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Tournaments  | Story  | 9/17/2017

Midwest Under Days 1-2 Notes

Photo: Perfect Game

2017 Midwest Underclass Qualifier: Daily Leaders

M.J. Stavola (2019, Oswego, Ill.) and Matt Watson (2019, Frankfort, Ill.) set the pace out of the gates for Rhino Baseball in a 9-1 win over Iowa Select Royal 2020 on Friday evening. Stavola started things quickly in his first at-bat slapping a line drive to the left-center field gap for a hustle double. The 5-foot-9, 145-pound center fielder would then go on to score the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly to medium left field.

Watson flashed a very good knack for finding the barrel throughout the game as he collected three hits in his only three at-bats of the day. The Rhino Baseball shortstop showed present bat speed through the zone and flashed the ability to punish pitches left on the inner half of the zone. Watson showed smooth, polished actions defensively as well that should play nicely at the next level as he continues to mature.

Tyler Dahm (2020, Coralville, Iowa) collected the only RBI of the game for Iowa Select Royal 2020 with a bases loaded single to right-center field. Dahm showed good plate coverage throughout each at-bat with the ability to work the baseball from gap to gap. The 2020 shortstop projects for continued strength while maintaining athleticism throughout his build.

Dahm continued to show well in his team’s second pool play game on Saturday, despite losing to Hitters Baseball Navy. He hit a double that carried over the center fielder’s head and later showed his bat control and contact ability by hitting an RBI groundout that at the time allowed his team to pull within one run.

Damon “D.J.” Gladney (2019, Matteson, Ill.) homered to deep left field off the first pitch he saw in the top of the first to put the Chicago White Sox ACE 2019’s up 1-0 over Iowa Sticks Scout 2020 on Friday night at Alburnett High School. Gladney displayed impressive bat speed with big raw power when he delivers the barrel through the zone. The 2019 grad also displayed athletic actions defensively and shows the build to be a power hitting middle infielder as he matures.




Righthanded pitcher Carter Baumler (2020, Grimes, Iowa) worked two hitless innings while striking out three in relief to keep the Iowa Sticks Scout 2020 within striking distance until the very end. Baumler, who is currently ranked as the top 2020 righthanded pitching prospect in Iowa, featured a heavy running fastball with late sink from a smooth three-quarters arm slot. The Iowa native tends to lose some feel when working from the stretch, but showed the ability to work to all quadrants off the zone when working in rhythm from the wind up. Baumler changed speeds and shape consistently throughout his two innings of work utilizing a 11-to-5 curveball, 9-to-4 slider and sinking changeup.

On Saturday Nathan Stevens (2019, Waunakee, Wis.) set the tone early for the GRB Rays sending the first pitch of the game to center field for a sharp, ground ball single. The Arkansas commit showed excellent barrel control throughout the zone with the present bat speed to drive the baseball through the gaps. Stevens got a chance to show off that raw bat speed in his second at-bat when he hammered a fastball located middle-in to the right field corner for a triple. Although he is listed as a primary catcher, Stevens shows the athleticism, and the arm strength, to play a corner outfield position at the next level as well.

Stevens’ teammates, Thomas Otto (2020, Neenah, Wis.) and Dylan Krumrei (2019, Oshkosh, Wis.), also made their presence felt early, each drilling solo shots to deep left field. Otto added a sharply hit double that short-hopped the left-center field fence in his second at-bat. The 2020 grad showed very mature, balanced actions throughout his swing with natural leverage at contact.

Krumrei, a third baseman, showed a fluid swing plane with the ability to torque his hips through contact with authority. The 2019 grad shows plenty of room in his frame to continue to add strength that should play nicely in the future at the hot corner.




The pitching charge was led by Hunter Rosenbaum (2019, Webster, Wis.). The GRB righthanded pitcher aggressively attacked the strike zone with a heavy fastball that topped out in the upper-80s. The West Virginia commit utilized a quick three-quarters arm slot that produced solid whip through finish. Rosenbaum showed a 9-to-4 slider as his primary off-speed pitch creating tight spin and hard, late sweep to the glove side in the mid-70s. The Wisconsin native worked four innings while allowing one unearned run and striking out seven.

The St. Louis Pirates started hot collecting 10 hits in four innings for a 13-0 win over Rhino Baseball at Central City Saturday afternoon. The long ball was a friend of the Pirates as Colin Bergmann (2019, Weldon Spring, Mo.), Kurtis Byrne (2019, Chesterfield, Mo.) and C.J. Windmueller (2019, Eureka, Mo.) all went deep.

