This Wednesday, June 10th, ScoutConnect is headed back to SIUE to host our second annual Summer Games. This event will feature 60+ uncommitted 2027 and 2028 grads from Illinois and Missouri that will participate in a pro-style workout, followed by a simulated game. 

Last year, the ScoutConnect Summer Games drew more than 25 college coaches, and nearly all 41 of the 2026 grads who attended the event have committed to play baseball at the collegiate level. 

For a look at roster, team assignments, itinerary, and more, click HERE. 

Here is a quick schedule for the day: 

+ Team 1 & Team 2 Check-In, 9:00 AM

+ Team 1 & Team 2 Game Start, 11:00 AM

+ Team 3 & Team 4 Check-In, 1:00 PM

+ Team 3 & Team 4 Game Start, 3:00 PM

Below you’ll learn a little more about a few of the players headed our way on Wednesday. Please note that we aren’t going to preview each individual player for each team – these are more spotlights, but all of the players attending this event are talented individuals worth following for college coaches. 

TEAM ONE 

+ One of the top arms in southern Illinois, RHP Alex Athmer (Breese Central, 2027) will be taking the mound at this event. Long and lanky with projection to come, Athmer’s fastball plays in the mid-to-upper-80s, creeping into the low-90s at peak earlier this spring. He spins a shorter, tighter slider off it, and will flash a changeup, as well as a harder cutter. As the staff ace for Breese Central this spring, Athmer pitched to a 1.82 ERA over 65 ⅓ innings, striking out 79. 

Alex Athmer

+ Another arm of note in the incoming senior class for this team is RHP Landon Dippel (O’Fallon, 2027). The strong-bodied, physical right-hander carved out a nice role for himself this spring for the Panthers, making nine appearances, with six starts. He struck out 34 batters over 30 innings, posting a 2.57 ERA. From an arsenal standpoint, Dippel’s fastball plays in the mid-80s with hard and late run when it’s at its best, and he’ll also flip in a bigger low-70s curveball. 

+ Crossing over the river from Missouri is INF Tyler Sweeney (Eureka, 2027), one of the top up-the-middle defenders that’s still uncommitted in the state’s incoming senior class. Lean and wiry with long, lanky levers, Sweeney’s been an impact player for one of the top high school teams in the St. Louis area for the past two seasons now. He’s a true top-of-the-lineup type of at-bat with high bat-to-ball skills, minimal whiff, and an overall understanding of his offensive game. Defensively, it’s a clean, sure-handed glove at shortstop that’ll have a chance to stick through the middle at the next level, or slide over to third base. Sweeney’s a winning player, and should be one of the top names in attendance at Wednesday’s event. 

Tyler Sweeney

+ C/OF Trey Conrod (Waterloo) has turned himself into one of the top catchers in southern Illinois for the 2027 class. A physical, strong-bodied athlete, Conrod is a sub-7.00 runner with one of the stronger, more true arms from behind the plate in the area. It’s a short, strong right-handed swing that will impact the baseball more consistently when he learns to elevate gap-to-gap as he gets older. Still, Conrod is one of the toolsier prospects in attendance, and we’re excited to see his talents on display following a strong spring season for Waterloo. 

Trey Conrod 

+ Two 2028 grads that are two-way players to follow at this event are OF/LHP Tyler Mehrtens (Highland) and OF/RHP Tyson Wampler (Edwardsville). Mehrtens is a twitchy, athletic left-handed hitter with a short, flat path and can also pitch in the mid-80s on the mound from the left side. Wampler had an excellent season as a persistent middle-of-the-order bat for Edwardsville, showing the ability to lift the baseball from a short, controlled, and uphill right-handed swing. He didn’t touch the rubber too often, but is a low-80s arm with feel to spin a big 12/6 breaking ball. 

TEAM TWO

+ INF/RHP Liam Decker (O’Fallon, 2027) is one of the more intriguing two-way talents in the Metro East for this incoming senior group. He’s a quick-twitch, explosive athlete on the field that shows that on both sides of the ball. At the plate, there’s some length to the swing, but there’s leverage through contact and the ability to work gap-to-gap in the air. Perhaps where he’s most intriguing is on the mound, though, where Decker’s arm speed is next level, and he’s crept into the upper-80s in game, spinning a bigger mid-70s breaking ball off it. 

Liam Decker

+ Another two-way talent of note on this team, though from Missouri, is RHP/CIF Kevin Morgan (Fort Zumwalt East, 2027). Morgan anchored the Lions’ pitching staff this spring, earning their conference Pitcher of the Year award after punching out 61 batters across 52 innings of work. He can run his fastball up to 90 mph, though he’ll pitch in the mid-to-upper-80s, and spins a short, hard, tight slider off it in the low-80s. At the plate, it’s a right-handed swing that’s shown bat strength to our staff in the past. 

