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Preseason All-State Underclass: 2028 Quick Hits

March 5, 2026
By: Illinois Staff

On Saturday, February 28th, the Prep Baseball Illinois staff hosted our crown jewel event of the winter, the Preseason All-State Underclass showcase. This event was host to over 130 of the best players in the state, and gave our staff one final look at these prospects before the spring season begins.

More event content:

Today, we are taking a look at a number of the standouts from the 2028 class with scouting reports and videos, below.

BIGGEST WINNERS

+ OF Carver Cohn (McHenry): 5-foot-9, 163-pound, dynamic, athletic frame. Cohn showed why he is widely considered one of the top prospects in the Overall 2028 class, currently No. 1 in Illinois. A switch-hitter, he demonstrates explosive hands and exceptional barrel control from both sides of the plate, consistently driving the ball with authority; the ball jumps off the bat at 93.4 mph EV on average, topping out at an impressive 104 mph. Cohn is a gifted athlete who projects like a true center fielder, clocking a 6.63 in the 60-yard dash. His defense is marked by clean, quick feet, aggressive routes and topped at 92 mph from the outfield. With an advanced all-around toolset and feel for the game, Cohn is undeniably one of the premier prospects to follow in the 2028 class.

+ RHP/C Anderson Kaufmann (Alton): 6-foot, 182-pound, athletic, broad-shouldered Kaufmann put together his strongest showing to-date. The two-way prospect showed well with the bat but it was what he did on the mound that turned heads. The right-hander is arguably the most polished arm in the state and is a must know name for every college in the country. He is highly-athletic, clean and repeatable down the mound, while sitting 91-92 mph with his fastball. He commands the pitch to both sides of the plate while featuring riding life and natural arm-side run. He complements the fastball with a 76-77 mph slider that features late, sharp break and an 83 mph changeup with heavy arm-side fade. Kaufmann also ran a 6.78 60 and averaged 91.4 mph during BP with his right-handed bat. Must-know 2028 prospect.

+ SS/RHP Nicholas Chiarodo (Edwardsville): 6-foot, 152-pound lean, athletic two-way prospect with all kinds of present two-way ability and upside to his game. Makes everything he does on the diamond look easy. Ran a 6.78 60 with advanced actions on the infield; ability to stick at shortstop with a loose, accurate arm that led the event at 92 mph across the diamond. Also, registered a vertical of 29” which was second best of the event. Right-handed hitter, took a smooth, polished round of BP where he consistently squared up baseballs; 92.3 mph average EV (98 mph max EV). On the mound, his athletic, low-effort delivery and quick, loose 3/4 arm action produce a fastball that sat 88-89 mph; T90 mph with carry through the zone. He also possesses an advanced, tight curveball at 71-72 mph 16.9 inches of average HM and 2359 average rpm. Gets quality arm side action on his 79-80 mph changeup and flashed a 78-79 mph cutter with a slider-like shape. Chiarodo’s overall skillset, athleticism, and advanced feel for the game make him one of the top two-way prospects in the state.

+ RHP Jack Postma (Barrington): Standing at a highly projectable 6-foot-5, 200-pounds, continues to solidify himself as one of the top sophomore arms in the state and Midwest.
Postma is undoubtedly one of the top high-upside prospects to emerge from the 2028 class. Postma utilizes a long, clean arm path through a 3/4 slot with an average release height of 4.5’. His fastball sat 89-90 mph (T91 mph), showcasing a clean and easy ride out of the hand with life through the zone, complimented by a firm two-seamer with arm-side run. He complements with a sharp, horizontal breaking slider at 73-77 mph (average of 13.6 inches HM). Also features a deceptive changeup at 76-80 mph that features heavy fade and downer action; advanced feel for the pitch. With an advanced arsenal for his age and highly projectable frame, Postma is one of the higher floor/ceiling arms in the 2028 class.