Bergmann narrowly missed a home run in his first at-bat down the left field line, but got an even better opportunity in his second at-bat. With the bases loaded, the uncommitted third baseman hammered a sharp line drive over the center field fence for a grand slam. Bergman consistently went to the plate looking to do damage while swinging with intent on a naturally lifted swing plane. Bergman stayed red hot in a game two win over Iowa Sticks Scout going 3-for-3, hammering two sharp singles and a deep home run to left-center field.

Byrne, an Indiana commit, showed great balance in his swing with natural leverage to finish. The Missouri product displayed very mature actions both at and behind the plate. Byrne shows the natural ability to control his pitching staff with the arm strength to shut down any opposing running game. Byrnes also added a multi-hit game to his resume in game two going 2-for-3 with a double to deep right-center field in his last at-bat.

An uncommitted second baseman for the Pirates, Windmueller collected two hits including his home run to left-center field in his last at-bat of the game. The 2019 grad utilized a smooth, fluid swing path with the barrel control to work to all fields.

Evan Gray (2019, Swansea, Ill.) got the starting nod in game two for the Pirates and delivered a gem. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound righthanded pitcher received the win while holding the Iowa Sticks Scout team scoreless through five innings, allowing only two hits and striking out 10. The uncommitted prospect released from a high three-quarters arm slot producing good jump through the zone in the low- to mid-80s. Gray will struggle to repeat at times, creating a high pitch count, but generated enough deception in his delivery to keep hitters off balance. Gray has a very projectable frame that will continue to support strength as he matures.

– Kevin Schuver



Jackson Vines (2019, Johnston, Iowa) enjoyed a solid start on the mound for the Iowa Black Select 2019 club in a 10-0 win over Prodigy Baseball Academy on Friday, although the game didn’t get truly out of reach until Iowa Select’s six-run sixth, ending the game an inning early via the run rule. Vines worked the first five frames, striking out eight and allowing just two hits, although he did walk three batters. There’s plenty to like about Vines’ 6-foot-3, 170-pound broad-shouldered build that offers plenty of room for future added strength. His fastball sat in the 83-84 mph range, a pitch the Prodigy hitters had difficulty catching up with, and he also mixed in a mid-70s changeup and a low-70s curveball that showed good spin but needed more consistent bite and command.

Coming in to record the final three outs of the game was lefthander Richard Atkins (2019, Marion, Iowa), who almost looked like a mirror image of Vines. Atkins looks taller than his listed 6-foot stature, and came in throwing darts at 82-84 mph showing nice spin on his low- to mid-70s breaking ball.

One of Iowa Select’s offensive heroes on Day 1 was outfielder Drake Frazier (2019, Cedar Rapids, Iowa). Frazier hit a sac fly early in the game and then crushed an elevated fastball for a two-run bomb over the tall fence in left field, jumping all over the pitch for a no-doubter. He added a single in the sixth inning, collecting a pair of base hits and three RBI in the game while also making a very nice running catch in center field, displaying good wheels and a strong arm.

29ers Baseball’s top three hitters – middle infielders Clark Elliott (2019, Barrington, Ill.) and Brody Harding (2019, Molline, Ill.) and catcher Chase VanDerGinst (2019, Rock Island, Ill.) – did most of the heavy lifting in their 14-7 victory over the Minnesota Starters 16u in their opening game on Friday.

Elliott and Harding flip-flopped between shortstop and second base from one inning to the next and both show promising middle infield tools. Both are committed to Big Ten schools, with Elliott heading to Michigan and Harding to Illinois. Elliott went 2-for-4 in their first game on Friday with a pair of RBI and three runs scored, to go along with a pair of stolen bases as well. Elliott is a quick-twitch athlete and both of his hits were hard hit balls to right field as a lefthanded hitter. He has very good first-step quickness as well as good speed underway.



Harding is the clear team leader who brings a lot of energy to the field and managed to find a way to make himself involved in a lot of his team’s big plays. In the top of the first inning he gunned down a runner at home plate on a relay throw from the outfield, and in the bottom of the frame he waited for a thigh-high fastball on the outer half and drove it to left-center field on a 3-1 count for a double. He added another double to left-center in the fifth, this one a more towering shot, and also ran a 4.07-second home-to-first time on an infield single, finishing the day 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI.

VanDerGinst, like Elliott and Harding, is a lefthanded hitter and batted second in between the two middle infielders. VanDerGinst had a pair of knocks and also a pair of RBI, with one of his base hits being a line drive he smoked to right-center field, hustling around the bases for a triple.

Big hits kept on coming for 29ers Baseball in their second pool play game on Saturday against the GRB Rays, as the winner would win the pool and advance to bracket play. The 29ers ended up winning this game, 8-5, and a lot of that had to do with their five-run first inning. Elliott, VanDerGinst and Harding all reached, as did cleanup hitter Payton Lawrence (2019, Dixon, Ill.), before Charlie Allison (2019, Rock Island, Ill.) delivered the biggest blow, a bases-clearing double that nearly put the game out of reach before the Rays even had a chance to bat.

