One of Illinois' premier events returns later this month as our staff heads to Rhino Sports Academy in Shorewood for the annual Preseason ProCase. Last year, over 15 scouts made their way to the Chicagoland area as some of the top talent in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin participated in our high-level event. We are a few weeks away from the 2026 ProCase and already have 27 players from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin have accepted their invites. Today, let's take a look at seven players from the Badger State who have been added to the roster and will make their way to Shorewood on January 27th.

ROSTER ADDITIONS

Jimmy Angle OF / Kettle Moraine, WI / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 24 / POS: 5 From 7/31/25: "Has been one of the top hitters in the state across the summer circuit and continued to hit throughout the gameplay portion of the event. Medium leg lift load, fluid motions in the swing, backspin line drive/fly ball tendencies. Posted a max EV of 98 mph and a max OF velocity of 84 mph during the workout. Proceeded to hit a home run over the left field fence in game. Premium combination of size, strength, bat speed, and in-game production. Angle has the ability to be an impact run-manufacturer at the next level right away."

Vincent Bitter RHP / Brookfield Central, WI / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 19 / POS: 6 From 7/17/25: "Illinois State commit. Bitter would show some quality stuff during his Sunday start, collecting seven strikeouts across three and two-third innings. The fastball would sit in the upper-80s with spin rates north of 2400 rpm. Also showed a deceptive 79-81 mph changeup with higher spin profile with rpm north of 2500. The breaking ball sat in the mid-70s with spin rates north of 2600 rpm. Strong frame."

Ian Kawczynski SS / 2B / Catholic Memorial, WI / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 14 / POS: 5 From 7/17/25: "Wisconsin-Milwaukee commit. A long-limed, lean, 6-foot, 171-pound frame, Kawczynski had a strong showing out of the lead-off spot, going 2-for-4 with two singles and three RBIs Sunday afternoon. A mature presence in the box, the right-hander attacks pitches he can handle, using the whole field. A contact-oriented approach with hands that work smoothly through the zone, creating a flat, direct path. At short, Kawczynski shows clean actions, with feet working around with smooth hands on a two-hand gather."

Trey Kerkhoff 3B / 1B / Burlington, WI / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 11 / POS: 1 From 2/26/25: "INF Trey Kerkhoff (Burlington, 2026) made a statement with his performance on Sunday. He grew an inch and put on a solid twelve pounds of muscle mass as he came in and measured 6-foot-1, 194 pounds. He started off his day by running the 4th best 60 yard dash of the day at 6.65 seconds. With the bat, Kerkoff was hitting rockets with a short and handsy path and registered an impressive 99 mph max exit velocity which was the 5th best mark on the day. His 94 mph average exit velocity was second best mark of the day and proved how frequently Kerkhoff was on the barrel throughout the round. It was such a clean and consistently looking swing using leverage from back to front in such a controlled way, it s no wonder why he is one of the top bats in the state. With the glove, the middle infielder showed soft hands with a rhythmic funnel and will be able to stick at short. Kerkoff really took a step forward in this look and UIC is getting an ultra talented player with more ceiling left to be tapped into."

Caleb Liggon SS / OF / Vel Phillips Memorial, WI / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 13 / POS: 4 From 7/31/25: "Senior Future Games 2025: Currently ranked No. 15 in Wisconsin s 2026 class. Exhibiting an agile, long-levered 6-foot-4, 186-pound frame with present athleticism, Liggon was another major winner in the workout. The right-hander ran a 6.42 sec 60-yard dash with one of the highest max run speeds of the day at 22.4 mph. He continued his strong performance into BP, consistently staying on the barrel throughout his round. Liggon had six balls barreled over 96 mph, a 99.1 mph max exit velocity, a 94.8 mph average exit velocity, a 91% hard hit percentage, and a 366-foot max distance. Liggon also showed clean actions in the fielding workout, utilizing a steady glove with a strong arm across the diamond at 86 mph. He continued his strong performance into gameplay, going 2-for-3 at the plate in his last game. He finished with two doubles, two runs scored, and a stolen base."

Chance Ruby SS / RHP / Wilmot, WI / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 6 / POS: 2 OverallRank: 247 / POS: 62 From 7/17/25: "Illinois-Chicago commit and no. 5th ranked player in the Wisconsin 2026 class. Would showcase a premier right-handed hitting, up-the-middle profile throughout the weekend. A pure athlete who showed twitchy actions both at shortstop and at the plate, Ruby would finish the tournament 9-for-20 with three doubles, two home runs, seven RBIs, and six runs scored. Will be a name to follow within next year s MLB Draft. An athletic 6-foot, 187-pound frame, Ruby had an interesting appearance on the mound Sunday afternoon. The right-hander was working with a two-pitch mix with the fastball sitting 84-87 mph, T89, and the slider was sitting 75-76 mph, late sharp break. An athletic, fluid mover on the mound with long, clean arm action from the ¾ slot. A competitor on the mound, filling up the zone with ease, with feel for the slider."

Mason Schmidt RHP / OF / Somerset, WI / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 22 / POS: 7 From 7/31/25: "A lean, long-levered 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame with more room to fill out. The Wisconsin-Milwaukee commit works from an up-tempo, fluid delivery with a high leg kick with coil and tuck. Drop-and-drive move into a cross-fire throwing motion creating deception. ¾ slot with a long, clean arm-action. True three-pitch mix. The fastball had above average extension sitting 87-89mph and topped 89.7 with ride and run generating swing and misses at the top of the zone. Added a sweeping slider at 75-76 mph with a max spin rate of 2,294 and a changeup with ASR and fade at 77-78 mph with a max of 19.5 inches of horizontal movement. Finished the day throwing two scoreless innings while striking out two batters and allowing no hits."

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