Jackson
Ahrens

Verbally committed to Kirkwood CC.

INF Jackson Ahrens (East Peoria, 2026) had a quality all-around showing at Dozer Park. A lean and athletic 6-foot, 175-pound infielder, Ahrens started the day by running the fastest 60 at 6.79 seconds. He then showed the ability to work gap-to-gap with authority from the right side, while posting the second-highest max EV (97.7 mph) and the highest average batted ball distance (260 feet). Ahrens continued to show well during the defensive portion of the workout, tying for the top velocity from across the diamond (83 mph), while showing confident actions and agile movements. 

Positional Profile: SS
Body: 5-11, 175 pounds.
Hit: RHH. Open, upright, toe-tap. Gap-to-gap approach, pure swing, flat bat path, pull-side power. 72.3 mph bat speed with 7g of rotational acceleration.
Power: 98 mph max exit velocity (83.8 avg.); 351-foot max batted distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 83.00 mph. Low 3/4 arm slot, short, quick arm action.
Defense: Agile, showed off range, soft hands to receive, fields with confidence.
Athletic Testing: 6.79 runner in the 60-yard dash; 22.60-inch max vertical jump.
Vizual Edge: 70.54 Edge Score.

Uncommitted, Ahrens had a nice week out of the leadoff spot for the Raiders. The junior finished 7-for-15 , reached base 11 times, had two doubles, two homers, six RBIs, eight runs, and three stolen bases, along with no strikeouts on the week.

Uncommitted, stands in an athletic 6-foot, 170-pound frame with seemingly more strength to come. Started at shortstop and batted leadoff. Finished the day with a hit and one run scored, but impressed defensively during in-and-out, athletic mover with range and a clean glove-to-hand transfer. Offensively, hands work direct to the ball with a slightly uphill path through the zone. Multi-sport athlete, plays football, basketball and baseball - All-Conference selection in basketball. Uncommitted name to follow in Illinois.

Uncommitted. Strong 6-foot, 170-pound athletic frame. Started at short and hit out of the lead-off position. Ahrens went 1-for-3 at the plate Monday night. The right-handed hitter operates from a wide, balanced stance with a toe-tap. Compact swing with a slight uphill bat path with bat speed through the zone. Gap-to-gap approach. Connected on a pitch up in the zone for a line-drive single into center field. Smooth defender at short that works around the ball and has a strong arm that fits the left-side of the infield.

Uncommitted, stands in an upside and athletic 6-foot, 170-pound frame. Started at shortstop and batted leadoff. Really impressed defensively with his actions, an athlete with range to both sides, steady hands and a clean and quick transfer with accurate throws across the diamond. A right-handed hitter at the plate, didn’t record a hit, but showed athletic movement patterns and an upside swing. An uncommitted name to know that was an All-Conference selection in basketball this past winter.

Jackson Ahrens (East Peoria, 2026) stands in an intriguing 5-foot-11, 163-pound frame with athleticism throughout. He showed one of the better rounds of batting practice on Tuesday, showing a short, slightly uphill bat path, hitting line drives (88%) consistently throughout the round. He produced a 90.5 mph max exit velocity and averaged 87.2 mph, and also sent his farthest hit ball 327 feet. He showed steady actions defensively, with clean and fluid footwork to both sides. Ahrens is a name-to-follow in the state’s 2026 class.

Positional Profile: SS/OF
Body: 6-0, 170-pounds. Lean, athletic frame with some present strength throughout.
Hit: RHH. Taller setup with slight crouch, small leg lift back into short stride. Short, mostly flat path with some bat speed through the zone. Line drives to all fields. 69.4 mph bat speed with 7 G’s of rotational acceleration.
Power: 91 max exit velocity, averaged 87.2 mph. 327’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 78 mph. High 3/4 slot, accurate on the move.
Defense: Two-hand gather out front, clean actions, fields ball to body.
Run: 7.21 runner in the 60.