THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,473 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,473 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
High School  | General | 2/20/2018

Regional HS Preview: Midwest

David Rawnsley
Photo: Perfect Game



For all of Perfect Game's regional previews as part of the 2018 high school baseball preview content, the Dream Team is available for free. The region top tools can be viewed with an Insider subscription. To learn more about Perfect Game's subscription packages and to sign up today please visit this link.

2018 Perfect Game High School Preview Index


Top 10 Midwest Region High Schools
Rk. Nat'l School '17 Rec. '17 Finish
1 29 Pleasure Ridge Park (Ky.) 40-5 KHSAA State Champs
2 31 Kokomo (Ind.) 21-4 IHSAA 4A First Round
3 42 Joliet Catholic Academy (Ill.) 18-11-1 No Playoffs
4 NR Jackson (Ohio) 31-2 Ohio Division I State Champs
5 NR Mt. Carmel (Ill.) 27-10 No Playoffs
6 NR Saline (Mich.) 39-3 MHSAA Division I State Champs
7 NR Cathedral (Ind.) 29-0 IHSAA 4A State Champs
8 NR Archbishop Moeller (Ohio) 19-7 No Playoffs
9 NR Trinity (Ky.) 32-6-2 KHSAA State Tournament First Round
10 NR Detroit Country Day (Mich.) 10-3 MHSAA Division 2 Regional Finals

Nat’l denotes rank on the Preseason National High School Top 50

Midwest Region: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin

The Midwest Region's senior class is very strong this year and the All-Region team features eight Perfect Game All-Americans, ranking the region third in that category behind Florida and the Southeast. In fact, all but one member of the Dream Team, righthander Quinn Preister, is a senior. All of those seniors are ranked among the top 110 prospects in the 2018 draft class according to Perfect Game.

There is no college that recruits and signs more top prospects from the Midwest Region than the Louisville Cardinals, who have signed five of the 14 All-Region standouts, although some, if not all, of those players are sure to get serious attention from professional clubs leading up to the June draft. Vanderbilt has also hit the region hard, with three signees.




Midwest Region High School Dream Team

C – Hayden Jones, Sr., Carroll HS,  Huntertown (Ind.)
A three-year starter at Carroll High School and a 2017 4A All-State selection, Jones is the 110th ranked player in the PG 2018 national class rankings and is signed with Mississippi State. A righthanded hitter with very good strength in his swing, Jones hit .519-5-27 as a junior and is a .430 hitter for his high school career. For as good as his bat has played, he's held in higher regard for his defense by evaluators.

1B – John Malcom, Sr., Detroit Country Day HS, West Bloomfield (Mich.)
Malcom fits the profile of the slugging, middle-of-the-order first baseman with his loose and still projectable 6-foot-4, 215-pound build and some of the best raw lefthanded bat speed in the 2018 class nationally. He's also an above average athlete for the position, with 6.8 speed in the 60-yard dash and quick feet and soft hands around the bag defensively. A Perfect Game All-American, Malcom is the top-ranked player in Michigan and the 41st ranked player nationally. He is signed with Vanderbilt.

MIF – Jared Poland, Sr., Cathedral HS, Indianapolis (Ind.)
Poland was a standout for last year's Cathedral team that went 29-0 and finished 18th in the final Perfect Game national rankings, hitting .438-5-29 with 33 walks against only six strikeouts. He then hit the summer circuit hard, literally and figuratively, standing out for his consistent very hard gap-to-gap contact and barrel skills. Finding a future position for the Louisville signee will be interesting, as while Poland has 6.6 speed and has topped out at 92 mph on the mound, he doesn't have middle infield actions on defense. Some have compared him to present Cincinnati Reds top prospect Nick Senzel at the same age.

MIF – Spencer Schwellenbach, Sr., Heritage HS, Saginaw (Mich.)
Schwellenbach broke a bone in his non-throwing hand and missed the most important part of the summer season so he isn't as well exposed nationally as he might have been. He's a two-way prospect who could end up either on the mound or in the middle infield at the next level and is notably signed with Nebraska, which has a strong history of two-way players under coach Darin Erstad. He is strongest as a position player on defense, where he has lots of athletic agility – he's also a high-level soccer player – with an extremely strong arm that can hit the mid-90s off the mound.

