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High School  | General | 2/28/2023

Ohio Valley Region Team

David Rawnsley
Photo: Dillon Head (Perfect Game)
High School Preview Index

Regional Previews: Florida | Georgia | Pacific | Deep South | Texas | Southwest | Coastal | Mid-Atlantic | Northeast

States Represented: IL, IN, KY, MI, OH



The Ohio Valley Region really stands out for its athleticism and speed, not the usual areas for this part of the country to dominate. But three of the top five senior outfielders in the country, including Top 5 draft candidate Maxwell Clark, hail from the region. While Clark’s own 6.33 sixty reading is very impressive itself, it hardly ranks him among the fastest five players in the region as well.

There would be even more athleticism from the region if PG All-American catcher Zion Rose hadn’t transferred to IMG Academy from Chicago for his senior season.

The Region’s pitching depth is solid, with two PG All-American pitchers in left-hander Colton Hartman and right-hander Zander Mueth leading the way.

For the first time in years Michigan’s Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, who finished atop in the final 2022 National Top 50 rankings, doesn’t have an individual player on the All-Region team, although they remain the top ranked school in the region overall and seventh nationally. Archbishop Moeller of Ohio is 11th in the Pre-Season Top 50 this year, while Brother Rice will challenge Orchard Lake St. Mary’s as the top team in Michigan and checks in at 29th nationally.


C –  Ryan Bakes (Sr., Huntley HS, Ill.)
 Bakes is a strong-bodied catcher whose best tool is his powerful right-handed bat.  The South Carolina signee had shoulder surgery last April and missed a significant part of the season but is expected to return healthy this spring.  Bakes twin brother Brayden is a similarly talented outfielder who is signed with Indiana.

1B –   George Wolkow (Sr., Downers Grove North HS, Ill.)
 Wolkow is a primary third baseman but at 6-foot-7, 237-pounds he’s seen some action at first base in the past and will likely see more in the future.  Wolkow was originally a member of the class of 2024 but re-classified early last spring and proceeded to his .376-3-25 for Downers Grove North High School.  His most promising tool is his left-handed power potential.

MIF –   Colt Emerson (Sr., John Glenn HS, Ohio)
 The left-handed hitting Emerson has one of the stronger bats of any high-level infielder in the 2023 class nationally and hit .429 with 13 extra base hits in 28 PG games in 2022 while also standing out for the USA Baseball 18U team at the plate.  If anything, Emerson is underrated as an athlete, as he was an All-Ohio selection as a wide receiver as a junior before dropping the sport to concentrate on baseball as a senior.

MIF –  Jarren Purify (Sr., University Liggett HS, Mich.)
 Purify is a two-time PG Select Festival participant (13U/2019 and 14U/2020) and was a standout at the 2022 PG National Showcase as well.  A pure middle infielder with 6.41 speed in the sixty, Purify is a .409 career PG hitter in 89 games and hit .420 as a junior last spring.  He is signed with Clemson.

3B –  A.J. Ewing (Sr., Springboro HS, Ohio)
 Ewing is a quick-twitch athlete with 6.46 speed in the sixty and whippy, plus bat speed at the plate.  Ewing has a very aggressive approach as a left-handed hitter and produces lots more juice than one would expect from a slender 6-foot, 175-pound athlete and has 33 extra base hits, including seven home runs, in PG play over the past two years.  He ranks 58th overall in the PG 2023 class rankings.

OF –  Maxwell Clark (Sr., Franklin HS, Ind.)
 Clark is the second ranked prospect in the 2023 class and an elite level two-way and two-sport athlete.  He hit .577-9-32 last year with 31 walks and only 3 strikeouts while also striking out 39 hitters in 16 innings on the mound with a mid-90s fastball.  With 6.33 speed in the sixty and huge left-handed bat speed, Clark is one of the rare true five-tool prospects.

OF –  Andrew Wiggins (Sr., Heritage Christian HS, Ind.)
 Wiggins is an extra strong 6-foot-2, 195-pound athlete who is one of the best left-handed hitters in the 2023 class.  A PG All-American, Wiggins has hit .448-10-38 over the last two years of high school play and .376-6-26 in 33 games of PG play over the same period.  He has a chance to join Clark as duel first day high school drafts out of Indiana.

OF – Dillon Head, (Sr., Homewood Flossmoor HS, Ill.)
 Head is the tenth ranked player in the 2023 class nationally and the third ranked outfielder.  The left-handed hitter is a dynamic athlete with elite level speed and plenty of raw bat speed and power potential.

RHP – Bradley Ferrell (Jr., South Central HS, Ind.)
Ferrell is a very projectable 6-foot-3, 170-pound athlete who stands out on both sides of the ball.  The Kentucky commit works in the 90-93 mph range with his fastball to go with a 77 mph curveball and low 80s changeup.  He went 5-1, 1.33 with 84 strikeouts and only 11 hits allowed in 38 innings as a sophomore, while also hitting .480-1-30 as an outfielder.

