Recruiting Notebook: April 27
Zach Stichweh, rhp, Class of 2022
Commitment: Maryland
Maryland has always done a nice job of identifying talent, especially on the mound as of late given the slew of talented freshman and sophomore arms on campus now. Another high-end prospect out of the Northeast powerhouse Seton Hall Prep, Stichweh was excellent throughout the 2019 Perfect Game season showing an advanced feel for the strike zone, punching out 38 in 24.1 innings while walking just nine. He opened the summer with a heater that worked in the mid-80s and saw a continued upward tick into the fall, topping out at 88 mph at the Sophomore World Championships, though reports from this winter and early spring have it flashing a couple mph better still. Stichweh shows a full array of secondary pitches and given he just turned 16, he’ll be an arm to follow closely throughout the summer and fall circuit.
Outlook for the class: Per the Perfect Game website, Stichweh is the seventh commit in 2022 for the Terrapins and he bolsters what’s an already impressive crop of talent. Stichweh checks in at No. 321 nationally in the latest 2022 class rankings and he gives Maryland three players now ranked within the top-500. He’s the third righthander to commit in the class joining Thomas Rogers and Eliakim Stowe, a pair of ultra-projectable righthanders with quality stuff at present similar to Stichweh.
Billy "BJ" Graham Jr., of, Class of 2021
Commitment: Tulane
A quick look at Graham’s profile reveals a handful of scout recaps from last summer, meaning that even in a large pool of talent his skills stood out to our scouts. He was a mainstay in the Hit Factory PRO lineup thanks to a lefthanded stroke that’s as powerful and whippy as it is short and leveraged, creating lots of hard hit baseball in route to a .300 average on the summer. Graham continued to swing it well during the PG Florida Top Prospect Games, showing the same refined approach and ability to draw out at-bats before finding the barrel just as he did in a tournament setting. On the defensive side of things, he shows versatility though it’s the bat that is the calling card here.
Outlook for the class: Tulane has showed no hesitation in going wherever the recruiting trail takes them and their 2021 class is a perfect representation of that as their top five commits hail from five different states, including Texas, Missouri, Massachusetts, Florida, and their home state, Louisiana. Graham brings another lefthanded swing to the class and given his ability to find the barrel and his present physicality, it’s only a matter of time before he starts driving the ball over the fence.
Nate Moquin, rhp, Class of 2022
Commitment: Nebraska
Moquin made his Perfect Game debut in 2018 and it didn’t take a baseball guru to know that his then 83 mph fastball was going to jump sooner rather than later given his long 6-foot-4, 185-pounds. The top ranked prospect in Nebraska won’t have to go far for the next stop in his career, though that 83 mph fastball he showed back in 2018 has continued to climb into the upper-80s, touching better with plenty of arm speed to project a few more jumps left in the tank. Having shown the ability to spin a quality breaker, the jump on his fastball, and the long term projectability, odds are you’ll be hearing Moquin’s name a lot more frequently this spring.
Outlook for the class: With just two commitments listed in their 2022 class, Moquin is a huge get for the Nebraska coaching staff. Not only does he provide sky-high upside who could contribute quickly given his upward trend but he joins fellow in-state lefthander Hayden Lewis as a part of the ’22 crop, showing the Huskers are taking care of business in their home state.
Loreto Siniscalchi, rhp, Class of 2021
Commitment: Washington State
Siniscalchi has been on the national scene for some time now as he helped lead his Canadian team in the Little League World Series in 2016 and has continued to hone his skill over the years. A PG Select Festival alum and first ever Canadian born selection, Siniscalchi has seen a nice progression in his overall arsenal and took the mound in Jupiter for the WWBA World Championships where he ran his fastball up to 91 mph. His curveball has proven to be a go-to secondary offering for the newly minted Washington State commit, a true 12-6, downer pitch in the mid-70s while flashing a changeup from a similar tunnel as well.
Outlook for the class: In the previous installment of this notebook I broke down Washington State’s commitment of Kaden Schiefelbein, a talent righthander with projectable stuff. Jump to this week and the Cougars have landed another legitimate arm with Siniscalchi. The staff is doing a nice job of building quality depth on the mound and the addition of Siniscalchi is big as the No. 249 ranked player in the country has the potential to be a weekend starter.
Seth Clausen, rhp, Class of 2021
Commitment: Minnesota
From the 2019 WWBA Underclass World Championships in October to the Pitcher/Catcher Indoor Showcase in February, Clausen made a noticeable gain in velocity, jumping from a top of 86 mph to 90 mph in a couple month span. The arm speed and use of his lower half both stood out for the Iowa righthander, two elements of his delivery that were responsible for his velocity spike. Not only did he run his fastball up to 90 mph in our most recent look, but he also filled up the strike zone with heavy life to either side of the plate. Along with the fastball Clausen spins a quality curveball with 11-5 shape and downer bite, giving him two legit pitches to mix and miss bats with.
Outlook for the class: The Golden Gophers are assembling a quality crop of talent in their 2021 class, now eight players deep with six checking in as Top-500 while Clausen is currently ranked No. 481 nationally. He’s the third righthander and fourth arm overall according to their class on Perfect Game and Clausen provides a quality strike throwing option whose arsenal is only going to continue to improve.
Brody Brecht, rhp, Class of 2021
Commitment: Iowa
One of the top athletes in the state of Iowa, the Hawkeyes recently locked up Brecht who committed to stay in-state and plans to play both baseball and football once on campus. Along with the two-sport potential, there’s real two-way potential with Brecht too, a primary outfielder who has shown very well on the mound with legitimate upside. He’s a sub-7 runner in the 60-yard despite his long 6-foot-4 frame and shows a strong arm and athleticism in the outfield with a quick stroke from the right side. Already up to 90 mph on the mound, Brecht works exclusively out of the stretch and fills the zone from a higher slot, showing plenty of bat speed through the back and near limitless overall projection. The heater comes out easily and cleanly with cutting action and he does a nice job of mixing a sharp 12-6 shaped curved with late bite and snap.
Outlook for the class: According to the Perfect Game website Brecht is the Hawkeyes ninth commit in the 2021 class and second highest ranked prospect at No. 302 nationally behind shortstop Sam Petersen at No. 255. It’s clear the coaching staff has put an emphasis on securing their state and locking up the talent as all nine commitments call Iowa home. Landing an athlete like Brecht is big for the class and though his athleticism will ultimately dictates where he plays, he has the tools to make an impact somewhere on the field.