On Saturday, February 14th, our staff hosted the McHenry Preseason ID at Pro Player Academy in McHenry, IL. This event is typically one of our more talented and larger events on our winter calender, and this year was no different with 130 players in attendance. 

Today, we are continuing our post-event content with a look at some of the standouts from the day in this takeaways piece, with scout notes and more, below.

Takeaways 

+ SS Landon Clements (McHenry, 2027; Illinois-Chicago commit) was one of the top players in attendance showing an upside skillset both at the plate and in the infield. Smooth athlete standing at 6-foot-1, 168-pounds with twitchy strength and room for continued development. At the plate the left-handed hitter took an easy round of batting practice showing consistent feel for the barrel from a balanced and athletic swing reaching a peak EV of 96.3 mph with an average of 87.8 mph. Clements then showed arguably the best actions on the infield for the event. He plays through the ball with ease and is comfortable making plays on the move. His arm works loose and athletically, while reaching 82 mph across.

+ OF Jace Koth (Jacobs, 2027) is one of the top remaining uncommitted prospects in the state, and has made noticeable strides in his game since we last saw him. At the plate the left-handed hitter took one of the best rounds of the day, showing consistent feel for the barrel from an easy and natural swing recording a peak EV of 94.8 mph with an average of 87.7 mph. Defensively, he’s long been known as a prospect that can cover ground with ease in centerfield, however on this day he was now showing to be a more dynamic athlete; playing with athletic feet, natural actions and feel for the position, while also having the second-strongest arm for the entire event, reaching 92 mph. 

+ INF Alex Govoni (Loyola, 2028) was a staff favorite on the day, showing some added strength to his now 6-foot, 187-pound frame. The right-handed hitter showed a clean, balanced swing that was on the barrel up the middle of the field with line-drives, controlling the barrel with ease while remaining on-time, peaking at 93.5 mph for the EV - also averaging 25 mph for his hand-speed, 73 mph for his bat-speed, and 23.5 Gs for his rotational acceleration. On the infield, he’s a smooth, natural mover with soft hands, has the actions to stick on the left side of the infield moving forward, flicking the ball across with ease at 80 mph. Infielder to follow closely this spring. 

OF Max Nickle (Huntley, 2028) is an incoming sophomore that took a quality round of batting practice on the day. Standing at a lean and projectable 6-foot, 150-pound frame with clear room for added physical development. At the plate the left-handed hitter showed feel to drive the ball to either gap from a balanced and athletic swing reaching a max EV of 90.3 mph with more impact coming when he grows into the frame. Defensively in the outfield showing clean and athletic actions to and through the ball with a whippy arm action up to 83 mph.

OF Andrew Paduch (Cary-Grove, 2028) is a lean and athletic sophomore that had an all-around quality showing over the weekend. Standing in at 5-foot-11, 159-pounds with twitch and more room to continue to fill into the frame. At the plate the left-handed hitter took an upside round of batting practice showing feel to drive the ball on the line through the middle of the field reaching a peak EV of 90.6 mph throughout his round. Defensively in the outfield showing steady actions in the outfield with an athletic arm action up to 78 mph from the outfield.

INF Brody Mertz (Huntley, 2028) took an upside round of batting practice on the day, standing in at 6-foot-4, 185-pounds with room to continue to add strength. At the plate, the left-handed hitter showed feel to drive the ball through the middle of the field from an easy and on-plane swing. Defensively in the infield taking a clean round with a soft gather and arm strength up to 74 mph.

+ OF Mason Klimek (Cary-Grove, 2028) is an incoming-sophomore that had a quality showing on both sides of the ball. Standing at 5-foot-11, 163-pounds with wiry strength and more room to continue to add strength. At the plate the left-handed hitter took an upside round, flashing feel to drive the ball through the middle of the field reaching a peak EV of 92.9 mph during his round. Defensively, he had clean actions in the outfield, while playing through the ball, and showing a quick release and above-average arm that worked up to 85 mph. 

+ C Brock Bryowsky (Grant, 2029) is a freshman backstop to keep tabs on moving forward. At the plate the compact left-handed hitter swung a twitchy and on-plane bat flashing feel for the barrel reaching a peak EV of 88.1 mph throughout the round. Bryowsky also showed to be a steady defender behind the dish; playing with quick and direct footwork, while staying balanced throughout. 