Kevin Morgan

+ Three high school teammates from Festus are making the trip up to SIUE with OF/LHP Jackson Ijames (2027), MIF Brayden Good (2027), and MIF Cooper Schilly (2027) set to attend. Ijames is the most physically advanced of the bunch, taking the field at 6-foot-2, 200-pounds with next-level strength on both sides of the ball. Good took tremendous strides this winter, adding more strength to his frame and cleaning up his swing to allow him to work on the barrel more consistently. He had an excellent spring for the Tigers, slashing .411/.515/.589 with 10 doubles, three home runs, and 31 RBI. Schilly may be the most athletic, he’s a 6.7 runner, and profiles as a prototypical leadoff hitter, staying short to contact, using the whole field, while putting together quality at-bats. 

+ We’ll see one of the top incoming juniors in the state on Wednesday with MIF Nick Chiarodo (Edwardsville, 2028) set to attend. He’s a high level athlete with advanced tools for his age and a wiry, athletic frame that should only continue to get stronger in the coming years. 

Nick Chiarodo

TEAM THREE 

+ Making the trip down from Geneseo is INF/RHP Jaydon Burrage (2027), a physical two-way talent from central Illinois. He was one of the bigger winners from our WowFactor Scout Day in February, showing easy bat and hand strength at the plate, and pitching in the mid-80s on the mound with feel to spin. 

Jaydon Burrage

+ RHP/OF Quinten Hale (Glenwood, 2027) is a name that stood out to our staff in multiple looks on the mound throughout the spring. He fills up the strike zone with a fastball at 83-86 mph that jumps out the hand some from a short, tight arm slot. Off that, Hale will spin a big top-to-bottom breaking ball in the upper-60s, and has flashed high feel for a fading changeup in the mid-70s that has the potential to be his best pitch at the next level. 

Quinten Hale

+ The catching tandem for this team is a strong one, with C Hudson Lovell (Morton, 2027) and C Lucas Sloan (Olympia, 2028) leading the charge behind the plate. Lovell served as the everyday backstop at Morton this spring, and hit in the middle of the Potters’ lineup with a strong, impactful right-handed swing. Sloan is one of the more talented backstops in the state’s incoming junior class, owning above-average arm strength and showing a cleaner, stronger right-handed swing this winter. 

+ INF Hayden Harriss (Marion, 2027) and CIF Aidan Gusta (Carterville, 2027) are a pair of physical right-handed hitters making their way up to SIUE from the Carbondale area. Both of them showed well at our Winter Showcase in February and parlayed that into successful seasons with their high school teams. Another name to know that was a top performer this spring was OF Nick Miles (Roxana, 2027). The left-handed hitter hit over .400 for the Shells with 20+ doubles. 

TEAM FOUR 

+ RHP Will Vanderheyden (O’Fallon, 2028) has quickly cemented himself as one of the top arms in the Metro East area for the ‘28 class. On multiple occasions this spring, Vanderheyden pitched at 86-89 mph with his fastball, carrying it through the top of the zone. He’ll pair a sharper 12/6 curveball in the low-to-mid-70s with that fastball, and will also flash a changeup at 78-81 mph. 

Will Vanderheyden

+ When our staff checked in on Seckman this spring, the biggest standout of the day was MIF Brody Kube (2027). Packed with strength in a muscle-bound, compact frame, Kube found the barrel in all three of his at-bats, used the whole field, and showed the ability to hit with two strikes. He played a clean shortstop as well, and has the athleticism to stick on the infield, whether it be through the middle or at third base. We’d expect Kube to come away from Wednesday’s event as one of the bigger winners and a name coaches will want to follow throughout the summer. 

Brody Kube

+ RHP Cody Baden (Fort Zumwalt West, 2027) was one of the bigger, more pleasant surprises for our staff this spring. He stepped up for the Jaguars on the mound, cementing himself as their No. 2 arm. He’s a lean, athletic body with a loose, quick arm action that ran his fastball up to 87 mph at peak in our looks, pitching in the mid-80s, and spinning a low-70s breaking ball off it. 

+ MIF Landon Maisenbacher (Pleasant Plains, 2028) and CIF Elijah Johnson (Quincy Notre Dame, 2028) are two sophomores of note for this team. Maisenbacher can flat out pick it at shortstop and is one of the more advanced defenders in the state, regardless of class, with high level glove-to-hand. Johnson’s physicality and bat strength are his carrying tools, as he has the impact potential to be a highly coveted right-handed bat heading into his junior year.