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2026 St. Louis Summer ID/Rising Stars ID: Quick Hits

July 31, 2026
Eliott Wilk
Central Region Operations Director

On Tuesday, June 30th, the Prep Baseball Missouri staff traveled to Arsenal BG Ballpark in Sauget, IL to host the annual St. Louis Summer ID/Rising Stars ID. This event was open for 2027-2031 class members, and featured 33 players from the area.

All of our events offer players the opportunity to update their recruiting resume and showcase their talents in front of our staff. We also use these events as identifiers for future invite-only events, like the Preseason All-State, our summer Top Prospect Games, and the prestigious Prep Baseball Future Games that takes place at the tail end of the summer. To see what our events offer, click HERE.

Shortly after the event, our staff compiled several of the day’s stat leaders inside our traditional ‘Stat Story’, which you can find HERE. 

Today, after combing through our notes from the day, we’ve compiled some of the event’s soon to be junior standouts below within these ‘Quick Hits’.

MISSOURI FOLLOWS

C Kade Hale (Lafayette, 2029) put together a solid all-around showing at the St. Louis Summer ID emerging as a strong defensive backstop in this look. Carrying a 5-foot-10, 175-pound frame, the young catcher demonstrated quick transfers and accurate throwing mechanics behind the plate, posting pop times in the 2.06-2.09 range alongside a 74 mph arm from the crouch. At the plate, his level path repeatedly found the barrel, maxing out at an 93.3 mph exit velocity.

Bringing an imposing 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame to the mound, RHP Thomas Hipp (Lindbergh, 2027) physically stood out at the St. Louis Summer ID. The right-hander pounded the strike zone with a heavy 83-85 mph fastball that topped out at 85.3 mph, flashing late late run. Hipp complemented his heater by spinning a tight 76-78 mph curveball and throwing a 78-80 mph changeup featuring natural arm-side fade, showing the foundation of an effective three-pitch mix with plenty of upside remaining as he continues to develop.

Thomas Hipp

INF Troy Hopkins (Neelyville, 2029) emerged as an intriguing underclass infielder with notable upside from our St. Louis Summer ID. Carrying a long, lanky 5-foot-11, 130-pound frame with plenty of physical development ahead, Hopkins demonstrated quick hands and a direct path to the baseball during BP, generating an 89.2 mph peak exit velocity. He carried that athletic rhythm over to his defense on the dirt, showing smooth footwork, clean exchanges, and an 80 mph throw across the diamond.

Displaying an advanced mix and projectable physical presence for his class, RHP Hudson Lann (Holt, 2030) stood out as a premier 2030 arm in Tuesday's look. Built with strength in a 6-foot, 175-pound frame, the right-hander filled up the zone with a fastball that topped out at 79.8 mph and sat consistently in the 78-79 mph range. He showed notable pitchability for a incoming freshman, mixing in a 69-72 mph slider, a 68-70 mph changeup, and a 65-66 mph curveball with depth. Lann also flashed two-way potential during his round of batting practice, driving his firmest barrel 305 feet with an 83.8 mph peak exit velocity.

A twitchy, athletic infielder with impressive toolset numbers for his age, INF Oliver Miller (Helias Catholic, 2028) stood out during his workout in Sauget. Frame-wise, Miller comes in at 5-foot-9, 165 pounds and generates noticeable quickness at the plate, producing a 21.1 mph peak hand speed and 72.0 mph max bat speed. That whip through the hitting zone translated to hard contact throughout BP, where he elevated his firmest barrel to a 94.9 mph exit velocity. The incoming junior also ran a quick sub-7.00 60-yard dash at 6.98 seconds, rounding out a well-balanced showing that projects well as he continues to physically mature.

Raw power was on full display for INF Ben Mohesky (Eureka, 2028), who posted one of the event’s most impressive physical profiles. Built at 6-foot-1, 188 pounds, Mohesky hammered balls throughout his round of BP, posting a 97.1 mph peak exit velocity, finding the barrel with authority and sending his furthest barrel 350 feet. Defensively, he moved with active, athletic actions on the dirt and showed an upgraded 84 mph throw across the diamond.

Ben Mohesky

OF/RHP Camden Payne (Saxony Lutheran, 2030) put together an impressive two-way performance at the St. Louis Summer ID, establishing himself as an underclassman to follow. Possessing a physical 5-foot-11, 175-pound frame with present strength for his class, Payne generated noticeable power in BP, peaking at a 94.0 mph exit velocity with a 321-foot max distance. That raw strength translates directly to the mound, where the right-hander filled up the zone with a 79–82 mph fastball that topped out at 82.2 mph. He complements his heater by spinning a 66-67 mph slider and turning over a 69-72 mph changeup, pointing to significant upside as he continues to refine his mix.

INF Kendrick Simon (North County, 2028) turned in a clean, fundamentaly sound workout that has him as an infielder to keep an eye on. Built with physical projection at 5-foot-11, 158 pounds, Simon showcased a controlled, repeatable right-handed swing in BP that stayed flat through impact, consistently generating line-drive contact back up the middle, generating a 91.4 mph peak exit velocity. His natural footwork carries over well to the dirt, where he moves with fluid athleticism, soft hands, and a strong, 84 mph arm across the infield.