+ OF Braeden Berner (Woodstock North, 2026) is an uncommitted senior to note from the day. The lanky right-handed hitter has plenty of room to add on to his frame at 6-foot-1, 159-pounds. He has a clean, direct swing that stays inside the baseball, working on-plane with some feel for the barrel, peaking at 94 mph for his EV. His speed looks to be a valuable asset to his game, showing quick burst with a 1.67 in the 10-yard split and a 3.94 30-yard. Defensively the outfielder took direct routes to the baseball with a clean gather out in front with arm strength up to 85 mph.  

+ INF Gabriel Caballero (Fremd, 2028) is an incoming-sophomore that had a quality position player workout over the weekend. Standing in at a high-waisted 6-foot-1, 148-pounds with clear room to add to his frame. At the plate the right-handed hitter swung an athletic bat with some feel to drive the ball through the middle of the field, flashing feel to drive the ball with backspin while recording a peak EV of 90.4 mph throughout his round. Defensively in the infield showing steady actions with feel to consistently find the pocket with a clean arm action up to 80 mph across the diamond.

+ OF MJ Castelloni (Fremd, 2028) had one of the top all-around performances of the day, standing in at an athletic 6-foot-3, 157-pound frame with clear room to add strength. At the plate the left-handed hitter consistently barreled the baseball to the middle of the field reaching a peak EV of 96.9 mph throughout his round with more impact on the way as he fills into his frame. An athletic defender to pair in the outfield, he attacks the baseball with a clean one-hand gather off his front foot, while showing some easy arm strength at 83 mph.

+ INF Ryan Tucker (Jacobs, 2027) is an uncommitted junior who has made noticeable strides in his overall game. Offensively, it was arguably the best round of BP we have seen him take. It was extremely repeatable while staying on balance and all over the barrel with hard, loud barrels to the pull-side gap. He peaked at 101 mph off the bat while registering a number of 95+ batted balls throughout his round, averaging 94.9 mph. On the infield, Tucker played with clean footwork and athleticism, playing through the ball with an overall fluid operation. His arm strength has ticked up across the diamond since we last saw him as well, now peaking at 89 mph.

+ C Luke Flaskamp (Jacobs, 2027) had a very strong all-around showing over the weekend, both with the glove and the bat. At the plate, the right-handed hitter starts in a wide base with an easy, simple stride, moving into a direct path with athletic/clean hands and a flat swing, staying up the middle with line-drives (T96 mph EV). He also showed notable bat-speed in his round, averaging 74 mph while peaking just under 78 mph. Behind the plate, he is an athletic and mobile defender, with quick transfers, posting a top pop time of 1.92 paired with a strong arm (78 mph).

+ C Gavin Cheney (DeKalb, 2027) is an uncommitted backstop to know from the day, impressing with a direct, clean swing from the right side. The swing is loose, working on top of the baseball with a peak EV of 92 mph, and you can expect the power to continue to tick up as he adds strength to his 5-foot-10, 159-pound frame. Defensively, Cheney is a soft receiver with an athletic catch-and-throw operation. He would post a pop time range of 2.02-2.09 while his firmest bullet out of the crouch would reach 76 mph.

+ OF Rylan Godfrey (Jacobs, 2027) is an uncommitted outfielder to know from the weekend, standing in at 6-foot-1, 170-pounds with room to add strength. At the plate the right-handed hitter took an easy round of batting practice showing feel to repeat a simple swing with consistent feel to drive the baseball through the middle of the field. Godfrey also showed to be a natural defender in the outfield, playing through the ball with a clean one-hand gather off his front foot.

+ OF Braeden Schwartz (Huntley, 2027) looks to be an intriguing prospect from the day with a clean swing and strong arm from the outfield. The right-handed hitter showed a loose, upside operation at the plate while staying balanced and working on top of the baseball, peaking at 93 mph for his EV with middle and pull-side feel. Schwartz also showed clean actions on defense, paired with above-average arm strength at 85 mph. 

+ INF Henry Shower (Jacobs, 2029) is another Golden Eagle that showed well at the event. The left-handed hitter looks like a potential top of the order type of bat with loose hands, middle of the field approach and the ability to manipulate the barrel. Up the middle, Shower is an athletic defender that has a reliable two-hand gather out front and an accurate arm that reached up to 82 mph. 

