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Leagues  | Story  | 4/9/2024

Spring League Scout Notes

Tyler Kotila      Perfect Game Staff     
Cal Bonifas (2026, Bellevue, Iowa) took the mound for Iowa Select 2026 on Saturday, looking the part. He’s a 6-foot-2, 170-pound frame with length throughout and a slender look. He pitches from a three-quarters arm slot with some length through the arm action. He’s quick with his move down the slope. Bonifas threw 4.0 innings, looking the part for his squad and holding the opposition off the scoreboard. He worked up to 82 mph on the fastball with some occasional cut to it, using the pitch often in the upper-70s and low-80s. Showed a breaking ball in the 69-73 mph with good depth to it. He gets around the pitch well with a bit of a gyro-look to it. Mixed the two well with 1 hit, 3 walks, and 5 punchouts on the day in an exceptional outing. 

Caden Clarahan (2025, Harper, Iowa) looked the part on Saturday morning, piecing together another solid outing. Clarahan stands 6 foot, 170 pounds, with a more compact and physical frame on the mound. He’s got a long and loose arm action with some acceleration working downhill. He throws from a higher three-quarters slot, and the ball comes out well. He worked 81-84 mph on the fastball with some arm-side sink when locating in that arm-side third. Showed a mid-70s changeup with fade and a low-70s slider in the mix to round things out. Filled up the zone and threw a bunch of strikes on the day, pitching 3.0 innings and keeping the opposition off the scoreboard. He did not allow a hit, walked 3, and struck out 5 opposing hitters. Uncommitted prospect who was also 2-for-5 on the day at the plate with a double and 2 RBI to his credit.



Maddux Mueller (2026, Amana, Iowa) shined on both sides of the ball this weekend for Iowa Select 2026 Scout. He took the mound in a relief role in game one on Saturday, relieving Bonifas (mentioned above) to close out the win. Mueller threw 1 and ⅓ innings, striking out 3 batters on 13 pitches. He worked 78-80 mph on the fastball with a good feel to command it. Landed the breaking ball at will in the 67-68 mph range with big 11/5 shape. The pitch had a big break and good depth, helping him navigate the opposition. He had a couple of nice swings at the plate. A left-handed hitting middle-infielder who had a home run to his credit on a 1-for-3 day. Showed off a quick and fluid stroke from the left side, lifting one pull-side for a homer. He had a couple of solid swings overall on the day.

Brett Harris (2026, Peosta, Iowa) showed off some good swings once again this weekend, showing why he’s the fourth-best player in the state of Iowa from the 2026 class. Harris is a bigger, physical, and thick frame standing 6-foot, 200-pounds. There’s plenty of strength and it shows at the plate. The Ole Miss commit is a left-handed hitting backstop who can roam a corner outfield position as well. He keeps a wider base in the batters’ box with a simple stroke, lifting the front foot slightly in a swivel move. There’s plenty of fluidity in the turn with strength to leverage and impact. He gets to the ball out in front often, being able to get the job done and find barrels. He was a producer in the Iowa Select 2026 Scout team, adding 2 hits to his credit and collecting a walk as well. 

Xavier Perez (2027, Urbana, Iowa) shines on the circuit often, and this Saturday, he was looking good once again. The Iowa Hawkeyes commit handles the bat exceptionally well from both sides of the plate. He’s the no.1 ranked player in Iowa for the 2027 class and is the 78th-best player in the country. He’s a switch-hitting backstop who handles the bat well from both sides. He stays stacked well, getting the weight over the backside and then exploding into contact with an in-sync swing. He does damage from both sides of the plate with tons of feel for the barrel and clean swings overall. Perez hits, that’s for sure. He added a couple of hits, including a double to his credit on Saturday, swiping 3 bags as well. Tons to like and tons of projectability with Perez. 

Reece Reints (2024, Cedar Falls, Iowa) had a great showing on Saturday. He handled the barrel well from the left side. He had a wider base and a simple swing on display. He could turn hard through contact and produce some solid swings with some feel for the barrel. He added a couple of hits and worked a few at-bats for walks as well. Reints also jumped on the mound and worked into the low-80s on the fastball, working from the left side. He showed an upper-60s breaking ball and mid-70s changeup to round out the three-pitch mix. Reints punched out 6 opposing hitters over 3.0 innings of work. Uncommitted prospect.

