Over the past few months, whether it be at ScoutConnect events, the high school season, or throughout winter training, the ScoutConnect staff has seen a multitude of players from Illinois and Missouri that represent the 2026-to-2028 grad classes.
Earlier this week, our staff compiled our notes from the winter and early spring seasons into an ‘Uncommitted Watchlist’, where we highlighted a multitude of 2026 grads – or current juniors – that are still uncommitted. You can find that by clicking HERE.
We’re turning our attention today to the 2027 class, the current sophomores, as they begin what will ultimately be a crucial next few months from a recruiting perspective. College coaches will be locked in on this class throughout the summer, leading up to that August 1st date, and afterwards as well, with almost all of them having already built out a targeted list of names to seek out throughout the spring/summer seasons. In this story, we’ve highlighted a multitude of standout sophomores that have really impressed our staff in the early going, with video and our notes attached.
A large majority of these names emerged as follows from our Winter Showcase, a 130+ player event that took place at the SportsBarn East on February 15th. You can find all of the statistics from that event by clicking HERE.
Additionally, our staff has been out-and-about at high school games in the area almost daily, providing in-game coverage and breaking down names that pop at each individual game within our ‘Scout Notes’. You can find those, as well as all of our content, by clicking HERE.
Continue reading below to learn more about 50+ uncommitted 2026s in Illinois and Missouri.
Darren Klein, RHP, Mascoutah, IL
Has done nothing but trend up in a major way this year and came away from our Winter Showcase in February as the top 2027 prospect in attendance. Klein has a long track record of in-game dominance, as evidenced by the 54 ⅓ IP with a 1.16 ERA and 34 strikeouts to five walks he posted as a freshman on varsity for Mascoutah last season. This winter, Klein’s tacked on notable muscle mass to his frame, filling out his upper-half especially to now stand at a much more physical 6-foot-1 stature. It’s an easy, smooth, and controlled operation with a clean, compact arm stroke that filled up the strike zone with an 85-87 mph fastball in this look, though that number will almost certainly climb up by spring’s end. The separator for him is the feel he has for his secondaries, both offerings that are above-average, starting with a sharp, swing-and-miss slider at 76-77 mph that averaged -17.9” of horizontal movement. The polish he has for his changeup stands out – he’s able to put the pitch where he wants on either corner, in the zone’s lower quadrant, at 80-81 mph with natural fade from the same arm slot as his fastball. Klein’s primed for a huge season for the Indians and is a name that every prospective college coach needs to know about.
Dominic Pandolfo, C/RHP, Fort Zumwalt East, MO
Had the loudest showing on both sides of the ball from the ScoutConnect Winter Showcase. The 6-foot, 210-pound sophomore got off a multitude of aggressive hacks in BP, working mostly to the pull-side with jump off the barrel. He posted a 92.23 mph average exit velocity – one of the day’s firmest numbers – and peaked at 97.3 mph, which led all of the 2027 grads in attendance. To add onto his raw power, Pandolfo’s furthest batted ball traveled 354.2 feet, which also was amongst the day’s leaders, and was at the top of his respective grad class, too. His strength showed on the defensive end, peaking at 80 mph from behind the plate with a peak pop time at 1.85 seconds. Afterwards, Pandolfo jumped on the mound and sat 87-89, touching 89.9 mph on his fastest bullet, with a hard, sharp two-plane slider at 78-79 mph that averaged 2400+ RPM. Pandolfo is a must-follow uncommitted two-way sophomore that’s primed for a big spring with Fort Zumwalt East.
Carter Braddy, OF/LHP, Effingham, IL
Effingham has produced a multitude of high-end talents over the past several years, and Braddy lines up nicely to be the next up in that group. A long, lean-limbed athlete with plenty of projection to come ran a 7.17 60 with swift, athletic strides that suggest that number should only continue to lower over the next few years. Braddy took a highly intriguing round of BP, showing loose, fluid hands and a whippy left-handed barrel that worked uphill to contact to the deepest parts of the right-center field gap. He’s already showing above-average raw power for his age, squaring his hardest ball up at 95.2 mph, with an average mark at 84.33 mph, per TrackMan. Braddy was near the top of the event’s leaderboard in peak throwing velocity from the outfield (89 mph) and that arm talent surely translates to the mound, where his prospect status is just as intriguing as his bat. Braddy’s athletic downhill with a loose, fluid arm stroke, pitching in the low-80s, topping at 83.6 mph. The separator for him is a touch-and-feel changeup with natural fade that he’s able to consistently spot on the arm-side corner at 76-77 mph, and he also throws a tight slider with some sweep in the low-70s. Braddy appears to be on the precipice of a big breakout and he’s certainly a name to follow this upcoming spring and summer.