+ C Max Geske (Crystal Lake Central, 2027) showed well for himself over the weekend and will be a name to follow this spring. He has a compact, athletic build at 5-foot-9, 160-pounds, and we can expect to see the strength continue to trend in the right direction in the near future. The right-handed hitter showed loose, athletic hands throughout his round with a flat swing and feel for the barrel up the middle. Geske was stout defensively, posting a pop time range of 2.01-2.10.

Two-ways 

+ INF/RHP Ashton Binz (Burlington Central, 2028) opened some eyes on the day with his upside, and he’ll be one to monitor closely moving forward. The frame is easy to dream on at 6-foot-1, 168-pounds with a lean, trim frame and plenty of room to add strength. At the plate, the right-handed hitter showed an upside swing with length through the zone and line-drives up the middle/pull-side, peaking at 96 mph for his EV. Defensively, Binz flashed athleticism up the middle, playing with a clean two-hand funnel into his body, paired with easy arm strength (84 mph). On the mound, the right-hander showed a knack for spin with a low-80s fastball (T84) playing with rpm in the upper 2300s, and a curveball in the 2400s. The delivery is clean with projection, with velocity gains likely in the future. 

+ OF/RHP Mason Koth (Jacobs, 2029) looks every bit of one of the top freshman to follow in the state. There’s present strength in this 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame, and there’s still plenty of room to add strength in the coming years. The right-handed hitter was on the barrel throughout his round with a peak EV of 95 mph, showing athletic hands with easy strength from launch, staying up the middle and pull-side. Koth showed to be a natural defender in the outfield, with smooth movements and feel for the position, paired with a strong arm (86 mph). On the mound, the right-hander worked in the low-80s with the fastball, also flashing a slider and changeup mix with quality action on both offerings. 

+ RHP/INF Sean Dabe (Huntley, 2027) came away one of the biggest winners with his strong showing on both sides of the ball. The right-hander was in the zone with all three off his pitches, showing a fastball that sat 87 mph, topping at 88 mph. He was able to land two distinct breaking balls in the zone, with the curveball showing more 11/5 shape at 68-71 mph, and the slider playing with 10/4 shape at 71-74 mph. At the plate, the right-hander was up to 100 mph for his EV with an intentful swing, showing strong hands that work on top of the ball with some natural lift up the middle. Defensively, Dabe showed confident actions up the middle with feel for the position, while he displayed an accurate arm at 81 mph. 

+ OF/RHP Jackson Macdonald (Sycamore, 2027)) is a multi-sport athlete who has true two-abilities on the baseball field as well. The 6-foot-2, 191-pound, long-levered, athletic left-handed hitter has raw intrigue with the bat thanks to twitchy hands and a direct bat path. The ball is loud off the bat (88.5 mph average EV), works on top of the baseball and uses the whole field with ease. On the mound, the right-hander is an elastic mover with a whippy arm, showing arm-speed out front with a fastball up to 89.4 mph (T2403 rpm). To pair off the fastball he showed a slider with over 2,400 rpm, flashing wipeout action with over 19” of sweep, 74-75 mph. His final offering was a changeup with tumble that he killed spin on, playing under 900 rpm at 77-79 mph. He rounded out his day with an athletic showing in the outfield; attacking the ball with clean actions paired with the liveliest arm for the event at 93 mph. 

RHP/INF Ian Boland (McHenry, 2027) emerged as yet another interesting 2027 prospect McHenry will have this upcoming spring to go along with the likes of Kaden Wasniewski (LSU commit) and the aforementioned Landon Clements (UIC). Boland deserves a mention for his work on the mound and at the plate. On the mound its a developing overall arsenal with above-average stuff including a fastball that ran up to 86.2 mph, averaging 85.8 with big running action, 16.4 inches of HM. Showed advanced spring on his 70-71 mph slider as well, peaking at 2,519 tpm (2,362 average) and 14.4 inches of HM as well while landing it in the zone at an 80% clip. He also killed sping on a 73-78 mph splitter as well. Offensively, the 6-foot-1, 164-pound, lean right-handed hitter showed advanced bat speed and hand speed while working on top of the baseball and using the whole field. Uncommitted 2027 two-way to follow moving forward.