Speed and athleticism headline the profile for OF Brock Springer (Brentwood, 2027). Carrying a 5-foot-9, 160-pound frame, the left-handed hitter set the pace early by running a swift 6.89-second 60-yard dash. Springer translated that athletic lower half into his swing, generating an 89.3 mph top exit velocity with a 343-foot peak distance. He also flashed notable arm strength from the oufield, pumping an 85 mph bullet on his firmest throw.

A physical left-handed hitter who made noise across multiple categories, INF Ric Standley (Warrenton, 2027) stood out as one of the day’s top performers. Standing at 6-foot, 200 pounds, Standley first turned heads by running a 6.77-second 60-yard dash. He then carried that impact into the batter's box, scorching balls to the pull side up to 98.7 mph with a max distance of 347 feet. His well-rounded day wrapped up on the dirt, where he showcased steady hands and an 81 mph throw across the diamond.

Ric Standley

C/OF Case Steinbach (Marshfield, 2027) showcased a well-rounded athletic profile that pops across multiple positions on the diamond. A physical athlete standing at 5-foot-11, 175 pounds, Steinbach kicked off his workout by running an impressive 6.94-second 60-yard dash. His raw athleticism translates seamlessly behind the plate, where he registered event-leading pop times in the 1.87–2.01 range paired with an 81 mph catcher velocity from the crouch. Steinbach also flashed noticeable arm strength from the outfield grass (85 mph) and showcased a quick, firm left-handed swing that reached a 92.2 mph top exit velocity in BP.

Case Steinbach

Generating some of the loudest offensive data of the day, OF Jonathan Stolarski (Affton, 2028) established himself as a physical bat to keep an eye on in the state's soon to be junior class. Standing 5-foot-10, 160 pounds, Stolarski's high-level hand and bat speed were evident immediately in BP, where he turned in elite Blast Motion numbers maxing out at 22.6 mph hand speed and 73.6 mph bat speed. That quickness translated to heavy impact on the barrel, driving his firmest hit 311 feet with a 98.9 mph peak exit velocity while averaging a 84.7 mph exit velocity throughout his round.

Young and projectable, INF Jonas Taff (Lindbergh, 2031) showed advanced feel for his age across a solid two-way workout. Standing 5-foot-9, 125 pounds, Taff swung a loose, repeatable right-handed barrel that consistently found the middle of the yard, peaking at a 92.0 mph exit velocity with a 325-foot max distance and a 60% sweet-spot rate. On the dirt, he worked with steady footwork and topped out at 76 mph across the diamond. Taff also hopped on the mound, showing feel for a high-spin secondary mix that featured a curveball (2,283 RPM avg) and slider (2,366 RPM avg).

Physicality and strength stand out right away for CIF Braden White (Fort Zumwalt East, 2028). Built at a sturdy 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, White brings a strong corner-infield profile with natural power potential. His strong lower half and leverage through impact allow him to consistently impact the baseball out front with authority, peaking at a 94.2 mph exit velocity on the day and marking him as a physical right-handed bat to keep an eye on in the 2028 class.

Solidifying his status as one of the premier two-way talents in the state, RHP/INF Owen Wilde (Helias Catholic, 2028) put together a standout performance in Sauget. The 5-foot-10, 164-pound athlete kicked off his showcase by flashing high-end speed, running a blazing 6.60-second 60-yard dash. In the batter's box, Wilde produced loud, elevated contact to all fields, averaging an 84.6 mph exit velocity and peaking at 94.9 mph with a 343-foot max distance. He was equally impressive on the mound, attacking the zone with an 85–87 mph fastball that reached 87.9 mph, while displaying pitchability across a complete three-pitch mix that featured a 69-70 mph slider, and a 72-77 mph changeup.

Owen Wilde

ILLINOIS FOLLOWS

With an athletic toolset on both sides of the ball, INF/RHP Brody Redman (Richland County, 2028) turned in a strong two-way performance at the St. Louis Summer ID. Carrying a physical 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame, Redman showed swift footwork early by turning in a 6.87-second 60-yard dash. The left-handed hitter showcased a quick, efficient swing at the plate, topping out at a 92.3 mph exit velocity with an 83.6 mph average exit velocity while generating a 19.9 mph peak hand speed and 68.0 mph bat speed. He later brought that athleticism to the mound, filling up the zone with an 80-81 mph fastball alongside a 70-71 mph slider, a 65-67 mph curveball, and tumbling 67-68 mph splitter.

OF/RHP Gavin Root (Richland County, 2027) emerged as one of the day's biggest winners with a strong showing that found him at the top of the leaderboards across multiple facets of the workout. Standing at an imposing 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Root kicked off his day, showing his athleticism with a 6.71-second 60-yard dash. He carried that explosive lower half into the box, using impressive Blast metrics (22.9 mph hand speed, 73.5 mph bat speed) to produce a 97.2 mph peak exit velocity and an 86.9 mph average, sending his furthest barrel 362 feet. Root was equally impactful on defense and the mound, uncorking an 84 mph throw from the outfield before hopping on the bump, filling up the zone with an 86-88 mph fastball, a 77-80 mph changeup, and a 75-76 mph slider while also flashing a mid-80s sinker.

Gavin Root - (07/07/2026)
Gavin Root

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