Michael Wolff, OF, Fort Zumwalt West, MO
One of the top sophomores in the St. Louis’ area. Wolff packs strength in a compact, muscle-bound frame that holds athleticism too, as he ran the fastest 60-yard dash (6.96) of any 2027 grad at this winter’s event. He creates bat speed while staying flat through the zone with jump off the barrel when he finds it. Wolff was 86 mph at peak from the outfield, topped at 84 mph across the infield, and his fastball sat 84-85 mph on the mound, too.
Omar Avalos, OF, Father McGivney, IL
Strong, compact L/L athlete that added more strength this winter, filling out his back and lower half. Hit second and started in right field for the Griffins. Fast, twitchy hands with bat speed, lengthens his barrel through the zone on a flat path. Tripled in his first at-bat to get the Griffins on the board early, ball really jumped off the barrel. Has always had a knack for finding the barrel, though the muscle mass he added this winter is starting to translate to more power at the plate. Can really run, glides around the bases with quick, athletic strides, and covers ground fairly easily in the outfield. Would play center field for most high school teams in the state. A left-handed hitting sophomore that should firmly be on college coaches’ radar come the summer/fall.
Braylen Brown, RHP, Staunton, IL
Another upside sophomore to emerge as a follow from this winter. 6-foot-2, 190-pound lanky, long-limbed frame offers intrigue, especially as he continues to fill out and become more physical in the coming years. His fastball sat 85-86, touching 87 mph, though was firmer this winter, climbing into the low-90s. He spins the fastball at 2500+ RPM on average, backspinning it up in the zone at its best, and he spins a low-70s curveball at upwards of 2600+ RPM at peak. Brown’s changeup flashed above-average as well, playing at 78-79 mph and averaging 16+ inches of run in this ‘pen. An upside arm with a considerable ceiling, Brown will be one to watch this spring when he’s on the mound for Staunton.
Keegan Seipp, 1B, Triad, IL
Physical, mature frame with present strength throughout and room for more. Hit out of the five-hole in this look and played first base. Strong hands with easy bat strength, stays short and inside the baseball with a tight barrel turn. Pulled a single through the right field line, doubled deep to the left field wall the following at-bat on a ball he did fully barrel up. An impact-type left-handed bat that has the potential to be a main run producer for the Knights in his sophomore season.
Cy Craft, RHP, Du Quoin, IL
6-foot, 178-pound compact frame with square shoulders and strength in the lower half. Earned the start on the mound for the Indians in a loss and did not have his best stuff, but continues to flash why he’s regarded as one of the top sophomores in Southern Illinois. Fastball played at 84-86, touching 87 mph several times in the first inning. Played mostly straight and to the glove-side corner in this look, did flash late run at times, particularly in the upper-quadrant. Showed a 75-76 mph slider with late lateral break early, used it sparingly as he went on.
Austin Rutter, INF, Sacred-Heart Griffin, IL
Lean, athletic frame that’s far from finished from a physical maturity standpoint. Started at second base and hit in the five hole. Totaled two hits with a walk in this look, including a loud triple that banged off the right-center field wall in his first at-bat. Loose fluid hands that work slightly uphill to contact, ball jumps off the barrel and will only continue to add more consistent impact as he gets stronger. Off to a strong start to his varsity career; has doubled twice, tripled twice, and homered in four games.