+ SS/RHP Kanon Baxley (Kaneland): Listed at a high-waisted 5-foot-11, 172 pounds with some present strength throughout, Baxley continues to look like one of the top two-way prospects in the 2028 class. After impressing at the Super Sophomore Games last August, he did much of the same at this star-studded event. Baxley is currently a true two-way, showing the ability to stick up the middle infield along with high-level stuff on the mound. The right-handed hitter has a compact swing where he controls the barrel and averaged 92.8 mph off the bat with a max of 101 mph. He registered a 1.65 10-yard split and 6.77 60-yard dash time to go along with advanced natural actions on the infield and strong arm that topped at 90 mph. On the mound he floods the zone with a quick, long arm and fastball that sat 86-88 mph. His fastball comes out clean and easy with life through the zone, complemented by a high-spin curveball (71-74 mph) featuring sharp spin and depth. He rounds out his arsenal with a 78-80 mph changeup that shows heavy sink and is thrown with fastball arm speed. Continues to establish himself as a high-end talent in the state.

+ RHP Dodger Friedrich (Lane Tech): Stands out immediately thanks to his 6-foot-4, 242-pound workhorse, ultra-physical frame. Saw quality innings on varsity as a freshman and is currently one of the top prospects in the state. Showcased similar stuff to what we have become accustomed to seeing, just with an uptick in fastball velocity. It is a quick, strong arm that plays from a ¾ slot and gets an average of 15.4 inches of HM on his fastbal that sat 92-93, T94. He also showed a hard slider in the low-80s with short, late action and a splitter with minimal spin and an average of 16.8” of horizontal movement. Hulking specimen for a sophomore with feel to pitch and one of the strongest arms in the Midwest. Name to know moving forward.

+ C Drew Whitney (Barrington High School): Listed at a physical 6-foot-2, 195-pounds, Whitney was one of the top left-handed hitters in attendance. His direct and simple swing path generates significant jump off the barrel, consistently flashing backspin line-drives up the middle. The ball jumps off the bat at 92.1 mph on average, with a max exit velocity of 100 mph. His defense also continues to improve where he peaked at 75 mph velocity from the crouch - routinely on and around the second base bag. He also ran a 7.20 60 giving him potential defensive versatility down the road. Regardless the bat is a weapon and should be his calling card moving forward. Name to know in the 2028 class.

+ LHP/OF Collin Lawlor (Marist): has long been a performer and continued to show high-polish stuff at the invite-only event. Listed at a physical, broad-shouldered 6-foot-1, 196 pounds, Lawlor continued to show much of the same stuff we have been accustomed to seeing with an uptick in velocity. Lawlor is a fluid mover with a loose arm and topped at 85 mph with a fastball that plays up, jumping out of the hand with a 18.9” average IVB, T20.6”. He throws a hard, short-breaking slider in the upper-70s and low-80s changeup with all kinds of late fade and run. One of the top left-handed arms in the class who will continue to see his velocity climb as he climbs the high school ranks.

+ 1B/RHP Brock Hamilton (Homewood-Flossmoor): Listed at an imposing 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, Hamilton featured one of the more impressive frames in attendance, regardless of class. Yet another high-level two-way prospect at the event. From the right-handed batter's box, the ball explodes off the bat, averaging an impressive 94.6 mph exit velocity with a max EV of 98 mph, consistently demonstrating a knack for squared-up, loud contact. His 7.19-second 60-yard dash time is competitive for his immense size, and in the infield, he moves with clean footwork, steady hands and topped at 86 mph. On the mound his fastball sits 84-88 mph, playing clean and straight out of the hand, complemented by a 70-74 mph curveball with shorter 11/5 shape, and a 73-77 mph split-changeup that kills spin with downer action and fade. Hamilton's advanced power potential, combined with his projectable arm on the mound, firmly establishes him as a two-way follow in Illinois' 2028 class.

PITCHERS

+ RHP Landon Connolly (Naperville Central, 2028): 6-foot, 173-pound, athletically-built, right-handed pitcher made a strong statement in his Prep Baseball debut. Connolly featured one of the biggest fastballs on the day, sitting 91-92 mph and going to a hard, late biting horizontal slider at 79-84 mph with an average of 2259 rpm. His curveball played with bigger horizontal action at 77-78 mph, 2385 average rpm and 18.9” of horizontal movement. Currently looks like a hard throwing late-inning type profile. The development of a softer changeup, splitter type of offering will only enhance his prospect status down the road but his present arm strength and ability to spin the baseball deserve a close follow moving forward.

