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Freshman All-State: Impact 29

February 23, 2026
Cooper Trinkle
Scouting Director

The Freshman All-State allowed our staff a "first glance" if you will on some of the top 2029/2030 talent in the state before the spring gets underway. 

The 2026 edition did not disappoint, with several loud showings and impressive metrics posted by prospects at such a young age. The volitility at this age is something to note as many prospects are not at the same development stages, but nonetheless by all indications the 2029 group seems like a strong crop, and the 2030 talent is some of the best we've seen in the state for this stage of the evaluation process. At this event we saw :

    • 4 exit velocities at 100+ mph: 12 exit velocities at 95+
    • 5 fastballs at 86+
    • 4 sub-6.8 runners; 18 sub-7.00
    • 10 posiitional velocities at 85+

Today, we unpack an "Impact 29" list of prospects from the 2029 class who elevated themselves. While this may not be how we stack the group up from a rankings perspective, it is an indication of who performed well on this given day, and who left with arrows up next to their name on our internal board. 

Stay tuned for hitters/pitchers notebooks to come in the coming days where we reveal the notes we took on 50+ prospects from this event. I cannot stress how impressed I was with the 2030s and several could stand on the impact list, but we will include them in the notebooks for now due to the minimal track record that we had on those guys coming into the day. 

To find the full event stats, click here. 

Impact 29

While this list could go much, much deeper, these 29 prospects had a positive impact on their prospect status while blending metric improvements with skill and future projections. This IS NOT a rankings list, but more a reflection of the impact that the prospect made on our staff with their performance on this given day. 

  1. LHP/OF Adler Kellams, Fort Wayne Carroll
  2. LHP/OF Townes Cinninger, South Bend Saint Joseph
  3. SS Alex McCord, Cathedral
  4. OF/RHP Cain Sims, Evansville Mater Dei
  5. RHP Colten Russell, Franklin Central
  6. SS Deaken Johnson, Hamilton Southeasten
  7. 2B/OF Oliver Wilkinson, Mt. Vernon
  8. OF Caleb Smith, Center Grove
  9. LHP Royal Durham, Noblesville
  10. SS/RHP Fletcher East, Franklin Central
  11. RHP/SS Abe Freeman, Brownsburg
  12. SS Cayden Adley, Munster
  13. SS Ben Berwanger, Lake Central
  14. RHP Hudson Walker, Huntington North
  15. OF Kiptyn Kluesner, Jasper
  16. 3B/RHP Will Mattingly, Evansville Central
  17. SS Legion Gargett, Cathedral
  18. C Cooper Smock, Huntington North
  19. 3B Nolan Wright, Plainfield
  20. IF Gideon Snavely, Fort Wayne Snider
  21. C Bowen Akers, Carmel
  22. OF Braxton Kellermeier, Avon
  23. OF Chase Blanchard, Mt. Vernon
  24. 3B Christian Wessel, Avon
  25. 1B/OF Colton Guyer, Lafayette Central Catholic
  26. C/3B Joshua Campbell, Rushville HS
  27. 3B/1B Micah Kendall, Penn
  28. RHP Paul Morgan, Plainfield
  29. LHP Ben Zartman, Warsaw

#1 LHP/CF Adler Kellams
Continues to reaffirm his status as the top overall prospect in the class. Lean, twitchy, wiry, 6-foot-ish L/L OF/P. Body control has taken strides and really took shape in his look on the bump. Played catch at 83-86, T 87 with lift to the fastball from a lower release height (5-foot-2). SL is abv avg for the age; low-70s with short sweep and feel to land. CH at 72-73 profiles well and should end up as a strong third, or even his go-to secondary. Burned a 6.7 60-yard dash to begin the day; easy plus projections for that tool down the road. Repeats a simple left-handed swing well for all-fields impact. Exit velocities peaked at 97 mph; averaged 87 and also showed the ability to flush the ball in the air pull-side. 89 from the OF; profiles as a true CF. Chance for 5 tools on the offensive side with about as high of a floor as any pitching prospect in the class. 

#2 LHP/OF Townes Cinninger 
Looked the part of the potential SP1 in the class during his bullpen. I see some shades of Jared Grindlinger in the operation. Arm works loose in a compact circle with real whip to the front. Gets down the mound very well to gain extension while also carrying the heater with 19-inches of vert on average. 74-76 change played with sinker-like action; showed real feel for a mid-60s CB with 2-plane depth and a chance to sharpen. The 6-foot-1, 160-pound young-looking frame leaves me bullish. Premier projections. Good athlete, as well, who ran a 7.18 and showed two-way potential with a clean left-handed swing. 