Liam Sciaefe, RHP, Freeburg, IL
6-foot-4, 190-pound frame with strength in the lower half and room to continue adding more. Turned in a strong start on the mound against Byron on March 24th, allowing one run on one hit with two walks and four strikeouts over 3 ⅓ innings of work. Works with tempo, drops slightly into his lower half and rides it down the mound with a slightly closed finish at footstrikes. Arm plays with some reach on the backside, travels on a short path to release out of a loose ¾ slot. Fastball touched 85 mph in the first, pitching at anywhere from 80-84 mph as he went on. Spun a slurvy-type breaking ball with gradual spin at 69-71 mph, some feel to land it for strikes. A physical, upside arm to follow for the Midgets.
Beau Breyman, C, Freeburg, IL
Compact frame that holds strength, particularly in the lower half. Started behind the plate and hit sixth. Picked up his lone hit of the game in his first trip to the plate, spraying a single back up the middle of the field to bring home a run as part of a seven-run first inning for the Midgets. Quiet, balanced, and low-effort operation at the plate, simple hand load with a short stride. Strong hands that work direct to contact, long barrel path through the zone. Advanced defender for age at a premium position. Willing blocker, squares up the baseball and consistently works. Arm plays short to release from a ¾ window, recorded pop times of 1.95, 2.03, 2.13 in between innings.
Alex Athmer, RHP, Breese Central, IL
Another major winner from our winter circuit, who offers all sorts of upside in a long, lean-limbed, high-waisted frame. Athmer, who also plays football and basketball, controls his levers well down the mound with a clean, continuous arm path to pair. His fastball sat 84-85 mph and for strikes in this look, and it’s easy to project that velocity band continuing to climb as he adds more mass. He consistently threw his changeup for strikes at 78-79 mph and landed a tightly spun slider at 71-72 mph around the zone as he went on, too.
Luke McAtee, C/1B, DeSmet Jesuit, MO
Strong, physical frame that holds strength throughout, advanced for age. Hit cleanup and started at first base for the Spartans in a recent look, barreling a hard backside single for his lone hit of the day. Strong hands with a simple swing, tips his barrel at load and works direct to contact with a long, level path through the zone. Above-average athlete, runs well for his size and gets to peak speed out of the box quickly.
Brody Hasquin, INF/RHP, Triad, IL
Really impressed our staff on both sides of the ball this winter. Hasquin’s athletic background is surely impressive, as he’s likely to be the Knights’ starting quarterback next season and is also a contributor on Triad’s 24-win basketball team as a sophomore. From a baseball side, Hasquin wields a heavy right-handed barrel with inherent bat strength that was on the barrel often, averaging 86.7 mph per batted ball and reaching a peak exit velocity of 92.9 mph. His pitch-ability on the mound stood out too, pumping his fastball for strikes to both corners of the plate at 81-82 mph. Hasquin mixed in a firm cutter with subtle action at 77-78 mph and also landed a low-70s breaking ball with more arch to it for strikes. To round out his four-pitch mix, Hasquin pulled the string on a 74-75 mph changeup that he threw in the lower quadrant of the strike zone to the plate’s arm-side corner.
Mathew Crownhart, OF/LHP, St. Louis Patriots, IL
There’s a lot to like on both sides of the ball with the lean, athletic, and upside 5-foot-11, 165-pound sophomore. Crownhart’s round of BP was highly impressive, showing fast, loose hands that consistently repeated a clean, level left-handed stroke. He found the barrel often to the pull-side gap and, while his exit velocity marks weren’t eye-popping, Crownhart’s repeatability paired with his physical projection suggest all of those numbers will continue to climb. He’s a follow on the mound too, pitching at 81-82 mph with his fastball while showing late arm-side dive on a 71-72 mph changeup that has the makings of a potential above-average pitch.
Max Zimmerman, INF/RHP, Du Quoin, IL
Strong, compact right-handed hitting infielder, started at third base and hit fifth for Du Quoin. Picked up two hits on the day; turned an inner-half pitch around for a loud double off the barrel to left field in his first at-bat, and flared a two-strike single to right field in his next trip to the plate. Simple, quiet start at the plate with minimal load, has strong fast hands that work on a level path to the baseball. Ball carried off the barrel on that aforementioned double, should continue to add more impact as he fills out his frame further. Worked on the mound in relief later in the game, pitching in the low-80s with his fastball while showing a tight curveball that flashed sharp 12-6 spin at times in the low-70s.