+ RHP Cole Clower (Providence Catholic, 2028): Listed at a well-proportioned, strong 6-foot-3, 203 pounds, Clower is a high-level arm who saw quality varsity innings as a freshman on a loaded Celtics squad. Clower seems poised to take a bigger role this spring as he sat 87-89 mph with a straight four-seam profile. He complements this with an aggressive 74-76 mph slider that shows a sweeper shape, but his advanced 80-81 mph changeup stands out, featuring late sink and run at arm speed for swing-and-miss deception. Arm to know in the 2028 class.

+ RHP Kaeson Ernst (Warrensburg-Latham): 6-foot-5, 187-pound, long-levered, high-waisted projectable prospect, worked out as a position player as well but on this day it was his performance on the mound that really stood out. He oozes upside with his frame and long, loose, quick arm which makes it easy to dream on his current 82-85, T86 mph fastball making big jumps in the future. Ernst also showed feel for his three-pitch repertoire which includes a mid-70s curveball and 75-77 mph changeup. Name to watch in the coming years.

+ RHP/SS Nic Bralts (Champaign Central): Another arm who worked out as a position player but it's hard to deny his talent and upside on the mound. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound, broad-shouldered, athletic right-handed arm started his day running a 6.67 60. He then proceeded to throw a polished ‘pen flooding the zone with his 83-86 mph fastball working with a clean, easy, athletic delivery that projects for much more to come down the road. He repeated well throughout and gives off starter vibes working with a four-pitch arsenal as well. He landed his 71-72 mph curveball in the zone 100% of the time and averaged 2409 rpm on his mid-70s slider which featured more horizontal action. The changeup is also a go to offering, flashing big arm-side action. One of the top prospects in Central Illinois.

+ RHP Will Vanderheyden (O'Fallon): 5-foot-11, 160-pound arm who took the ball in a number of big games for O’Fallon as a freshman. Long been known as a performer, Vanderheyden has seen a huge uptick in velcoty from his freshman to sophomore year and is poised for a big spring. The talented right-hander sat 86-87, T88 with reports he has been even firmer this winter. He gets notable carry and life through the zone with the fastball, averaging 17.1” of IVB and his 12/6 curveball plays well off of it; 72-74 mph with 2270 average rpm, landing in the zone half the time. He also flashed a slightly firmer slider with short action and a mid-70s changeup where he kills spin and gets some late fade. Name to know in the Metro East area.

+ 3B/RHP Weston Ensign (Fisher): 6-foot-5, 236-pounds hulking right-hander features one of the strongest arms in Central Illinois and the state for that matter. Ensign has a attacking look to him on the mound, cutting loose a heavy, lively fastball that topped at 88 mph with some carry through the zone and 2286 average rpm. He throws an aggressive curveball at 76-79 mph with late bite and 2177 average rpm as well as a firm 82-84 mph changeup with late action. Big, strong-bodied right-handed arm who should only continue to ascend.

+ LHP Tyler Mehrtens (Highland): 5-foot-10, 162-pound, loose-bodied left-hander seems to be yet another arm in attendance where the future is extremely bright. Mehrten has a loose, whippy arm and got a bunch of late arm-side-action to his 84-86 mph fastball; averaging 18.5” HM. His slider working on a horizontal plane going the opposite direction of his fastball at 69-73 mph; average 19.1 average HM which matches his slot (4.7’ release height) well. The changeup, like the fastball, gets all kinds of arm-side movement at 72-74 mph. Given his pitch profiles, loose arm and projectable frame Mehrtens features all kinds of intrigue and will be a name to see this spring/summer.

+ LHP Ethan Johnson (Lake Zurich): 5-foot-11, 175-pound left-handed arm has seen his stuff and velocity steadily tick up over the past few years with this most recent showing being his best yet. Johnson has feel to repeat and is a simple mover; fastball sat 85-87 mph with potential for two above-average offspeed offerings. The slider sat 70-72 mph with short action and he kills spin on his 73-74 mph changeup that flashes action to the arm-side. Left-handed arm on the rise in the 2028 class.

+ Dylan Jones (Lemont), Lavin Tull (O'Fallon) and LHP/OF Trey Hrasky (O’Fallon) are a couple more left-handed arms to know and follow in the 2028 class.

