Top 10 Stories of 2025: #2 - 2025 Fall State Games

Inching closer to the end of our Top 10 Stories of 2025, we land at No. 2 with one of the most impactful additions to the Prep Baseball KY schedule: the inaugural 2025 Fall State Games. Our first showcase held at Kentucky Proud Park, this three-day event put an amazing stamp on the end of the summer showcase circuit and delivered a high-level stage where the Commonwealth’s top prospects could compete. From the opening workout on Friday night through two full days of gameplay, the Fall State Games exceeded expectations and immediately established themselves as a must-see event moving forward!

The event opened with the traditional workout portion, and it didn’t take long for the numbers to start jumping off the page. The 60-yard dash kicked things off strong, as 2028 Remy Brown turned in a blazing 6.40 s time, the fastest time posted of any class in Kentucky all summer long. He was followed closely by 2026 Brooks Hendrix at 6.58 s and 2027 Hayden Brock at 6.68 s, setting an early tone for the talent in attendance. Across the infield, 2026 Kaden Dickhaut (Thomas More) and 2027 Ari Wells topped the leaderboard with 87 mph infield velocities, while 2026 Cole McLean (Kentucky) led the outfielders with a 92 mph showing. Behind the plate, sophomore standouts 2028 Tyler Vander Plaats and 2028 Alex Hood each popped 1.96 s throws, with Vander Plaats also leading catcher velocity at 77 mph. After the defensive portion, Kentucky Proud Park gave us a true Bluegrass sunset and it was time for batting practice under the lights. Working through 96 hitters and hundreds of barrels, the offensive ceiling in the Commonwealth was on full display. 2026 Noah Spalding (Louisville) put together one of the loudest BP rounds of the entire year, leading the event in exit velocity (113.1 mph), distance (426 ft), and bat speed (89.9 mph). He was followed by 2027 Brilyn Hagan at 102.3 mph and 2026 Alex Elmadolar (Transylvania) at 101.8 mph on the exit velocity leaderboard. Power continued throughout the round, with 2027 Preston Jolly reaching a 385-foot distance while also recording a top-five exit velocity at 100.2 mph, and 2027 Tanner Ziegler following closely with a 379-foot distance while leading all hitters in hand speed at 32.1 mph. Additional metrics rounded out the night off the field, with 2027 Ari Wells (173.7 lbs) and 2027 Kannon Cook (169.7 lbs) topping grip strength leaderboard, and 2027 Peyton Layne (28.4 inches) and 2028 Kyle Novak (26.0 inches) leading the vertical jump category.

To check out the full event leaderboards, CLICK HERE

After a long Friday night, gameplay began bright and early Saturday morning. Early action featured several underclassmen making big statements. 2028 Jaxson White wasted no time, ripping an RBI triple in his first game on his way to a total of three extra-base hits on the weekend. 2028 Hayden Melton stood out in the other dugout as another premium left-handed bat, while 2027 Kannon Cook, 2026 Zach Swope (Rose-Hulman), and 2027 Brilyn Hagan found loud barrels and gap-to-gap power early on.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">‘27 Brilyn Hagan (<a href="https://twitter.com/BrilynHagan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrilynHagan</a>)<br><br>Lean &amp; Athletic body <br><br>Twitchy mover w/ sneaky power &amp; loose wrist in the box &amp; G2G ability <br><br>Hagan had a big day at the plate catching multiple barrels &amp; flashed good foot speed on the bases <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KYSG25?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KYSG25</a> || <a href="https://twitter.com/prepbaseball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@prepbaseball</a> <a href="https://t.co/iK2QjT28gn">pic.twitter.com/iK2QjT28gn</a></p>&mdash; Prep Baseball Kentucky (@PrepbaseballKY) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepbaseballKY/status/1954205334169370841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

