Drake
Westcott

Louisville transfer Westcott blasted five home runs and 10 RBI for the Illini over the weekend. His assault on Spartan pitching included two up top shots that traveled 472’ each and exited the bat at 108.1 and 107.1 mph. He added other triple digit bolts of 104.9 (418’ HR), 104.7 (single), 103.8 (425’ HR) and 102.2 (single). As a result the left handed slugger jumped up to fifth in the Big Ten in home runs with 17.

Positional Profile: 1B/3B 
Body: 6-foot-3, 217-pounds. Large build carries strength.
Defense: Showed feel around the bag, natural actions with playable hands.
Arm: RH. INF - 73 mph. Short loose arm action, high 3/4 slot.
Hit: LHH. Balanced stance, quiet setup, intentful presence. Gets to easy bat strength, hands work loose, lift to pull side with pop off the bat.
Power: 96 mph exit velocity from the tee. Hard contact with advanced power.
Run: 7.37 runner in the 60. 

Louisville commit, currently ranked No. 9 in the Illinois’ 2020 class and No. 280 overall. 6-foot-3, 217-pound, wide-shouldered, physical, left-handed hitting first baseman. Imposing figure in the box. Relaxed, quiet setup, leg-kick timing trigger and maintains balance throughout. Loose hands, easy bat speed, natural lift in swing. Routinely found the barrel on the final day of the event; multiple deep fly outs, one for a sacrifice fly. Went 2-for-3 on the final game of the day. Defensively, continues to improve at first base. Nimble around the bag for his size, flashes soft hands. Turned an impressive 3-6-3 double play, showed a strong accurate arm and feel working his way back to the first base bag. One of the top 2020 bats in the Midwest.

Louisville commit. 6-foot-3, 225-pound, extra-large, strong, left-handed hitting first baseman. Continues to prove he is the top left-handed bat in the state and one of the best in the Midwest. Offensively, balanced, relaxed setup, smooth load, short leg-lift trigger and maintains balance through contact. Highly-repeatable swing, creates extremely easy bat speed and raw power. Loose hands, natural lift in swing, bat stays through the zone and repeated hard contact to the middle of the field and pull gap. 96 mph exit velocity from a tee. Defensively, light and agile on his feet for his size. Short, loose arm action and throws topped at 78 mph. 7.27 runner in the 60, laser-timed. One of the top prospects in the 2020 class.

Louisville commit. Currently ranked No. 6 in PBR Illinois’ Class of 2020 and No. 74 overall. 6-foot-3, 225-pound, left-handed hitting first baseman, possesses a large frame, thick upper and lower halves, present strength, projectable power bat. Confident at the plate, owns the box, loose, athletic hands, has feel for the zone and sees pitches well. Swing path has natural lift to it. Went 3-for-4 with two doubles an RBI and a run scored. First at-bat, took an 87 mph fastball opposite field for a double. Hit two towering fly balls that dropped due to their sheer height and wind conditions. Defensively, improved feel for the bag, soft hands on picks, plays with confidence.

Louisville commit, currently ranked No. 4 in the Illinois’ 2020 class and No. 55 overall. 6-foot-3, 230-pound, extra-large, strong, first baseman. Continues to show he is a high-level left-handed hitter. Has impressive present power to all fields with an advanced feel for hitting for his age. Good plate discipline, rarely chases out of the zone and can handle velocity. Hit in the three-hole for perennial power Edwardsville. Went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and a run scored. Loose hands, fast bat, gets extension through the zone with natural lift and strength in swing. Kept his hands back on a changeup and flicked it over the left-center field fence for a home run in his third at-bat. Timed up a 89 mph fastball and barreled it right back up the box and also hit a line-drive single to right field in his final at-bat. Defensively, big target at first base, average current feel around the bag. High-level 2020 hitter.

4.29.17 - Verbally committed to Louisville.