3B – Bryce Bush, Sr., De La Salle HS, Birmingham (Mich.)
Bush was a 2017 Perfect Game All-American and has some of the best raw bat speed in the 2018 class nationally and is capable of generating exit velocities over 100 mph. His righthanded approach is very aggressive and he's one of the types of hitters that has such good bat control that he can foul off pitches and extend counts while taking a full cut at the ball. Defensively, Bush has played all the corner positions but it will be his bat that carries him at the next level. He's signed with Mississippi State.

OF – Alek Thomas, Sr., Mt. Carmel HS, Chicago (Ill.)
The highly athletic Thomas was a Perfect Game All-American and is currently ranked 36th in the PG national class rankings. He's a very quick-twitch athlete with center field tools and skills and a high contact lefthanded swing that fits the top of the order well but enough bat speed to project gap power and 10-15 home run potential when he's physically mature. Along with his multi-sport athleticism, Thomas has grown up around big league clubhouses as his father, Allen, is a former minor league player and the long-time strength and conditioning coach for the White Sox. A good big league comparison for Thomas would be the Yankees Brett Gardner.

OF – Nicholas Schnell, Sr., Roncalli HS, Indianapolis (Ind.)
Schnell was one of the fastest risers over last year's summer circuit while remaining one of the most projectable outfielders in the country with a young and slender 6-foot-2, 175-pound build. He has a nice combination of offensive skills and defensive athleticism, with center field speed on defense and one of the strongest throwing arms in the country. He is signed with Louisville.

OF – Jarred Kelenic, Sr., Waukesha West HS, Waukesha (Wis.)
Kelenic is perhaps the most tooled-up position player in the 2018 class, with 6.5 speed in the 60-yard dash, a throwing arm capable of hitting 96 mph in the outfield and the low-90s on the mound and some of the best lefthanded bat speed in the high school ranks with a swing that should enable him to hit for both power and average. He's also known as one of the most competitive athletes among the top prospects, although he has shown a noticeable ability to forget about the inevitable bad at-bats and not take them to the next inning or next trip to the plate. He is signed with Louisville, although he is very likely to be heavily discussed among the top 10 picks in June.

UT – Nick Northcut, Sr., Mason HS, Mason (Ohio)
Northcut has been throwing in the low-90s with a hard slider since his freshman year and frequently closes for Canes Baseball but his future is likely as a strong-armed third baseman with very good strength and a chance to hit with plus power. A righthanded hitter, Northcut hit .468 with 28 RBI as a junior at Mason High School and played in the 2017 Perfect Game All-American Classic. He is signed with Vanderbilt, where he could fill the same sort of dual role at the college level.

SP – Austin Becker, Sr., Big Walnut HS, Sunbury (Ohio)
Becker is one of the most projectable pitchers in the country, with a long, loose and athletic 6-foot-6, 185-pound build and a smooth and easy arm action. He topped out at 95-96 mph during many of his summer outings and locates his fastball well for a big, young pitcher. Becker throws both a curveball and a changeup, with the curveball flashing plus potential when he's on top of it with full arm speed. Perhaps not so ironically, Becker's father, Kevin, was a 6-foot-7, 180-pound righthander when he signed with the Red Sox out of an Ohio high school in 1992, although his son will certainly be a much higher pick than dad's 34th round slot, if he is deemed signable despite a Vanderbilt scholarship.

SP – Carter Lohman, Sr., Hamilton Southeastern HS, Fishers (Ind.)
Lohman hit 92 mph with his fastball in the fall but generally works in the upper-80s with his fastball while throwing it to spots. When he's at his best he's mixing his pitches, including a very good changeup and a curveball that he throws anywhere between 72 and 78 mph with good feel and big downward shape. Lohman is the 103rd ranked player in the PG national class rankings and is signed with Louisville.

