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Southern Illinois Preseason ID: Quick Hits

February 26, 2025
By: Illinois Scouting Staff

On Saturday, February 22nd, the Prep Baseball Illinois staff traveled down to the SportsBarn East in Wood River, IL for the Southern Illinois Preseason ID.

This event is always a great opportunity for us to get our eyes on the talented players in the southern part of the state, as well as a look at players from across the border over in Missouri, and this year proved to be successful once again.

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

C Maxx Grieme (Taylorville, 2026) has made significant strides in his game since we last saw him at our State Games in August. Now presenting a lean, well-proportioned 5-foot-10, 199-pound frame with present strength throughout. Grieme started his day off with a loud showing during batting practice, displaying a direct and repeatable bat path from the right side, barreling baseballs throughout his round with an average EV of 92.3 mph, while leading the event in max exit velocity (102 mph). He was also impressive behind the dish where he led the event in both pop time (1.80) and catcher velocity (81 mph). As strong as his arm played, he was mostly accurate with his throws, landing on the second base-side of the bag. Grieme is going to be an uncommitted name for coaches to follow throughout the upcoming spring and summer.

INF Hayden Harriss (Marion, 2027) made his Prep Baseball event debut for us at this event, and emerged as a bat to follow within the state’s sophomore class. His 6-foot, 184-pound frame is strong and well-proportioned, with potentially even more physical development to come. The right-handed hitter impressed with his ability to repeat and keep the ball on a line during his round of BP. He showed impressive consistent bat speed for his age (avg. 71.4 mph), and was consistently on the barrel throughout his round with an average EV of 86.5 mph (T96.1). Harriss also posted a peak batted ball distance of 352 feet, which was good for top-5 for the event. Defensively, he presents the glove, plays with active footwork, and utilizes a reliable two-hand funnel into his body, making for a steady defender.

C Beau Breyman (Freeburg, 2027) is another backstop who has made strides since we last saw him at the State Games. The right-handed hitter presents a compact frame with present strength throughout at 5-foot-10, 177-pounds. He was on the barrel repeatedly during his round, leading the event in average EV at 92.4 mph (T96.5), showing strong hands (avg. 21.9 mph hand speed), a flat path, and an intentful swing (avg. 70.9 mph bat speed).

INF Joe Stephan (Marquette Catholic, 2027) had a loud round of batting practice at the event. He has some present strength in his 5-foot-10, 194-pound frame, and he was able to work on the barrel with authority throughout his round, reaching up to 96 mph for his EV with a 353’ peak distance. He looked to try and use the middle of the field throughout, working with an uphill path with intent to elevate, utilizing controlled intent and strong hands through the baseball. He looks to be an advanced defender as well, showing natural actions and soft hands with some range, getting around the baseball and also showing a clean double play turn.

INF Jack Rolves (Father McGivney, 2027) is a long-levered sophomore that has a chance to stick on the infield long term and features upside to all parts of his game. The 6-foot, 150-pound right-handed hitter has loose, easy hands at the plate with a relaxed/rhythmic look in the box. Defensively, he plays low to the ground, is fundamentally sound with a soft glove hand and clean glove-to-hand release. His 76 mph arm plays loose and from all angles with above-average feel and look on the double play turn. Follow 2027 who is still a long ways away from his ceiling.

OF Mason Voegele (Columbia, 2025) is an unsigned left-handed hitter with a simple, direct swing and elevated hard, lifted contact to the pull-side. Averaged 83.9 mph off the bat throughout, peaking at 90.4 mph. Also, ran a 7.35 60 and was 86 mph from the outfield

OF Blaine Mool (El Paso-Gridley, 2028) holds big upside in his 6-foot-4, 164-pound frame, and despite being only a freshman, took a mature round of BP with a middle/opposite field approach, staying through the hitting zone with a long, flat path. In the outfield, Mool showed a one-hand gather that plays off his front foot, staying behind the baseball with a short shuffle through his target.

