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Peoria Preseason ID: Takeaways

February 25, 2025
Illinois Scouting Staff

On Wednesday, February 19th, the Prep Baseball Illinois staff traveled down to the Louisville Slugger Sports Dome in Peoria, IL for the Peoria Preseason ID. 

This event is always a great opportunity for us to get our eyes on the talented players in the central/southern part of the state, and this year proved to be successful once again with arguably the deepest talent pool yet. 

We wanted to take the time to highlight a number of the standout players from the event in a takeaways story, found below. 

Position Players 

OF Keaton Ariano (Geneseo, 2027) is a physical LHH with an impressive set of tools. He has present strength in his 5-foot-11, 182-pound frame, boasting round/broad shoulders with evenly distributed weight throughout. At the plate, the left-handed hitter works with intent through the zone and bat-speed, averaging 70.6 mph while also averaging 22.3 mph for his hand-speed. He showed an effort to lift the baseball to his pull-side, reaching up to 95.4 mph for his EV. He’s an above-average athlete for his size with a 7.09 in the 60, and he showed fluid footwork in the outfield during his defensive portion, reaching up to 83 mph from a crow hop. 

C Sam McCully (Normal West, 2027) will be a catcher to follow moving forward. There’s some upside in his 5-foot-10, 175-pound frame, possessing some lean strength at the moment. The right-handed hitter has a fluid and easy swing that stays through the zone a long time, working on-plane with ease and balance, reaching up to 95.2 mph for his peak EV with a 336’ max distance. Behind the plate, McCully showed smooth and clean actions with some flexibility in his hips, working in-line to second on throws with a clean glove-to-hand (2.01 pop-time; 76 mph).

1B Mason Phillips (Washington, 2027) is a physical 6-foot-1, 210-pound presence that took a loud round of BP. The right-handed hitter has present strength throughout his build and he worked on the barrel throughout his round with a max EV of 95 mph, looking to stay middle/pull-side with strong hands and controlled intent. He moves well for his size at first base, also displaying smooth hands that work out front and secure the baseball. 

Another physical right-handed hitter from Washington is CIF Camden Vescogni (2027). Listed at 6-foot-3, 205-pounds, Vescogni looks to have some present strength throughout his build while still holding room to pack on plenty more muscle in the coming years. At the plate, the long-levered right-handed hitter showed raw power from an easy and balanced operation, creating a max EV of 98 mph, averaging 89 mph throughout with a max distance of 342’. Big power potential in an already physical bat that showed some knack to elevate the baseball pull-side. 

INF Ethan Cour (Sacred-Heart Griffin, 2027) looks to be an upside name to follow from the day. Listed at 5-foot-11, 165-pounds, Cour is a lean, projectable prospect with numerous things to like about his game. At the plate, the right-handed hitter has a loose and whippy operation with athletic hands, peaking at 91.1 mph for his EV with his farthest hit ball traveling 337’. On the infield, Cour showed smooth and loose actions to pair with soft hands and athletic footwork, showing some natural feel for the position. His arm showed some life across the diamond with a longer path out of the glove, 82 mph. 

C Stephen Petri (Metamora, 2026) is an uncommitted junior to know from the day. He has a strong, 5-foot-10, 195-pound build, and his strength is quite apparent at the plate; averaging 73 mph for his bat-speed (T79 mph) with a peak EV of 95 mph throughout his round. He showed the ability to stay through the zone with a longer and flat path, creating some backspin at times up the middle of the field. Clean glove-to-hand from the chute, 1.97 pop-time, 75 mph down to second. 7.15 runner in the 60.

OF Landon Gray (Dunlap, 2026) was a winner at this event a year ago, and it was much of the same in this look. Standing in at a projectable 6-foot, 164-pounds, Gray is an above-average athlete with a 7.01 in the 60. At the plate, the right-handed hitter showed loose hands with a flat path through the zone, utilizing a pull-side approach with some hard elevated contact at times, reaching up to 91 mph for his EV with his furthest ball going 339’. He looks to be a sure-handed defender in the outfield with smooth and athletic actions. His arm is quick with some strength, topping out at 84 mph from a crow hop. 

C Hudson Lovell (Morton, 2027) is a catcher to know from the day. There’s some strength and durability in his 5-foot-10, 190-pound frame, boasting strong and round shoulders. He was on the barrel in his round of BP with a simple swing, delivering his hardest hit ball at 95.5 mph, working on top of the baseball mostly to his pull-side. Clean glove-to-hand with some arm-strength, reaching as low as 1.94 for his pop-time (T78 mph). 