SP – Jack Perkins, Sr., Kokomo HS, Kokomo (Ind.)
Perkins was the star two-way performer at Kokomo High School as a junior, hitting .375-5-31 while going 3-2, 1.46 with 63 strikeouts in 38 innings on the mound. Perkins has a lightning quick arm on the mound and will consistently work in the 92-94 mph range and top out higher when his delivery is in sync. He also throws a hard curveball and changeup. Perkins is the 56th ranked player in the PG national class rankings and is signed with Louisville.

SP – Quinn Priester, Jr., Cary-Grove HS, Cary (Ill.)
Priester is a very athletic and projectable 6-foot-3, 190-pound righthander with a fastball that has reached 91 mph at PG events with reports that he's been up to 93 at other times. His best pitch is a mid-70s true 12-to-6 curveball that has outstanding spin and depth. Part of Priester's projection is that he is a very talented dual threat quarterback during the fall. He is the 39th-ranked prospect in the 2019 class and is verbally committed to Texas Christian for baseball.

SP – Drew Rom, Sr., Highlands HS, Fort Thomas (Ky.)
Rom was one of the most improved pitchers in the country over the course of 2017, starting out the year throwing 85-87 mph and ending with a dominant performance at the WWBA World Championship in October sitting at 89-91 with an outstanding slider. Rom went 9-3, with 117 strikeouts in 65 innings during the spring for Highlands High School and is the 71st ranked prospect in the PG national class rankings. He's also an elite level student and is signed with Michigan.


Midwest Region Top Tools

This is PG 'DiamondKast' Level content.
You must be either an DiamondKast, Crosschecker Rankings & Scouting Reports, or Scout subscriber to read the rest.
Sign in Subscribe Now
Give us your feedback
High School | General | 6/10/2026

Ohio Valley High School Notebook
Jordan Gates
Article Image
‘26 RHP Jack Ryan (@StXBall) w/ an absolute masterclass in the region semis. CG/Shutout, 4 BB & 9 Ks & a No Hitter ‼️ FB worked 89-92, flashed a 93 1x. Velo held in the later innings 88-90. SL was plus @ 81-82 (2400+)/tight, while CH flipped in the low 80s, bottom of the zone.… pic.twitter.com/pdYaEqHmx5 — Perfect Game Ohio Valley (@PG_OhioValley) June 3, 2026 Jack Ryan, 2026, RHP, St. Xavier (OH) JR is finishing his senior campaign off in high fashion. Ryan threw a no-hitter in the Region Semifinals and now the bombers find themselves in the D1 State Final Four. The Boston College commit has taken home numerous awards this season, including conference & city player of the year in Cincinnati, OH. One last award left and that is to will the bombers to a state championship. Ryan has impressed all year and with one week to go, he is leaving it all on the field...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/15/2026

Coastal Region Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Wyatt Smitherman (2028, Durham NC) had a solid day at the plate for USA Prime Triangle 16u Stars in their matchup against the Charlotte Colts. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound shortstop has a tall athletic frame. The left handed batter displayed a mature approach at the plate. Attacks fastballs and drives them with authority. He has quick hands and gets the barrel through the zone. Uses his lower half to his advantage creating enough torque to generate his power he shown. Smitherman finished the day going 1-for-3 with a home run and 4 RBI. Zachary Days (2028, Charlotte NC) had a impressive day at the plate for the Charlotte Colts against USA Prime Coastal. The 6-foot-3, 170 pound center fielder has a tall athletic frame. Days bats from the left side with a short but powerful swing. Very disciplined during his AB’s and applies pressure on the defense. He shifts his weight to his lower half...
Read More
Tournaments | Championship | 6/15/2026

