Hitters Top Prospect Camp: Players to watch
Milwaukee Brewers bullpen catcher Marcus Hanel speaks to catchers at the 2015 Hitters Top Prospect Camp (Spencer Flaten/Wisconsin Baseball Central).
CALEDONIA – Some of the best baseball players in Wisconsin will converge in Caledonia for the 2017 Hitters Top Prospect Camp this Friday and Saturday.
We’ll be there throughout the weekend covering the action and following the top performers from the weekend. Here’s a look at some of the players we’ll be keeping an eye on, in no particular order.
Eric Erato, Sussex Hamilton, Class of 2020
Erato is one of the top sophomores in the state at this stage of the game. Stats from 2017 are unavailable, but in the summer of 2016 he had an 8-1 record and 2.54 ERA in 52.1 innings for Hitters against travel team competition.
Xavier Watson, South Milwaukee, Class of 2019
Watson is already committed to Illinois, and is one of the top position players in Wisconsin’s junior class. Another year of steady improvement could see him get a little attention on the national level.
Josh Leslie, Westosha Central 2018
Leslie was the Falcons’ best hitter last spring, finishing with a .412 batting average. He bashed 14 extra-base hits and drove in 23 runs as a junior. It’ll be interesting to see how he follows up with his senior campaign. He’s currently uncommitted and can impress some college coaches this weekend.
Riley Palmquist, Burlington 2019
Palmquist started 15 of state tournament qualifier Burlington’s 26 games last season, and should get a chance at a larger role this spring. He hit .342 with five RBIs as a sophomore, and he’s one of a handful of contributors expected to return for the Demons this season.
Dan Blomgren, Janesville Craig 2019
Blomgren was a second team all-Big Eight Conference pick last year for the Cougars. He’s already committed to Michigan, and he figures to be one of the top players for Janesville Craig this spring, as the Cougars got hit hard by graduation.
Tommy Lamb, Grafton 2020
Lamb, a sophomore, has a fastball that sits in the low 80s and a solid breaking ball to go along with it. Scouts have him pegged as a guy with upside, so it’ll be intriguing to see what he brings to the table this weekend.
Trent Ehlers, Sturgeon Bay 2019
Ehlers was part of a young Sturgeon Bay team that won the Packerland Conference title last year. He was named honorable mention all-conference as a utility player last spring. He’ll participate as a pitcher at the Top Prospect Camp. From 2016 to 2017, he added about 5 miles per hour to his fastball velocity. What will the jump from this year to next add?
Jack Bau, New Richmond 2019
New Richmond won the Middle Border Conference last year, and Bau earned second team all-conference honors as a sophomore infielder. He figures to be one of the best in a group of solid returning players for the Tigers.
