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Prep Baseball Illinois Pitcher of the Week: Ryan Duncheon Jr.

May 13, 2025
By: Peter Hamot
Assistant Scouting Director, Illinois & Wisconsin

Junior Illinois State commit Ryan Duncheon Jr. has been having a year to remember on both sides of the ball, and he has been a main factor in East Peoria’s success so far this spring, as they boast a 19-7 record and look every bit like one of the top teams in Central IL. They went 3-1 this past week with a couple tough conference matchups, and Duncheon was the star of the show in their 1-0 win over Morton Monday evening, firing a complete game gem to earn the win and even coming in to close a game later on in the week. For his efforts, Duncheon has been named this week’s Pitcher of the Week. 

Monday’s conference matchup was a big one, and Duncheon proved up to the challenge with a complete game (seven inning) shutout with just three hits allowed, one walk and an eye-opening 16 strikeouts - earning the win while also going 2-for-3 at the plate. 

That was not his only appearance on the week however, as he also came in to close it out against a ranked Normal University club on Saturday, needing only eight pitches to finish off the seventh inning while also going 2-for-3 with a home run, triple, two RBIs and three runs scored.

Albeit this is an award for pitching, but we’d be remiss to not mention what he did at the plate - finishing at a 6-for-12 clip with a home run, triple, two doubles, four RBIs and five runs scored. 

Duncheon has been lights out for the Raiders this spring, boasting 32 innings pitched with a minuscule 0.44 ERA, 51 strikeouts against just five walks and only two earned runs allowed on the season. There’s no shortage of arm-strength with Duncheon, as the former Future Gamer will run his fastball into the low-90s with a swing and miss slider to pair. He’s also one of the top position players for his club who will play all over the field with impressive versatility, and he is undoubtedly a cornerstone in the middle of their lineup. 

We look forward to following Duncheon throughout the rest of his prep career and beyond. 

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Ryan Duncheon Jr.

Class of 2026 / C

Rankings  StateRank: 26 / POS: 3

Player Information

  • Graduating Class: 2026
  • Primary Position: C
    Secondary Position: RHP
  • High School: East Peoria
    State: IL
  • Summer Team: Canes Central Illinois Malone
  • Height: 6-1
    Weight: 191lbs
  • Bat/Throw: R/R

Scouting Report

10/31/24

Verbally committed to Illinois State.

8/22/24

RHP/C Ryan Duncheon Jr. (East Peoria) is an intriguing two-way prospect in the state’s 2026 class. Standing in a strong and physical 6-foot-1, 191-pound frame. On the mound, he worked his fastball up to 88 mph with substantial carry through the zone (avg. 20.6” IVB), though we recently saw him up to 92 mph at the Future Games. Duncheon would mix in both a curveball and a slider, with both offerings spinning at an average of 2296 rpm, while rounding his mix out with an arm-side fading changeup at 80 mph. On the offensive side of the ball, he reached a max EV of 93.8 mph - which translated in-game where he swatted two loud doubles. Defensively, his strong arm translates from the mound to behind the dish out of the crouch where he made a couple on-the-money throws in-game. With Duncheon’s two-way ability, he is a must-follow in the state going forward.

Videos

(4/28/25)

We're thankful for the POTW submissions we received from the coaches across the state. The players who garnered POTW consideration will earn a place within tomorrow's Diamond Notes story, so be on the lookout for that.

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