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Madison Preseason ID: Quick Hits

March 15, 2022
By Wisconsin Staff

On March 13, PBR Wisconsin hosted its largest event on the state’s showcase calendar: the Madison Preseason ID at GRB Academy in Windsor, Wis. Over 200 players from across the state met in the Madison area to participate in this event, a Preseason ID that consistently provides our staff with need-to-know names and players to consider for future invite-only events, like the PBR Future Games, among others.

Today, we’ll be highlighting the players who stood out here within this Quick Hits piece. Stay tuned throughout the week as we continue to break down the in-depth metrics measured at this event, with the help of our tech partners TrackMan, Blast Motion, and Vizual Edge. Each of the players listed below are uncommitted unless stated otherwise.

QUICK HITS

CLASS OF 2023: POSITION PLAYERS

+ OF Ryan Drumm (Edgewood, 2023; Butler commit) stands at 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, in an eye-catching, athletic, and strong frame with mature physical development. Drumm’s 6.59 time in the 60-yard dash was tied for the event-best. In the box, he showcased his offseason development from the right side, working from a balanced setup with a soft upper half, and charging the hands well. He made controlled, athletic actions in the box while moving to control for respect to tracking. He entered the zone with a flat path and a stable backside. Drumm sent hard backspin line-drives to all fields, up to 99.3 mph off the bat, with real feel for his barrel. Drumm looks the part of one of the Midwest's best outfielders headed into the spring. He’s also a high-level athlete who proved it in his outfield actions with his footwork through the baseball. Drumm combines that with a premium arm as well, with throws that reached a 91 mph high to home.

+ RHP/INF Noah Dreier (Brookfield Central, 2023) stands at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, with a strong lower half, running a 7.15 in the 60. Setting up in the box tall and balanced, with a quiet foot strike. Dreier makes a vertical entry with postural tilt, and a tight swing arc. He lifts through impact and works inside underneath with lift through impact. Working inside under with 80 mph barrel speed, and exits as high as 94.1 mph. Dreier is also highly impressive when he takes the mound; showcasing a repeatable delivery with a controlled leg-lift, working into a drop/drive lower-half that remains in-line with the plate while planting into a closed landing foot. His arm works clean out of the glove into a quick ¾ release point, also producing a fastball up to 89 mph with finish through the zone. His curveball and slider both possess top-level spin, each spinning at 2,500-plus rpm with sharp action (11/5 plane curveball and 10/4 slider) that he also kept mostly down in the zone. Add in a fading changeup, 82-83 mph, and Dreier’s four-pitch mix plays well above his years.

+ INF Logan Kraus (Fond du Lac, 2023) is listed at 5-foot-9, 175 pounds, with a compact and athletic build that he used to run a 6.71 in the 60-yard dash. Kraus sets up tall and balanced in the box, and strides with a methodical leg lift into an aggressive plant. Kraus swings a flat path with 75 mph barrel speed, 97.0 mph exit speed, and displays mature strength at the point of impact.

+ OF Edison Alonso (Reedsburg Area, 2023) was an impressive junior outfielder who exited the event as one of its statistical winners. Standing in a developed, physical 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame, and running a 6.74 in the 60. From the right-handed box, Alonso worked from a stock setup with spaced elbows, and tipping his barrel vertically before triggering. Alonso worked the middle of the field with strong hands and mature actions throughout his round. He generated exits as high as 95.5 mph with barrel control, and hit line-drives and fly balls exclusively. Alonso also showed athletic feel in the outfield with above-average arm strength (86 mph high).

+ OF Owen Bond (Kettle Moraine, 2023) stands in at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, and notably ran a 6.74 in the 60-yard dash. From the left box, he sets up tall and narrow with a vertical barrel tip into plant. Striding short with an aggressive up-down leg kick, and working a tight snapping style from inside the ball. Bond showed the ability to adjust planes on varying levels, and possesses some mature strength to his bat handling at the plate, delivering plenty of thump as a corner outfield type. Bond has shown growth in the 60, as well as improving his arm strength in the outfield to 89 mph high to home – up from 82 this time last year. His defensive prowess looks improved as well.

