CENTRAL ILLINOIS COLLEGIATE LEAGUE
TOP 15 PROSPECTS, 2008

Compiled by Allan Simpson
In Association with League Managers and Scouts

Official League Website: www.ciclbaseball.com

The expansion Springfield Sliders and overachieving Danville Dans second baseman Dan Kaczrowski were the major storylines in the Central Illinois Collegiate League in 2008, but neither party made much of an impact in a survey of the league’s top prospects.

Springfield went 20-4 in the first half on its way to posting the best overall record in the league, and validated itself as the CICL’s best team by winning the playoffs. But the Sliders didn’t have the depth of pro-quality talent that Danville did as Dans players occupy six of the 15 spots (twice as many as Springfield) on the accompanying CICL prospects list, including the Nos. 1 and 2 spots.

And yet none of the half-dozen Danville prospects was named Kaczrowski, who was selected the league’s player of the year in both halves, earned the Mike Schmidt Award as the CICL’soverall player of the year and won the batting title by a whopping 74 percentage points.

Kaczrowski, a rising senior at Minnesota’s Hamline University, was widely hailed by managers for being the toughest out in the league—and for generally getting the most out of his ability. But he was viewed by scouts as just a solid, consistent college player with no physical tool that would play in the big leagues.

Typical of the league in recent years, rising college sophomores and players from a small handful of familiar Division I college programs dominated the list of top prospects. Of the top 15, 11 were freshmen during the 2008 college season. Louisiana State, Mississippi State, Pepperdine and San Diego have historically been major contributors to the CICL’s talent pool, and seven of the top 15 this summer came from those schools. In 2007, the four schools provided six of the top 10.

FAST FACTS
Year League Established: 1963.
States Represented in League: Illinois, Indiana.
Level of Competition (1-to-4 Scale): 3.
No. of Teams in League: 5.
Regular-Season Champion: Springfield Sliders.
Post-Season Champion: Springfield Sliders
Teams, PG Crosschecker Summer 16/Final Ranking: No. 32 Springfield Sliders.
No. 1 Prospect, 2007 (per PG Crosschecker): A.J. Griffin, rhp, Danville Dans (San Diego; played for Team USA in 2008).
First 2007 Player Selected, 2008 Draft: Aaron Weatherford, rhp, Danville Dans (Mississippi State; Rockies, third round).

Most Valuable Player: Dan Kaczrowski, 2b, Danville Dans.
Most Outstanding Pitcher: Brad Riegler, rhp, DuPage Dragons; Bryce Shafer, rhp, Springfield Sliders.
Top Prospect (as selected by league): Tyler Hess, rhp, Danville Dans.

BATTING LEADERS 
Batting Average: Dan Kaczrowski, 2b, Danville Dans (.398).
Slugging Percentage: Jon Myers, ss-3b, Quincy Gems (.520).
On-Base Average: Dan Kaczrowski, 2b, Danville Dans (.464).
Home Runs: Jon Myers, ss-3b, Quincy Gems (14).
RBIs: Dennis Vaughn, of, Springfield Sliders (40).
Stolen Bases: Kurt Muller, of, Quincy Gems (22).

PITCHING LEADERS 
Wins: Logan Mahon, lhp, Springfield Sliders; Bryce Shafer, rhp, Springfield Sliders (6).
ERA: Logan Mahon, lhp, Springfield Sliders (1.85).
Saves: Tyler Choate, rhp, Springfield Sliders; Chase Joiner, rhp, DuBois County Bombers (6).
Strikeouts: Bryce Shafer, rhp, Springfield Sliders (74).
Opponent Batting Average: Matt Bywater, lhp, Danville Dans (.207).

BEST TOOLS
Best Hitter: Ryan Duffy, c/1b, DuPage Dragons.
Best Power: Jon Myers, ss, Quincy Gems.
Fastest Base Runner: Ryan Ashe, of, Springfield Sliders.
Best Defensive Player: Elliot Soto, ss, Springfield Sliders.
Best Velocity: Tyler Hess, rhp, Danville Dans.
Best Breaking Ball: Greg Houston, rhp, Danville Dans.

TOP 15 PROSPECTS

  PLAYER POS. TEAM B-T HT WT YR 2009 SCHOOL
1. Austin Ross RHP Danville Dans L-R 6-2 185 So. Louisiana State
SCOUTING REPORT: Though his teammate Tyler Hess was the league’s official No. 1 prospect and consistently pumped his fastball a mile or two harder, Ross is very projectable in his own right and much farther along the development track. He’s the safer pick of the two to not only reach the big leagues, but get there first. Ross has smooth mechanics and throws the ball with little effort, and yet gets good life on his pitches. He showed the ability to carve up hitters with a solid three-pitch mix, and was at his best when he had command of an above-average, slurve-shaped slider. His fastball was customarily in the 88-90 mph range, but he could reach 92 almost at will when he needed a little extra. Overall, he went 1-3, 3.44 with 10 walks and 24 strikeouts in 34 innings as a part-time starter for the Dans. Ross made a lot of headway this summer in refining his changeup, and that should give him the third pitch he needs to move full-time into a starting job in 2009 at LSU after he worked mainly in relief for the Tigers as a freshman, going 3-1, 2.58 with three saves while walking nine and striking out 37 in 52 innings.