter and by summer was back at it, participating in the Top Prospect Games in June and the Future Games in August.

“That was the biggest event I’ve ever been to,” noted the Cincinnati Moeller junior about the Future Games at Grand Park near Indianapolis. “Walking out to the mound I saw 20 radar guns. After that I was in contact with Campbell, Eastern Michigan, Michigan State, Ball State and Indiana.”

After throwing 87 much of the summer, Hornschemeier was 84-86 at the Future Games.

“But I was in a zone with everything,” the top-rated unsigned 2020 in the state said. “I threw two innings and gave up no runs.”

Jordan Chiero, PBR Ohio Director of Scouting, sees a lot of upsie with Hornschemeier.

“He’s one of my favorite arms in the class,” Chiero said. “He is an innings eater-type that profiles as a starter at the next level. A mid-80s arm with a true three-pitch mix, I think there is more in there velocity-wise. And every time we’ve seen him he fills up the zone. I’m very comfortable saying he’s a D-! arm.” 

Wright State and Cincinnati are the lone offers presented Hornschemeier to date, while Xavier, St. John’s, High Point, North Alabama and Fordham are among the others that have shown some degree of interest in the Moeller product.

“They like my size,” Hornschemeier said. “They also like that I’m projectable. I’m up to 87 now, but they can see me being a low-to-mid-90s guy in college.”

A 3.85 student, Hornschemeier sees his velocity as one key to the future.