A pair of uncommitted Mascoutah outfielders showed to be names to know this spring in Nathan Walker (2026) and David Schulte (2026).

Walker, a 6-foot, 194-pound L/L profile, flashed some upside at the dish with a strong, athletic swing that worked on top of the baseball, utilizing a pull-side approach throughout with a peak EV of 94 mph (T349’). His BLAST metrics were also extremely impressive, averaging 22.6 mph for his hand-speed, 74 mph for his bat-speed and 18.2 Gs for his rotational acceleration.

Schulte, another L/L prospect, has a lean and upside frame standing 6-foot-1, 162-pounds. At the plate, the left-handed hitter worked with an uphill path while keeping his hands tight to his body through impact, looking to keep the ball on a line to the whole field while working on-plane. He also took a quality round of defense in the outfield, attacking the baseball while working with his hands out front, fielding the ball in-stride with quick feet.

TWO-WAYS

OF/LHP Mathew Crownhart (Homeschool, 2027) first jumped onto our staff’s radar this past fall at the St. Louis Fall ID. It looks like Crownhart added some strength over the off-season, showing a leaner frame - 5-foot-11, 170-pounds. He’s a loose, easy mover down the mound with a long and quick arm path that works out of a low ¾ slot. The velocity on his fastball may not be eye-opening at the moment, but the operation, frame and arm speed suggest velo to come throughout the spring, summer and beyond. His change-up had heavy fade and depth at times, sitting in the low-70s, and his curveball showed short, horizontal action. Crownhart has continued to improve offensively as well. The left-handed hitter swung a loose and easy bat that produced line drives throughout his round. His exit velocity peaked at 92.4 mph (avg. 85.5), while posting a max distance of 337 feet (avg. 228 feet).

UTL/RHP Wes Thompson (Normal University, 2028) was one of the more dynamic prospects in attendance. Despite having plenty more physical development to come, Thompson has well above-average tools for his age, especially when it comes to arm strength. The 5-foot-10, 164-pound, utility, right-handed hitter topped at 89 mph while playing with an exaggerated crowhop and effort through release. He also topped at 79 mph from the crouch. The arm translated over to the mound where he sat 84-85, T86 (T2404 rpm, 2284 average) with a developing three-pitch mix, including a big top-to-bottom breaking ball. Offensively, he swings with controlled and balanced intent, topping at 91.5 mph off the bat with a max distance of 311’.

INF/RHP Xavier Voegele (Columbia, 2028) left his Prep Baseball showcase debut a big winner this past weekend in Wood River. The younger brother of 2024 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Dominic Voegele, Xavier’s pitchability stood out on the mound. It’s a loose and easy operation paired with a long, clean arm action with quickness out front. His fastball was up to 80 mph in this look, playing straight and clean out of the hand. He mixed in a change-up with some fade and depth action, working it low in the zone at times. He rounded out his three-pitch mix with a curveball that played with 11/5 shape, showing feel to land it in the lower-half of the zone. A right-handed hitter with feel for the barrel, Voegele showed to be an upside follow with the bat as well. He swung with a flat path, paired with a line drive approach that uses the whole field.

OF/RHP James Weitekamp (Kirkwood, MO; 2028) is an upside, 6-foot-1, 152-pound, two-way prospect in the Missouri freshman class. Weitekamp’s present levers are noticeable in the right-handed batters box where he leverages the baseball to the pull-side and the ball jumps off the barrel when it is on time. A number of balls jumped off the barrel to the pull-side gap throughout his round, where he averaged 84.8 mph off the bat, T91.8 and launched his furthest batted ball 307’. The outfielder also ran an above-average 60, 7.25 laser-timed 60, given his age and long frame. He topped at 82 mph from the outfield and sat 78-80 mph during his bullpen featuring all kinds of upside on the mound as well. Name to know moving forward in Missouri.

