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Tournaments  | Story  | 9/24/2018

Midwest Freshman Scout Notes

BJ Fish     

WWBA Midwest Freshman Championship Daily Leaders

We entered Day 2 with two teams tied for the berth to the final four. On Saturday afternoon, EMB Gold 2022 (Asbury, Iowa) and Hitters 2022 Navy (Racine, Wis.) played to a 4-4 tie in their Pool 4 game. Hitters held a 4-1 lead heading into the final inning when EMB rallied to score three runs in the bottom half to tie the game before time limit was called. The two teams would remain tied with a 1-0-1 record until they both played their final pool games at 10:20 on Sunday morning.

In another marquee pool game on Sunday Morning, Rhino Baseball (Lockport, Ill.) topped the MN Icemen 15u Sutterer (Blaine, Minn.) in a thrilling 7-6 back-and-forth matchup. Kyle Law (2022, Andover, Minn.) blasted a first inning inside-the-park home run to deep left field to drive in two of the team's three runs in the inning and his team tacked on another in the top of the second to make the score 4-0. Rhino Baseball responded in the third and fifth innings, driving in three runs each inning, respectively. Nick Kolze (2022, Romeoville, Ill.) and Kenny Ospalik (2022, Plainfield, Ill.) each added two hits for Rhino Baseball in the win.

Kolze was argueably the most impressive hitter on the weekend, smashing a home run and driving in five. Kolze, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound first base prospect, showed advanced patience at the plate and a quick barrel through the zone. He was a workhorse all weekend for Rhino Baseball getting at least two hits in each of his team's four games.

In Day 1 action, Christian Mitchelle (2022, Romeoville, Ill.) shined for Rhino Baseball on the mound while picking up a 3-0 shutout win over PG Select Royal 2022. Mitchelle, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound righty, took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning of the game before PG Royal's Ian Gates shot an 0-2 fastball to right field. Mitchelle showed a good presence on the mound and diplayed incredible command of his pitches, not surrending a single walk the entire game while striking out 11 batters. Mitchelle's fastball was his primary pitch at 74-78 mph and showed some late, natural movement which was complemented by a slow-breaking curveball that sat 60-65.




Pool 4 was won by Hitters Baseball 2022 Navy, a team that showcases one of the highest rated players in the entire Country in 41st-ranked Michael Lippe (2022, Whitefish Bay, Wis.), a Louisville commit. Lippe was very impressive at the plate for the majojrity of the tournament, showing an advanced ability to take the ball the other way on pitches on the outer half of the plate.  Lippe showcases a strong, athletic build and a reverse toe tap stride with a gap-to-gap balanced approach. He also flashed above average speed that was showcased in his tournament leading three triples on the weekend.

Gavin Kilen (2022, Milton, Wis.) was a factor both on the mound and at the plate for Hitters Baseball 2022 Navy this weekend. Kilen came in and shut the door to preserve a tie against EMB Gold 2022 in the first game of pool play, striking out one in his only inning of work on Saturday. On Sunday he returned to the mound in the championship game, striking out three in two innings of work. Kilen, a righthander, displays loose arm actions and a high three-quarters arm slot with an athletic finish. Kilen's fastball commanded the zone and sat 78-80 on the weekend. Offensively, Gavin knocked in a huge two-run double in the championship game.

Keegan Knutson (2022, Janesville, Wis.) put on quite the show offensively this weekend, collecting seven hits in nine at-bats for Hitters Baseball Navy. The 5-foot-10, 140-pound shortstop showed a very spread stance with a left leg trigger and high hands. He also showed a good ability to get out ahead of the baseball leading to a flat barrel through the zone. Defensively, Knutson has fluid footwork and does a good job to play through the ball.

Eventual tournament MVP Jayden Comia (2022, Orland Park, Ill.) showed present barrel speed through the zone and an advanced approach at the plate in leading the tournament in triples with three. Comia had a huge weekend, hitting .429 with 10 RBI while coming in late to slam the door in the championship game on the mound. Like his older brother Branden, an Illinois recruit, Jayden has a very bright future as his tools continue to develop.

Tournament MV-Pitcher Tyler Pritchard (Manhattan, Ill.) pitched Cangelosi Sparks 2022 Black to a huge Pool 4 victory on Saturday. Pritchard, a primary outfielder, was very effective and maintained great control throughout the seven nnings pitched, walking only two batters and striking out five.

The Pro Player Canes 2022 (McHenry, Ill.) were runners up in Pool 1, losing by virtue of head-to-head tiebreaker to the Gamers 15u (St. Louis, Mo.). They put together a solid weekend, winning two pool play games as well as their consolation game on Sunday afternoon. The Canes had one of the most impressive pitching performances of the weekend, coming from the right arm of Kyle Kaempf (2022, McHenry, Ill.). Kaempf, a 5-foot-10, 130 pound primary shortstop mixed a 70-74 fastball that topped at 76 with a tight-spinning curveball at 60-64. He showed the ability to pound the strike zone and kept MN Millers hitters off balance throughout the game. Kaempf finished the game with 10 strikeouts and just two walks.
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