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Chicagoland Fall ID: Quick Hits

September 29, 2025
By: Illinois Scouting Staff

On September 23rd, the Prep Baseball Illinois staff hosted the Chicagoland Fall ID at Lee Pfund Stadium in Carol Stream, IL. 10 players participated in a pro-style workout, gathering unrivaled access to data through our state-of-the-art tech partners, as well as in-depth scouting analysis from our Prep Baseball Illinois staff.

Today, we will be looking at the prospects that stood out to our staff within this Quick Hits story.

QUICK HITS

+ INF/RHP Chase Grigonis (St. Francis, 2028) was one of the bigger winners from the event on both sides of the ball. A lean 6-foot-3, 192-pounds, he showed a line drive approach to the middle and pull-side parts of the field from the right side of the plate. He flashed barrel strength, peaking at 98.7 mph off the bat during BP paired with a max distance of 322 feet. Defensively, he played with quick feet and athletic actions, fielding the ball cleanly out front and showing feel for the position throughout the defensive workout, while maxing out at 80 mph from across the diamond. On the mound, worked from the stretch, flashing a three pitch mix. The fastball ran in the lower 80s, topping 83 mph with some ASR and an avg. of 14 in. of IVB. The right-hander threw two off-speeds, the curveball sat 69-71 mph with a 12/6 shape and the changeup played well off the fastball at 74-75 mph with an avg. of 16 in. of HM.

+ OF Nick Stowasser (Crystal Lake South, 2027) had a loud showing from start to finish at the event. He began the event by running the second-fastest 60 at 6.79 seconds and posted a 27-inch vertical (led the event). Offensively, the physical 6-foot-3, 194-pound right-handed hitter showed a simple swing that works flat through the zone while looking to keep the ball on a line while using the whole field. Stowasser reached 98 mph off the bat, paired with a peak distance of 332 feet. Defensively, he showed natural and confident actions in the outfield, paired with a strong and accurate arm that reached up to 85 mph.

+ A pair of unsigned senior backstops also stood out to our staff throughout the evening in Drew Thomas (Hersey, 2026) and Rory Irwin (Lane Tech, 2026).

Thomas, an athletic 6-foot-2, 185-pounds with projection still to come, was stout defensively posting the best pop times for the event with a range of 1.96-2.09. He works downhill from out fo the crouch, with his throws playing accurately with carry, peaking at 81 mph. A right-handed hitter, he showed a simple swing that generated easy jump off the barrel at times to the middle and pull-side parts of the field - reaching 94.2 mph off the bat with a max distance of 365 feet (led the event).

Irwin, a compact 5-foot-9, 173-pounds with some strength throughout is a switch-hitting backstop for schools to know. He showed a loose swing from both sides of the dish, utilizing a line-drive approach while swinging with intent. He would peak at 90.5 mph off the bat during his round. Defensively, he showed a clean and reliable release, posting a pop time range of 2.01-2.15, while working his throws accurately around the bag, maxing out at 74 mph from the crouch.

+ RHP Michael Garner (Willowbrook, 2027) had one of the top bullpens of the evening. Garner is listed with a wiry 6-foot-3, 192-pound frame. The right-handed pitcher has a simple, controlled delivery with a high leg lift while having a tall/fall approach. Long, loose arm action from a ¾ arm slot. His fastball sat 83-86 mph with an average induced vertical break of 18.2 inches. He mixed in a changeup that sat 75-77 mph. His slider looks to be a potential out-pitch as it sits 71-72 mph. The pitch averages 2600 RPM spin rate and has an average horizontal movement of -15.4 inches. Garner rounds out his pitch-mix with a curveball that sits 72-73 mph. The pitch shows depth as well as having a high spin rate.

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