Owen Hicks (2025, Iowa City, Iowa) had himself a day on Saturday, handling the bat exceptionally well. He’s a right-handed hitter with an upright stance and deep handset. He stays back and then turns hard through contact to drive the ball well. It’s a short and simple swing with tons of feel for the barrel to do damage with the bat. He was 3-for-6 on the day with a double, getting it done for the City High Hicks squad. Not to mention, he got on the mound and was exceptional for his team. Hicks threw 3.0 scoreless innings, walking 2 and striking out 7, while allowing no hits or runs. Hicks worked 81-83 mph on the fastball with some arm-side life to it. Showed a feel for a short and tight breaker and changeup in the mix as well. Got it done well on both sides of the ball. Uncommitted prospect with projectable actions to like in the batters’ box.

Brayden Mayer (2025, West Liberty, Iowa) handled the bat well on Saturday, getting the job done at the plate for Iowa Sticks Scout 2025. He’s a bigger and more physical frame with a clean left-handed stroke that produced some loud contact. Mayer was able to connect and do damage in the air, creating leverage and showing strength off the barrel quite often. Mayer was 2-for-5 with 2 doubles and a walk to his credit. He’s got a wider base with slightly open feet, lifting the leg and driving through contact with some quickness through the zone. Mayer showed off some good swings during this weekend’s Spring League games.

Will Specht (2025, Dubuque, Iowa) is a left-handed bat who constantly churns out good performances at the plate for his Iowa Select squad. The left-handed hitting outfielder stands 6-foot, with an athletic and strong frame. He works with a spread base and slightly open feet before lifting the leg and working inward to contact. He turns hard with quick hands and good bat speed to impact the ball and do damage. He’s able to get to the ball out in front often and do damage working pull-side. Specht was 4-for-6 on Saturday, with 2 triples and 5 RBI to his credit. He walked twice, did not strike out, and added 3 swiped bags to his line. Jumped on the mound and threw a scoreless inning, walking one and striking out another as well. 

Collin McClintock (2026, Fairfax, Iowa) got the job done for Iowa Select 2026 Scout this weekend, looking the part on both sides of the ball. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound frame has some length throughout. McClintock had a good day at the dish, seeing the ball well. He was 3-for-6 on the day with a double and 2 home runs, walking once as well. He starts with a spread base from the right side of the plate with the hands high. He uses a leg lift with good turns and strength to impact. He lifted the ball well on Saturday, generating good contact in the air. He jumped on the mound as well and delivered a scoreless inning of relief work. He worked up to 81 mph on the fastball, filling the zone from a three-quarters slot. He helped his team cap off a win with the relief appearance in an all-fastball attack, but it was all he needed.

Jordan Woodhouse (2025, Cedar Rapids, Iowa) was his usual “Mr. Consistent” self on Saturday, looking good on the mound. Woodhouse threw 3.0 perfect innings for the Iowa Select 2025 Schulte team, striking out 8 hitters in a dominant showing. Woodhouse worked 80-82 mph consistently, with arm-side life to it, throwing it for strikes often. He showed a bigger curveball in the mix in the upper-60s. The pitch had a big shape, and he had a feel to drop it in for strikes. Works from a higher slot and pulls downhill hard from a 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame. He throws strikes and is uber-efficient, with plenty to like on the mound. Uncommitted ‘25 arm who should garner more attention as the year goes on. Woodhouse also grabbed a base knock at the dish as well.

Jackson Connoyer (2026, Fowler, Ill.) had a quality outing on the mound on Saturday for his Iowa Select McNeal squad. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame has things to like, with projectable actions on the mound. It’s a controlled and deliberate delivery, pitching from a three-quarters arm slot. He had feel for three pitches, working 80-83 T84 mph on the fastball, spotting it up well. He showed a mid-70s changeup with an arm-side fade to it, also flashing an upper-60s curveball with good 11-5 shape and bite to it. Threw 3.0 innings, punching out 5 opposing hitters just a week after earning Pitcher of the Week honors with 3.0 shut-out innings, striking out 8 opposing hitters.