+ Eastin McBroom (Newark), Henry Murphy (Maine South), Austin Leipart (Providence Catholic) and Jacob Huber (Libertyville) are a few upside right-handed arms whose best days are still ahead and deserve a mention with their showings.

TWO-WAY PROSPECTS

OF/RHP Ryan Pipkins (Champaign Central): Long known in our circles since his strong showing at the Junior Future Games, Pipkins continues to trend in the right direction. Pipkins is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound, left-handed hitting two-way prospect who is currently a true two-way prospect. He started his day running a 6.84 60 and took an impressive round of BP with a simple, balanced swing where he averaged 90.8 mph off the bat, T97 mph while naturally lifting baseballs to the pull-side. Defensively, the right-handed thrower topped at 87 mph from the outfield and then got on the mound and sat 85-88, T89. He showcased a four pitch mix with a curveball, slider and changeup.

+ LHP/OF Luke Crowder (Benet Academy): 6-foot-2, 170-pounds, high-waisted, athletic, left/left two-way prospect made a strong impression at his first Prep Baseball showcase. Crowder had shown well multiple times in Prep Baseball Tournaments in the past and solidified his status with this recent showing. Crowder is a fluid overall mover who ran a 6.85 60, took an easy all-fields round of BP and then ran his fastball up to 89 mph while showing feel for two breaking balls and a fading changeup. High-follow two-way prospect in the class.

+ LHP/OF Josh Ouimette (Carmel Catholic): 5-foot-10, 196-pound left/left prospect is another true two-way prospect who was a standout at the Super Sophomore Games, especially with the bat. It's a polished, fluid swing with above-average feel for the barrel and whole field approach; averaged 92.7 mph EV, T100 mph. He is an easy mover in the outfield, topped at 88 mph while also putting together a clean bullpen. He has starter traits, moving down the mound with fluidity and easy effort while sitting comfortably at 84-86 and with a high-spinning (2309 ave. rpm) curveball and mid-70s changeup with 15.6” average horizontal movement. Continues to impress in every look.

+ SS/2B Mason Almazan (Providence Catholic) emerged as a sophomore on the rise who ticked up in nearly every statistical category. Almazan ran a sub-7.0 60 (6.91) for the first time and topped at 89 mph (up five mph) across the infield while topping at 97 mph off the bat during BP. His 89 mph infield velocity stood out thanks to his advanced, natural actions and highly-accurate arm that was consistently on the chest of the first baseman despite the big rise in velocity. It played with minimal effort and true, four-seam carry across. He topped off his day with an impressive bullpen where he sat 85-88.2 mph while showing a three-pitch mix. This is a huge jump in velocity as Almazan was sitting in the low-80s throughout 2025. Sophomore on the rise with feel for his overall game and plenty more strength to come in his 5-foot-9, 168-pound frame.

+ 2B/RHP Sonny Mateja (Montini Catholic): yet another prospect to make a strong statement while making his Prep Baseball Showcase debut. Listed at 6-foot-1, 152-pounds, the right-right two-way prospect had shown well in the past at Prep Baseball Tournaments and only enhanced his prospect status at the event. Mateja’s best tool may be his arm but he warrants plenty of attention as a bat and position player as he has a flat, easy swing and used the whole field in his round of BP. On the mound there is all kinds of upside thanks to his loose, whippy arm and fastball that climbed up to 85.6 mph. The fastball spins at an average of 2355 rpm, T2503 while playing in the zone at a 71% clip. He also spins an above-average curveball at 69-71 mph (average 2335 rpm) with an average of 18.7” and -0.2” of IVB. He works from a low release height throughout all of his offerings and rounds out his arsenal with a mid-70s changeup where he kills spin and gets fading action. Upside 2028 prospect.

+ C/RHP Jack Bullington (Marist): Like a lot of the prospects listed in this article, Bullington is yet another one who is on the rise and has seen his tools tick up across the board. Now listed at 6-foot-1, 210-pounds, Bullington has quality strength throughout and his performance on the mound deserves some attention. His fastball now sits in the mid-80s, climbing as high as 85.4 mph with his breaking ball developing as a potential plus offering down the road; it spins at an average of 2502 rpm while sitting 69-72 mph with feel and quality horizontal action. He also features a mid-70s changeup. The right-handed hitter has a barrel control swing with easy strength through impact and middle of the field approach.