Collin Grosenheider, RHP, Williamsville, IL
Lean, wiry frame with athleticism. Came out of the ‘pen for Williamsville and provided an upside look. Throws with effort and high intent. Long and loose arm action finishes out of a high ¾ slot with arm speed out front. Fastball touched 85 mph, pitched in the low-80s, easy out the hand and should continue to climb as he tacks on strength. Spun a low-70s breaking ball with short depth and action to it, developing feel for strikes. An upside arm to know that’s still polishing his full arsenal.
Ayden Peterson, CIF, Wesclin, IL
Another physical sophomore bat to follow from this winter’s event. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound right-handed hitter worked mostly to the pull-side in BP and generated some of the day’s highest bat speed (73 mph) on average. Peterson averaged 89.06 mph per batted ball, peaking at 96.8 mph, and his furthest ball traveled 328.3 feet, per TrackMan.
Kevin Morgan, RHP/INF, Fort Zumwalt East, IL
Physical athlete with power stuff that has the potential to be an impact arm for the Lions this upcoming season. Morgan’s fastball played heavy with hard horizontal action on average (16.6”) at 83-84 mph. A week later, our staff saw Morgan pump his fastball at 85-86, touching 86.9 mph, at a different event. Morgan He threw a 73-74 mph changeup that played off his fastball to the arm-side of the plate and also showed an upper-60s breaking ball to round out his pitch mix.
Zach Snow, MIF/CF, Carterville, IL
Lean, athletic multi-sport athlete that may have been the biggest winner of the day. Started at shortstop and hit in the six hole, moved to center field in the fifth inning. Loose hands, short and level path to contact, keeps his barrel through the hitting zone. Worked a deep count – consistently fouling off pitches – before spraying a single back up the middle for his lone hit of the day. Walked twice and scored two runs as well. Clean, athletic actions on the infield, soft hands with confidence in them. Arm plays from a ¾ slot, average arm strength at the moment but should continue to tick up as he adds strength. Made the move to center field seamlessly, flipped his hips and tracked down a deep fly ball at a pro park with no issue. An upside, athletic sophomore to follow for Carterville.
Jaxson Vaughan, 1B, Triad, IL
Strong, physical left-handed hitter that hit eighth and DH’d for the Knights. Is a name that our staff has become increasingly familiar with over the past few months, most recently at the ScoutConnect Winter Showcase, where he took an impressive round of BP. Strong active hands with a barrel tip load and quick toe-tap trigger. Singled up the middle and scored a run in this look.
Ryker Perigo, MIF, Mt. Vernon, IL
Lean, athletic frame, started at shortstop and hit leadoff for the Rams. Switch-hitter, only took at-bats from the left side in yesterday’s look. Quick hands with a flat path to contact, consistently put the ball in play. Impressed defensively. Fluid footwork, breaks down around the baseball and plays out front. Soft, confident hands, quick to release with an accurate arm across the infield. Showed capable of staying in control on the move and working to both sides. A sophomore with an up-the-middle glove to follow for the Rams.
Landon Workman, RHP, Mt. Zion, IL
Long, lanky, 6-foot-5, 185-pound frame with all sorts of upside. Took the mound at the SBA Scout Day and provided a highly intriguing look. Comes at you with his long levers, pitched in the low-80s with his fastball with consistent feel for a sharp slider and curveball. An upside arm to keep an eye on for the the Braves in the future.
Keytin Grawe, CF/SS, Salem, IL
Lean, athletic frame, hit leadoff for Salem and started in center field before moving to shortstop later in the game. Doubled to left-center in his second at-bat of the game, jumped on one his next trip to the plate for a loud barreled out that way as well. Fast hands with easy barrel speed, stays short and direct to contact, ball jumps off the barrel for his size. Easy athlete in center field, chance to stick there at the next level. A loose, fluid athlete on both sides of the ball with upside should he continue to add strength to his frame.