RHP/UTL Tyson Filyaw (O’Fallon, 2026) had a loud showing on both sides of the ball. Theres some present strength in his 6-foot-2, 206-pound frame, but there looks to still be room to add on more in the coming years with his broad-shouldered stature. Currently ranked No. 141 in the state, the right-hander is a clean, explosive mover down the mound with a lively arm, attacking the zone with his fastball in the 87-88 mph range, showing carry traits through the zone. His curveball looks like a potential out-pitch with sharp bite and some slurve action, reaching over 20” of horizontal action at times. To round out his arsenal he went to a changeup at 77-78 mph with slight arm-side fade and some feel for the zone. At the plate, the right-handed hitter delivered a heavy barrel with a simple and repeatable swing, staying balanced through impact and working the baseball to the whole field, reaching up to 96 mph for his peak EV (T356’).

INF/RHP Robert Grosch (Fort Zumwalt North, MO; 2028) was one of the top overall performers on the day. Listed at 5-foot-10, 175-pounds, Grosch features developing strength throughout his frame. He has loose, strong hands and his right-handed swing works on plane and with quick-twitch through the hitting zone. Should be a young bat to know in the Missouri 2028 class. Defensively, he is a clean defender on the infield who plays with feel, is comfortable on the move and topped at 81 mph across. On the mound, Grosch showed a controlled, easy delivery with a clean arm action. He showed advanced feel for his three pitches, throwing each for strikes consistently throughout. His fastball worked mostly straight coming out of the hand clean, sitting in the upper-70s throughout. He turned to a curveball with 11/5 shape that landed in the bottom half of the zone, and a change-up that played with fade and depth.

C/RHP Anderson Kaufmann (Alton, 2028) continues to solidify as one of the top names to know in the freshman class. Kaufmann provided one of the more polished bullpens of the event, and one of the more polished of the entire Illinois Preseason ID schedule as well. He displayed confidence on the mound in all of his pitches, working with pace throughout. His fastball sat 84-86 mph and topped out at 87.1 mph, throwing it for strikes 100% of the time, per Trackman. He threw both a slider and a curveball - his slider having the slight edge in this look with sharp, horizontal bite. His change-up sat 76-79 mph with heavy fade (avg. 18.7” of HM), looking like an out-potential type of pitch. The 5-foot-11, 172-pound backstop still continues to look like one of the top defensive catchers in the state as well. He topped at 79 mph from the crouch playing clean and repeatable out of the crouch while mixing in a low pop time of 1.89. Name to circle in the 2028 Illinois class.

INF/RHP Nolan Lebert (Mascoutah, 2026) had a quality showing all-around in Wood River. A well-proportioned 5-foot-8, 167-pounds with some present strength throughout, Lebert excelled defensively on this day. Playing with natural actions and feel for the position, he had reliable hands and perhaps the most confident glove on the day, showing the potential to stick up the middle at the next level. Lebert also had a hitterish look about him at the plate. A right-handed hitter, he had loose hands, a level path, and a line drive approach. Lebert showed intrigue in his bullpen, showing quiet and athletic action on the mound with a clean and easy arm path. His fastball worked in the low-80s throughout his ‘pen, showing some arm-side action at times. He threw both a curveball and a slider, and the slider showed sweeping action, and produced an average of -18.7 inches of horizontal action, -5.1 inches of induced vertical break, and an average spin rate of 2251 rpm. He rounded out his arsenal with a low-70s change-up with heavy fade (18.6” of horizontal movement).

OF/LHP Reid Neumayer (Belleville East, 2026) was another two-way standout. He started his event with the top 60 time for the day at 6.92 seconds. A 5-foot-10, 159-pound L/L prospect, Neumayer then showed the ability to use the whole field during his round of BP, while reaching a peak EV of 93.6 mph, and showing the quickest hands on average for the entire event (avg. 22.8 mph hand speed). He also stepped on the mound for a bullpen, showing some upside with a quick, intentful arm path. His fastball sat in the low-80s and topped out at 84.2 mph with some life through the zone. Neumayer’s slider showed short, downer action, and his change-up played with some fade at times.

