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Quick Hits : Great Lakes Preseason ID

February 27, 2025
Cooper Trinkle
Indiana Scouting Director

Our staff made the trip to the Great Lakes Sports Hub in Crown Point, Indiana on Sunday, February 23rd to see some of the top players from the region showcase their talents in front of our staff at the Great Lakes Preseason ID. 

Over 80 players from the northwest part of the state participated in this event, and it was our most talented ID to date with several players making big impressions. 

Find event winners, quick hits, and follows below. Find the event stats, here. 

Event Winners

Tanner Post LHP / ILLIANA CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL, IN / 2026

Rankings  StateRank: 56 / POS: 6

+ Post had a big offseason performance at this event and established himself as a name to know uncommitted lefty in the 2026 class. It is a big frame at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds and he is athletic for his size. I've seen him in the zone often throughout his career, and he did much of the same at this event, but with a much firmer arsenal. Post pitched at 86-89 with a fastball that flashed some carry and played with big extension & a steep vertical approach angle from a high OTT look. He commanded a mid-to-upper 70s change that plays with late fade - this pitch is usable and a pitch he goes to often in-game. He spun his breaking ball at 77-82 with some ability to manipulate shape and tighter spin. Post is super young for the class with a chance to tick even further once basketball season ends and he shifts full focus to baseball. Area RC's should be booking trips to Illiana this spring to see this uncommitted southpaw. 

Lucas Haas RHP / Valparaiso, IN / 2027

Rankings  StateRank: 29 / POS: 12

+ Huge upside here - an arm I have followed for a while and he did not disappoint in his first Prep Baseball event. He's long-limbed and wiry standing at all of 6-foot-3 and 170 pounds. Its a loose, athletic mover that really gets down the mound and the delivery & arm action are clean as a whistle. His fastball played at 85-87 and he paired it with a looser sweeper at 73-75. There is upside for the slider to develop into a swing-and-miss pitch given the shape. He flashed a couple real changeups in the upper-70s that played with big fade. He controlled his pitches at an above average clip with below-moderate effort. There is starters' upside here and it is easy to dream on the arsenal to firm up even further as he adds strength. Haas is a name-to-know for August 1 of this year. 

Paxton Lukac OF / RHP / Andrean, IN / 2027

+ Lukac appears to be a big breakout candidate for Andrean after a huge performance at this event. He's lean and athletic at 6-foot, 170 pounds. He can really run, evident in the 6.68 60 he burned to begin the day, and his 27.1" vertical leap was also an event best. He creates tons of bat speed with a loose, whippy swing and he looks to leverage with pull-side intent. His rotational scores were really solid, as well, and helped him reach a 98.8 peak exit. He was up to 86 from the outfield and he has a fast arm. There is a lot to like here and Lukac will be a close follow for our staff in the spring.

Troy Barrett LHP / Chesterton Senior High School, IN / 2026

Rankings  StateRank: 47 / POS: 5

+ Athletic, 5-foot-9, 160 pounder. The fastball plays at 84-86 and he can manipulate it with carry or run. The breaking ball spins in the 2400s with 2/8 shape in the mid-70s, and he commands a 75-77 changeup. The delivery is equally balanced and athletic and he remains in-line with quiet eyes throughout. The pitchability here is some of the best in the class and the stuff is ticking up to go along with a winning track record. His ability to pitch backwards plays the velo up, as well. The size and lack of premier velo may cause some hesitation from recruiters, but whoever believes in Barrett enough to give him an opportunity will get an uber-competitive strike-thrower with the moxie to throw any pitch in any count. 