RHP – Jake Gregor (Jr., St. Xavier HS, Ken.)
Gregor is the top ranked junior in the state of Kentucky and helped lead St. Xavier High School to a state championship as a sophomore.  He comes armed with a 92-94 mph fastball and an outstanding changeup that is his out pitch.  Gregor has committed to stay at home to attend Louisville.

LHP – Colton Hartman (Sr., Lebanon HS, Ohio)
 Hartman gained 20-25 pounds of strength between his sophomore and junior seasons and with it, a 5-7 mph jump on his fastball.  He now works in the 91-94 mph range to go with an upper 70s breaking ball and an excellent changeup.  The fourth ranked left-hander in the 2023 class, Hartman was a PG All-American and struck out 114 hitters in 61 innings last spring for Lebanon High School.

RHP – Zander Mueth (Sr., Belleville East HS, Ill.)
 The 6-foot-6, 190-pound Mueth is the seventh ranked right-hander in the country and has one of the highest ceilings on the mound in the 2023 class.  Mueth has been up to 95 mph at PG events, with plenty reports of his touching the upper 90s in other appearances, and also features a sweeping slider and good changeup from a whippy mid-3/4’s arm slot.

RHP – Cameron Tilly (Sr., Castle HS, Ind.)
 Tilly is the top ranked pitcher in the state of Indiana and owns a three-pitch mix that includes a 90-93 mph fastball, a low 80s slider and a changeup.  He went 7-0, 0.68 as a junior at Castle High School and gave up his role as starting quarterback as a senior to pitch for the USA 18U National Team instead.  Tilly is signed with Auburn.

UT – Blake Wolters (Sr., Mahomet-Seymour HS, Ill.)
 Wolters gets his prospect attention as a right-handed pitcher who was up to 93 mph at the 2022 PG National Showcase but who has reportedly been up to 98 mph since then to go with a power slider.  Wolters went 8-0, 0.27 with 104 strikeouts in 51 innings as a junior and also backed up his mound work with his bat, hitting .462-6-38 with 19 doubles as a power hitting outfielder.


Ohio Valley Region Top Tools


Best Hitter for Average: Maxwell Clark (Sr., Franklin HS, Ind.)
Clark’s left-handed swing is smooth and powerful and he’s consistently shown a very patient approach at the plate as well.

Best Hitter for Power: Andrew Wiggins (Sr., Heritage Christian HS, Ind.)
 Wiggins left-handed power comes easily and there’s still some room for him to get stronger as he matures physically. 

Best Runner: Dillon Head, (Sr., Homewood Flossmoor HS, Ill.)
 Head’s game speed is perhaps the best in the 2023 class nationally and especially plays up with his range on defense.  Michigan junior outfielder Dante Nori technically has a faster sixty time at 6.18 to Head’s 6.22.  It’s a testament to this Region’s speed that outfielder AJ Garcia (6.23 sixty) isn’t even the fastest player in Illinois, let alone the region.

Best Defensive Catcher: Noah Miller (Sr., Monroe HS, Ohio)
 Miller is a very athletic catcher with excellent agility behind the plate and a cannon of an arm.  He’s thrown 92 mph off the mound and 87 mph from behind the plate, including popping 1.76 in drills at a PG showcase.  Miller is signed with Michigan.

Best Defensive Infielder: Colt Emerson (Sr., John Glenn HS, Ohio)
 Emerson’s smooth and polished actions in the middle infield are notable because of all the baseball time he’s lost to football.  He doesn’t have a cannon for an arm but moves extremely well and makes very accurate throws.

Best Defensive Outfielder: Maxwell Clark (Sr., Franklin HS, Ind.)
 Clark and Dillon Head are neck and neck here, with Head having a small edge in range with Clark having a big edge in arm strength, a big enough edge to give him this category.

Best Defensive Arm: Maxwell Clark (Sr., Franklin HS, Ind.)
 The left-handed throwing Clark would be a premium pitching prospect with a fastball that reaches the mid-90s if he chose to highlight that part of his game.

Best Fastball: Zander Mueth (Sr., Belleville East HS, Ill.)
 Mueth’s fastball is more than just velocity, as his lower release point creates lots of running life that will make at-bats difficult for right-handed hitters especially.  It will be interesting to track Blake Wolters early season starts to see if his reported velocity jump has stuck.

Best Off-Speed Stuff: Colton Hartman (Sr., Lebanon HS, Ohio)
 Hartman wasn’t a power pitcher until his junior season so he had lots of time to focus on developing his secondary pitches.  He tunnels his curveball and changeup especially well and the changeup will be a real weapon against right-handed hitters at the next level.

Best Pitchability: Cameron Tilly (Sr., Castle HS, Ind.)
 Tilly and Hartman are very similar in the Off-Speed/Pitchability areas but Tilly has a calmer delivery and a bit more advanced ability to spot his pitches at present.

Best Multi-Sport Athlete: Drayk Bowen (Sr., Andrean HS, Ind.)
 The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Bowen won’t try to lead Andrean HS to another state final baseball game this spring because he enrolled early at Notre Dame and has been working out with the baseball team before spring football practice starts.  The 4-Star linebacker was named the Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year in football the past two seasons.
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