This is always a critical time of year for the Prep Baseball staff. Around the country, we use our Preseason ID events to visit every corner of the states we occupy to host these open showcases where players spanning every high school grad class can participate and perform in front of Prep Baseball evaluators, flaunting their offseason gains.

From there, the top performers put themselves on high alert for the next time we update our state player rankings (right around the first pitch of each state’s high school season), as well as invite lists to key summer events like the Prep Baseball Future Games, the State Games, and more.

The majority of the country is through its preseason circuit as the weather warms – with parts of the Midwest, Northeast, and Pacific Northwest still in the midst of winter events schedule – and as the calendar flips to March, we’re taking some time to evaluate the players across the country who have (so far) enlightened our scout staff from coast to coast.

Inside this post, we’ll be highlighting the players who have statistically stood above their peers on this Preseason ID track, so far, in 2025.

---

UPCOMING PRESEASON ID EVENTS

---

PEAK FASTBALL VELOCITY LEADERS

We’re going to primarily focus our time on the best uncommitted players from these events – which is the majority of them. And while fastball velocity is certainly not the beginning and end of the conversation when it comes to prep pitching prospects, it’s definitely an attention-grabber.

Leading the way here across all high schoolers this offseason atop this max fastball velo board at Preseason IDs is RHP Caden Sivrich (Norwin HS, PA, 2026), an uncommitted right-hander who’s climbed into the mid-90s over the winter. Sivrich was on Team Pennsylvania at the 2024 Future Games where he lived in the mid-80s, mostly, topping 88.2 mph down at LakePoint. Fast-forward to Pennsylvania’s Southwest ID on Feb. 15, and Sivrich was up to 94.9 mph, sitting 92-94, on a fastball that flashed some ride in the zone (19.5-inch IVB max) from a 5.2-foot release height. The 94.9 mph high is the best we’ve seen this winter at a PID event thus far.

‘26 RHP Caden Sivrich (Norwin)

6-0, 185lbs

Electric bullpen from the #PBFG24 Alum ⚡️

Big time uncommitted arm from western PA

FB: 92-95
SL: 83-85
CH: 82-83
SNK: 91-92#PreseasonID @ShooterHunt | @PrepBaseballPA pic.twitter.com/X2NyohOI6u

— Nathan Ocker (@ocker_n) February 16, 2025

We’ll quickly mention a couple committed 2026s who tied each other with 94.4 mph highs within the last couple of weeks: 3B/RHP Beau Peterson (Mill Valley HS, KS; Texas commit) and RHP/OF Ben Kuglitsch (Muskego HS, WI; Florida State). Both are very well known on the national circuit and, naturally, they’ll appear elsewhere on the leaderboards in future stories a part of this series. Coincidentally, the two are both two-way prospects who offer quite a bit of upside offensively as well. Kuglitsch in particular showed, possibly, the highest level of athleticism of any prospect on this list, while Peterson’s left-handed bat continues to look like one of the best in the class.

C/RHP Parker Clubb (Mulvane HS, KS, 2026; Louisville) is another two-way junior high on this leaderboard, and he spun a 2,500 rpm fastball that touched a 94.1 mph high, close to the top himself.

At the start of the month, RHP Keaton Maiorana (Mountain Vista HS, CO, 2026; uncommitted) appeared at the Denver Preseason ID for our Colorado staff where he exploded onto the map. Previously unranked in the state, Maiorana’s loose, whippy arm unleashed low-90s velo (93.7 mph max) that spun at nearly 2,500 rpm on average, and it plays up given his huge extension he creates down the mound. He went on to earn an invitation to Colorado’s Preseason All-State event where he topped his max fastball high by two more ticks, up to 95.5 mph on Feb. 23.

RHP Gavin Foreman (Rayne HS, LA, 2026; Louisiana-Lafayette) sprung out of the gates in the new year on Jan. 4 at one of the country’s first Preseason ID events of 2025. At Louisiana’s Lake Charles Preseason ID, Foreman reached a 93.6 mph high on his carry fastball that exhibits some interesting peripherals, like a 16.2-inch IVB average (20.2-inch max), that he paired with the makings of a swing-and-miss breaking ball. He started the year uncommitted, but he’s since announced his commitment to the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Pennsylvania’s RHP Davin Kolter (Cedar Crest HS, 2027; uncommitted) owns the firmest fastball delivered by a sophomore so far this winter, registered at 93.3 mph. This is a rise/run heater that spins at over 2,500 rpm with over 18 inches of IVB and 13 inches of horizontal break, on average. The spin translates to a curveball, 80-81 mph, that looks like a true sweeper with sharp action, and his changeup, 85-86, has late tumble and he throws it with intent.

