Austin
Rutter

Uncommitted, currently ranked No. 54 in the state. Athletic 5-foot-9, 160-pound frame with room to add strength. Started at second and hit out of the six-hole. Rutter went 1-for-2 at the plate on Wednesday. The left-handed hitter operates from a wide, slightly bent stance. Brings his front foot back for a toe-tap into a long stride. Strong hands from a compact swing that is quick through the zone with a slightly uphill bat path. Showed a patient approach at the plate as he drew two walks. Smooth defender up-the-middle with quality footwork. Showed off his above-average speed on the basepaths as he picked up Sacred Heart-Griffin’s lone stolen base.

Last week' s Prep Baseball Illinois Player of the Week, Rutter impressed in a brief look last night. Compact frame with athleticism and future projection. The bat stood out in this look from the left-side of the plate, starts in a balanced position with slight bend in the knees, toe-tap trigger into longer stride. Minimal pre-pitch hand movement, works short to the ball, quick and twitchy through the zone with a slightly uphill path. Finished the day with a single to the opposite field.

Displaying an athletic and proportionate 5-foot-9, 150-pound frame, Austin Rutter got the win on the mound for Extreme Elite Springfield. The righty threw six full innings while not giving up a single run and only two hits while striking out nine. Mechanically, Rutter is loose and relaxed on the bump with a small leg lift and rides down the mound with a 3/4 arm slot. Rutter’s fastball was consistently 77-81 mph which touched 83 mph. His diving changeup had hitters off balance being thrown at 64-67 mph as well as a sharp 61-63 curveball. On the other side of the ball, Austin Rutter shows a lot of promise at shortstop in the future. The rising sophomore showcased many tools throughout the tournament. The leadoff hitter for Extreme Elite Springfield, Rutter is able to keep his weight balanced on both fastballs and offspeed pitches and found the barrel multiple times. The left handed hitter features a crouched stance and quick swing that pulls momentum towards the first base line. At short, he presents confidence in his hands with a good sequence of footwork with solid range throughout the position.