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General  | General | 4/22/2020

Best of 7 Series: Midwest

Nate Schweers
Photo: Ed Howard (Perfect Game)

Each segment of the Best of 7, 10-part series has been assembled by one of PG’s scouts. The idea of this exercise is to put together a team with the best amateur players from 10 different regions from across the country in an attempt to win a seven-game series. The players are not necessarily the top prospects in each state/region, but those that have consistently proven they have what it takes to win consistently at a high level. Which region would win such a series? Stay tuned to Perfect Game and join us @PerfectGameUSA to chime in.

Best of 7 Series: Florida | Pacific | Southeast | Texahoma | Southwest

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

Dillon Dingler 

Ranked as a top 50 MLB Draft prospect for 2020, Dingler has cemented himself as one, of if not the top, backstop in the Midwest region. Dingler was hitting .340 when his 2020 campaign came to a halt, hitting five homeruns and driving in 14. The Buckeyes catcher has high-end athleticism and a history of hitting at a strong clip during his college career. With big numbers and experience, Dingler is an easy choice to captain the field for this Midwest team. 

AJ Vukovich

Though Vukovich finds himself slotted at first base on this Midwest region team, the Wisconsin native and 2019 PG All-American certainly provides some versatility to the lineup. The Louisville signee has shown the ability to play both corners in the infield and outfield in the past and has even taken the hill in some PG events. Vukovich is a sub-7.00 runner and has a strong combination of power and defense that can make an impact anywhere. 

Jack Blomgren

Blomgren and his fellow Michigan teammates bring a unique and important experience to this team, a trip to the College World Series. Blomgren hit .314 in that 2019 CWS campaign, fielding at a .965 clip and knocking in 47 RBI. Blomgren has long been a name to know dating back to his high school days and the Wisconsin native earned All-Tournament Team honors in some of PG’s most marquee events. 

Ed Howard

The No. 1 shortstop in the 2020 class, Howard is as polished as they come for a prep infielder on the defensive side of the ball. The Oklahoma signee has plenty of twitch with lightning fast hands at the ball and can be quite the table-setter near the top of the order. Howard has a career .429 on-base percentage in his PG career and brings balance and athleticism to the lineup. 

Zavier Warren 

Warren has flown up draft boards after a pair of really strong seasons at the hot corner for the Chippewas, earning MAC Player of the Year honors in 2019 and looking like he was well on his way to another All-MAC selection in 2020. Warren can really defend at third base but has made the most noise with the bat as he hit .363 in 2019, driving in 68 RBI and getting on base at nearly a .500 clip. Warren’s bat plays in any lineup and is an excellent middle-of-the-order type game changer. 

Grant Richardson

Richardson has long been known in the PG world dating back to his high school days as a top-250 prospect in the 2018 class. Richardson broke out in a big way in 2020, hitting .424 in the limited sample size while driving five homeruns and plating 17 RBI. Richardson can defend in the corner outfield and it is clear that the 2020 PG Honor Roll player can really swing it in the meat of the order. The Fishers, Indiana native will add some juice to an already stacked lineup. 

Levi Usher

Usher made his presence known in the Louisville lineup this spring, batting .411 with a pair of homeruns and double-digit RBI. A 2017 PG All-American, Usher has elite-level, sub 6.5-second speed and stole 11 bags in 12 attempts this season. Usher has always showcased a big-time arm from the outfield as well and could play any of the three outfield positions. Usher’s combination of speed and athleticism makes him a great candidate to hit near the top of any order. 

Christian Knapczyk

A secondary outfielder that defends well anywhere on the diamond, Knapczyk has long exceled in PG events during his high school career. Most recently, Knapczyk earned All-Tournament Team honors at the WWBA World Championship after hitting .389 for the Cangelosi Sparks. The Plainfield, Illinois native shines on the big stage and adds some versatility to the lineup with his speed and defense. The Louisville signee can be a great table-setter to turn over the lineup. 

Ryan Hampe 

A Freshman All-American in 2019 with Illinois-Chicago, Hampe picked up right where he left off with John A. Logan CC in 2020. A strong kid with a very present hit tool, Hampe was hitting .413 with four long balls and 24 RBI during the shortened 2020 season. Hampe puts together quality at-bats in nearly every trip to the plate and has the juice to knock balls to and through both gaps. Signed to attend Illinois in 2021, Hampe provides exactly what you’re looking for out of the DH spot. 