After Connoyer departed, Jackson Hatler (2026, Davenport, Iowa) took the mound in relief and also looked the part. He’s a taller, 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame with length throughout. He’s got a good move down the mound, generating good arm speed and acceleration through release. Hatler worked up to 85 mph on the fastball and held the low-80s with good life to the pitch. He paired it with an upper-60s curveball in the mix as well. He threw a ton of strikes and attacked with the fastball. He went right after hitters early in counts as well. Hatler pitched 3 and ⅓ innings in relief, allowing 1 hit, walking 1, and striking out 7 opposing hitters in a dominant relief showing. 

Lincoln Dalton (2026, Bettendorf, Iowa) took to the mound for Iowa Select Very on Saturday, piecing together a good outing. Dalton stands 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, with a bigger and physical frame. He worked quickly with plenty of pace on the mound. He threw from a higher slot, creating a ton of whip downhill. Fast arm with plenty of acceleration through release that created some burst out of the hand on the heater, which worked 82-85 mph. The pitch had a ton of running life, induced whiffs, and played well at the top of the zone. He paired that with a 12-6 shaped breaking ball that had big vertical depth to it, working the mid-60s. He threw 3.0 innings of shut-out ball, allowing 2 hits, walking 3, and striking out 6 opposing hitters. Dalton was dominant on the mound on Saturday.

Will Steffen (2026, Dubuque, Iowa) shined on both sides of the ball for Iowa Select PG Renegades. He jumped on the mound on Saturday, working from a tough three-quarters arm slot, running the heater up into the low-80s and getting some whiffs from the opposition, using the arm-side run well. He mixed in a fading changeup and 12-6 curveball. The changeup was in the mid-70s, and the breaker was in the upper-60s, around 70 mph. He mixed all three pitches for success.  Steffen threw 3 and ⅓ innings, walking 1, allowing no hits, and striking out 5 opposing hitters. He also showed off some good swings at the dish, going 2-for-4 at the plate with 2 walks to his credit as well. Steffen got it done on both sides of the ball for his team. 

JP Elbert (2027, Dubuque, Iowa) has a high-waisted 5-foot-11, 160-pound build with room to keep filling out moving forward. Elbert worked 79-81 mph on the fastball with some arm-side life to the pitch. He showed a slurvy breaking in the mix as well, showing 11/5 shape mostly. Flashed a gyro slider as well in the 68-71 mph range. He manipulated the breaker well as needed for success. He threw from a three-quarters arm slot with a longer arm action through the back as he worked through release. He threw 3 innings, allowing a hit, walking 2, and striking out 5 opposing hitters along the way for his squad. Added a base knock to his credit as well, finding a barrel at the dish, from the right side of the plate. Projectable traits on the mound here. 

Tayvon Homolar (2024, Waterloo, Iowa) handled the bat well for his Iowa Select Waterloo W squad this weekend. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound right-handed hitting C/IF got it done at the dish. He’s got a compact but physical and strong frame that produced some good swings. The Southeastern CC commit showed off strength to leverage and bat speed to do damage. Plenty to like about swinging it from the right side and being able to work pull-side with his best swings. Added a couple of hits to his credit on the weekend and was able to help produce for his team’s lineup. 

Jase Canfield (2025, Dubuque, Iowa) is a compact 5-foot-8, 160-pound frame with plenty of athleticism and twitch throughout. He swings it from the right side and put together some good at-bats this weekend. It’s a short and direct stroke, working from a spread base. He is able to work quickly through the zone with bat speed and the ability to impact with lightning-quick hands. He put together some good swings on the weekend, adding 2 hits, including a double to his credit. He’s short to the ball and finds ways to get it done at the plate. Plenty to like from the right-handed hitting middle infielder. Uncommitted prospect. 

James Very (2025, Bettendorf, Iowa) made the most of his at-bats on Saturday. He went to the plate 4 times and reached base every time he stepped in the box. He had 3 singles and a walk, finding a way on. He has a bigger and physical 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame that gives him some strength to impact and do damage with the barrel. He swings it from the right side with a spread and wide base, the hand set high and the back elbow up. He lifts the front foot and works directly with the hands, getting through the zone with some quickness. He has some feel for the barrel, being able to get the bat on time and on plane to drive the ball. Added several hits with his swings this weekend. Uncommitted prospect. 

