2026 Prep Baseball Minnesota Preseason ID-Mankato: Event Preview

February 27, 2026
Andy Judkins
State Director, Prep Baseball Minnesota

MANKATO, MN - On Sunday, March, 1st, Prep Baseball Minnesota travels to Bethany Activity Center in Mankato to host the MN Preseason ID: Mankato. The events will feature over 34 prospects from the class of 2027 through 2029. This collection of players will include plenty of fresh faces as well as returning faces.

Our staff strategically hosts Preseason ID events throughout the state in search of players who have taken advantage of the offseason, identifying new prospects to add to our follow lists or players our staff is already familiar with who are on the rise.

EVENT HISTORY

Two future Division I commits emerged from last year’s event: both right-handed pitchers from Cretin-Derham Hall High School who separated themselves on the mound:

Ike Crouser RHP / C / Cretin-Derham Hall, MN / 2027

Rankings StateRank: 6 / POS: 4

Isaac Crouser showed a long, lanky frame with leverage in the delivery and ran his fastball into the low 90s with downhill plane. His performance earned him a spot at the Future Games and ultimately led to a verbal commitment to University of Notre Dame.

Jack Van Gemert RHP / OF / Cretin-Derham Hall, MN / 2027

Rankings StateRank: 41 / POS: 19

Jack Van Gemert, now committed to United States Naval Academy, offers similar length and projection with a clean arm and feel for the strike zone. Currently sitting in the mid-80s with his fastball, he shows pitchability across multiple offerings and the ability to land pitches for strikes. With continued physical development, expect a jump in velocity and overall impact from what we saw last year in Mankato.

Two uncommitted underclassmen made stong impressions:

Isaac Iten OF / SS / Mahtomedi Senior High, MN / 2027

Rankings StateRank: 49 / POS: 5

Iten pairs athleticism with measurable tools, having posted a 6.84 60-yard dash last winter, shown a low-80s arm from the infield, and produced exit velocities in the upper-80s to low-90s range. He has continued to trend upward since that event and currently sits 49th in Minnesota’s 2027 class rankings, with physical upside and offensive impact pointing to more gains ahead.

Gavin Torvick RHP / 3B / Mankato West Senior High, MN / 2027

Rankings StateRank: 56 / POS: 28

Right-handed pitcher Gavin Torvick of Mankato West High School put himself firmly on the radar with his showing on the mound last preseason. At 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Torvick features a projectable frame, athletic delivery, and a whippy arm action that helped produce a low-to-mid 80s fastball. The combination of size, arm speed, and projection slots him 56th in the state’s 2027 rankings, and he’ll have another opportunity to elevate his stock with a return appearance this Sunday in Mankato.

ITINERARY

Please bring snacks and drinks as events can run long, especially depending on your position.

Date: Sunday, March, 1st, 2026
Location: Bethany Activity Center
Check-in Time: 1 PM
Start Time (Position & Two-Way Players): 1:45 PM
Check-in Time (Pitcher Onlys): 3:00 PM

MORE EVENT DETAILS

Click here to learn more about our tech partners that have enhanced our players showcase experience. Partners like TrackMan, Vizual Edge, and Blast Motion have helped both our in-event evaluation process, as well the compilation of our post-event scouting reports – and they're also a tool for our players to learn more about their measured and collected data, that can be applied to improve upon their game.

PREP BASEBALL MINNESOTA CONTENT

Be sure to follow us on all of our social media platforms so you don't miss any of our content!