Alex Binelas

A Wisconsin native and the 35th round selection of the Nationals in the 2018 MLB Draft, Binelas provides plenty of versatility and experience to this Midwest team. After finishing his PG career ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the state of Wisconsin, Binelas got acclimated to the college game quickly. The lefty hit .291 with double-digit homeruns and nearly 60 RBI in his freshman campaign and provides some serious juice to any lineup. 

Alex Mooney

One of the top players in the 2021 class as whole, Mooney has performed at every stop in his PG career. The Duke commit has the ability to play all three infield spots, runs well, and has really started to incorporate some power into his game over the last 12 months. With big arm strength and serious feel for the game, the Orchard Lake St. Mary’s product adds depth to any team as well as the ability to be plugged into the lineup nearly anywhere. 

Reid Detmers

Detmers is one of the top lefthanders at the collegiate level and features arguably the best pitch in the college game with his big curveball. Detmers went 3-0 in four starts in 2020, posting a 1.23 ERA and striking out an eye-popping 48 hitters in just 22 innings of work. Detmers serves as the pitching staff ace, competing with consistency and with his experience pitching in the ACC as well as College World Series action, Detmers is a no-brainer to lead this Midwest pitching staff. 



Jeff Criswell

Like Blomgren, Criswell brings experience in Omaha to this Midwest squad. An integral part to the Wolverines’ run in 2019, Criswell brings both starter and reliever experience to what should be a loaded pitching staff. Criswell did a little bit of everything for Michigan in 2019, going 7-1 with three saves on his way to a 2.72 ERA for the year. With his big game experience and big-time stuff Criswell adds some versatility here. 

Kyle Nicolas

Though his season stats aren’t glamorous to the naked eye, Nicolas has the stuff and experience to dominate on the mound in a seven-game set. The Ohio native finished his PG career ranked as a top-500 prospect in the 2017 class, taking the mound for Ohio Elite and cementing himself as a top prospect in the MAC from day one. Nicolas has had command issues at times in his Ball State career but the strikeout numbers certainly stand out as does his big time fastball.




Ben Hernandez

A 2019 PG All-American from Chicago, Hernandez has clean and repeatable mechanics that fit a solid starter profile on this team and at the next level. Ranked as the No. 40 player in Perfect Game’s 2020 class, Hernandez can run the fastball up to 94 mph and has really shown an ability to pitch at a high level in his last two PG events while showing one of the best changeups in the class. Though the Illinois-Chicago commit didn’t get a chance to really impress with his stuff in his 2020 high school season, the All-American is a no-brainer to add some youth to this pitching staff. 

Logan Wood 

Another member of Michigan’s loaded Orchard Lake St. Mary’s team, Wood has long dominated the PG circuit during his prep career. The lefty from Macomb, Michigan really knows how to pitch from the left side and is perfect for a left-on-left matchup in this seven-game series. Wood did not allow an earned run at PG Tournaments in 2019, striking out 19 in 16 innings of work and allow less than one baserunner per inning. 

Mason Erla

Erla was off to one of the hottest starts in country in 2020, posting a 1.04 ERA in 26 innings during the shortened 2020 campaign. A 2016 grad from Cass City, Michigan, the right-hander has good size and athleticism to go with stuff that has really made a jump in 2020. With plenty of experience, the Spartans ace has a high K/9 and low walk totals that provide some stability to this Midwest Region pitching staff. 

Luke Seed 

The second member of the top ranked John A. Logan team to make this Midwest team, Seed turned in an extremely impressive line in 2020. Seed struck out 50 hitters in just a shade under 29 innings in 2020, compiling a 4-0 record in his six starts. Ranked in the preseason as the No.  142 JUCO prospect in the country, Seed brings strikeout stuff and a history of winning to this pitching staff, adding value in late game/big situations. 

Evan Shawver

The Bearcat’s Friday night starter was off to an impressive 2020 when COVID-19 put a halt to the season. Shawver posted a 1.59 ERA and 2-0 record in his four starts this season, striking out 35 in his 22.2 innings while holding hitters to a just a .128 batting average. Shawver has pitched against big opponents in his career and took a strong outing deep into a start in Tallahassee just this past February. 

Garrett Acton

A 35th round selection in the 2016 MLB Draft, Acton has been a staple in the Illini bullpen over the last two years and has cemented himself as one of the top closers in the Midwest. Acton has made 36 appearances at the Division 1 level, gathering 25 saves and posting a 1.82 ERA. In any seven-game set, back end pitching can be the key to securing victories and therefore, Acton provides the experience, skill set, and statistical history to lock down victories for this Midwest group. 
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