Ethan
Skender

1st Team All State: A 2014 PBR Third Team All-State honoree, Skender more than proved he was one of the top offensive threats in the state of Illinois during his 2015 spring season. The Kansas State-signee hit .495 with an incredible 33 extra base hits in 107 at bats; 21 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, 32 RBI, and 39 runs scored. He stuck out only eight times in 119 plate appearances, posting a .546 OBP, .991 slugging percentage, and a 1.537 OPS. He led the Redbirds to a 31-8 record in 2015, a Mid-Illini Conference championship, and a sectional championship. Skender was selected in the 31^st round of the MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds.

Originally committed to Kansas State, Skender, who was drafted in the 31st round by the Reds and who earned first-team all-state honors, will attend State College of Florida in Bradenton.

4.15.15 - 6-foot, 175-pound athletic right-handed hitting shortstop, strong lower half, utilizes legs in swing, hitting from wide stance, short stride, high back elbow setup, swing geared towards right-center, slightly uphill, natural lift to swing. Quite possibly the top hitter in Illinois’ 2015 class, ranked No. 6 in Illinois, No. 63 overall. Went 0-for-3 on the day, ran 4.44 to first on a hard hit grounder to short, that turned into an error. Was intentionally walked, struck out on a borderline curveball (looked to be out and up), and flew out deep to center field with the wind blowing in. Found the barrel on ball hit to center, well hit. Defensively, the knock has been on Skender’s future position, but he looked more fluid fielding in pregame and in the game at shortstop. His may profile has an offensive second baseman, but showed enough arm strength to stay at shortstop. Is receiving attention from professional scouts, and could hear his name called in the 2015 MLB Draft. Also committed to Kansas State.

3/31/14 - Ranked No. 22 in Illinois’ 2015 class and No. 80 overall. Committed to Kansas State. 5-foot-11, 170-pound versatile athlete, plus arm anywhere on field (89 from SS; 88 from OF at Preseason All-State Showcase). Went 0-for-3 in game with two flyouts to right field; was not fooled when Dalesandro dropped down to lower-3/4 slot (only time of game) and barreled it the other way. In first at-bat, struck out looking at 91 on the outer black. Not much anyone can do with that.

2/16/14 Kansas State commit. 5-foot-11, 170-pound athlete, showed the ability to play both on the infield and outfield. Displayed quick twitch actions in multiple facets of the game, 6.95 runner in the 60. Defensively plays the game fast, feet work extremely well, plays through the baseball both in the outfield and on the infield. Strong arm with a quick arm action, 89 mph across the infield and 88 mph from the outfield. Arm action is athletic, short and loose from a high ¾ slot. On the infield played well on the move with well above average body control. Offensively hits from a balanced stance, longer stride. Quick athletic hands, gets through the baseball quickly, aggressive swing. Shows a high level of barrel awareness, advanced bat speed, shows pop in his bat. 86 mph exit velocity from the tee.

5/13/13 - Currently ranked No. 50 in Illinois’ 2015 class. Solidly built 6-foot, 160-pound right-handed hitting outfielder. Shows natural outfield actions. Moves confidently to baseball, fields the ball with rhythm and purpose and has strong arm with on-line carry. Runs well. Athletic hands in box and shows aggressive plate approach.

Skender is a 5-foot-10, 150-pound multi-positional talent who showed athleticism and the ability to make plays. He featured an accurate arm (78 mph) and fluid footwork that allowed him to be in position for making the play. Offensively, Skender displayed quick hands which generated bat speed through the zone. Skender also impressed by running a 7.4 60.