- Tyler Kotila


Colton Arndt (2026, Ankeny, Iowa) made a great impression this weekend, showcasing his athleticism both in the box and on the mound. Arndt, hailing from Ankeny, Iowa, is a right-handed pitcher who brought a heavy fastball that sat 81-84, topping out at 85 mph. Arndt showed great command with his fastball and had success blowing it by hitters, also flashing a curveball in the 69-70 mph range that carried 10/4 shape. Arndt has clean mechanics, starting from the ground up with a strong lower half and ramping it up upon delivery with solid arm speed. Arndt’s finishing line consisted of 3 innings pitched and 7 strikeouts, surrendering just 1 earned run. In the box, Arndt collected three hits, including a double, triple, and capped it off with a home run to the opposite field. Starting with a narrow, slightly open stance, he does a great job of getting his hands straight to the ball, showing great barrel control and strength to both sides of the field all day. Arndt is a great two-way prospect that oozes with athleticism, and would not be surprised to see him come off the board soon.

Patrick O'Brien (2026, Bettendorf, Iowa) looked to be in control from start to finish in his outing this weekend for Iowa Select O’Brien. Through 3 and 2/3 innings pitched, O’Brien collected 6 strikeouts, giving up just 1 hit and a couple walks. O’Brien is a right-handed pitcher and primarily worked out of the wind up with a very polished and simple routine. Very balanced throughout, letting his lower half carry most of the load, allowing his arm to flow freely and maintain his velocity as he got deeper into his outing. O’Brien showed great command of his fastball that sat 81-84, bumping that 84 mark multiple times. He also showcased a good feel for his curveball with a 12/6 shape that he used for strikes as well. Curveball plays very well off of fastball, dipping down into the 70-74 range with consistent mechanics. O’Brien looks very mature on the mound, and as the Spring progresses, I would not be surprised to see velocity numbers make a jump and see him go further into outings.


Colby Gast (2026, Durant, Iowa) doing Colby Gast things this weekend, batting in the leadoff spot for Iowa Select 2026 Scout. Gast is a left-handed hitter with an athletic, clean stroke and great speed on the base paths. Looks very mature in the box, mixed with great hand speed and barrel control. Gast finished his weekend with three hits, including a double, three stolen bases, and reaching home three times. Gast has been as consistent a hitter you could ask for so far this Spring as he brought his average up to an impressive .538 and an OPS of 1.215. Gast possesses a lot of admirable traits in a baseball player that translate to the next level. One of the more projectable hitters in his class.
 
Conner Lancaster (2026, Centerville, Iowa) looked very impressive in his outing this weekend, going four innings and collecting eight strikeouts on his way to a victory for Iowa Select Blue Hawks Irwin. Lancaster is a right-handed pitcher, standing on the bump at 5 foot 9, 140 pounds and did not blow hitters away with his velocity but kept them on their toes all day with a sweeping curveball from a lower three-quarter arm slot, naturally helping him hide the ball well upon delivery. Lancaster showed he is comfortable locating his curveball that carries a major horizontal break early in at-bats as a get-me-over pitch and complemented it well with his fastball. Lancaster does a great job with his lower body, getting downhill, giving his fastball an extra layer that seems to get on hitters quickly. Lancaster shows a lot of upside on the mound as he adds weight and matures; there is a lot to like about this pitcher and will be an interesting follow as he progresses on the mound. 

Brandon Bea (2026, Davenport, Iowa) had a great offensive showing this weekend, finishing with four hits, including two doubles and a run batted in for Iowa Select 2026 Scout. Bea is a right-handed, middle-infielder who stands at 5 feet 10, 165 pounds and moves with a lot of twitch athleticism everywhere he goes on the field. Bea starts with a slightly open stance, a high handset, and gets a ton of momentum toward the pitcher during his swing, and shows big power to the pull side. Does a great job of getting barrel through the zone on an even plane early, allowing the ability to go and get pitches in any part of the zone. Bea is an ideal middle-infielder and a great prospect with plus arm strength in the field as well.

- Aiden Moeller
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