On Friday, January 31st, the ScoutConnect staff traveled to the J3 Training facility in Mattoon, IL, to host the Lake Land College Scout Day. Nearly 15 players from the Lakers’ junior college program participated in a workout with our staff, grabbing up-to-date metrics and evaluation throughout the process. 

For all of the statistics collected at this event, click HERE. For all information on the Lake Land College 2025 team, including schedule, statistics, rosters, and more, click HERE.  

Interested in a JUCO event with ScoutConnect or want more information on what we can provide to your program? Please reach out to Diego.solares@sportsbarn.org

Below you will find our scout notes, and video, on all of the players our staff saw in this past Friday’s look. 

POSITION PLAYERS

+ INF Vinny Spotofora (Sophomore) came away from this event as arguably its biggest winner on the offensive end. Spotofora, who slashed 448/.560/.644 in 116 plate appearances for College of DuPage last spring, has a chance to be an anchor for this year’s Lakers’ offense. He showed a fast left-handed barrel that generated some of the fastest peak hand speed (26 mph) and peak acceleration (34 g) of the day. In BP, Spotofora peppered line drives to all fields with apt barrel control that covers both corners of the plate, producing impressive exit velocity marks on average (92.31) and at peak (96.80 mph). The most impressive takeaway from this look, however, was the patience and discipline he showed in the live at-bats portion of the event. He did not swing-and-miss one time with consistent confident takes on pitches that just missed the strike zone, showing an understanding of what he wants to do when he’s up to bat. In a tough left/left matchup, Spotofora spit on two low-and-away sliders that most hitters swing over and then took an inner-half fastball that just missed the black for a walk. Later on, he took an upper-80s fastball for a back-of-the-net line drive the other way that would have been a base hit in a real game setting. Spotofora looks every bit the part of a productive four-year hitter and is primed for a big spring for Lake Land in 2025. 

+ One of the top returners for Lake Land from last year’s club is switch-hitting sophomore OF Kiefer Tarnoki (Bradley commit). As a freshman, Tarnoki hit .302 with a .471 OBP and drew more walks (32) than he struck out (25) over 139 at-bats. That plate discipline showed in live at-bats, as Tarnoki rarely expanded the strike zone with a clear approach on what he was trying to do. In BP, Tarnoki stayed level through the zone from both sides of the plate, though he did have more impact from the right side, with his 96.3 mph max exit velocity coming off his right-handed swing. The 5-foot-10, 200-pound sophomore will look to set the table from the top of this lineup in 2025 and should be a key piece of the Lakers’ offense. 

+ OF Drew DuPont (Sophomore) is a physical, muscle-bound left-handed bat that should be a key piece of Lake Land’s lineup this upcoming season. DuPont consistently elevated the baseball from a short, uphill left-handed stroke in BP, producing high-end peak hand speed (26 mph) while working quick through the hitting zone. His hardest ball came off his barrel at 97.80 mph, which was the day’s highest mark, and he had a handful of other swings produce outputs above the 95 mph mark.

+ A new name to this year’s Lake Land club to watch for is C Logan Winkleman (Freshman), who has a chance to really captain this staff behind the plate in his first year at the collegiate level. Winkleman has several traits of a high level backstop; he’s flexible behind the plate, works up-to-down with soft hands when receiving the baseball, and is a true vocal leader. Winkleman impressed in the event’s BP portion, working gap-to-gap with juice off the barrel to all fields. 10 of his 13 swings resulted in exit velocities above 90 mph, including four at 95+ mph, with a peak mark of 96.4 mph. 

+ INF/OF Kaiden Maurer (Freshman) is another newcomer that showed well at this event and has a chance to jump on the field early on for Lake Land. Maurer, a former all-state football player for Maroa-Forsyth in his high school days, is packed with athleticism and has the ability to move around the infield, as well as slotting comfortably in the outfield if need be. He swings a simple, yet athletic, right-handed barrel that peppered line drives throughout BP, especially to the middle of the field. 

+ Another physical left-handed bat to keep an eye on for the Lakers is 1B Luca Mendez (Sophomore), who steps up to the plate at 6-foot-2, 210-pounds. The consistency in which he worked on the barrel in BP stood out, as nearly all of Mendez’s swings produced exit velocities above 90 mph, including a 93.8 mph mark. He mostly worked to the middle-pull side of the field, elevating the baseball from an uphill left-handed swing that traveled with length through the hitting zone. Mendez’s power showed in live at-bats, as one of his at-bats resulted in a 97 mph exit velocity in a left/left matchup. 