RHP Quinn O’Rourke (Charlotte Catholic HS, NC, 2026; uncommitted) is one of the more exciting names on this list, given his lean 6-foot-2, 182-pound stature and fluid mechanics that make it easy to foresee continued development as he matures. At the Charlotte Preseason ID in mid-January, O’Rourke showcased an impressive fastball that sat 90-92 mph (92.6 max) and averaged over 20 inches of IVB, delivered from a 6.7-foot release height. He also spins one of the most projectable breaking balls on this list, making him a high-follow uncommitted junior from the Carolinas.

Wisconsin’s got three prospects in the top-20, and counting, considering the state is only just in the middle of its Preseason ID slate, including the southpaw with the firmest velo from these specific events: LHP Colton Semmelmann (Brookfield Central HS, 2026; South Carolina). Semmelmann’s established himself as one of the Midwest’s best lefties, and he only continued to look that part last weekend at the West Milwaukee ID, where he recorded that 91.8 mph high. A smooth delivery, sharp breaking ball, and swing-and-miss changeup make it easy to see why he was one of the first Wisconsin Future Gamers off the board from last year’s event.

And RHP Mason Schmidt (Somerset HS, WI, 2026) is one of the top uncommitted right-handers from his area, standing in at a physical 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, with an 89-90 mph heater (90.5 max) that spins efficiently with rise-and-run characteristics, as well as an improved sweeper and go-to change.

Two uncommitted juniors in Illinois really stick out for totally different reasons towards the bottom of this leaderboard: RHP Caleb Cox (Springfield Lutheran HS, 2026) and RHP/OF Jaiden Ponce (St. Ignatius HS, 2026). Cox looks like a really interesting developmental project, with a high-waisted 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame, and a fluid arm circle that he unleashed effortless fastball velo with, at 88-91 mph. The heater has some natural arm-side life to it and he flashed the ability to spin a sweeper-type breaking ball alongside it in an impressive Prep Baseball event debut earlier this month. As for Ponce, he's a strong athlete who's young for the class, listed at 5-foot-11, 175 pounds. He's got some twitch on the mound too, producing a high-spin fastball (2,700 rpm) efficiently that he can sink when he wants. Ponce also has a work-in-progress breaking ball that also has big spin traits to it, as well as a firm straight change.

Here’s four more right-handed sophomores who’ve impressed this winter to date, and each are uncommitted: Kash VanHouten (Canton HS, IL), Jackson Hornick (Central Bucks-West HS, PA), Ryan Neumann (Regis Jesuit HS, CO), and Brady Juliano (Colonie HS, NY). VanHouten is one of the top-ranked sophs in Illinois, and he might be an even better positional prospect, though he's got huge arm strength a feel for multiple pitches; Hornick’s low-90s fastball is an efficient one with rise from a lower average release height (5.6 feet); Neumann was up to a 91.5 mph high in early February inside a 6-foot-5 stature that gives him a lot to work with; and Juliano is a 6-foot-1 prospect with a heavy 89-91 mph fastball that he pairs with a sweeping, effective breaking ball and deceptive change.

And it's fun seeing players from atypical baseball states break out at our Preseason ID events, and that's what we have in RHP Carter Bowen (Bonneville HS, ID, 2026; uncommitted) from Idaho Falls. The uncommitted junior is coming off a big summer and he made his Prep Baseball event debut at last weekend's Idaho Falls ID where he reached a 91.0 mph high on an efficient low-spin fastball.

Lastly, we’ll mention here RHP Logan Sorrel (Parkview Baptist HS, LA, 2026), who’s the top uncommitted junior pitcher in Louisiana. Sorrel, a former Future Gamer, has a cut-type fastball that leaves a high window (6.9 feet) at 88-91 mph, and he also wields a sharp slider, 80-84, with biting downer action. It’s a fluid, loose operation from a lean 6-foot-3, 200-pound build, and our Louisiana colleagues already saw Sorrel pitch three shutout innings in relief at Parkview Baptist with four Ks and one walk in which he was up to 92 mph earlier this month.

---

RELATED CONTENT