Those runs came off of promising 2019 righthander Jack Washburn (2019, Webster, Wis.), who lasted only two innings, giving up seven runs (six were earned) on six base hits and three walks. Washburn, the son of former Angels’ big-league ace Jarrod Washburn, is currently ranked 364th in the high school class of 2019, and while he struggled with command on this day, he did show a promising mid-80s fastball that peaked at 87 to go along with a curveball that also flashed its lofty potential. He also fits the bill physically at 6-foot-2, 175-pounds, giving him plenty of promise with added experience.

Mitchell Woelfle (2019, Janesville, Wis.) came in relief and went the rest of the way, nearly silencing the potent 29ers bats while showing intriguing stuff. His stuff was similar to Washburn’s, working in the 83-86 mph range while peaking as high as 88, and his ball appeared to have a little extra giddyup to it getting in on hitters’ hands in a hurry. He too shows a promising curveball that needs more consistency, with most of them clocking in at 68-70 mph.

GRB made things interesting late, putting up a four-spot in the bottom of the sixth which was highlighted by Andrew Sweetalla’s (2019, Appleton, Wis.) triple to the opposite field gap (left-center field) with the bases loaded.

The star of the day at the 2017 Midwest Underclass Qualifier was young infielder A.J. Vukovich (Mukwonago, Wis.), one of the highest ranked players in attendance despite also being one of the youngest. He’s currently ranked 67th in the high school class of 2020, although that could change given his performance on Saturday.




In the Hitters Baseball Navy’s two pool play games, in which they went 2-0 to advance to the playoffs, Vukovich was 3-for-6 with three runs scored, four RBI and a pair of walks. Those three hits were rather impressive, a solo blast hit to dead center field in game one and a pair of doubles drilled to the gap in left-center. At 6-foot-4, 190-pounds he stands out on the field before he evens steps in the batter’s box, resembling Chad Spanberger at a similar age with a well-proportioned build, and does a really nice job incorporating his lower half into his swing. In doing so, given his size, when he makes contact the ball effortlessly travels a long, long way.

Vukovich has already committed to play for Louisville as the Cardinals could have a special offensive talent on their hands in a few years.

Hitters Navy’s infield defense overall is rather impressive, with Vukovich, middle infielders Xavier Watson (2019, Cudahy, Wis.) and Dan Blomberg (2019, Milton, Wis.) as well as corner infielder Jacob Neese (2019, Elkhart Lake, Wis.).

Watson could join his older brother Cyrillo at the University of Illinois with promising tools as both a hitter and defender up the middle of the infield. Xavier Watson is a high-energy player with a lot of quick-twitch muscle packed in his 6-foot, 180-pound frame. He put the first run on the board for the Hitters in the top of the second inning of their first game nearly by himself, chopping a ball through the left side of the infield before advancing to second, and then third, on an errant pickoff throw. He then scored on a sacrifice fly, showing his contact abilities, speed and baserunning awareness all at the same time. He added a sharply hit RBI single pulled down the left field line early in the Hitters’ second game. On defense he has a very quick glove-to-hand transfer and plays the game with more energy than most.

On the mound, Luke Hansel (2019, Caledonia, Wis.) was dominant in the first game, striking out nine in six innings while allowing just two hits and a walk thanks to a 78-80 mph fastball and sharp mid-60s curve that he commanded extremely well. Talented Lefthander Andrew Biertzer (2019, West Bend, Wis.) closed out the second game with easy low-80s heat that the opposing batters couldn’t catch up with, showing repeatable mechanics and a 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame that leads one to believe there could be more in the tank with added maturity.

– Patrick Ebert



The 2017 WWBA Midwest Underclass Qualifier started out with a bang, literally. Just minutes into the tournament, before everyone could even find their seats, the Cangelosi Sparks nationally ranked middle infielder Ryan Ritter (2019, Tinley Park, Ill.) took the very first pitch he saw deep to left field. A quick swing of the bat from the 5-foot-11, 150-pounder on an 82 mph fastball on the inner half was handled easily. He has good plate awareness drawing a walk later in the game after being down 0-2.

Ritter’s Cangelosi teammate, Nick Skrabis (2019, Orland Park, Ill.), came on in relief with two outs in the third inning. He would go on to throw just 35 pitches getting his team through the sixth inning without given up a run. The 6-foot, 180-pound righty throws slightly across his body after stepping towards third base, which seemed to shake up the hitters at the plate. He showed great command of the fastball at 75-78 mph, and missed bats with it all game, collecting five strikeouts and allowing just one hit.

