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Central Illinois Summer ID: Takeaways

July 15, 2026
Illinois Scouting Staff

On Tuesday, July 7th, our staff traveled to the Corn Crib in Normal, Illinois to host the Central Illinois Summer ID. 

The event was host to nearly 50 players from central Illinois and gave our staff a good look at some of the talent the area has to offer. 

Today we are taking a look at some of the day’s biggest winners with this takeaways piece, found below. 

C Caleb Hall (Coal City), INF Easton Foote (Lexington) and C Miles Eickhorst (Central Catholic) are a trio of 2030 grads that showed well and have bright futures ahead. 

Position Players 

Landon Beckman, 1B, Normal University, 2027
Uncommitted. 6-foot-2, 207-pound frame, broad shoulders with some present strength throughout. The left-handed hitter showed easy power in his round of BP with an on-plane swing and pull-side tendencies, staying balanced through impact while working on the barrel consistently, 104 mph peak EV, 96 mph average EV, 404’ max distance. Plays light on his feet around the bag with steady hands. 

Kiptyn Rosenthal, INF, St. Joseph-Ogden, 2029
Right-handed hitter with a clean swing, stays on-plane with line-drives up the middle and pull-side, feel to hit with some intent to lift the baseball at times, balanced operation, 93 mph peak EV. Athletic footwork on the infield with some range, athletic and advanced actions, soft hands, controls the body well on the move - 7.11 runner in the 60 to pair.

Luke Oyler, C, Normal Community, 2028
Uncommitted. 6-foot, 168-pound frame, lean and athletic with room to add strength. Left-handed hitter, steep path that works to keep the baseball on a line, generates some natural loft at times while working middle and pull-side, swing projects into more power as he continues to fill out, 92.6 mph peak EV. Strong defender behind the plate, works to present pitches around the zone with strong hands, clean glove-to-hand, works in-line from the chute, quick release with a strong arm, 1.98 pop-time, T77 mph. 

Finnegan Miller, INF, St. Joseph-Ogden, 2027
Uncommitted. 6-foot-2, 1670-pound frame, wiry, highly projectable build. Intentful right-handed swing with a slightly uphill path, creates some length through the zone, jump off the barrel while working middle and pull-side, 101 mph peak EV, 90 mph average EV, 372’ max distance. Steady hands on the infield with smooth actions, gains ground and works through the baseball, accurate arm from a shorter path and ¾ slot. 

Colin Byers, 1B, Streator, 2027
Uncommitted. 6-foot-1, 199-pound frame, proportionate build with some present strength throughout. The left-handed hitter took one of the strongest rounds of the day, showing an uphill path with a loose and easy stroke, worked consistently middle and pull-side with jump off the barrel, balanced swing with control of the barrel. Steady actions and hands at first, clean release across the diamond. 

INF Cohen Saling (Williamsville, 2029) and OF Andrew Potthoff (Pleasant Plains, 2028) are a couple more names worth mentioning from the day that had strong showings. 

Two-Ways

Colton Carpenter, OF/LHP, Normal University, 2028
Uncommitted. 6-foot, 157-pound frame, lean and athletic with room to add strength. Showed well on both sides of the ball, starting with his round of BP; showcasing a clean, flat right-handed swing with some easy jump off the barrel, peaking at 91.6 mph for his EV. Steady hands in the outfield pair with a loose and clean arm, peaking at 87 mph from a crowhop - also a 7.01 runner in the 60. He delivered one of the more clean ‘pens of the day, working with a controlled leg-lift into balance point, tall/fall lower-half, works quickly downhill while staying in-line. The arm is long out of the glove but works into a loose and whippy ¾ slot. Fastball played clean out of the hand in the 81-82 mph range, topping at 83 mph with heavy arm-side run (T-20” HM). Curveball showed some 1/7 shape in the 67-68 mph range with some feel to land it around the zone. Killed spin on his changeup in the 68-69 mph range while showing tumble beneath the zone. 