+ OF Quinn Falish (De Pere, 2023) has an athletic, physical 6-foot-2, 195-pound build and, yet, still recorded a 6.82 time in the 60 to start his day. Setting up tall and open in his stance, and striding short with a barrel tip into plant, from a 45 degree set behind his head. Falish delivers the barrel with violence and strength with a tight swing arc, carrying the ball through the middle of the field from 78 mph barrel speed, and exits up to 97.5 mph – showcasing mature strength from a controlled, grounded action. Falish’s innate strength translates to the outfield where his big arm topped at 93 mph from the outfield (event-best), as he likely profiles as a corner outfielder with a well-above-average run tool.

+ OF Hudson Turner (Baraboo, 2023) stands at 6-foot0, 180 pounds, with a strong lower half that he used to record a 6.98 time in the 60. Standing crouched and narrow in the right-handed box, with his hands tight to his neck, with minimal load. Turner enters the zone short to the ball with grounded swings. He works from inside and stays through the middle of the field with his barrel release. Hard line-drives through the middle of the field while averaging 77.5 mph barrel speed and exits as high as 96.2 mph.

+ 3B/RHP Jackson Hunley (Sun Prairie, 2023) has a long-levered 6-foot-3, 170-pound frame with lots of room to fill out, and he was still able to coordinate his long levers well, good enough for a 7.00 flat in the 60. In the right-handed box, out of a balanced and crouched setup, Hunley triggered knob-to-ball and stayed on an inside track to the impact window. Hunley possesses feel for his hands and barrel at 71 mph barrel speed, while recording projectable exit speeds up to 90.0 mph.

+ C Maxwell Kalk (Kimberly, 2023) showed a leaner, stronger 6-foot, 190-pound frame and ran a 7.02 to start his workout. He works from a tall and narrow setup in the left-handed batter’s box, with a soft upper and a rhythmic wiggle. Kalk strides short and swings a tight arc with a vertical entry. He generated a 92.8 mph max exit velocity and while showing clear feel for his bat path through the impact window. From the crouch, Kalk popped a 2.00 low with a 79 mph of arm to second during the defensive portion of the event.

+ C Tyler White (Cedarburg, 2023) stands at 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, with a strong frame though he was still able to run a 7.01 in the 60-yard dash, which is a quality mark for both his size and position. From a stock setup with a controlled up-down leg kick, he enters the zone with some vertical orientation, a tight turn, strong hands, and snaps off 80 mph barrel speed at impact. His size and bat speed produced the event’s highest average exit speed (95.1 mph) with a 98.0 max. During the catching session, White popped 2.18 low with a 76 mph high throw out of the crouch.

+ OF Drew Brookman (Tomah, 2023) is a tall and projectable athlete, listed at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds. After running a 7.10 at the beginning of the day, Brookman stepped into the right-handed box where he works out of a stock setup with soft elbows. Triggering the knob to the ball, and working from a vertical entry that flattens quickly to impact, Brookman made grounded swings with barrel speeds measured at 74.6 mph barrel speed, generating a sweet spot rate of 80 percent during his round of BP. Brookman is a prospect to monitor closely, because a strength gain would substantially enhance his already impressive profile.

+ Garrett Kay (2023) is a dynamic two-way outfieler from Waterford Union who impressed positionally at this event, though did not pitch. Listed at 5-foot-10, 160 pounds, Kay ran a 7.17 in the 60-yard dash and stepped inside the left-handed box for the event’s first round of BP. From there, Kay worked out of a balanced setup with a pre-set barrel wrap. He triggers with aggressive rotation, and his path worked flat through the zone with little head movement. Kay generated 73.3 mph barrel speed with exits up to 92.7 mph to all fields, logging a 70 percent sweet spot rate in the process. Kay also has premium arm strength in the outfield (91 mph), and it plays with carry and accuracy to his target. He’s equally athletic while moving to the baseball, playing with above-average outfield actions. Kay is also a high-level pitching prospect who’s reportedly made offseason gains that we’ll have to check in on during the spring.

+ 3B Jake Busson (Hudson, 2023) has a developed, physical 6-foot, 180-pound stature; also a 7.19 runner. From the right-handed box, he sets up tall and narrow with an open to closed stride. Busson swung a violent, tight swing arc with 74 mph barrel speed. His backside delivered the barrel, and he struck consistent line drives to all fields with exits as high as 95.2 mph traveling 350 feet. Busson is also a strong-armed infield defender who topped at 86 mph across the diamond. He looks best suited for third base where his arm strength should play best and shows above-average athleticism with above-average hands and footwork.    