Weather Can't Delay Top Tier Victory

Alyssa Golden
Article Image
A seven-run first inning gave Top Tier Roos American Red 2027 all the momentum they needed Sunday morning, but the road to a Florida World Series championship was far from straightforward.  After jumping out to an early lead against WBC 17u, Top Tier endured a 3 ½-hour rain delay before returning to finish off a 9-1 victory at Lee Health Sports Complex.  The championship game, which began at 8 a.m. and did not conclude until nearly 1 p.m., ended in the bottom of the fifth inning under Perfect Game’s mercy-rule format. Top Tier’s dominant performance was powered by a complete-game effort from Christian Davis and an offense that erupted for seven runs in the first inning.  Not even hours of uncertainty and lightning delays could keep Top Tier from finishing what they started.  Davis started on the mound for Top Tier and remained the entire five...
Read More
Softball | Softball Tournament | 6/14/2026

PG Softball Super Regionals

Erica Beach
Article Image
PG Super Regionals Dripping Springs, Texas June 6-7, 2026     DRIPPING SPRINGS, TX- The weather was nice, the Longhorns JUST won a national championship, and Perfect Game brought it’s first softball event to Dripping Springs. It was a weekend packed with college coaches, quality softball, and a great softball atmosphere. Over the course of the six-game guarantee event, our scout saw some amazing athletes. Below she highlights some of the athletes who caught her eye.   Destiny Sidiropoulos (2028, Houston, TX) of the Impact Gold HTX 16U was an incredible spark plug at the top of their lineup all weekend. She is a true triple threat who has great speed on the basepaths. She can soft and power slap, drop a sneaky bunt, and hit away with pop. Her barrel control is next level, and she is fun to watch pick apart defenses. On defense, she is versatile and athletic. She gets...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/13/2026

West Coast Summer Breakout Hopefuls

Joey Cohen
Article Image
With summer ball ramping up, the priority follow lists from our scouting staff start to take shape and every year a handful of intriguing names outside the national spotlight begin to separate. Digging deeper into the West region, there’s a group of prospects currently buried outside the Top 200 who carry real breakout and helium potential over the next few months. All 10 players featured here are coming off strong high school seasons and bring traits that evaluators tend to bet on whether it’s projectable/athletic bodies, strong secondary stuff, or flashes of impact tools. They may not be household names just yet, but the ingredients are there for significant jumps by the end of the summer circuit. Don’t be surprised if several of these names are firmly in the mix and climbing up early boards in a hurry before the fall rolls around. Two innings of work here from Jonah...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/14/2026

UBC West Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
Nash McCarthy (2030, Camas, WA) was outstanding in his start on day two of the UBC West for NW Baum Bat, working six-innings allowing four-hits, no walks and struck out seven.  Standing at 6-foot, 170-pounds with athleticism and room to add.  Effortless mover down the bump with a low effort, up-tempo operation that produced a fastball that was up to 84.  He showed feel for the secondary offerings mixing in a firm breaking ball at 71-74 with 11-5 shape with depth.  Controlled the zone and the tempo throughout the outing, moving the ball around to all four-quadrants.  Projectable arm speed with advanced feel for the spin and strike zone.  Dylan D'Oyen (2030, Cerritos, CA) got the start for 5 Star 2030 in their opening game of the tournament and impressed over six innings of work.  Athletic mover down the mound with balance and repeats the delivery. ...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/13/2026

UBC South Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Quintin Blackwell (2030, Hercules, California) has, literally, been unstoppable this weekend for Premier Banditos Deleon. In six plate appearances, he has a walk and five hits. Doing it all with a double and two triples, while stealing three bags. Plenty of coil on the front side. Hands work through zone and the barrel stays on plane for a long time. High upside bat that makes an already deep Banditos lineup even deeper. Kenson Buth (2027, Trophy Club, Texas) has been an absolute weapon on both ends for Stix 2027 Scout. At the plate, he’s 6-9 with two doubles, a triple, and a home run. Linear approach with a ton of bat speed. Plenty of impact at the bottom of the zone and showing some ability to do serious damage in the middle of the field. On the mound, he went four quality innings, punching out three. The fastball lived 86-90 with carry. Good feel for the slider in the mid 70s....
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/13/2026