INF Jameson Hanlon (Newman Central Catholic, 2028) will surely be a name for us to follow moving forward. He has plenty to build off in his frame, standing in at a lean and high-waisted 5-foot-8, 152-pounds. At the plate, the right-handed hitter showed a longer, flat path that stays through the zone with extension through impact, showing some polish and feel to control the barrel throughout with a line-drive approach. On the infield, Hanlon looked to have steady hands with smooth and fluid actions, pairing with quick feet. 

INF Maxwell Virgil (Washington, 2028) looks to be an upside left-handed hitter with a quality glove on the infield dirt. At the plate, Virgil showed fluid hands with a loose swing, and there’s certainly some more strength to come in his 5-foot-11, 150-pound frame. On the infield, his hands played with above-average actions and ease, showing some natural feel for the position. Name to follow and keep tabs on. 

INF/OF Crayton Schnierle (Bloomington Central Catholic, 2027) gave a strong look both with the bat and with the glove. There’s plenty to dream on in his lean 6-foot-1, 165-pound frame, and we can expect him to continue to gain strength in his right-handed swing throughout the coming years. He already looks to be an intriguing follow at the plate, showing a direct path to the baseball with extension through impact, staying flat through the zone with some whip in the barrel and athletic hands. Defensively, he showed fluid/quick footwork both in the outfield and the infield to pair with steady hands and some natural flow and feel for the positions. 

OF Carter Brooks (Havana, 2026) is a strong right-handed hitter that flashed some hard contact throughout his round of BP. His operation is simple with a compact path and finish, showing some bat-speed through the zone with an average of 72.2 mph, also averaging 21.7 mph for his hand-speed. He’s a steady defender in the outfield with a two-hand gather that works out front, playing through the baseball with some intent. 

A left-handed hitter to make note of from the day is INF Camden Taylor (Morton, 2026). Standing in at 5-foot-10, 170-pounds, he’s a projectable looking prospect with some strength still to come in his frame, and his operation at the plate looks to have some upside as well. He showed a balanced and fluid swing throughout his round, staying through the hitting zone and utilizing a pull-side approach throughout, reaching up to 90.3 mph for his EV with a max distance of 341’. He’s an athletic mover on the infield with fluid footwork, also showing confident hands with a quick transfer. 

A long-levered prospect to know from the day is OF Ethan Thomas (Edwardsville, 2026). There’s a lot to like about his lean and projectable 6-foot-3, 188-pound frame, still looking to have plenty of maturing left to do physically. He took an easy, polished round of BP, looking to use the whole field with a simple and balanced swing, registering his hardest hit ball at 92 mph. 

INF Cole Smith (Metamora, 2026) looks to be yet another projectable junior to follow from the day. He has an athletic 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame, sporting a high waist and wiry levers. At the plate, the right-handed hitter showed a fluid, direct swing with some looseness in his hands, delivering his hardest hit ball at 92 mph. On the infield, Smith showed easy, fluid actions with soft hands and a smooth transition, also displaying the ability to play on the move. 

The loudest round of BP on the day came from 1B Quinn Scott (United Township, 2026). There’s some present strength throughout his 6-foot-4 frame, and the right-handed hitter was all over the barrel in BP with an event-best peak EV of 100 mph, averaging 87 mph with a max distance of 346’. There’s some clear intent and bat-speed through the zone with Scott as he looked to elevate to his pull-side, reaching up to 78.3 mph for his bat-speed (70 mph avg.) - also reaching up to 24 mph for his hand-speed (22 mph avg.).

INF Evan Daxenbichler (Limestone, 2027) is an upside 6-foot, 180-pound athlete that we have seen show well on multiple occasions. In this look, the left-handed hitter showcased an easy, balanced swing with some strength at impact, working quick from the launch position with intent to elevate and lift to the whole field, registering his hardest-hit ball at 90 mph. He looks to be an athletic defender on the infield with natural actions and movement patterns, also showing the ability to control his levers and play on the move. 

A strong right-handed hitter to make note of is INF Quinten Hale (Glenwood, 2027). Standing in at 5-foot-11, 175-pounds, Hale has some present strength that is evenly distributed throughout his frame. Working from a balanced setup, Hale showed the ability to stay through the zone with a longer path while keeping his barrel on-plane, working up to 94 mph for his peak EV. Every single metric he recorded on BLAST was above-average - averaging 71 mph for his bat-speed, 22.5 mph for his hand-speed, and 17.3 Gs for his rotational acceleration. He moves extremely well for his size on the infield with smooth hands and easy actions, pairing with fluid footwork and an athletic arm. 