+ INF Caden Popp (2023) is a dynamic 5-foot-11, 175-pound athlete from Appleton North. Popp ran a 6.90 in the 60-yard dash and rolled straight into an impressive batting practice session, where his athleticism was on display as he averaged the highest average bat speed mark (78.3 mph). This is the second event of the winter that Popp has shown top of event bat speed. He also generated exit speeds as high as 96 mph with a flat, connected swing. He finished his swing with violence and logged a sweet spot rate at 80 percent for his round. Popp coupled his offensive performance with a solid round of infield defense that flashed quick hands and above-average arm strength at an 84 mph max. Later in the day, Popp hopped on the mound and also caught our staff’s attention. His fastball worked in the 81-83 mph range with noteworthy running action and control of the zone. He also showed feel for two separate off-speed pitches; the first being a sharp 11/5 curveball at 68-70 mph, and the second being a heavy fading changeup that is clean out of the hand with feel for the zone, 74-75 mph. 

+ OF Connor Hughes (Beloit Turner, 2023) was a long and strong OF/1B that impressed at Sunday’s event, which was his first time attending a PBR showcase. At 6-foot-2, 200-pounds, Hughes started his day off by running a 7.16 in the 60-yard dash. From the left side of the box, Hughes worked from open to square with a soft upper body. He generated high end bat speed from a controlled leg kick, as well as a controlled forward advance. Hughes entered the zone with a more vertical approach, connected rotation, and popped balls with exit speed as high as 87 mph to the pull-side. He also generated an 80 percent sweet spot rate with balls traveling as far as 354 feet, per TrackMan. 

+ INF Jack Shepski (Waunakee, 2023) is listed at a muscular 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, with an athletic build, and he began his day with a 7.01 time in the 60-yard dash. Working from a balanced setup, and utilizing an aggressive leg kick, he worked his swing from inside with deeper points of contact. Shepski showed a clean feel for his barrel action and release. He’s a quality bat handler. He recorded barrel speeds of 71 mph, and 93.6 mph exit speeds at a sweet spot rate of 90 percent. He plays as a bouncy defender on the infield with uptempo actions and a big arm across the diamond, topping at 88 mph.

+ OF Luke Heinkel (Brookfield East, 2023) is listed at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, with a physical, thick frame. In the left-handed box, Heinkel works from a balanced setup and a high handset. He strides short with a vertical entry that flattens with connected rotation, working up into impact and delivering the barrel with violence, generating a peak exits velocity up to 100.9 mph, producing pull-side pop. 

+ OF River Lindsey (Muskego, 2023) stands at 6-foot-1, 168 pounds, with an athletic-looking frame with room to fill out; clocked in at an advanced 6.59 in the 60-yard dash, tied for the day’s best. From the right box, he works from a stock setup, and strides very closed. Spinning to deliver a handsy stroke generating 88 mph max exit speed. He’s highly athletic and with a soft glove hand at field position and advanced arm strength at 89 mph. 

+ OF Joe Fischer (Hortonville, 2023) brings an ultra-physical 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame to the batter’s box. Working from a stock setup, Fischer made an aggressive forward advance to the baseball, worked deep in the zone, and peaked at 76 mph of barrel speed, per Blast Motion. He flashed above-average bat strength for his age as well, reaching a peak exit velocity of 98 mph, an average exit speed of 91.5 mph, and an 80% hard-hit rate. 

CLASS OF 2023: PITCHERS

+ RHP Cole Selvig (Regis, 2023; Texas) is a 6-foot, 190-pound righty with thick strength. Sat exclusively 91-92 mph on Sunday, and while that velocity has ticked up some headed into the spring, Selvig showed the same aptitude to spin two aggressive breaking balls – a slider and curveball – to go along with a power change. Selvig’s slider, 81-84 mph, spins on average 2,333 rpm with short action. The curveball is similarly firm at 75-79 mph, though it features greater depth and action with hard horizontal movement at an average of -16.2 inches. The changeup flashes as his best offspeed most often, though the breaking balls will earn chases out of the zone as well. Selvig’s change is 82-85 mph hard arm-side sink/fade that he showed confidence in, especially, and he tunneled it well off his traditional fastball arm slot and speed. He’s a top-400-ranked prospect in the country and remains one of Wisconsin’s top pitchers.

