On Monday, January 27th, the ScoutConnect staff traveled to Carterville, IL, to the campus of John A. Logan JC to check in on the Volunteers’ program prior to the start of their season. A perennial powerhouse at the Division I JUCO level, John A. Logan once again looks like a formidable contender to win the GRAC and capture the Region XXIV crown. 

For all information about the 2025 Volunteers’ season, click HERE. 

Below you will find notes from our recent live look at JALC. 

SOPHOMORES

+ INF Jaden Correa returns to the Volunteers after playing an everyday role as a freshman and should be one of JALC’s top contributors in 2025. Correa’s calling card is his glove, as he owns premium actions on the infield with a real chance to be an impact shortstop at the four-year level. At the plate, Correa flashed gap-to-gap juice from an athletic, balanced right-handed swing and stole two bases in the live AB portion of this live look. How much he performs offensively will only boost his stock from a prospect standpoint, though the uncommitted sophomore should firmly be on four-year coaches’ radars throughout this upcoming season. 

+ One of the biggest standouts from yesterday’s look was INF Bryer Arview, an uncommitted sophomore that kicked back from Western Kentucky. Arview was all over the barrel in BP, repeating a simple, balanced, and controlled left-handed swing that routinely worked deep into right-center field across multiple rounds. He always had a feel for hitting, dating back to his high school days, but he’s trended up in the raw power department, adding an extra element to his offensive game. Defensively, Arview is able to play multiple positions on the infield, providing some level of versatility to this Volunteers’ group. 

+ OF Jaden Hart is a highly athletic uncommitted sophomore that should see an expanded role for the Volunteers in 2025. Hart’s hands are free and easy, swinging a fast right-handed barrel that stays through the hitting zone and effortlessly sprayed line drives to all fields. Hart’s calling card is his speed, as he’s a double-plus runner that uses it to his advantage and can be a factor in the short game, on the bases, and defensively. Hart was moving freely around center field in BP, tracking balls down in both gaps with double-plus foot speed and the ability to stick in center field at the four-year level. 

+ OF Jayden Ohmer brings back a .315/.476/.546 line over 108 at-bats for the Volunteers and has a chance to be a regular contributor to the JALC offense this upcoming season. Ohmer is a strong, compact athlete with barrel strength and hand speed, backspinning pull-side line drives at his best in BP. Like others on this team, Ohmer can really run, bolting to a 6.50 60 time this past fall. 

+ OF Austin Wiegand (Northern Illinois commit) transfers to JALC from Carl Sandburg JC and brings in a .354/.477/.646 triple-slash with 25 extra-base hits. A strong, compact left-handed hitter, Wiegand flicked balls to the deepest parts of right-center field in BP yesterday and has a simple, yet loud, barrel with consistent feel for it.

+ OF Trey Swiderski (Purdue commit) had a huge year at the plate during his freshman campaign, launching 14 home runs and driving in 61 while slashing .340/.423/.645 in 200 at-bats. Swiderski has always had advanced raw power, dating back to his prep days at Joliet Catholic, and that tool hasn’t faded, as he consistently scolded balls off his barrel to both gaps in his rounds of BP. 

+ C Jackson Militello (Charleston Southern commit) figures to see regular time behind the plate for JALC this season. The strong-bodied right-handed hitting backstop took one of the louder BP sessions on the day, squaring balls up with authority to the middle-away part of the field from a simple, no-stride operation. 

+ A pair of uncommitted sophomore left-handed arms to follow that popped are LHP Zach Sims and LHP Corbin Payne. Sims is a 6-foot-4, 230-pound athlete who works from a ¾ arm angle and across his body some, creating a tough look for opposing hitters. In this look, he was 86-87 mph and flashed feel for a diving changeup and sweeping breaking ball. Though he’s still learning how to sync up his large levers, Sims upside on the mound is undeniable. Payne takes the mound at 6-foot-1, 195-pounds with strength throughout his frame. He also works across his body, pumping his fastball at 86-89 mph in a brief look yesterday afternoon and flashing an upper-70s breaking ball with sharp sweep at times that he’s still fully reigning in. 

FRESHMAN

+ MIF Cruz Harlan (Centralia, 2024) was a standout multi-sport athlete at Centralia for several years and the up-and-coming freshman has a chance to carve out a niche role for himself at JALC in his first year. A switch-hitter, Harlan swings a simple, and athletic, barrel from both sides of the plate that sprayed gap-to-gap line drives across his BP rounds. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from his game were his actions on the infield, as he attacks the baseball in rhythm and is able to cover ground with confidence up the middle and also to his glove side. He showed that in live at-bats, as he ranged into the 6.5 hole, planted his back foot, and threw an accurate bullet right to the first baseman’s chest across the diamond. His soft hands and clean glovework are noteworthy and his ability to adequately play multiple spots on the infield add even more positives to his profile. 

+ One name to follow over the next two years for the Volunteers is INF Jonah Weathers. A Chicago native, Weathers had a strong showing in the fall for John A. Logan and has tacked on at least 15-to-20 pounds of muscle mass since his senior year of high school. The ball jumps off his barrel to both gaps when he’s on it and it’s a compact, direct swing that doesn’t try to do too much with the ability to cover the plate. In live at-bats, Weathers flicked a low-and-away slider to left field for a single. 

+ RHP Brady Davis has a real chance to be an impact arm out of the gate for the Volunteers. He showed power stuff in his brief outing yesterday, establishing both corners of the plate with an upper-80s fastball that plays downhill from a high arm angle. Davis showed a mid-to-upper-70s breaking ball that he flashed strike feel for, particularly to his glove-side. 

+ OF Kam Yearsley has big juice from the left-handed batter’s box and flashed it at times in BP. He has easy bat speed and bat strength, working uphill to contact with an intent to elevate the baseball, and banging a few barrels near the right-center field wall. 

+ LHP Eli Porter is an athletic southpaw that was in the zone with a 86-87 mph fastball that played with slight arm-side run. His most effective secondary pitch in this look was an upper-70s changeup with late fade and he also showed a low-70s high-arching breaking ball. 

+ MIF Hayden Bates has a track record of hitting, dating back to his days at Festus (MO) when he was leading the Tigers to a Class 5 state championship. The right-handed hitting infielder jumped on an outer-half pitch and drilled it off the right-center wall for a triple in live at-bats.