INF Jude Parnham (Morton, 2027) gave an all-around strong showing on Wednesday evening. At the plate, he showed some strength from the right side with a peak EV of 93.5 mph, working from a wide and balanced setup that stays in his legs before firing through the zone with strong hands and a flatter path. On the infield, he moved athletically with quality footwork, pairing with sure-handed actions and a clean transfer. His arm played with some athleticism, showing the ability to deliver accurate throws on the run. 

OF Haydon Hawksworth (Washington, 2026) is yet another prospect from Washington that showed well on the day. Listed at 5-foot-11, 160-pounds, Hawksworth has some present strength throughout an athletic build with room to add on more in the coming years. The right-handed hitter showed a compact and balanced swing that flashed some feel for the barrel up the middle of the field, reaching up to 92.5 mph for his peak EV, also delivering a quarter of his batted balls at 90 mph or higher. He had a fundamentally sound showing in the outfield as well with quick footwork and steady hands, reaching up to 83 mph from a crow hop. 

A strong left-handed hitter to know is C Layne Johnson (Brimfield, 2026). He has a strong, durable frame listed at 5-foot-11, 205-pounds with round shoulders and evenly proportioned weight. At the plate, he has a simple and easy swing with notable strength at impact, flicking the barrel with ease to create EVs in the low-90s, staying balanced throughout. 

CIF Ben McDaniel (Champaign Central, 2027) and 1B Nico Ojeda (Galesburg, 2026) are a couple strong bats that put up impressive BLAST metrics.

McDaniel led the event in both average hand-speed (26.8 mph) and peak hand-speed (28.8 mph), also averaging 71.1 mph for his bat-speed (T75 mph).

Ojeda led the event in both average and peak rotational acceleration (23.6 G avg; T27.2 G) - also putting up an average hand-speed of 21.4 mph and average bat-speed of 71.4 mph. 

A couple power bats to know from the day are 1B Braxton Hightower (Peoria Notre Dame, 2028) and INF Auggie Lohnes (East Peoria, 2026). 

Hightower is a young name to follow with some big power potential, already creating EVs in the low-90s with more strength on the way. 

Lohnes gave one of the louder looks of the day with a 99 mph max EV, the second hardest of the day, and the furthest batted ball of the event at 388’. 

One of the cleaner rounds of BP on the day came from INF Collin Crumrine (Normal Community, 2028), who took a mature round for his age. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound right-handed hitter showed a simple operation with some strength at impact, remaining balanced throughout while using a whole-field approach, reaching up to 94 mph for his peak EV. His BLAST metrics were also extremely impressive, averaging 76 mph for his bat-speed and 22.8 mph for his hand-speed. 

INF Dominic Stottler (United Township, 2026) looks to have made some significant strides to his game over the past year. He cut down his 60-time from a 7.33 to a 7.02, and also appears to have added some strength to his 5-foot-11, 171-pound frame. The right-handed hitter showed some intent to elevate throughout his round, delivering his farthest hit ball at 344’, also reaching up to 93 mph for his peak EV. He looks to be a quality defender on the infield with steady hands, playing with leverage while getting behind the baseball. 

Hunter Barber (Pawnee) and Chase Beckham (Sacred-Heart Griffin) are a couple 2027 outfielders worth noting from the day with strong showings at the plate. 

Two-Way 

SS/RHP Kash VanHouten (Canton, 2027) continues to look the part as one of the top two-way prospects in the entire state. Currently slotted at No. 10 in IL, he has premier athleticism (6.96 60) with a strong right-handed swing in the box, working on the barrel with notable strength, averaging 90 mph for his EV with a peak of 96 mph (T375’). His showing on the infield was also extremely impressive, showing clear athleticism and feel for the position with an incredibly strong arm across (T94 mph). On the mound, the righty got his fastball up to 92.3 mph while averaging 91.4 mph with a maximum spin rate of 2463 rpm. He complements his fastball with a sharp slider and a changeup that he has feel for with fastball intent. 

RHP/OF Cullen Schwigen (Rockridge, 2027) possesses a proportionate and athletic 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame with strength throughout. At this year’s preseason ID, his fastball topped 85.7 mph while sitting 83-85 mph with an excellent maximum spin rate of 2410 rpm. He threw a confident and hard breaking curveball as well as a changeup with fastball intent. He is an athletic mover down the mound and explodes toward the plate. On the other side of the ball, Schwigen has an upside operation at the plate, showing easy effort with balance and the ability to impact the baseball out front (T97 mph EV; T346’). He looks to be an athletic defender in the outfield with a quick first step and easy movements, pairing with an explosive arm up to 89 mph. 

