Indiana, a baseball hotbed? More than 150 Indiana HS baseball players sign to play college baseball
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH)– It’s no secret that Indiana is considered a basketball state, but the quality of amateur baseball is becoming elite, and the baseball community around the nation is taking notice. Case in point, 155 high school seniors from across the state signed national letters of intent– during last week’s early signing period– to play college baseball.
“From a regional perspective, Indiana prep baseball will rival any state in the Midwest. States like Georgia, Florida, Texas, and California will generally have more depth than we do, but our top end players and teams will compete against anyone in the country. ” Cooper Trinkle, Lead Scout of Prep Baseball Report (PBR) Indiana told me. “Our senior class has 11 players ranked in the Top 300 nationally. We have 6 sophomores and juniors that are ranked in the Top 100 on a national level in their own respective grad class.” Trinkle added.
Trinkle, a Columbus, Indiana native, works for Prep Baseball Report (PBR), the country’s biggest and most respected independent scouting services in the country.
“Our Executive Director, Phil Wade, has built connections with pro scouts and college recruiters and has been running PBR Indiana for over a decade. Those guys know that they can get up-to-date information about recruits from us, with honest evaluations – along with videos, metrics, and prospect lists on our website. Our staff is in constant communication with recruiters and scouts from all areas.” Trinkle said
Recent first round draft picks Max Clark and Colson Montgomery have – undoubtedly- helped put Indiana on the map. But the talent doesn’t stop there, Trinkle pointed to some of the high school seniors, guys like left-handed pitcher Brayton Thomas, an Indiana University recruit. Right-handed pitcher and Louisville recruit, Jack Brown from Fishers, and Jayce Lee, an outfielder from South Bend that will be playing his college baseball at Notre Dame.
“I am excited to see the development of our top ranked juniors like Brandon Logan (Vanderbilt / Fort Wayne Snider HS), Blane Metz (Indiana / Floyd Central HS), and Caden Crowell (Notre Dame / Valparaiso HS). All are Top 100 recruits with potential to become high school draft prospects. Our top ranked recruits on a national scale are sophomores Hudson Devaughan (Alabama / Mooresville HS) and Dylan Bowen (Uncommitted / Hanover Central HS), both having the potential to be special talents. ” Trinkle said
Clearly, the baseball future in the Hoosier state is brigh,t and Trinkle said he thinks it could get even better.
“I think Indiana prep baseball will continue to grow, especially with the success that Grand Park has had. Grand Park will host some of the top prep talent in the country on any given weekend, attracting hundreds of recruiters and scouts. Our players really benefit from this, as we get to compete against top talent right in our backyard. Our travel baseball programs are only becoming more competitive on a national scale and that only helps improve talent for the IHSAA spring season.”