INF/RHP Chase Stearns (Parkway Central, MO; 2028) is an upside two-way to follow. At a high-waisted 5-foot-10, 155-pounds with room to fill out, Stearns swung it well to start his day. A right-handed hitter, he swings with a flat path and with some intent at times. On the day, he reached a max EV of 90.5 mph, and also posted one of the better average hand speeds on the day at 21.3 mph. There’s some intrigue on the mound, displaying a compact and quick arm path. He showed confidence in his off-speed offerings, throwing both a curveball and change-up with fastball intent. His curveball worked with 11/5 shape, and he worked it low and to his glove-side throughout his ‘pen. Stearns also showed a change-up with downer action and fade at times.

INF/RHP Max Zimmerman (Du Quoin, 2027) is a strong and well-proportioned 5-foot-10, 173-pound R/R prospect to know in the state’s sophomore class. At the plate, he showed quick hands (avg. 22 mph hand speed), an intentful swing that stays on-plane (avg. 88.6% on-plane efficiency), with a middle of the field approach. On the mound, Zimmerman worked out of the stretch and showed a loose, lively arm action. His fastball sat 81-83 mph, topping out at 83.9 mph. When he landed his slider, it showed sharp action with depth, while his curveball showed more vertical action.

RHP/INF Lucas Dunn (Nashville Community, 2026) has made some big strides all-around since we last saw him at the Southern Illinois Summer ID. To start, Dunn added some strength to his frame, adding over 10-lbs since this summer, now sitting in a 5-foot-10, 164-pound frame. Back at that summer event, his fastball sat 79-81 mph, and now he’s up to 84-86 mph, and topping out at 87.7 mph with an average of 2328 rpm with clear ride through the zone. His curveball and slider both play with similar action, but he throws them hard and generates above-average spin on both - 2510 avg. rpm on the slider and 2675 rpm on the curveball. His change-up had fade at times, sitting in the upper-70s. Dunn also showed some intrigue at the plate. A right-handed hitter, he swings with a level path and uses the middle/pull-side parts of the field, and displayed some of the better bat speed for the event (avg. 71.3 mph bat speed).

PITCHERS

RHP Avner Christian (Waterloo, 2028) stands in a hard-to-miss upside frame at 6-foot-1, 168-pounds. He’s a quick mover on the mound with clean, easy actions, and a compact arm path with clean acceleration out front. His fastball was up to 81.7 mph with mostly straight actions through the zone. His change-up has short fade with some depth at 72-73 mph, and he showed feel to work his curveball in the lower-half of the zone with 11/5 shape. Christian made his Prep Baseball showcase debut and left the event a name-to-follow in the state’s freshman class.

LHP Keagan Puckett (Richland County, 2028) is a young southpaw to note from the day. He has a protectable, 5-foot-10, 164-pound frame, and he looks to be an easy mover down the mound with a clean arm. His fastball featured some natural run to his arm-side, coming clean out of the hand in the 75-78 mph range, topping at 79 mph. He showed to have feel for his curveball, sitting around 65-68 mph with short, lateral shape, landing it for strikes throughout his showing. His best off-speed looked to be his changeup, playing with fade/sink while effectively killing spin, thrown for strikes, potential out-pitch.

LHP Henry Nattier (Routt Catholic, 2028) impressed throughout his ‘pen and will be an arm to follow throughout his prep career. He has a controlled tempo throughout, working into a higher leg-lift and coiled balance point before moving in-line down the mound with a long stride. He has a longer arm circle that plays uninterrupted into a ¾ release. His fastball played with mostly straight four-seam action but flashed arm-side life, 78-81 mph. His curveball looked to have some depth off a 1/7 plane, 68-69 mph - while his changeup played mostly straight at 72-74 mph.

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