#3 INF Alex McCord
Dropped the mic in BP with the loudest showing of anyone at the event. Exits peaked at 103.6 mph while averaging 94+ throughout. Set up in a strong base before a heavier forward move; transfers weight into the baseball extremely well with connected upper-half through the turn. Led the event in average bat speed (77+ mph) and did so with some sense of control. Also showed as a T5 infield defender at the event, overall actions have polished since the fall, projects to stick on the left-side with time to tell whether it is at SS or the hot-corner. The arm is a real tool, up to 89 across the diamond, and he hopped on the bump for a thrower-over-pitcher type look with a fastball that touched 88 on his best bullet. Strong-framed, 5-foot-11, 185-pounder with some projection remaining. 3-4 tool upside. Ran a 7.14. 

#4 OF/RHP Cain Sims
Looked the part of a premier run-producer and continues to reaffirm status as one of the top prospects in the class. The most pro-style body at the event with well-proportioned strength in a high-waisted, 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame. Starts from an athletic, relaxed setup before controlling the forward move with the hands climbing up & back to launch. Some inconsistencies in the hand load, but when synced gets off future-plus bat speed. Looks the part of a premier power hitting RF. Exits climbed over 100 mph at this event, averaged 92.4. Also ran a 6.94 with an 86 mph arm from the OF. 3-4 tool upside as it appears now on the offensive side. Holds one of the higher ceilings of any in this class on the bump, though this look was not his best. Pitched at 85-86 with inconsistent secondaries. Top spot potential. 

#5 RHP Colten Russell 
One of the top right-handers in the class and continues to trend towards the top spot. Wiry athleticism prevelant in the 6-foot-2, 165-pound frame. Showed control for a sinking mid-80s fastball that worked up to 87 and tunneled nicely with his low-70s 2300+ SL that holds future wipeout upside. Sunk a 79 CH to change pace off the heater. Some slot-drop on secondaries. Controlled 3 pitches. SP upside. Holds front-side closed as he works down the mound & rotates w/ late intent. Some of the best arm speed at the event. Future velo feels easy to project. 

#6 SS Deaken Johnson
One of the highest ceilings in attendance. Pro-style frame at 6-foot-3, 175-pounds with a younger-look. Body control stands out in everything that he does. At the dish, setup in a tall, relaxed stance with control to the forward move and a small barrel tip to counter-balance. Exits up to 92.3; impacts will louden with strength. Lacks bat speed for now, but that is one of the easier tools/traits to develop. Clean path with length out-front. Loose/easy intent. Ran a 7.07. Could not stay for defensive evals as he is splitting time with football duties; is regarded as one of the top QB prospects in the state for the 2029 class. Saw him defensively in a workout earlier this winter and he showed some of the best body control and infield actions in the class. Has above average arm strength, reached 79 on the bump with catchplay-like intent. Has top-spot potential. 

#7 2B/OF Oliver Wilkinson 
Showed one of, if not the most polished swing at the event. Oozes confidence in the box with a real hitterish look. Sets up tall within a wide base. Hits against a firm front-side to allow the barrel to whip thru the zone; tremendous length out-front. Shows above average bat speed for this stage while reaching a peak exit velocity of 95 mph. Ran a 6.89; strong trends there. Hit/power/speed upside. Primary 2B who has the athleticism to play the OF as well. Bat carries the profile for now. Reminds me of Super 60 alum & Virginia signee, Isaac VanderWoude, from the 2024 class. 

#8 OF Caleb Smith
Continues to reaffirm himself as one of the top hitters in the class with each look. Wiry, 5-foot-10, 155-pound frame with improved run tool; 7.02 runner at this stage which is a 0.5 second improvement from the fall. If I needed a hitter from this event to go make contact against a 95 mph fastball right now, Smith would be one of my first choices. Short/quick/repeatable stroke with innate barrel flick & ability to shrink the front arm and adjust. Real quickness to the hands; above average bat speed & flashed better. Impacts peaked at 95 mph off the bat. Also showed arm strength to the tune of 85 from the OF and 84 on the mound. Hit-tool grades as one of the highest in the class. Arm/run have a chance to be tools down the round w/ strong foundation now. If the run tool continues to trend has CF potential. 