Liam Decker, RHP/INF, O’Fallon, IL
Thin, wiry frame with long, lean levers. Came out of the ‘pen and threw three strong innings to secure a 10-4 win for O’Fallon, allowing two runs on four hits with no walks and four punchouts. Loose, clean arm, simple in-line delivery. Fastball touched 80 mph, pitching in the upper-70s, and showed feel for both sides of the plate. Spun a 65-68 mph curveball with high-arching, gradual spin that he was able to flip in for strikes. Really looked the part defensively in I/O, took reps at shortstop where he comfortably played on the move, especially up the middle. Soft hands, fluid feet that work around the baseball, gathers out front and plays through release. An upside sophomore to keep follow on both sides of the ball.
Zeke Young, RHP, Monticello, IL
Athletic frame, came out of the ‘pen and struck out five over two innings of two-run ball, walking one. Simple in-line delivery, repeats and finishes out front with intent through footstrike. Short quick arm stroke, finishes out of high ¾ slot. Fastball touched 81 mph early, played in the upper-70s and for strikes. Consistently turned to an upper-60s breaking ball with depth, able to land it in the zone and spot it beneath for swing-and-miss. Completely confident in it, doubled up on it at times. A young, athletic arm to follow for the Sages.
Joe Stephan, MIF, Alton Marquette, IL
Strong, compact frame that holds strength throughout, especially in the lower half. Started at shortstop and hit third in this look. Did not record a hit, but took some of the day’s more aggressive hacks, showing bat speed with plenty of intent out of load. Has a chance to be a consistently impactful right-handed hitter with a bit more seasoning. Looked the part defensively on the infield in I/O with soft hands that funnel out front and work click to release. Lower half works around the baseball in rhythm, stayed in control and comfortable on the move to his glove side. A sophomore to follow for Marquette Catholic.
Gage Taylor, OF, Murphysboro, IL
Athletic frame with well-proportioned strength. Hit at the top of Murphysboro’s lineup – third in game one and second in game two. Did not record a hit in game one, totaled two in the second game, including an RBI double. Got off several aggressive hacks, showed bat speed from the left side with a flat path through the zone, does pull off at times.
Gabe James, MIF, Mascoutah, IL
Was a big winner from this winter’s event and has all sorts of upside in a lanky, lean-levered 6-foot-1, 160-pound frame. James works upright at the plate with a high hand start, drifting forward to contact with a long barrel path that sprayed line drives to all fields as he went on. Defensively, he’s a clean, athletic mover with sure-handed actions and a clean transfer that worked quick to release.
Noah Schuler, C, Timberland, MO
Left a positive impression on our staff with his performance at the plate, as well as defensively. He swings an athletic right-handed bat that was best when it was short and flat through the zone, allowing him to backspin line drives, though he did work uphill to contact at times. Schuler found the barrel with consistency, averaging 82.8 mph per batted ball with a max mark at 89.7 mph. Defensively, Schuler’s hardest throw from the chute came in at 76 mph and his quickest pop time was 2.05 seconds.
Ben Tillman, C, Collinsville, IL
Saw regular playing time behind the dish for the Kahoks as a freshman last spring and has made noticeable strides in all areas of his game from then to now. At the plate, Tillman’s aggressive out of his load and favors the pull-side producing some of his best batted balls that way throughout his round from a leveraged, uphill right-handed stroke. His catch-and-throw from behind the plate was better than we’d seen before, working quicker to release with an uptick in arm strength (75 mph) and his quickness to the bag (2.02 seconds).
Nathan Klucker, RHP, Triad, IL
Was plenty successful for the Knights as a freshman on varsity last season, posting a 1.03 ERA over 40 ⅔ innings of work with 29 punchouts and just 14 walks. He’s a pitchability arm with a ride (16” avg) and run (14” avg) fastball that was up to 81 mph at this event. Off that, Klucker will mix in a short, tight 65-66 mph breaking ball and he will also turn over a low spin (1222 RPM avg) changeup in the low-70s. As a position player, Klucker’s hardest batted ball came off his bat at 92.8 mph and he was up to 85 mph from the outfield.
Parker Wells, OF, Belleville West, IL
Athletic right-handed hitter that had some of the more intriguing batted ball data at our winter showcase. Posted the highest average bat speed (73.3 mph) of all the sophomores that attended this event, and his average hand speed mark (21.9 mph) was near the top of the leaderboard for 2027 grads. He showed bat strength as well, launching his furthest ball 347.2 feet, while averaging 84.86 mph per batted ball and peaking at 91.6 mph.