WWBA East Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Sawyer Pettit (‘27 MS) Has shown extremely well to start the summer of 2026. Its a physical left-handed hitting corner profile with big muscle mass. Will pass the eye test off the bus at the next level. The swing is clean with controlled violence and big in-air power that has shown up frequently. Good mover for the size and plays the game hard. Candidate for a big frosh season at LSU-Eunice in 2028. Keviyun McQueen (‘27 MS) Pair of barrels tied together here. Innate feel to hit with fast hands. Line drive approach that gets to pull side power in the air. Excellent athlete that will stick at a premium spot. #LaTech commit.#WWBAEast pic.twitter.com/xeintVTMil — PG Deep South (@PG_DeepSouth) June 12, 2026 Keviyun McQueen (‘27 MS) The Louisiana Tech commit just does not stop hitting. Left the yard to the pull side yesterday and followed it up with a 3-4 day with a...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/12/2026

AZ All-State Ready to Take Place

Emily Hicks
Article Image
This weekend, eight teams will head to Goodyear Ballpark for the 2026 PG Arizona All-State tournament, setting the stage for what should be an exciting few days of baseball. With teams traveling from across the city, the field will be packed with talent and plenty of championship contenders. Among the teams competing in 16U are AZ Select, Marucci Athletics 2028 Grannis, Overfly 2028, Phoenix Phillies, Team Dinger 2028, T-Rex East Valley, USA Scout Team AZ 16U, and West Coast Ghost AZ 16U. Each team enters the weekend with its own strengths and goals, creating several intriguing storylines to follow throughout pool play and bracket action. One of the biggest teams to watch this weekend will be 10-10, T-Rex East Valley. Whether it's dominant pitching, high-powered offenses, or strong defensive play, T-Rex East Valley has already shown they can compete at a high level this season. A few...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/12/2026

13/14u PG Elite Scout Notes: Days 3-5

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
13u & 14u PG Elite Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Tucker Richardson (2030, Mobile, Ala.) has already made a name for himself and he continued to play at the expected high level during his time in Hoover, finishing the tournament with a robust .700 average, collecting at least one base hit in each of his team’s games. Now the No. 10 ranked prospect in the country, Richardson more than once showed the ability to read and react to spin out of the pitcher’s hand, barreling up baseballs for a couple of his hits on the tournament. As much as the bat stands out, the defensive actions in the dirt are even better as he’s arguably the best defender in the class, making the most difficult plays look routing, including one where he charged hard on a slow roller with momentum taking him towards the third base dugout but thanks to the big arm, he was able to make the play look second...
Read More
College | Story | 6/11/2026

Collegiate Freshman All-Americans

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Collegiate Postseason Awards | Collegiate All Americans First Team Hitters Pos. Name School Class AVG OBP SLG R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB C Alonzo Alvarez Miami FR 0.341 0.439 0.551 40 57 13 2 6 32 3 1B Ethin Bingaman Auburn FR 0.330 0.415 0.581 60 71 9 0 15 50 4 2B Ethan Ball Virginia Tech FR 0.310 0.420 0.660 43 63 18 1 17 52 3 3B Nico Partida Texas A&M FR 0.306 0.408 0.550 45 55 8 0 12 43 4 SS Jett Kenady California FR 0.320 0.350 0.573 36 66 17 1 11 34 1 IF Linkin Garcia Texas Tech FR 0.338 0.387 0.489 53 78 21 1 4 59 1 OF Angel Laya Oregon FR 0.296 0.396 0.538 49 66 10 1 14 47 5 OF Anthony Pack Jr. Texas FR 0.359 0.485 0.597 58 74 16 0 11 52 20 OF Jacob Parker* Mississippi State FR 0.339 0.449 0.732 51 57 10 1 18 62 7 OF Teddy Tokheim Stanford FR 0.352 0.414 0.704 40 70 19 0 17 47 0 UT Drew Grego Nebraska FR 0.326 0.417 0.531 33 57 13 1 7 44 5 DH Enzo Infelise Cincinnati FR 0.374...
Read More
Loading more articles...
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2026 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.