+ In his first PBR showcase event, LHP Riley Peterson (Verona Area, 2023) showed a jump in velocity since seeing him last summer in tournament action. Peterson is a long levered southpaw at 6-foot, 180 pounds with a quick arm that generated a lively 84-87 mph fastball. He’s got a convincing breaking ball as well, 72-75 mph, spinning in the 2,200-2,300 rpm range.

+ RHP Roman Trapani (Eau Claire Memorial, 2023) is a strong-bodied right-handed arm, listed at 5-foot-11, 210 pounds. He’s got a strong lower half that drives down the hill, helping him to sit 85-86 mph, topping at 87.0. He’s also a strike-thrower, working directionally to his target, and finding the zone with four pitches. He showed a curveball and slider that acted similarly in the low-70s, along with a sinking changeup with above-average feel.

+ LHP Ashton Kampa (Muskego, 2023) is a 5-foot-11, 215-pound southpaw who showed some upside on the mound. With a smooth tempo, Kampa worked into a controlled leg-lift to balance point, riding his front hip down the mound into a slightly closed landing foot. His fastball worked comfortably at 82-84 mph, averaging just under 2,400 rpm with natural arm-side action. He also showed feel for both a sharp 1/7 curveball (67-69 mph) and fading changeup (75-78 mph) to complete his three-pitch arsenal. 

+ RHP Braden Smith (Byron, IL, 2023) is a strong 6-foot, 180-pound pitcher who showed renewed offspeed feel on Sunday. Smith throws a high-spin four-seamer, 85-87 mph, at 2,308 rpm on average though the progress he’s made with his curveball, 69-70 mph, was the biggest takeaway here. Smith is throwing his curve a little harder though with significantly more spin, measured just under 2,400 rpm. The slider has a similar profile, though he threw it more aggressively, resulting in even more spin and tighter break. He’s an arrow-up junior in Illinois.

+ RHP Daelen Johnson (Beaver Dam, 2023) standing at long and projectable 6-foot-2, 175 pounds on the mound. Working a simple, and clean delivery with some athletic moves towards the plate, with a quick arm action. Delivering fastballs up to 87 mph with 16 inches of vertical break, and 19 inches of horizontal from a ¾ slot and a look that projects for more. Johnson offers a short wrinkle curveball, short wrinkle slider, and a changeup to round out the mix.

CLASS OF 2024: TWO-WAY PLAYERS

+ MIF/RHP Noah Wech’s (Manitowoc Lincoln, 2024) performance was one of the big takeaways of the event. The athletic two-way infielder stands at 6-foot, 170 pounds, with a strong lower and running a 7.24 in the 60-yard dash. Working from a balanced setup with a moderate leg lift, he tips his barrel into plant and swings a tight arc through the zone with spraying contact that reached as high as 95 mph on our TrackMan units in BP. Defensively, Wech is an athletic defender with quick actions and soft hands. While it's debatable where his future lies as a position player or on the mound, he has all the capabilities to stick on the infield in some capacity. He is equally impressive when he takes the mound though, transferring his athleticism into a fluid moving drop/drive lower-half that creates easy power downhill. His arm plays from a clean over the top slot and works quick to the release, producing an impressive fastball both to the eye and metrically. The fastball sat 89-90 mph, spinning at a max rate of 2,435 rpm, which resulted in elite Pitch Score measurements in both Hop and Rise. The pitch enters the zone at a steep angle, with finish, and even cut action at times. He showed feel for a swing-and-miss curveball that he threw with near-identical fastball arm speed, playing off a sharp 11/5 plane in the mid- to upper-70s with Hammer traits. His slider also looks to have wipeout qualities, thrown off a shorter 10/4 plane at 77-79 mph. With a heavy fading changeup at 79-80 mph, Wech possesses a mature four-pitch mix that will certainly miss barrels at the next level.