+ RHP/OF Owen Kelley (Crystal Lake Central, 2027) is an uncommitted two-way to know in the Fox Valley region. A projectable, long-levered frame at 6-foot-3, 191-pounds, he began the event with a quality ‘pen. His fastball/slider combo was potent; with his fastball sitting 85-86 mph with life through the zone. His slider had hard bite, thrown hard at 79-81 mph with advanced feel for the zone (80% strikes). Kelley would round out his arsenal with a firm 81-83 mph changeup that flashed, occasionally showing fading action. The right-handed hitter took a loud round with feel to stay up the middle of the field, lifting the ball naturally with a longer, flat swing (T97 mph EV). Defensively, he showed comfortable actions in the outfield, fielding the ball cleanly in-stride, paired with one of the stronger arms for the event at 90 mph. 

+ RHP/OF Matthew Loeffel Jr. (Cary-Grove, 2029) is a must-know name in the freshman class moving forward. Standing at 5-foot-10, 170-pounds, he showed advanced feel on the mound. Headlining his arsenal was an 82-83 mph fastball that flashed arm-side run (avg. 15” HM)  and feel for the zone. He would then turn to a tight slider at 71-73 mph, that flashed out-pitch potential. Rounding out his mix was a firm changeup with downer action at 75-77 mph. At the plate, the right-hander peaked at 93 mph for his EV with a smooth and fluid swing, showing some intent to lift up the middle of the field. A confident defender in the outfield as well, Loeffel Jr. played through the ball cleanly with a strong arm at 86 mph. 

Pitchers 

+ RHP Parker Frost (Huntley, 2027) is an uncommitted arm to follow after the event. Presenting an upside build at an athletic, high-waisted 6-foot-1, 160-pounds, he stood out with his fastball/slider combo. The fastball has life out of the hand at 83-85 mph (T86), playing effectively at the bottom of the zone while showing run/sink characteristics. His slider had hard darting action 76-78 mph with out-pitch qualities present.

RHP Owen Borkowski (Huntley, 2027) is an uncommitted right-handed arm who continues to make big strides on the mound and put together arguably the loudest showing during the bullpen sessions. Borkowski is an athletic, loose mover who is listed at 6-foot-1, 168-pounds with plenty more physical projection to come down the road. The fastball was jumping out of the hand playing up to 90.5 mph, sitting 88-90 with an average of 17.2 inches of horizontal movement, T19.6 inches. Its a dynamic pitch that peaks at 2,533 rpm with all kinds of life and run through the zone. He pairs it with a hard biting, horizontal slider that showed wipeout, swing-and-miss properties, averaging 2,377 rpm and an average of 18.9 mph. The slider matches his low ¾ slot and gives him two well-above average offerings that should generate plenty of swing and miss moving forward. Borkowski oozes upside as he seems to just be scratching the surface of what he could become as a pitcher as he continues to polish up and refine his arsenal. Dynamic showing from the 2027 uncommitted arm.

+ LHP Koa Franzak (Barrington, 2027) is an uncommitted southpaw to watch heading into the spring. Standing at a proportional 6-foot, 196-pound frame with strength, he showed deception throughout his ‘pen. His fastball sat 86-88 mph, playing clean out of the hand with life through the zone and some arm-side run (avg. -10.8” HM). His changeup was his best offspeed pitch on this day, playing with hard downer action at 77-80 mph. His curveball flashed, playing with better shape out of the stretch, sitting 71-72 mph with above-average feel for the zone (80% strikes).

+ LHP Nate Larson (Huntley, 2027) was a big winner from the event overall. A durable frame at 5-foot-11, 184-pounds, he had a noticeably athletic and quick arm. His fastball was clean out of the hand with life through the zone at 85-86 mph (T87), while spinning at an above-average clip (avg. 2475 rpm). Larson would then toss in a sweeping curveball at 74-78 mph that flashed out-pitch potential. Rounding out his arsenal was a firm changeup 79-80 mph with downer action while maintaining fastball arm speed. A name to follow going into the spring. 

+ RHP Michael Bud Shanahan (Crystal Lake Central, 2027) is another rising junior coming off the event. The 6-foot, 177-pound, athletically-built right-hander has seen his stuff tick up in a big way since last summer’s Illinois State Games where he touched low-80s with his fastball. Bud Shanahan averaged 85.7 mph, T87.3 mph with his fastball playing relatively easy out of the hand with a peak of 19.4 IVB and 13.1 inches of HM. Working out of a stretch-only delivery he repeated well throughout while flashing a mid-70s slider with late action at times and a fading changeup at 76-77 mph. One to watch this coming spring and beyond.

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