Bradley Farris C / RHP / Morgan Township, IN / 2025

Rankings  StateRank: 97 / POS: 7

+ One of the top ranked seniors still left on the board, Farris showcased his usual higher-end arm talent at this event and has real two-way upside at the next level. I like it best on the mound, where the stocky, 5-foot-11, 200 pounder shows feel for a strong two-pitch mix. He is newer to the mound, a primary catcher for most of his high school career, allowing for upside as he focuses more on his pitching development. He moves from an athletic, stretch-only delivery with a clean, quick arm that can hold more jumps. His fastball worked at 87-89 with ride (17.4" IVB) and he paired it with a sharp sweeper that worked in the mid-to-upper 70s. He is able to add/subtract with spin, getting big sweep when he softens up on it, and its a bit sharper when thrown firmer. He averaged 2400-plus on the breaking ball and it has swing-and-miss upside. On the offensive side, there is some present raw power at the dish with exits reaching over 98 mph. It is a heavy forward move with an ambush-type approach and uphill path. His best trait as a position player is his catch-and-throw abilities behind the dish. He reached 83 from the crouch with pops as low as 1.95 - one of the best catch-and-throw guys in the senior class. He showed sound receiving abilities in bullpens with sure hands and some athleticism in the crouch. 

Nate Southwell OF / 1B / Munster, IN / 2026

Rankings  StateRank: 113 / POS: 22

+ Southwell is a good LHH follow out of the region-area. There is some physicality and present strength to the 6-foot, 185 pound frame that produced exits over 101 mph, and he repeated the operation with an average exit over 97 mph throughout his BP round. The swing starts from a taller setup, and he uses an athletic move into the baseball as his hands remain in a deep, loaded position. He turns the barrel on-plane early in the hitting zone and is able to create length through the front of the zone. His toolset continues to elevate as he turned in an 86 mph OF arm and 7.02 60-yard dash. The bat is the best tool here. Southwell posted big numbers as a sophomore at Munster and appears to be primed for another big spring. 

Ethan Glassman SS / RHP / Chesterton, IN / 2026

Rankings  StateRank: 167 / POS: 24

+ Glassman is an interesting 2026 prospect that made big jumps at this event compared to what he did a year ago at the same event. I like him a touch ahead on the mound to this point, it is a projectable, 6-foot-3, 205 pounder with a clean arm on the backside. The delivery is athletic and balanced, and he pitched at 85-86 on the fastball with below-moderate intent. The fastball was his best controlled pitch and he also showed an upside breaking ball at 69-72 that shows slurvey shape and likely sharpens as he learns to throw it firmer. He rounded out his mix with a 73-75 mph straight change. Offensively he profiles best at 3B, with above average lateral quickness and some straight-line speed to pair (7.09 60). There is bat speed in a simple, rotational stroke with an exit that reached 97 mph. Glassman is an interesting follow, especially on the bump, and I wouldn't be surprised to see velos reaching into the upper-80s and beyond in 2025. 

Quick Hits

+ Two more junior arms stood out at this event in '26 LHP Louis Gage (Andrean) and '26 RHP Joey Kirk (LaPorte). Gage is younger for the grade with an immature looking, 6-foot-4, 185 pound frame. There is all-kinds of upside, beginning with a clean, lower intent delivery followed by an arm that works uninterrupted on a shorter path, getting to a 3/4 slot at release. His fastball sat 83-85 with slight arm-side run and he showed feel for spin. He showed two breaking balls, a 72-73 slider that spun in 2200s with bigger sweep, and a big curveball that he showed feel to land at 66-67. His upper-70s change is still developing to this point. There is real upside in this region-area lefty, another close follow for our staff on this intriguing 2025 Andrean squad. 

- Kirk is another upside junior arm with a projectable, 6-foot-3, 190 lb frame. He stood out on the offensive side with upside as a left-handed hitting infielder, though I am most bullish on him as an arm. The fastball is his best pitch, playing with ride and run (18" IVB, 14.4" ASR) at 84-86. The fastball should get swing and miss and he showed feel to sink a 75-77 mph change. His breaking ball spun at 68-70 mph and showed two-plane shape, though it was inconsistent in this look. There is rawness to the athletic delivery but I like the arm action and fastball properties. 