#9 LHP Royal Durham
T10 in our initial rankings with one of the highest floors in the class amongst arms we've identified. Athletic, 6-foot-3, 175-pound frame projects nicely down the road with above average athleticism present as he turned in a 7.1 60-yard dash. Athletic lift before getting down the mound to gain big extension with a slight cross-body stride. Loose full-circle arm action speeds to the front. Spins the fastball at 2300+ for 81-83 velo. Spin, extension, and 20" of IVB average should play the fastball higher as it provides a heavy look for low-80s at this stage. Kills spin on a straight change at 72-75; shapes a big mid-60s CB with sweep and some depth. 

#10 INF/RHP Fletcher East
One of the biggest winners of the event in our first look. 6-foot, 160-pound frame projects very well. High-waisted with a young look to the face. Chance to grow & could end up physical if projections go the way I think they can. Starts in a relaxed, taller stance with rhythm in the handset. Loose, later takeaway w/ some timing inconsistencies; when synced the load flowed seamless into launch for an on-plane stroke that worked with length out-front. Exits reached 94-plus, if the body trends the way I think it can there is power potential down the road. Also looked the part on the bump. Short, repeatable lift with later hand break as the arm flips up on time. Solid foundational arm action. Slight supination at release led to multiple fastball profiles. 82-83 2200+ FB. Spun a CB w/ big two-plane depth in the upper-60s; 2200+ average. Killed spin on an upper-70s change. 3 usable shapes that he controlled. True two-way follow. 

Winners

Notes on breakout performers who turned heads with improvements since our last look, or loud showings at their first Prep Baseball event. All players on the impact list, and more, will be featured in our pitcher/hitter notebooks in the days' to come...

+ SS Cayden Adley
Energetic prospect who continues to elevate his toolset with familiar skill that he showed through early evaluations. 6.75 60-yard dash to begin the day foreshadowed an excellent all-around showing. Also led the event with a 1.55 10-yard split to show real burst. Hits from crouched with a higher handset that he turns tight and direct. Line drive contact prevalent; 94.7 mph peak exit. Real chance to hit with strong foundations to the swing. Nothing flashy about his work on the dirt, but the actions were crisp. Foot quickness appears on the dirt, presents hands out front with a quick transfer and above average arm. Feels like a lock to stay in the middle of the dirt, time will tell which side. Undersized with muscle compacted into a 5-foot-8, 165-pound frame. 

+ SS Ben Berwanger
Looking the part of yet another exciting up-and-coming Lake Central product, Berwanger stood out with the bat most. It is a simple swing that he repeats well, lifting the front leg for a short hover before flicking with loose-wrists out-front. Impacts don't jump, peaking at 89.4, but he accurately caught the ball out front for repeated barrels to his pull-side gap. Sound actions on the dirt, up to 83 across, with a chance to stick on the dirt long-term. 7.22 runner. Metrics likely take a jump as he matures further into his wiry, 5-foot-10, 155-pound frame. 

+ RHP Hudson Walker
One of the best movers at the event. The operation reminded me of Griffin Tobias in some ways at the same stage. Silky pace throughout as he coils into an inward turn with a slight cross-body stride. Gets down the mound very well to gain extension. Loose/clean arm stroke. Pitched at 82 with 22-2400 fastball spin and 18+ inches of carry on average from 5-foot-1 release. Breaking ball looks like a future wipeout SL; 68-70 for now with 26-2700 spin and sharp action. Also controlled a mid-70s straight CH. Young look to the 5-foot-10, 160-pound frame. How the body trends will ultimately determine how high the ceiling goes, but the movement patterns, arm action, control, and ability to spin the baseball are all highly-valued.

+ SS Legion Gargett
The impact twitch and premier athleticism Gargett showed was reminiscent of where his older brother Kyuss, who is now playing at TCU, was at the age. Legion tied for an event-best 6.67 60-yard dash to show a similiar profile to Kyuss, and his 6-foot, 155-pound frame is very similiar as well. The baseball actions all-around are raw to this stage. He is handsy from both the left and right sides of the plate with a more contact-oriented feel. He rotates well, with quick hands, but lacks bat speed at this stage that will come as he adds more strength to his frame. Defensively, the feet carry him on the infield, but he is the type of athlete that feels like a lock to stay in the middle. The arm is average, maybe slightly above. In total, I value this for the impact that the feet provide, along with the switch-hitting profile, and he has a chance to polish into a premier middle in the class. 

