Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

The Scoop: Indiana Senior Scout Blog

April 8, 2026
Cooper Trinkle
Scouting Director

Throughout the spring, this blog will house all information on draft hopefuls on the prep side in Indiana. To find our latest rankings board for this group, click this link. 

Senior Scout Blog

Sean Dunlap C / OF / Crown Point, IN / 2026

+ From (3/25/26) - I caught Dunlap on night one of scrimmage play and ended up getting 4 plate appearances plus looks behind the dish and in center. The way he fills out a uniform is as impressive as any Indiana prep I've seen. He is equally lean and muscular at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds. He uses a shorter hand load with an athletic hovering stride and gets off plus bat speed consistently. The intent is aggressive, and there is clear intent to drive the baseball. He made good swing decisions in this look, but the decisions erred towards swing over taking borderline strikes as he hunted early in counts. He doubled in my look on a GB down the LF line, scolded a liner straight to the CF (vs 90+ mph FB), chopped a GB for a 1-3 putout, and got HBP. He turned in a 4.3 on the groundout and pulled up a touch at the end. I have him as a 60 runner in total from my follows; has been a 6.50 in the 60 and I've gotten several 4.2s in the past. There is 60 raw to go with it, and a chance for even more down the road, with the hit tool being the tool I am monitoring most on the offensive side this spring - though he's had no problem with velocity in his at-bats in this look and at Procase. Defensively, I have 60 raw arm strength from the crouch and he easily went 1.9s b/w innings in this look. The hands have been fringy at times in the past, but I saw a clear advancement in his ability to frame borderline strikes in this look. I have him as a Day 1 talent. 18.3 at draft. Tennessee recruit. 

Gannon Grant RHP / Center Grove, IN / 2026

+ From (3/30/26) - After providing the most impressive look I've ever gotten on a Indiana prep in our Preseason Procase, Grant's first in-game look left a weird taste. He was battling a toe injury that caused him to exit after just 30 pitches, and it was clear that he was not at 100%. He averaged 96 (T 98) on the fastball at Procase over the course of 45 pitches, but sat mostly 93-94 in this look with a couple of 96s at his best. There was slight carry to the fastball that spun in the 2400s. I have the slider as a 60; was 81-83 in this look, spun north of 3000 at times, and he swept it at 18 inches. The injury hurt his velocity and control in this look as he walked three in his quick stint. An athletic, 6-foot-2, 185-pounder; I still think there is Day 1 upside with Grant that will show as he gets back to 100%. The competitiveness he has is off-the-charts, and that in combination with at least abv avg control and two above average to better secondaries is what I value. The knock is the fastball shape and lackluster extension, though I think that gets mitigated if he can get back into the velocities he showed at Procase. The injury will cause him to miss at least one start. 19.4 at draft. Tennessee recruit. 

Dylan Bowen SS / Hanover Central, IN / 2026

+ From (4/3/26) - I came away extremely impressed with Bowen after my first look, a look that included three at-bats against premier velocity. His 1-for-5 statline does not tell the full story; was all over a 93 mph FB for a loud L7 and also worked a 10-pitch AB vs. Swank that ended with a well-struck L8. In total, he was on-barrel in 3/5 trips. There is a noticeable difference in his handset this spring, starting the hands lower as the familiar climb launches closer to the back shoulder than last summer when he would launch from above his back ear. The more-connected swing seems to have brought a more on-plane barrel. The feet are his best tool; a 60-65 runner who got down the line in 4.1 in my look. There is twitchy strength in his 5-foot-11, 185-pound frame and I think there is 50 power projections at full maturity - though the raw is fringy at best presently. He showed impressive body control and soft hands during I/O. He flashed a 50-55 arm and it is playable and accurate from multiple slots. I think he can stay at short at the pro level, and at worst he is an above average second baseman. Aside from the run, the tools are all average-ish, but the in-game skill, competitiveness, and athleticism is what I value. After this look, I think there is a chance Bowen could climb into the late Day 1 range by July, though he will be knocked as an older-for-class RHH. 19.5 at draft. Oklahoma State recruit. 

Hudson DeVaughan RHP / Mooresville, IN / 2026

+ From (4/7/26) - The opening look on DeVaughan was about as impressive as it could've been and his first two stints have big buzz surrounding him currently. He struck out 9/9 in his scrimmage stint last week, and went 4 scoreless, hitless frames in my look with 11 punchies and 0 walks. An athletic, projectable, 6-foot-4, 200-pounder, DeVaughan has simplified the delivery and it appears the have paid dividends in control. He went 30/39 strikes in the scrimmage, and 41/52 in my look, including pounding the zone with 80-plus % fastball strikes. He poured the fastball over the plate for called strikes, swings-and-misses, and chases on 2S fastballs arm-side. The fastball sat 94-96 all night, he bottomed at 93 4x and reached 97 4x. There was a clear difference between the 2S and 4S properties, with the 4S working towards the higher end of his velocities and playing with ride and cut. The 2S had late arm-side life that was devastating at times, especially from the higher slot it came out of. I like what the breaking ball has become, a 78-82 mph, two-plane, 11/5 shaped offering that has some bite. He landed it for strikes in my look, and also brought out a cutter/slider hybrid at 86-87 that played with 5 inches of sweep on Trackman at the Super 60. The SL was used to get gloveside on LHHs, and he threw it once against a righty as an apparent chase pitch. He pulled out at least an average change in the fourth that was 84-86 and had some later tumble. I will be monitoring his stats closely - he has not yet faced a lineup that he cannot bully, but I at least walk away from this look impressed with the advancements in the control and his ability to easily hold mid-90s velocities. To this point in the spring, he's looked like a next-level starter with feel for 4 pitches and quality control. If he continues to show what I saw throughout the spring, he could easily climb into Day 1 consideration/value. 19.6 at draft. Alabama recruit. 