Austin Koch, INF/RHP, Bloomington Central Catholic, 2029
6-foot-2, 174-pounds, broad shoulders with some lean and present strength. The right-handed hitter took a loud round of BP while showing a flat path with bat-speed, easy barrel strength with line-drives up the middle and pull-side, 97 mph peak EV, 89 mph average EV. Clean and steady actions on the infield to pair with a clean release. On the mound, the right-hander works with a long-levered operation with easy extension down the mound, tall/fall lower-half while staying in-line. Easy extension from a high over-the-top slot, effortless look. Fastball played 80-83 mph, topping at 84 mph with jump and life out of the hand.

Pitchers 

Jameson Ehler, RHP, St. Joseph-Ogden, 2028
Uncommitted. 6-foot-3, 157-pounds, wiry and projectable. Stretch only-delivery with a quick and clean leg-lift, slight stack over the rubber before moving downhill with a drop/drive lower-half, stride works in-line. Clean arm action with an uninterrupted arm circle, high ¾ release. Fastball worked 83-84 mph with easy life out of the hand and carry traits. 12/6 curveball with depth and over-the-top shape, high-spin with over 2,500 rpm. Slider was also high spin at over 2,600 rpm, playing with 11/5 shape at 68-69 mph. His fourth and final offering was a hard running changeup in the 78-79 mph range. 

Landon Leach, RHP, Glenwood, 2028
Uncommitted. 6-foot, 161-pound frame, wiry and highly projectable build. One of the cleanest bullpens of the day; stretch only delivery, controlled shorter leg-lift into balance point, tall/fall lower-half, works in-line. Longer arm-swing with layback in the shoulder at footstrike, high ¾ slot. Flashed cut/ride traits on the fastball playing 81-83 mph. Gradual 11/5 shape on the curveball at 68-69 mph - with the slider being more bullet shape at 70-72 mph. Slight fade on the changeup while playing clean out of the hand, 74 mph. 

Andrew Huerta, RHP, Rochelle, 2027
Uncommitted. 5-foot-11, 162-pounds, lean and athletic build, room to add more strength. One, if not the most electric ‘pens of the day. The right-hander is an athletic mover with a compact and clean leg-lift, works in-line down the mound with a slightly closed landing foot. Quick arm, longer arm-swing in the back, high ¾ slot. Fastball jumped out of the hand and through the zone in the 86-89 mph range, topping at 90 mph with big carry traits through the zone. Slider showed quality spin and bullet shape at 73-75 mph. Changeup averaged negative vertical break with slight arm-side run, 76-78 mph. 

Callan Rykhus, RHP, Maroa-Forsyth, 2029
6-foot-1, 154-pounds, lean and wiry, highly projectable build. Stretch only delivery, hands work in-sync with leg-lift up and over the head, sinks into the back leg and stacks over the rubber, works in-line downhill. Quick and clean arm from a high ¾ slot, full arm circle with layback at footstrike. Fastball comes out clean in the 80-81 mph range - setting up a low-60s curveball with 10/4 shape and a running changeup at 68-71 mph. 

Caden Castleman, LHP, El Paso-Gridley, 2028
Uncommitted. Strong, durable 6-foot, 223-pound frame, developed lower-half. Stretch only delivery, long-levered operation, powerful drop/drive lower-half, works in-line. Long arm action out of the glove, high ¾ slot. Fastball played in the 82-84 mph range with running action arm-side - also featured a sinker in the 81-83 mph range with up to -19” of run. Quality spin on the curveball with nearly 2,500 rpm, showing big horizontal break with 17” on his best pitch, 71-73 mph. Changeup played in the 77-78 mph range with slight run arm-side, flashed feel around the zone. 

Edoardo Arnett, RHP, Princeville, 2028
Uncommitted. 6-foot-2, 198-pound frame, rounded shoulders with some present strength throughout. Stretch only delivery, simple operation that works in-line, short leg-lift into balance point, quick stride, works from the third base side of the rubber to create tough angles. Quick arm circle, longer in the back, high ¾ slot. Fastball played with over 2,400 rpm at 82-84 mph, topping at 85 mph with slight run arm-side. Curveball showed 11/5 shape and flashed strikes, 71-72 mph. Showed advanced feel for the changeup, straight action at 73-78 mph. 

LHP Jack Sharp (Alleman, 2030) showed extremely well on the day, and he’s an incoming freshman to know and monitor in the coming years. 

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