+ C Cooper Smock
Smock has made outstanding strides in his development over the offseason and looked the part of the top catcher in attendance. The batting practice round was crisp as he repeated a quick right-handed stroke again & again. Rotates very well. Quick hands. Exits up to 91.1. Turned in the top throwing metrics amongst catchers; 75 from the crouch and 2.00-2.08 pops. 5-foot-9, 160-pounder. Quality follow. 

+ 3B Nolan Wright
Wright stood out in a major fashion with a physical-look to his 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame. Getting to a consistent launch position, Wright uncorked well above-average bat speed consistently while looking the part of a run-producer. His exit velocities peaked at 96 and his 88.4 mph average was good for a top 5 mark at the entire event. He is an above average thrower, as well, reaching into the low-80s across the diamond and on the bump. There is some length to the turn to monitor, but he looks the part of a run-producer at this stage and he brought one of the more-polished hit tools amongst a strong crop of corner bats at this event. 

+ INF Gideon Snavely
Snavely's toolset has made immense strides since last summer and across the board his metrics were strong. The body is immature at present, which is not a knock and speaks to what is left in the tank. It appears there is growth to still be had in a young-looking, 5-foot-11, 160-pound frame. He burned a 7.18 60-yard dash before showing vast improvements in bat strength during BP. He sets up with a pre-coiled back leg and loads around the back hip as he operates within a tight space. Uncoiling with quick hands, Snavely turned in a 95 mph peak exit with length out-front that should help him hit for power down the road. On the infield, he showed sound actions with above average arm strength. 

+ OF Braxton Kellermeier
Super intriguing follow out of Avon with a premier athletic LHH profile. 6-foot, 155-pound frame looks the part with future growth to be had. Athletic stance w/ short/controlled stride. On-plane with length out-front; some length to monitor. Showed above average bat speed while his best ball left the bat at 92 mph. Turned in a 6.93 60; average arm from the OF. 

+ OF Chase Blanchard
The strides in development were substantial for Blanchard who looked like a different player compared to his showing at the Underclass Games last summer. Toe taps out of a posted back leg with looser takeaway counterbalancing the move forward. Loose, level swing path that flashed impact bat speed from the left-side. Exit reached 89.5; averaged 95% of his max exit to speak to the barrel feel. 7.18 runner with average arm strength. Still an immature look at 5-foot-9, 140-pounds, but the left-handed bat and the barrel feel that comes with it provides present value with safe projections as the frame matures. 

+ 3B Christian Wessel
Showed one of the more polished present day hit tools' at the event, and did it from both sides. Stocky strong at 6-foot, 190-pounds. Controlled lower half while hitting out of a strong base. Short/direct swing played with barrel feel and strength for 94-plus exits at peak. Showed above average arm strength. It is a corner profile that hinders the ceiling a bit, but the hit tool has a real chance and he gets into his power easily while the ability to do it from both sides elevates the floor. 

+ 3B/RHP Micah Kendall
One of the loudest showings at the event with the bat. Dominated the batted ball metrics; 101.5 peak exit (2nd), 94.6 average exit (1st), 365 foot max distance (1st), 81.9 mph peak bat speed (1st), 77.3 mph avg bat speed (2nd), and 26.8 rotational acceleration (1st). Reminds me of Penn standout Will Barnes at the age. Barrel-chested, 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame likely shifts to 1B down the road. Corner profile & lack of projection hinders the ceiling, but the bat strength is easily top-of-the class level right now. Also has upside on the mound as a right-handed arm; reached 83 on the bump.

+ LHP Ben Zartman
My favorite "light-but-right" arm at the event. Showed awesome gains since the fall. As projectable of a frame as any at the event standing at 6-foot-2, 165-pounds with long levers. Athletic delivery with polish to come, got down the mound at an above average clip. Strength gains will pay dividends. Shorter/clean arm circle with some present quickness to an over-the-top slot. Some cutting properties to a fastball that played in the upper-70s (T79). Shaped two different breaking balls well, while also executing an upper-60s change. With four distinct pitches that he controlled and athleticism in a frame that will only contiue to pack on strength, look for Zartman as a sleeper favorite to make big jumps up our board at some point in the next couple years.