On the mound, 2026 Braiden Beach (Gulf Coast State JC) delivered the best outing of the day, tossing a perfect 2.0 innings with five strikeouts while pounding the zone at a 75% strike rate. 2027 Eddie Davis followed with a polished look, running the fastball up to 88 mph while working a mature four-pitch mix. Two-way performances highlighted the versatility across the roster as well. 2026 Andrew Mayes crushed a line-drive homer to left before turning around and tossing a scoreless frame in the same inning, while 2028 Jaxson White flashed arm strength as well with an 84 mph FB from the left side. 2027 Ross Milburn wrapped up his summer with another strong bullpen showing, keeping hitters off balance with heavy movement from a nasty three-quarter slot.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Good look here at Team Kentucky Future Games standout ‘27 Eddie Davis. <br><br>Up tempo with intent from a 6’2” 183lbs high waisted frame.<br><br>Unfair when eye levels change and a must see 👀<br><br>FB 83-87 (grabbed an early 8)<br>SL 73-75<br>CH 80-81<br>CB 73-74 (flashed)<a href="https://twitter.com/PB_Uncommitted?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PB_Uncommitted</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KYSG25?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KYSG25</a><br><br>👇 <a href="https://t.co/jgZmPXHpBd">pic.twitter.com/jgZmPXHpBd</a></p>&mdash; Prep Baseball Kentucky (@PrepbaseballKY) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepbaseballKY/status/1954363964890178016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Beginning day 3, 2028 Baird Woodall opened the morning with a loud pull-side barrel, while 2026 Cole McLean (Kentucky) showed his two-way value with a backside double on his future home turf. 2026 Gabe Wright (Kentucky Wesleyan) continued to boost his stock with another extra-base knock, and 2027 Alex Maynard delivered one of the loudest swings of the day with a missile up the middle. 2027 Peyton Layne followed up his late night BP showing by turning on a fastball for a line-drive double, and 2028 Jaxson White put a bold exclamation point on his weekend with a no-doubt grand slam to deep RF. 2027 Hayden Henry showcased his physicality and two-way ability by smoking a ball off the LF wall, and 2027 Austin Krohmer produced a 97 mph backside double for another loud barrel. There was depth up and down the event roster, with multi-hit weekends from 2027 Tyler Collins, 2028 Jordan Wilmes and 2028 Levi Hamon who also launched a 97 mph triple down the opposite-field line.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">‘28 Jaxson White (<a href="https://twitter.com/Jaxson_White25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jaxson_White25</a>)<br><br>Effortless swing w/ a solid lower half &amp; good bat to ball skills<br><br>White continues where he left off yesterday as he shows off some sneaky power here w/ a grand slam to deep RF<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KYSG25?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KYSG25</a> || <a href="https://twitter.com/prepbaseball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@prepbaseball</a> || <a href="https://twitter.com/ShooterHunt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShooterHunt</a> <a href="https://t.co/JEaBn7j5UG">https://t.co/JEaBn7j5UG</a> <a href="https://t.co/KToc3zlQjC">pic.twitter.com/KToc3zlQjC</a></p>&mdash; Prep Baseball Kentucky (@PrepbaseballKY) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepbaseballKY/status/1954571342981824838?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Pitching depth continued to shine as well as 2026 Ashton Spurr returned to his true form in front of the KY staff, touching 85 mph with over 2300 rpm of spin. 2028 Easton Cline impressed with command and a hammer 65–69 mph curveball. 2026 Max Whisman (Midway) reached 89 mph on the FB and 2027 Gabriel Kuerzi dazzled by spinning both the fastball and slider north of 2300 rpm. 2026 Kaden Dickhaut (Thomas More) delivered one of the cleanest outings of the morning, working 2.0 innings with an 86 mph fastball and a sharp secondary mix. 2029 Landry Mayhugh showed well as one of the youngest participants and a recent Junior Future Games participant, while 2027 Carter Steller pushed curveball spin above 2400 rpm. First-time showcase arms 2028 Gabriel Donnelly and 2028 Brady Haddle closed the event strong, with Donnelly up to a smooth 86mph, and Haddle spinning a curveball at 2587 rpm while touching 85 mph.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">‘27 Gabriel Kuerzi (<a href="https://twitter.com/GabeKuerzi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GabeKuerzi</a>)<a href="https://twitter.com/NOHSbsb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NOHSbsb</a><br><br>5’11” 156lbs<br><br>RHP/1B<br><br>FB: 82-86 || 2316 SR<br>SL: 71-73 || 2456 SR + heavy 12-6<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KYSG25?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KYSG25</a> || <a href="https://twitter.com/prepbaseball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@prepbaseball</a> <a href="https://t.co/PaqK0Eyl1U">pic.twitter.com/PaqK0Eyl1U</a></p>&mdash; Prep Baseball Kentucky (@PrepbaseballKY) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepbaseballKY/status/1958182922579579386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

TrackMan data backed up what the staff, coaches and scouts in attendance saw as well. 2026 Noah Spalding (Louisville) again led the event, this time in FB velocity by touching 92.4 mph, followed by 2026 Cole Adams (Cincinnati) at 91.7 mph. 2026 Ryan Disponett (Transylvania) recorded the top fastball spin rate at 2423 rpm, while breaking ball spin was led by 2027 Gavin Mitchell at 2830 rpm.

When it came time for awards, the choices were quite obvious for the KY staff. Pitching MVP went to 2026 Braiden Beach (Gulf Coast State JC), while Offensive MVP belonged to 2028 Jaxson White, who separated himself with four hits, three extra-base hits, a home run, and six RBIs.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">‘26 Braiden Beach<a href="https://twitter.com/braidenbeach26?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@braidenbeach26</a> <br><br>6’4” 200lbs<a href="https://twitter.com/PB_Uncommitted?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PB_Uncommitted</a> <br><br>Extended look at Team Midwest Senior Future Games member. <br><br>A perfect 2 innings with 5 🥊 outs and 75% K’s 😤<br><br>FB 87-89 <br>SL 74-77 (2466 SR AVG)<br>SPL 78-79 (Flashed &amp; Landed)<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KYSG25?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KYSG25</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HighFloor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HighFloor</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HighCeiling?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HighCeiling</a><br><br>👇👇 <a href="https://t.co/G5dBp51VT9">pic.twitter.com/G5dBp51VT9</a></p>&mdash; Prep Baseball Kentucky (@PrepbaseballKY) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepbaseballKY/status/1954362809887715438?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

From start to finish, the inaugural Fall State Games delivered on every level. Talent across all classes showed up, competed, and proved once again that the depth of Kentucky baseball continues to rise. With Year One in the books, this event has officially earned its place — and we’re already looking forward to running it back next fall to cap off another unforgettable summer in the Bluegrass.