On the other side of the field a 6-foot-2, 180-pound first baseman would help the Iowa Select Black 2020 team take home the win, both with the bat and on the mound. Andrue Henry (2020, Dubuque, Iowa) handled the stick well, collecting a hard-hit single into the left-center gap in his first plate appearance. Later, in the third inning he would drive a ball deep into the left field corner. A misjudgment by the left fielder would let the ball land, driving in two runs, including the eventual winning run.

Henry also shinned on the mound. After a short stint from his starter, Henry came in to pitch in the third inning and would finish the game for his team. He threw five innings of no-hit baseball, giving up just five hits and striking out seven. He mixed his delivery, keeping hitters’ timing off. He was able to keep his fastball around the zone and flashed a sinking changeup that was a serviceable strikeout pitch.

There isn’t much to say after the Rhino Baseball 2020 team took on the Iowa Sticks Scout team except that both starting pitchers threw tremendous games and this could be the best pitching duel in the entire tournament.

The first half of the duel, unfortunately on the losing side, was lefty Cole Kaufman (2019, Waukee, Iowa). It isn’t hard to see the path in which Kaufman becomes a quality pitcher. At just 5-foot-10, 180-pounds, he definitely won’t be the tallest to ever hurl the baseball. However, his long limbs and strong build help him get his fastball up to 81 mph. Just two or three mistakes in the opening inning would ultimately lead to the two runs that beat him, but from the second inning on Kaufman was spectacular. He would allow just five hits from the second on and struck out six total batters. He kept the ball low in the zone and generated a lot of weak contact throughout the game.

Pitching for Rhino Baseball on the opposing side was Jake Mucha (2020, Homer Glen, Ill.). The 6-foot, 185-pound righty was nearly untouchable in the game. He gave up five hits in 6 1/3 innings of shutout baseball. He had a well-commanded fastball in the upper-70s that he was able to attack hitters with early in the count. After getting ahead, Mucha used his hammer 12-to-6 curveball to put hitters away. He collected 19 outs in his game and 13 of them were strikeouts. Mucha’s fastball/curveball mix will definitely be a combination to watch in the future, as he is easily able to put hitters away.

Things got kicked off on day two of the tournament with the help of the bat of Patrick Keaty (2019, South Elgin, Ill.) from Elite Baseball Training 2019 Jacobsen. Keaty, who is a top 15 shortstop in the state of Illinois, played solid defense in the game. He showed the ability to handle balls hit to both sides and right at him and overall seems to be able to handle the defensive ability needed to play the position. He also collected a couple hits in the game. A very hard-hit line drive that cleared the left fielder’s head and banged off the fence drove in a couple of runs early in the game. Keaty uses his lower half well getting good rotation causing him to really drive the ball to the pull side. His second hit in the game was a hard ground ball between the shortstop and third baseman that would drive in yet another run.

Another Elite Baseball member really shut down the opposition on the mound, and it’s hard to miss the 6-foot-3, 190-pound Matt Ambrose (2019, Chicago, Ill.) when he takes the mound. He surely has the body to develop some good velocity in the future as he builds even more strength. Ambrose pitched the complete game four innings and gave up just two hits and one earned run while striking out four. He was able to pound the zone at the knees with his fastball at 76-80 mph and had a nice tight secondary curveball that he kept buried at 68-71.

Gavin Hinckley (2020, West Bend, Wis.) was another player that showed some good two-way ability in the tournament. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound righthander started the game on the mound for the STiKS Academy 2020 team and he was good. He went 4 2/3 innings, and although he gave up seven hits they were almost all soft hit singles, and he only allowed one earned run in the game. Hinckley looked comfortable on the mound and was a smart pitcher, mixing his fastball and curveball well and throwing them at unpredictable times. He got ahead of a lot of the batters he faced with a fastball at 74-78 mph. He worked quickly from the wind-up leaving the hitters uncomfortable and pounded the corners.

Hinckley also helped out his cause with the bat, collecting two hits in the game. The first was a long and high drive out to the left-center field gap that scored a runner from second on an RBI double. This run, at the time, would be the go-ahead run in the fifth inning. He also flipped an opposite field single into right for another RBI.

The other hot bat for the STiKS came from the 6-foot, 175-pound first baseman Brady Renfro (2020, Antigo, Wis.). Renfro reached base in all three of his at-bats in the game. He led off the second inning with a long drive into center field for a standup double, and he would come around and to score the first run of the game. After working an eight-pitch walk in the fifth, he would score on the long double hit by his teammate Hinckley. In his final at-bat in the game, Renfro would hit an almost identical double deep over the center fielder’s head for another double that drove in his two RBI. He can really swing the bat making good contact and hitting the ball to parts of the field that not many high school players can.

– Taylor Weber
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