+ OF/LHP Logan Dunn (Wautoma, 2024) is a very interesting left/left two-way outfielder, ranked inside the top-10 already in the class. Beginning his day with a 7.15 in the 60-yard dash, he rolled it into an impressive round of batting practice. While swinging with very advanced bat speed for his age (80 mph), after a controlled coiling leg kick, he generates violence to impact with exits up to 94.6 mph, producing a sweet spot rate of 80 percent. Dunn drove low line-drives from the middle of the field to the pull side repeatedly. Defensively, Dunn showed some of the better outfield actions of the event, moving easily through the baseball with confidence and athleticism. With a premium arm (90 mph) he has the potential to profile in all three outfield spots at the next level. On the mound, the southpaw works at an uptempo pace, moving into a slight drop/drive lower-half while working in-line to home into a closed landing foot. His arm is long out of the glove into a ¾ slot, working quick to release and clean throughout his path. Dunn’s fastball sat comfortably at 86-87 mph, playing through the zone with arm-side life. His curveball looks to be well above-average, playing off a sharp 1/7 plane with depth at 67-69 mph and averaging 2,404 rpm. The left-hander’s changeup comes out of a similar window to his fastball, mirroring arm-speed and flashing fading action to his arm-side, kept down at 77-80 mph.

CLASS OF 2024: POSITION PLAYERS

+ C Cal Casper (Bay Port, 2024), listed at 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, is a strong backstop with a gifted defensive skill set. Casper is one of the few catchers this winter who was able to record pop times below 2.00 (1.93 low), throwing a respectable 76 mph down to second from a quick release. At the plate, Casper worked out of balanced, and crouched setup with 70 mph barrel speed, staying short to the ball with a pre-set barrel, and working from above with a tight swing arc. Casper notably had good feel for his barrel release, and marked a max exit around 91.4 mph. 

+ INF Eason Hurd (Ashwaubenon, 2024) was an athletic, skillful infield prospect inside the state’s sophomore class. Standing 5-foot-1, 160 pounds, Hurd ran a 7.08 in the 60-yard dash with notable leg strength for his size. During his batting practice, Hurd worked out of stock crouched, wide setup with his hands high, and they stayed high to enter the zone. With a controlled leg kick and striding slightly closed, he connected high to his posture, and was quick to deliver 70 mph barrel speed to the zone with flat pat. Hurd showed high-end feel for his hands and barrel, and consistently drove backspin line-drives with out-front contact points. Hurd is an impressive right-handed bat who can use the whole field with ease coupled with advanced feel for his swing. On defense, Hurd looked the part of an athletic defender who moves well with above-average hands that play out front and work though the baseball.

+ OF Issei Takahashi  (Arrowhead, 2024) is a 5-foot-8, 178-pound left/left prospect with a strong, athletic build and a physically developed lower half. He started his day with a 7.10 time in the 60-yard dash before stepping in the box. He makes a controlled first move with an early toe-down striking position, and he made grounded swings with a vertical entry that flattened quickly, driving liners from the middle of the field to his pull-side. Takahashi has a habit of hitting line-drives with barrel control through events this winter, and in previous game looks. 

CLASS OF 2024: PITCHERS

+ RHP Nate Langbehn (DC Everest, 2024) proved to be one of the biggest winners from Sunday’s event. Langbehn is built at a highly projectable 6-foot-3, 190 pounds with long levers, and most players with his levers and at his age struggle to repeat often enough to fill the strike zone at a high rate, and yet it’s what Langbehn does best. He ran his fastball up to 88.6 mph, up roughly 6 mph since our most recent look at him during the PBR Badger State Battle last July. For his offspeed offerings, Langbehn spun a tight breaking ball with 11/5 movement for strikes, 68-71 mph, spinning at 2,028 rpm on average featuring both depth and large sweep. Langbehn also showed a feel for a hard running changeup thrown at arm speed that he showed the utmost confidence in and feel to locate. With easy arm strength, looseness, pitchability, and significant physical projection, Langbehn emerged from Sunday’s event as a high-follow pitching prospect in Wisconsin’s Class of 2024.

+ C Joshua Gilroy (Arrowhead, 2024) is a 6-foot-1, 210-pound sophomore with a strong, durable frame. In the box, Gilroy stands tall and narrow with a high handset, making aggressive, connected rotation after firmly planting into his lead leg, and delivering a heavy barrel at impact. Gilroy generated an elite 102.7 mph exit speed from 77 mph barrel speed, and he showcased strongly in the catching session with a 2.03 pop and 76 mph arm. Gilroy’s elite bat strength and progression as a defender have him trending up in the class.