RHP/INF Dean Marchand (Dunlap, 2028) is a follow arm in the 2028 class after an impressive bullpen last week at the Slugger Dome. While his metrics may not immediately jump off the page—like many prospects at his age—our staff has emphasized the importance of ease and fluidity in a prospect’s movements as indicators of future projection. Marchand fits that mold, showing athleticism on the mound with a loose, easy, and quick arm action. He’s a name to watch closely throughout his high school career. At the plate, the right-handed hitter has a longer, flat swing that shows some whip in the barrel through the zone at times (T90 mph EV), looking to be an intriguing bat to follow as well moving forward. 

INF/RHP Parker Roop (Normal University, 2027) is a definite name to follow moving forward. He has a projectable frame you can dream on, listed at 6-foot, 155-pounds with long levers and a wiry build. At the plate, the left-handed hitter is able to work on-plane with a longer path through the zone, favoring his pull-side but showing big upside with a 92 mph max EV. Roop then wrapped up his debut showing with an impressive ‘pen. He is an athletic mover down the mound with a loose/quick arm. His fastball showed true two-seam action (avg. 16.5” HM) at 80-82 mph (T83), with more to come in the future. He had feel for his curveball at 70-73 mph that played with quality action and shape. Roop threw his changeup with intent at 72-76 mph playing with fade, displaying out-pitch potential for the future.

Standing at a proportionate and strong 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, RHP/1B TJ Heatherly (Galesburg, 2026) impressed us all with his performance on the mound and at the dish. The right-hander’s fastball reached up to 88 mph and displayed accuracy with arm-side run. He complimented his fastball with a curveball that featured heavy depth, as well as a deceptive changeup. At the plate, the right-handed hitter worked on the barrel throughout his round with strong hands and controlled intent, creating bat-speed with a flatter path and line-drive approach, averaging 92 mph throughout his round and reaching up to 96 mph (T348’). 

Pitchers 

One of the biggest and most impressive takeaways from this event is RHP Caleb Cox (Lutheran HS, 2026). The right-hander displayed a lengthy 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame with a ton of projectability. On the mound, he topped 91 mph while averaging 89 mph. He complimented his firm fastball with a slider that shows heavy horizontal movement and a fading changeup that he has a feel for. He utilizes his long levers down the mound, showing looseness and athleticism throughout. Cox is definitely a name to watch this year, and we only expect his stock to rise moving forward. 

One of the biggest winners from the event was LHP Ryan Oelke (Rockridge, 2026), who made his showcase debut last week. There’s a lot to like about his 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame, featuring long levers, a high waist, and room for added strength. Rumblings around the event suggested that Oelke is relatively new to pitching, having picked it up over the last year or so. His delivery showed ease, fluidity, and looseness, paired with a clean, loose arm path and quickness out front. His fastball sat 81-84 mph, topping out at 85.2 mph. He showed feel for an upper-60s curveball with 1/7 shape, working low and around the zone. He also mixed in a low-70s changeup with fade and a low-70s splitter that he effectively killed the spin on. Heading into the spring, Oelke is a must-know name to see in-game.

RHP Soogyeom Park (Champaign Central, 2025) is a name our staff has become a fan of over the last year, first hearing of him last spring, and later seeing him pitch over the summer at tournaments in Rantoul. It’s hard to miss his 6-foot-5, 217-pound frame with clear strength throughout. Park works out of a stretch-only delivery, and stays simple on the mound with little perceived effort. He has a compact arm action, working his fastball at 88-89 mph consistently throughout his ‘pen. He turned to a sharp, upper-70s slider that played with late break at times, and he rounded out his arsenal with a low-80s splitter that played with fade and depth. Still uncommitted, Park is an arm-to-know.

LHP Brody Oppendike (United Township, 2026) features an athletic 5-foot-11, 170-pound frame and a clean, quick arm action. He worked with control throughout his delivery, though there is still room for some polish to be had in his repertoire. His fastball sat 83-85 mph, showing life and some carry with an average of 16.9 inches of IVB. He mixed in two different breaking balls with upside potential, a changeup, and a sinker with heavy arm-side action. An uncommitted name to follow out of the western part of the state.

LHP Carsen DeKeyrel (Rockridge, 2026) is an uncommitted arm to keep tabs on throughout the spring. DeKeyrel has made noticeable strides since we last saw him at the State Games, now presenting a 6-foot, 150-pound frame with more room to fill out still. He has long been an athletic mover down the mound, and that was no different at this event. DeKeyrel’s arsenal has also made strides since August, now sitting 82-84 mph with the fastball, showing slight sinking action. His curveball sat 72-74 mph (avg. 2249 rpm), showing occasional hard/late action, while his changeup played at 77-78 mph with downer action.

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