Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

Preseason All-State: 2026 Stock Report

March 11, 2025
Cooper Trinkle
Scouting Director

While most of the post-event coverage of the Preseason All-State Upperclass generally focused on those uncommitted prospects that need exposure, we did have a handful of exceptionally talented committed players in attendance. To highlight those players, I have a quick breakdown, or stock report, of players ranked in the top 25 of Indiana's 2026 class that attended this event, with 2 more committed players outside of the top 25 highlighted after standout performances. 

Breakouts, uncommitted bats, and uncommitted arms from this event - all hyperlinked to the articles. 

Star Power in the Top 10

+ This class boasts six players ranked inside of our national top 100 - the most of any Indiana class in recent memory. The No. 1 in the class, Rob Czarniecki, is in the middle of hoops season and elected to keep his focus there - but the other five prospects were in attendance. The No. 1 lefty in the class, Mississippi State recruit Beckett Doane, showed off velocity gains with a more physical-looking frame. Doane pitched at 90-92 with devastating arm-side run & some carry at times, as well. The 6-foot-6, 220 pound premier frame likely has even more room to hold strength to make future mid-90s projections quite safe. The changeup is the best secondary at the moment working 82-84 with sink & sold with fastball arm speed. The slider worked at 82-84 with rolling action & is still a work in progress, the heater is the best pitch by far & likely the best in-game fastball in the class right now considering the velocity, movement, and abv avg feel that he has for it.

+ Doane is rivaled for the best in-game fastball by the No. 1 RHP in this class, Hudson Devaughan. The Alabama commit broke the Preseason All-State record with a 96.6 mph fastball max and he provided the best look I've gotten on him thus far at the PAS this year. The No. 1 Catcher, Sean Dunlap - a Tennessee recruit, also showed extremely well at this event. Both players were highlighted in our 'Fab Five' article, two of the best five performances of the entire weekend, which can be found at this link. 

+ The No. 1 ranked shortstop in the class, Oklahoma State recruit and Hanover Central product Dylan Bowen, only participated in batting practice on this day - but he still shined nonetheless. Bowen showed a super low ease of operation with balls still coming off the bat in the low-100s. The swing, mechanically, is pretty similiar to what I've seen of him in the past, but the hands do seem to be staying closer to the body throughout the loading process with a lower launch position than previously seen which should help him to get on-plane earlier. 

+ RHP Aiden Smith (Shelbyville) was another top 100 player nationally that was in attendance. The young-for-class, ultra-athletic, 6-foot-3, 180 pound Kentucky recruit showed off velo gains with the same positive, continous development trends we've seen of him dating back to his Rising Stars' days. Smith pitched at 91-93 with a riding fastball (2400s, 17" IVB avg, 19" max) & he can sink it in the low-90s too - while getting elite extenison to play the velos even higher. Smith showed a sweepy cuveball at 78-80, along with an 86-88 tight bullet slider, with a traditional sweeper in the bag that likely plays in the low-80s. He killed spin on his low-80s faded change that is also an above average pitch. For fun - Smith also turned a 6.87 60-yard dash with a 102-plus exit velocity to pair, speaking volumes to the athleticism. Aiden is a technician with an ultra-competitive spirit & has developed a 6-pitch mix with feel that will be fun to follow leading up to the 2026 draft. 

+ Another RHP & Future Games alum that continues to gain helium as a '26 prep draft prospect is Tennessee recruit Gannon Grant, currently the No. 101 player nationally in the '26 class. The uber-confident P/SS offers an up-tempo delivery with athletic arm action and in my opinion - the best overall stuff in the class. The 6-foot-2, 185 pounder pitched at 91-93 with arm-side life on the heater. The fastball sets the tunnel for two future plus secondaries. The changeup is a fringe plus pitch at the moment, playing at 77-79 with devasting late fade & sold with fastball arm-speed. The future wipeout breaking ball plays with big sweep, some depth, and sharp, late break at 77-79 - spinning in the 2700s on average and into the 2800s at his peak. The breaking ball is a future plus, especially if it continues to firm. Gannon showed off his two-way abilities at the dish with an uphill barrel that produced exits up to 99.7 mph.  

+ Aiden Reynolds is the No. 1 ranked 3B in the class and one of my favorite hitters to come through in my time with Prep Baseball. Point blank - Aiden can flat out hit. He steps to the dish with unwavering confidence and turns the barrel tight off the back shoulder with present bat speed. He is accurate with his on-plane barrel that produced exits over 100 mph and he averaged 93-plus throughout with backspun bullets from g2g. He is trending in the right direction as an athlete with explosive traits in the 6-foot-1, 195 pound frame. He turned in a 6.78 60-yard dash with an 89 mph arm across the diamond. 

+ '26 RHP Kobe Cherry is the lone uncommitted player in the top ten, & was highlighted amongst the top uncommitted arms at the event. His writeup from this event is as follows: "Cherry is newly-released from injury and our look at him at the Preseason All-State came shortly after getting back on the mound after knee surgery. Cherry is a powerful, 6-foot-5, 270 pound righty armed with an 89-92 mph fastball that likely climbs even further as he gets back to full strength. He spun a slurvey-shaped, 78-80 mph breaking ball that spun in the 23-2400 range to tunnel off of the fastball, while also showing a low-to-mid 80s straight change. The delivery was a bit out of sync in this look, to be expected with him throwing so close to his release date, but the arm works in the same long, explosive, full arm action we saw previously. Cherry will be a close follow this spring, & I'm betting on the hard-nosed, athlete as he returns..."