Dane Johnson, INF, Freeburg, IL
Athletic frame with compact strength throughout. Started at third base and hit eighth in this look. Lone hit of the day came in the first inning, where he sprayed an RBI single to center field to bring home a run. Strong hands with a quick load on the backside, long and slightly uphill path to contact.
Jonathan Barlow, LHP/OF, Freeburg, IL
Long, loose, lean-levered athlete with plenty to project on as he continues to mature physically, especially on the mound. Simple, fluid mover, arm plays clean with length on the backside and finishes from a clean ¾ window. Doesn’t have overpowering velocity right now, but throws strikes with three pitches and will continue to add velocity over the coming years. Showed a clean, direct left-handed swing in BP that sprayed gap-to-gap line drives as well.
Luka Freidenberg, OF/C, O’Fallon, IL
5-foot-11, 192-pound frame that’s packed with strength, football background. Ran a 7.00 60-yard dash at his size and age at our winter showcase. Showed advanced bat (71.1 mph) and hand (22.4 mph) speed on average for his age and worked on the barrel often to the pull-side of the field. Freidenberg also showed arm strength from behind the plate, peaking at 75 mph with a top pop time at 2.01 seconds.
Landon Dippel, CIF/RHP, O’Fallon, IL
Strong in stature, physical throughout. Worked on the barrel to the pull-side in BP, squaring his hardest ball up at 88.2 mph with a max batted distance of 331.6 feet. He was most impressive on the mound, where he pumped a heavy fastball for strikes down in the zone in the low-80s, peaking at 83.7 mph, and spun an upper-60s slider at 2400+ RPM. Has also logged varsity time early on in the spring for one of the top high school teams in Southern Illinois.
Tanner Chamberlain, INF, Waterloo, IL
Strong, sturdy frame with notable physicality throughout. Does not get cheated by any means at the plate, getting off loud, aggressive hacks as he went on in BP at our winter event with advanced bat (70.5 mph) and hand (21.3 mph) speed on average. Chamberlain’s peak exit velocity was 93.9 mph, his furthest ball traveled 334 feet, and his average batted distance was 258 feet – all of those marks were amongst the best for 2027 grads at this event.
Aiden Dunlap, RHP, O’Fallon, IL
Athletic strike-thrower that worked mostly on the corners and down in the zone with a fastball that sat 81-82 mph in his bullpen at the ScoutConnect Winter Showcase. Spun a short wrinkle breaking ball at 71-72 mph and he also turned over a 74-76 mph changeup with low spin (1202 RPM avg) and low lift (7.5” VB avg).
Isaac Repscher, OF/LHP, Taylorville, IL
Strong, compact left-handed hitter that was consistently on the barrel in BP at the SBA Scout Day. Hopped on the mound and threw three pitches – FB/CH/CB – for strikes, off to a strong start this spring for a Taylorville club that is 6-0 as of this writing.
Karter Marks, RHP/C, Springfield, IL
Physical, broad-shouldered frame with lower half strength. Flashed notable power at the SBA Scout Day, leading the event in peak exit velocity (94.7 mph), average batted distance (270.4 ft.), and peak batted distance (357.3 ft.). Was also low-80s on the mound with feel to land his breaking ball for strikes.
Mikey Groesch, C, Sacred-Heart Griffin, IL
Muscled-up, compact frame with strength, football background. Was a winner from the SBA Scout Day and also in a live look at Sacred-Heart Griffin against Williamsville earlier this spring. Really stood out behind the plate; willing blocker, chests up the baseball and throws himself into the dirt to keep the ball in front. Swings a short, compact right-handed swing that flashed hand speed and some jump off the barrel.
Brady Vermilye, C/INF, Vianney, MO
Athletic left-handed hitter that holds lean strength and room for more. Was on the barrel in BP at the JawBats Scout Day, worked gap-to-gap, especially with backspin feel to the backside. Clean catch/throw from behind the plate, gets it out quick and was on the bag in his defensive workout.