+ Three 2026 position players also impressed and are as followed : '26 MIF Jet Dutton (Andrean) burned a 6.89 60-yard dash with acceleration out the gate to the tune of a 1.60 10-yard split. Offensively, he shows a quick, accurate, handsy stroke that reached exit at 95-plus. His foot quickness plays in the middle of the diamond with sure hands and an 83 mph arm across. '26 C Grant McFarden (Valparaiso) showed an above average toolset, as well. Standing at 6-foot, 190 with a wiry, athletic look, McFarden's 6.97 60-yard dash is a really solid time for the position and he backed that with an exit velocity reaching over 97. The swing is rotational and he shows fast hands that deliver the barrel on a level swing plane. '26 INF Zach Scharnke (Lowell) rounds out this group. Stocky with some athleticism in a 6-foot, 200 pound frame, Scharnke setup in a tall, narrow stance with a smooth tip to trigger and his fast hands deliver an on-plane barrel with strength. His exits reached over 96 mph. On the dirt, Scharnke has the feet and arm to man all three infield spots at the high school level, with body/athleticsm trends like determining his best future position. 

+ Two more 2027 prospects emerged in '27 RHP Nolan Glowski (Valparaiso) and '27 C Caden Hackett (Chesterton). Glowski is a 5-foot-10, 165 pounder with some projection still left in a leaner frame. His stuff is solid for the age already, pitching at 84-86 mph with his fastball and showing a potential swing-and-miss breaking ball that played with two-plane shape and spun over 2400 on average at 72-75. He showed a 78-82 change that is still in the developing stages. The arm stands out most here, it is a full circle, fast arm that released from a high 3/4 slot. The delivery is up-tempo and aggressive, a bit out of control at times, leading to sporadic command. 

- Hackett is a backstop we've seen a good amount of after getting everyday time for sectional champions Chesterton as a freshman. The athleticism has trended nicely, as he turned in a 7.04 60-yard dash at this event with a more-athletic looking 6-foot, 180 lb frame. Offensively, the swing works with a faster pace and some rigidness to a high hand load. He strides closed and hits behind a firm front leg with an intentful swing. The swing plane works steep and direct, aimed to backspin balls at the front of the hitting zone. There is above average barrel strength with a peak exit at 97-plus. As a defender, Hackett showed average receiving skills with a 76 mph arm from the crouch and an above average transfer to pair. 

+ '28 RHP/OF Adorian Barber (Crown Point) was an intriguing freshman from this event. It is a massive, mature-looking, 6-foot-3, 220 pound frame - though he just recently turned 15 and is actually pretty young for the grad class. On the mound, Barber pitched at 80-83 with above average extension and threw fastball strikes at a 71% clip. The delivery is raw, but explosive, and he complimented a controlled fastball with developing feel for spin and a low-70s splitter that was his best secondary in this look. Offensively it is equally, if not more intriguing. The arm played up to 86 from the outfield and he took one of the loudest rounds of the day, averaging 94 mph off the bat and reaching a peak exit of over 100 mph, and hitting the furthest batted ball of the day per Trackman (367 feet). He averaged 75 mph bat speed (best of the day) with an explosive, pull-heavy, right-handed stroke. Barber is a follow in the freshman class with loud tools and freakish strength for the age. 

More Notable Follows

*Listed in alphabetical order*

- Spencer Bandstra, OF/LHP, 2026, Illiana Christian

- Jack Baumgardner, LHP, 2028, Valparaiso

- Logan Dilley, SS, 2026, Valparaiso

- Caden Duerr, OF, 2026, Andrean

- Khalin Figurski, 3B, 2026, Crown Point

- Sullivan Fleming, OF, 2027, Chesterton

- Arvee'A Ford, SS, 2026, Merrillville

- Landon Garrett, RHP, 2026, Kouts

- Ben Glass, OF, 2027, Valparaiso

- Trevor Goodwin, LHP, 2026, Merrillville

- Mason Gutmann, LHP/OF, 2026, Homestead

- Drew Horvath, RHP, 2027, Washington Township 

- John Knight, RHP, 2027, Chesterton

- Nick Melnick, OF, 2027, Crown Point

- Camden Rosmanitz, C, 2026, Andrean

- Jon Sitter, RHP/3B, 2026, Illiana Christian