+ RHP Ryan Sopha (Pewaukee, 2024) will be an arm to watch this spring as the sturdy 6-foot-3, 215-pound right-hander showed a well-rounded four-pitch arsenal, advanced for his age. Sopha sat 83-86 mph relatively comfortably and with control of the zone. He showed two separate breaking balls, a 12/6 curveball with depth, and a lateral slider, both with different characteristics. Sopha rounds it out with a straight change that showed sinking action.

+ RHP Jack DeTienne (Verona Area, 2024) stands at 6-foot, 155 pounds, with room to grow. Working from the left side of the mound with a tall/fall style delivery, a long stride to home, and delivering from a clean ¾ slot, DeTienne offers a three-pitch mix with some upside. The fastball worked up to 87 mph, spinning at 2,000 rpm on average, featuring carry traits while measuring 19 inches of induced vertical break as well as natural arm-side run. The curveball spins at 2,200 rpm with effective vertical action that he showed the confidence to regularly land at the bottom and beneath the zone. DeTienne’s changeup, 78-79 mph, is a viable third pitch that runs/sinks hard, completing a high-follow mix here for a player only just growing into his physique.

+ RHP Craig Kabat (Bay Port, 2024) is another name that we will keep an eye on as the WIAA season starts to get going. Built at a sturdy 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, Kabat uses his strong lower half to drive off of the rubber, working well down the mound. As for his offerings, Kabat’s fastball, one that topped at 85.7 mph, showed some hard sinking action from his lower ¾ slot. Kabat’s breaking ball showed depth along with slight horizontal movement, throwing it with intent while also being able to control the zone. The changeup is maybe his best secondary, too, as it mimics his fastball deceptively and also features quality sinking action that he spotted well.

+ Built at a solid 6-foot-3, 190 pounds with room to fill out, RHP Kaden Russo (Elk Mound, 2024) caught our staff’s attention during our time in Madison. On the bump Russo starts from a methodical windup then turns into his back hip to drive down the mound. His fastball got up to 81.9 mph with some natural carry through the zone, and it projects especially well. As for his offspeed, he features a tightly spun breaking ball with feel to spot up. On his changeup, he flashed feel for it while producing some slight downer action. With his large frame and athleticism he shows on the mound, Russo will be a name to follow if he keeps trending in the right direction.

+ RHP Anderson Hayes (Oconomowoc, 2024) is listed at an attention-grabbing 6-foot-6, 190 pounds, with obviously long levers and a high waist that has him towering over peers. While working a tall/fall style with a short stride, a high ¾ slot with an upright finish, and a short arm action that he repeats well given his age and size. The fastball is packed with projection, evidenced by its average spin rate of 2,260 rpm that already generates high vertical action for its 79-81 mph velo range. The curveball offers a short wrinkle action while spinning at 2,300 rpm, and the changeup averaged 1,600 rpm with effective arm-side run and fade.

+ LHP/OF Easton Bobb (Chippewa Falls, 2024) showed well on the mound, sitting 83-84 mph with a running fastball. Bobb is an above-average athlete and mover on the mound, as he also threw it 87 mph from the outfield and ran a 7.12 in the 60-yard dash. 

+ RHP/OF Noah Latham-Woodruff (Madison Memorial, 2024) was a pleasant surprise in our first look at the long lanky right-hander. He stands 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, and uses his long levers to work downhill on his fastball at 84-85 mph and he adds both a curveball and slider with similar properties.

+ Keagen Jirschele (Mosinee, 2024) is a 5-foot-8, 160-pound middle infielder who started his day with a 6.82 time in the 60.  and running a  6.82 60 yard dash with an athletic looking build. In the box, he sets up crouched and striding from open to square. Jirschele possesses quality bat speed with an adjustable path, and advanced feel for swing path. A quality bat handler with lag deep in the zone and working up to 92.1 mph exits. He’s also developed a sound reputation defensively and he reached an 81 mph high across the diamond Sunday.

+ INF/RHP Sam Vargas (Arrowhead, 2024) is listed at a broad-shouldered 6-foot, 182 pounds, and he ran a 6.86 in the 60-yard dash on Sunday with an athletic build. In the box, he stands crouched with an open stance with low hands, and makes a controlled leg lift. He enters the zone with loose vertical action. Vargas has strong hands through the zone with a snapping barrel speed of 72 mph, and exits up to 91.0 mph.