The Rest of the Top 25

+ In total, 18 of our top 25 players in the class were in attendance at the All-State. Matthew Cook and Lannon Nicoloff, a pair of former Future Gamers, showed big jumps and are highlighted amongst the top ten breakout performers of the event, which can be found here. CF Dez Francis, a breakout at the Future Games last July, continues to trend in the right direction & is one of - if not the best - athlete in the class. The 5-foot-10, 175 pound Notre Dame recruit is dynamic with speed/power potential becoming more & more evident with each look. He burned a 6.48 60-yard dash, with a 30" vert to pair, and his short, impactful, uphill barrel was accurate with exits reaching near 102 mph. 

+ RHP Jaxon Lueken (Forest Park) tossed a very well-executed bullpen in the midst of basketball season. An Indiana recruit that holds premier athleticism in a wiry, projectable, 6-foot-3, 180 pound frame - Lueken didn't quite reach the 92 mph mark we saw of him at LakePoint last July, but it was still 89.5 - 90 mph throughout with tons of strikes. His tight, upper-70s slider plays with sharp sweep and is a swing-and-miss offering that continues to trend in the right direction. The changeup has developed nicely over the last 12 months, now at least an above average pitch playing in the low-80s with sink. 

+ Another arm headed to Bloomington in the 2026 class, RHP Logan Johnston, was in attendance. Currently the No. 18 overall player in the class, the Crown Point native pitched in the mid-80s (up to 87) with a swing-and-miss changeup highlighting the arsenal. The fastball is still light for now, but is played up by elite extension (7-foot-5 average) & he gets run to his arm-side on the heater. The heater sets the tunnel for the 75-77 changeup sold with fastball arm-speed with devasting late fade. His 71-73 slider plays with 14" of sweep and is trending in the right direction. The arm is loose and whippy with big upside in the frame & his best days ahead. 

+ A Southern Indiana SS that I am high on, currently ranked as the No. 2 SS in the class, is Western Kentucky recruit Peyton Gray. Gray is a 6-foot-3, 195 pound throwback, three-sport athlete with significant upside. His actions are very natural & he can really catch the baseball on the infield with big arm talent to pair - reaching 92 across the diamond at this event from a playable transfer. Gray turned in a 6.89 60-yard dash in the midst of hoops season while showing a short, simple, repeatable, right-handed swing with exits currently at 98-plus & power potential looming. Gray also teased with an upside look on the mound that provides real two-way upside at the next level. He pitched at 87-89 with feel for a three-pitch mix, highlighted by a tightly-spun (2400+), upper-70s slider. 

+ Another pair of former Future Gamers to highlight are SS Beckett Suh and LHP Ryan Murphy. Suh was one of the biggest winners from Team Indiana last July and committed to Tulane shortly after August 1st. Suh showed his usual barrel feel from both sides of the dish with exits over 98 mph. The left-handed swing is pure with present abv avg g2g and pull-side power, while the right-handed swing is short & adjustable. He is a reliable defender on the dirt with an 87 mph arm shown across. Left-handed arms that can spin the baseball are at a premium, which is why I am so bullish on Creighton recruit Ryan Murphy. A showcase doesn't do the 6-foot, 170 pounder justice - aside from the innate ability to spin the baseball, his best trait is his ability to keep hitters off balance with solid command present. His fastball plays into the mid-80s with solid extension & ride/run properties. He can manipulate spin - showing two distinct breaking balls. His 68-70 mph curveball is his best pitching currently, spinning in the 2600s with big two-plane shape and feel to land. The mid-70s slider plays with sharp sweep and he can get it to the back-foot of RHHs. Murphy rounds out a starters' mix with prisine feel to sell a 76-77 change. 

+ C Reed Robinson is our No. 24 ranked player and an uncommitted bat that was a winner at this event. Robinson is one of the classes' best in-game hitters and was highlighted amongst the uncommitted bats, which can be found here. To round out this group, SS Trent Gill, an Indiana recruit & the current No. 25 ranked player in the state, was in attendance and showed best during batting practice. The wiry, 6-foot-1, 175 pounder posted a 100 mph exit with a short right-handed swing with some pull-side power showing. Gill showed fringe average arm strength across the diamond, up to 84 mph. 

+ Two more committed players worth noting who fall just outside of our top 25 currently are 2B Ryan Castetter (University) and 3B Aidan Creasbaum (Hanover Central). Castetter is a Pepperdine recruit who posted solid numbers in all facets. The 6-foot, 185 pounder shows fringe average actions on the dirt that are elevated by his best tool - his arm. Castetter was 92 across the diamond & has more than enough arm strength to turn the double play. He ran a 6.83 60-yard dash before showing a well-paced, well-connected, right-handed stroke with exits reaching 99 mph. Creasbaum is another infielder with present tools that performed. He is more athletic than his strong, stocky, 6-foot, 210 pound frame suggests. The best tool for the Valparaiso commit is his right-handed bat. He took an intentful round of batting practice with present pull-side power shown in an upward stroke with bat speed behind it. His exits peaked at 102 mph, while averaging 95-plus. Creasbaum rounds out a well-rounded toolset with a 90 mph arm across & a 6.87 60-yard dash, with the actions, lateral quickness, and arm strength to stick at 3B at the next level.