+ INF Brandon Johnson (Sophomore) took one of the day’s louder and more impressive BP rounds. The 6-foot, 185-pound uncommitted sophomore has strong hands that work on top of the baseball and consistently produced backspun line drives that traveled gap-to-gap. He had five batted balls come off his barrel at 95 mph or above, including a peak mark at 97 mph. Johnson also led the event in three different Diamond Kinetics bat sensor data categories: average peak barrel speed (74 mph), peak acceleration (35 g) and distance in the zone (39”). 

+ OF Luke Schieltz (Sophomore) is another left-handed bat that can provide depth and versatility to this Lakers’ lineup. Schieltz was on the barrel often in BP when he synced his hands and subtle leg lift together, working through the baseball with balance while flashing gap-to-gap juice. Schieltz posted an average exit velocity of 87.75 mph, with a peak mark at 94.2 mph, and he also doubled in live at-bats. 

+ INF Noah Dill (Sophomore; Illinois-Wesleyan commit) was on the barrel and sprayed line drives to all fields throughout both of his BP rounds. Dill has a simple, polished left-handed swing that controls the barrel and covers the plate, going with the baseball while not trying to do too much. 

PITCHERS

+ RHP Jacob McPherson (Sophomore) threw three innings in live at-bats and looks the part of a potential impact arm for Lake Land in 2025. McPherson toes the rubber at a physical, broad-shouldered 6-foot-3, 210-pounds with three pitchers that all equate to a likely starter profile at the four-year level. His fastball averaged 88.2 mph, touching 89.5 on his hardest bullet, and it’s a pitch that created a high amount of ground ball contact in this look with his ability to consistently place it on either side of the plate. He showed complete confidence in a low-70s breaking ball with big depth to it that he can land for strikes to get ahead but also spot beneath the zone for swing-and-miss. Though he’s still developing full feel for it, McPherson did show a mid-70s changeup that, when he stayed behind it, played with natural action to the arm-side. 

+ RHP Jack Helms (Sophomore) was a personal favorite arm of our staff from the event and has the ability to provide plenty of versatility to Lake Land’s staff this upcoming season. At 6-foot-4, 205-pounds, Helms has a unique pitch profile that allows him to control both left-handed and right-handed hitters. His sinker sat 87-89 mph and averaged 18.26 inches of horizontal movement, climbing into the 20-inch mark in that regard a few times. His slider, which he throws in the upper-70s, averages 2400+ RPM and -16.6 inches of horizontal break, giving him a real weapon to attack right-handed bats. To combat the other side of the plate, Helms throws a changeup at arm speed that he has full polish for at 83-84 mph that fades to the arm side with 15.03 inches of horizontal movement on average. 

+ RHP Eddie Scaccia (Sophomore) has some of the loudest stuff on this staff and showed that in our brief look at the 6-foot-3, 205-pound uncommitted sophomore. Scaccia’s fastball averaged 90.13 mph, peaking at 91.80 mph, with ride (14.94” avg) and run (13.46” avg) traits from a lower release height. Scaccia’s fastball truly looked like it exploded through the zone at the top and, when he was in the zone, grabbed some uncomfortable swings-and-misses in the upper quadrant. Off his heater, Scaccia showed a power changeup at 83-85 mph that averaged nearly 15 inches of horizontal movement and a tight slider at 76-78 mph. 

+ RHP Nathan Trimble (Sophomore; Oakland City commit) is another physical arm to follow on this staff, taking the mound at 6-foot-4, 210-pounds. Trimble delivered a heavy fastball in the upper-80s with ride (17.84”) and run (16”) traits on average. He was most effective down in the zone with the pitch and also showed a tight slider (0.3 IVB, -3.5 HVM) at 76-78 mph that he flashed feel for as he went on. 

+ LHP Clay Seal (Sophomore) had one of the day’s firmest fastballs, topping at 89.5 mph while pitching in the upper-80s with his heater. A high-intent arm that throws with effort, Seal also showed a tight, bullet-like slider in the low-80s that has the potential to be an effective offering when in the zone. 

+ There is no shortage of upside with 6-foot-4, 215-pound LHP Lucas Bixby (Freshman), who has some of the more intriguing stuff on this staff. Bixby’s fastball reached 87 mph, playing at 83-86 mph, with hard and late horizontal action at times, especially down in the zone. Off that, Bixby’s slider has huge horizontal action and it’s a pitch that, at 74-76 mph, has swing-and-miss potential once he can lock it in the zone more often. Once Bixby touches the slope more consistently and, should he hone in his potent stuff, the southpaw from New Berlin has the potential to be a dynamic arm for this club.