Caden Matusak SS / 2B / Crown Point, IN / 2026

+ From (3/25/26) - I saw Matusak for 3 at-bats and a quick stint on the bump to start the spring. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame is broad-shouldered, athletic, and still holds immense projections - I think he will add at least 20 pounds of strength before it is all said and done. The arm is the best tool here; I have it as at least a 55 and at times it'll show an easy 60. He's shown 50 raw power but it plays more fringy-or-below at the moment, with more groundball contact prevelant in games - but there are flashes of at least above average bat speed and I think he has a chance to have plus raw at some point. He went 4.4 on groundout in this look, but I have the run graded at a 50 as of now, and think he has a chance to be a 55+ runner at full maturity. The hit tool is the tool under the microscope this spring; showed noticeable mechanical adjustments coming out of the winter. I saw a 1-for-3 night with his one hit coming against 90+. He made routine look routine at short in game, but there were some footwork mistakes in I/O. He has a chance to stick at short, though I am not certain there, but I do think he can stay on the dirt at the pro level depending on how the body trends. He is nearly as interesting on the mound with a raw-but-athletic look and tons of room for improvement; touched 92 in his stint with a heavy fastball, showed an upside change at 78-80, and spun an upside CB in the mid-70s. The athleticism and raw arm strength leaves 2-way upside if the bat does not advance. 18.3 at draft. Michigan recruit. 

Rob Czarniecki OF / Chesterton, IN / 2026

+ From (4/3/26) - I got a handful of at-bats on Czarniecki at our Prep Baseball x Bullpen Indiana series this past weekend. A physical, athletic, 6-foot-1, 200-pounder, Czarniecki finally appears healthy after dealing with a nagging hamstring injury for nearly all of 2025. The run times are back where they were prior to injury and I got a 60 run time in game, and he got into plus footspeed underway on a triple. In total, I saw him go 3-for-6 in game with a backside triple, infield single, and top-spun single into LF. He pushed the LF back on a deep L7, skied an infield pop, and struck out once. The swing is simple with plenty of strength at impact, and his misses came from steeper attacks when he let the ball get deep into the hitting zone. He flashed strength with a long pull-side HR that was called foul by inches. He has 60 speed, but the rest of tools are more average-ish. I think his value could skyrocket with success once he gets to campus, but the floor is high with a true CF profile and hit/power upside. His swing decisions are outstanding, and he has real aptitude/maturity to bet on. 19.1 at draft. Kentucky recruit. 

Sammy Swank RHP / McCutcheon, IN / 2026

+ From (4/3/26) - Swank's first outing was a solid one as he turned in two scoreless frames before weather cancelled the rest of the outing. There was noticeable strength packed onto his 6-foot-4, 215-pound durable, strong frame this winter. He lifts to a taller, slight inward turn before working down the slope in a closed fashion, and using later intent to rotate into a closed land. It is a 1-piece arm action powered by arm strength; worked the FB at 92-94 and up to 95 with more-straight shape to the extension side and some bore when it played to the top of the zone arm-side. He went to the fastball most, but flashed a sharp cutter at 88-91 that served as his best secondary in this look. He showed a fringy slider at 78-81 and flashed at least an average change at 85-86. The overall control was at least average, as well. I am not sure that there is a true bat-misser in the arsenal, but the floor is set high with 4 controlled shapes. 18.9 at draft. Kentucky recruit. 

Ian Taylor OF / St Theodore Guerin High School, IN / 2026

+ From (4/4/26) - Taylor is getting some buzz after performing well in preseason pro workouts and continued to grab helium in the first week of the spring with 3 homers already. He is a stocky, athletic, 5-foot-9, 185-pounder with plenty of twitch. I caught 2 of his 3 opening week homers, and though he was not facing premier velocity, he was all over the barrel with damaging intent on balls over the white. Both homers sailed well-over the LF wall as he has unsuspecting above average raw power. He has above average arm strength, as well, along with at least a 50 run tool. The swing is powered by immense bat speed and rotational capabilities and he turns connected and on-plane with fast hands. Emerging as a helium candidate already, Taylor could continue to gain buzz in the pro community if he continues to produce, and there are intriguing tools across the board that could help him mitigate an undersized R/R tag. 19 at draft. George Mason recruit. 

Logan Johnston RHP / Crown Point, IN / 2026

+ From (3/25/26) - I caught Johnston in a quick stint on scrimmage night and also at our Preseason Procase. He is 6-foot-6 with thinner-hips and some width in the shoulders; tons of room for future strength though he is athletic for the frame. He pitches at 87-89 presently with a lively sinking fastball that got up to 91 in both of my looks; plays even higher with plus extension. His 79-81 CH is his go-to secondary, a quality offering that has a chance to be a weapon down the road. It is definitely a CH over spin with the heavy pronating nature of the arm stroke; spun a gyro-slider at 75-77 and a soft sweeping curveball in the low-70s. I think his path to the most draft money is through college, but an org that believes in their PD could get bullish on the projection and abv avg control. 19 at draft. Indiana recruit.  

Gavin Lykins RHP / Plainfield High School, IN / 2026

+ From (4/3/26) - Though loud, Lykins first outing was lackluster as he struggled with control and was chased in the second inning with 4 earned runs. It is a prototypical pro frame at 6-foot-5, 215-pounds with projection remaining. The delivery is more of a step-and-throw type as he uses advanced arm strength to power a 91-94 fastball that worked up to 96 in this look. His best secondary was a diving mid-80s splitter, and he flashed a developing breaking ball at 79-82. The control has to improve, but the raw stuff and projectable frame hold some value. 18.11 at draft. South Florida recruit.