+ INF/RHP Abraham Ahlberg (Solon Springs, 2024) is a solid defender who plays through the baseball with soft hands and body control. Also showed above-average arm strength for his age at 84 mph across the diamond. On the mound, the right-hander worked his fastball up to 83.6 mph, riding through the zone with life. His curveball showed to have sharp 11/5 action while playing with similar fastball arm-speed, 67-68 mph. Ahlberg rounded out his three-pitch mix with a changeup that fades naturally to the arm-side, 72-76 mph.

+ INF Adam Suess (Deerfield, 2024) demonstrated quality infield actions from a smaller frame at 5-foot-8, 140 pounds, while also generating above-average arm strength for his age at 82 mph across the infield. He shows soft hands and body control that mimic up-the-middle traits.

+ CIF Leo Lauscher (Eau Claire Memorial, 2024) stands at a stout 5-foot-10, 255 pounds, and impressed to run a 7.19 and went on to record the day’s farthest batted contact. In the right-handed box, Lauscher works from a wide-closed stance and a very aggressive move to impact. He generated ball speed measured as high as 100.5 mph off the bat, and he led the event with a 386-foot high in estimated batted distance.

+ RHP Jack Walker (Holmen, 2024) is a right-hander to keep tabs on moving forward. He works down the mound with a slight drop/drive lower-half, utilizing a powerful lower-half into foot strike while clearing his hips into release. His fastball worked up to 82 mph with some life out of the hand and finish through the zone, pairing off a sharp 11/5 curveball and heavy fading changeup. 

CLASS OF 2025: POSITION PLAYERS

+ Arguably the best infield defender of the day came from freshman prospect SS Preston Yaucher (Edgewood, 2025), as he showed advanced defensive actions as a soft-handed defender who looks like a true shortstop at the next level, with the body control to make all the non-routine plays. He’s currently a 7.03 runner with a 78 mph arm across the diamond, with all indications that both numbers will continue to improve. That profile matches his right-handed swing, with long levers in a thin 5-foot-9 frame, Yaucher has an athletic swing that projects as he continues to mature and develop. He made consistent on-the-barrel contact while favoring the pull-side.

+ Clayton Kroschel (Wayland Academy, 2025) is an athletic freshman outfielder who stands at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds with room to grow, recording a 7.33 in the 60-yard dash to begin his day. During his batting practice round, Kroschel stood tall and narrow with a flat barrel set. Using a short toe tap, and a direct hand action to the ball, he drove line drives from gap to gap with 70 mph barrel speed, and exited up to 90.2 mph. Worth noting, that Kroschel had quality vertical barrel control, and had great feel for managing the incoming pitch level. 

+ INF/RHP Cullen Kirchberg (DeForest, 2025) is a physical two-way listed at 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, and he ran a 7.21 in the 60-yard dash. Kirchberg starts tall in the box, and sinks into his backside with an aggressive leg kick. Working from inside and keeping his head down at plant, he connected on pitches with exits as high as 89.4 mph, and a batted distance of 325 feet. Kirchberg used the whole field with varying timing, with above-average barrel feel for a freshman. He was also up to 79.3 mph on the mound with secondary feel that’s worth continuing to monitor as a two-way prospect.

+ The long, rangy frame of Charlie Slawinski (Brookfield East, 2025) at 6-foot-1, 160 pounds, showed well on the infield with above-average actions and body control while showing the top infield arm strength in the 2025 class at 81 mph across the infield.

+ OF Luke Lehnen (Sussex Hamilton, 2025) showed one of the better outfield arms in his class topping at 82 mph. Lehnen showed smooth actions with a confident glove hand, playing through the baseball in stride.

CLASS OF 2025: PITCHERS

+ RHP Liam St. Denis (Wauwatosa East, 2025) produced the top fastball in his class at the event, sitting 81-83 mph. St. Denis is a strong-bodied 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, with a hard back-spinning fastball that finished well through the zone. He added a slurve-type breaking ball and straight change with above-average feel. RHP Casey Wambach (Sun Prairie, 2025) showed an equally impressive fastball sitting at a consistent 82 mph from an over-the-top slot.

+ RHP Jack Welak (Catholic Memorial, 2025) made a strong impression on our scouting staff on Sunday, boasting a heavy sinking fastball up to 80 mph. Welak then went to a sharp 10/4 slider at 69-72 mph while showcasing mature feel, navigating it around the zone with ease.

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