+ OF/RHP Lawton Close (Naperville North): 6-foot, 180-pound, sturdy, strong frame is a left-handed hitter, right-handed throwing two-way prospect who warrants a mention after the event. At the plate he has a presence in the box with a fluid, aggressive swing that works with natural lift. He averaged a 92.1 mph EV, T97 mph. He also topped at 90 mph from the outfield and got on the mokund where he sat 85-86 mph with his fastball. It was his offspeed offerings that really caught our eye, thanks to a late-diving changeup at 79-80 mph and big breaking 68-71 mph curveball (2360 ave. rpm) with depth and tight spin. Intriguing two-way prospect to follow.

+ OF/RHP Jacob Hite (St. Laurence): Hite has been on a steady rise over the past half year, showing well multiple times this fall at Tournaments and a showcase. The strides keep coming for the 6-foot-2, 179-pound, wide-shouldered, right-right, two-way prospects. The 60 time is down to a 6.80 and his exit velocity has climbed six mph, now peaking at 103 mph off the bat. His arm plays easy at 86 mph. On the mound he is an easy, clean mover down the mound with above-average feel for his arsenal. His fastball sat 81-83 mph, T85 mph with some sink and feel for the zone. He complements it with a firm 70-72 mph curveball that features vertical 11/5 action and flashes depth, alongside a 73-76 mph changeup with sink and run. Best days still seem yet to come. Follow 2028 two-way.

+ 3B/RHP Madden Nunn (Whitney Young): Nunn is a 6-foot-1, 209-pound, physical, broad-shouldered right-right prospect who had a strong day overall. His right-handed bat stood out staying inside the baseball with a mature approach while staying loud and on the barrel throughout; average EV of 87.7 mph, T97 mph. Also, featured above-average rotational acceleration at 20.5 mph. He also topped at 91 mph and got on the mound where he sat 81-85 mph. He featured a four-pitch mix with the ability to spin the baseball and potential starter profile down the road.

+ SS/2B Keegan Crabtree (Lincoln-Way East): Crabtree, like a number of others mentioned above, is on the rise across the board when it comes to his overall game and tools. His 60 is now down almost half a second (now a 7.03 60), infield velocity up to 85 mph (up from 78 in 2025) and his exit velocity has climbed six mph, up to 94 mph. On the mound he made arguably the biggest jump up from an 81.7 mph peak fastball velocity in 2025 to know topping at 88.2 mph. His fastball plays with ride through the zone; average of 17.9” of IVB. He also landed his low-70s slider in the zone 100% of the time and kills spin on splitter at 76-77 mph. Has overall feel to his entire game and is far from a finished product. Upside two-way prospect in the 2028 class.

POSITION PLAYERS

+ SS Peter Pignatiello (Benet Academy): Another Super Sophomore game participant who is on the rise coming off the event. Left-handed hitting infielder listed at 5-foot-10, 170-pounds and athleticism throughout. Ran a 6.87 60, down from a 7.20 in 2025. Offensively, took a polished, clean round of BP, repeating hard lifted contact throughout his round; averaged 87 mph off the bat with a peak of 97 mph. Also, should stick on the left-side of the infield as his actions and movement patterns continue to clean up to go along with sure hands and a clean arm that played at 84 mph across. One of the top left-handed hitting shortstops we have seen so far in the 2028 class.

+ 1B Quincy Fulton (Newton): Listed at a strong, physical 6-foot-2, 227 pounds, Fulton is no stranger to Prep Baseball events and continues to show well thanks to his powerful switch-hitting profile. From both sides of the plate, he has quiet hands, generating easy power from the left side and easy strength with uphill intent from the right. The ball jumps off his bat, averaging 90.3 mph exit velocity with a max EV of 98 mph, consistently lifting balls to both gaps that results in a high percentage of line drives and fly balls. His 6.96 60-yard dash and 1.66 10-yard split stand out for his size. Fulton continues to solidify himself as a name to know in the class.

+ C/OF Weston Wyzukovicz (Libertyville): The 5-foot-9, 182-pound, right-handed hitter continues to show off an advanced right-handed hit tool everytime we see him. He has short, strong levers, his bat stays through the zone a long time and he consistently repeated hard, lifted contact to both gaps while staying on-plane and on balance. Metrically he stood out as well with the top average bat speed of the event; 79 mph. His 95.3 mph average exit velocity was second-best on the day, T102.7 and launched his furthest batted ball 374’, also second-best. He rounded out his impressive day running a 6.67 60 and peaked at 78 mph from the crouch with a low pop time of 1.94. The Super Sophomore standout is a name to know in the 2028 class.

+ SS/2B Kameron Cox (Montini Catholic): Another Super Sophomore Game participant who continues to impress everytime we see him. His foot speed is advanced, running a 6.65 60 and he proved to be one of the better middle infielders in the state last year. As a freshman Cox started at second base, pairing with SS Drew Church to form a high-end middle infield combo. Cox showed improved arm strength, now up to 89 mph and sprayed balls to all fields in BP; 91.2 average EV.

+ Matteo Banuelos (Von Steuben): 5-foot-10, 167-pound, left-handed hitting multi-positional prospect who firmly established himself as a name to know in the class. He has a balanced, repeatable left-handed swing with feel for the barrel, clean swing and mature approach that consistently worked to both gaps. The hit tool is highly-intriguing, peaking at 93.4 mph off the bat while his infield defense stood out as well. He has athletic feet to both sides, confident hands and his arm topped at 82 mph across the infield. He also topped at 75 mph from the crouch with a low pop of 2.06. Follow left-handed hitter to know.

+ INF Alex Govoni (Loyola Academy), INF Bradley Jones (Mahomet-Seymour), C/1B Monty Chalabi (Notre Dame College Prep), OF Colton Francisco (Minooka), OF MJ Castelloni (Fremd), 3B/OF Sage Lelm (Morton), OF QuinnSutherland (Marist), OF Caleb Mease (Wheaton Warrenville South) and 1B/OF Will Steffens (Barrington) were some of our favorite bats from the event and deserve a close follow moving forward.

INFIELD DEFENDERS TO MENTION

The Underclass event was loaded top to bottom but one area that really stood out was the amount of quality up-the-middle infield defenders. Noah Correa (St. Patrick), Davis Venters (Mt. Zion), Gaetano Lazzara (Lake Park) and Landon Maisenbacher (Pleasant Plains) are all 2028s who should be able to stick on the dirt long term and play up-the-middle at a high level.

DATA DARLINGS

+ C Isaiah Wolter (Oswego East): 5-foot-10, 175 pound catcher impressed all-around at the event. He ran a well above-average 60 time for a catcher at 6.77. Offensively, the right-handed hitter averaged a 94.8 mph EV, T103 and showed off a strong arm that played up to 80 mph from the crouch while registering a low pop time of 1.88. His average bat speed of 75.3 mph always sits among some of the best in the class. On top of that he impressed with a grinder mentality during bullpens, staying to help catch for both the Underclass and then the Upperclass (2027) arms. Quality all-around showing.

+ OF/RHP Barrett Schifferdecker (Loyola Academy): 6-foot-3, 203-pound, muscular, strong, left-handed hitting outfielder showed advanced tools across the board. He started the day running a 6.71 60, was 88 mph from the outfield and showed a compact, strong swing that stays on-plane with above-average bat strength; 90.5 mph average EV, T104 mph. He laso has advanced bat speed with an average of 72.2 mph. Highly-intriguing prospect to follow moving forward.

+ SS/RHP Ethan Sehmer (Lakes Community): Coming off a strong showing at the McHenry Preseason ID, Sehmer one-upped himself at the invite-only showing. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound, compact, strong, right-handed hitter led the event in average exit velocity at 95.7 mph. He also registered a 100% hard hit percentage routinely making loud, hard contact throughout his round. He has quick strong hands and intentful controlled swing. Right-handed bat to follow moving forward.

+ OF Gavin Helpingstine (Brother Rice): When it comes to all-around tools and names that checked off a bunch of boxes, Helpingstine is towards the top of the list. Most impressive was his 36” vertical jump which blew away the field; next best was 29”. He also ran a 6.62 60 which led the event and peaked at 101 mph off the bat, averaging 91.7 mph. There is some length and effort in the swing but he was routinely finding barrels with authority. He also topped at 86 mph from the outfield. Multi-sport prospect who warrants attention given the advanced metrics and tools across the board.

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