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2022 Selections & 2023 Pre-Season Prospects

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Oscar Thompson is the first player in the brief history of the Falls Aces to make a local High School baseball team, securing a spot on the Menomonee Falls High School JV2 team for the 2019 Spring season.

UPDATED 3/22/19 3:30 PM:

We’re excited to see the first Falls Aces players earn a spot on a local high school baseball team, as Oscar Thompson has been placed on the Menomonee Falls High School JV2 team., and David Dell’Agnese has made the varsity team at Brookfield Academy.

Oscar is a unique athlete who plays all over the field and is blessed with speed, arm strength, and athleticism that should transition well to the high school level.

Oscar pitched 12.1 innings for the Aces in 2018, striking out 12 and picking up 2 wins.

He was 3rd on the team with 10 stolen bases, getting on base at a .476 clip while scoring 5 runs in 10 games played.

David, a catcher with above average speed for the position, hit .400 in 2018 on the U13 team while also stealing 5 bases. David walked more than he struck out, and served as the primary backstop for the Aces.

The Falls Aces began in 2017 with a team of U12 players. In 2018, Oscar and David were two of eight players that were added to the U13 team, helping lead that team to a 5-8 record, including placing 4th in the Field of Dreams tournament in July.

Congratulations Oscar and David, and good luck!

Looking forward, there are a number of Falls Aces players graduating in 2023 that we anticipate making a strong impression during next year’s workouts and tryouts, including four players that have been with the program from Day 1:

  1. Keith Youngs – as a first baseman, outfielder, and pitcher, Keith is the big stick in the Aces lineup. With exit velocities consistently over 80 MPH as a 13 year old, Keith slugged 1.036 in 2018 by crushing 10 of his 17 hits for extra bases. Keith is also a durable LHP, currently topping out at 70 MPH. In 2018, he pitched 12.1 innings and struck out 11 batters.
Keith was the 2018 Falls Aces SlugFest HR derby champion, peppering the tree in centerfield with baseballs all afternoon! Keith placed 2nd in the Field of Dreams HR Derby in July, battling another competitor for over 30 minutes before taking the runner up spot.

2. Zion Cordoves – Zion profiles as a middle infielder at the High School level, possessing good range, a strong arm, + speed, and a quick bat with above average plate discipline. “Z” struck out only twice for the Aces in 2018, drawing 8 walks and stealing 8 bases. A strong fielder, Zion had a .939 fielding percentage while primarily playing shortstop in 2018.

Zion places the tag on a steal attempt over the summer of 2018. As a captain of the Aces, he plays a strong SS while batting leadoff.

3. Riley Lilach – as a corner infielder and pitcher, Riley is fundamentally sound in the field and on the mound. With 5.2 injury-limited innings pitched in 2018, Riley struck out 5 while holding opponents to a team-low .211 batting average. Riley has added 10 MPH to his fastball over Winter, while fine tuning a curve and split/change, putting him in a competitive position for 2019. Riley has average speed, but is an above-average base runner with good plate discipline , drawing 4 walks in 11 games.

Riley is a competitor on the mound, preferring to be the pitcher called upon at the end of the game. He led all 5 Falls Aces teams in WHIP and BAA in 2018, while striking out 5 batters in 5.2 innings pitched.

4. Matthew Lauer – playing multiple infield and outfield positions, Matthew profiles as another strong-armed pitcher within the Falls Aces program. Pitching 6.2 innings in 2018, Lauer picked up 6 strike outs. He also batted .412 while leading his U12-Red team with 7 runs batted in. Matthew exhibits above average speed, fielding range, and arm strength.

Matthew turned in a strong 2018 campaign, leading his team in batting average and RBI. He also profiles as a strong pitching option at the high school level.

5. Ben Mallow – “double play Mallow” (line drives have a knack for finding his glove) as he is known within the Aces program, is a versatile infielder who is poised to challenge for the #1 catcher role in 2019 as well. Ben is also a pitcher, and can play outfield as well. Ben batted .375 while scoring 6 runs in 12 games during the 2018 season. A steady glove, Mallow committed only one error in 39 chances last season, picked off a runner, and had one runner caught stealing as well. Ben caught two runners stealing in 2017. Ben also has 20 strikeouts in 18.1 innings pitched over two seasons with the Aces.

“Double Play” Mallow at it again, this time against the U13 Mid-Michigan Fury who were ranked within the top 150 programs in the nation last season. Ben is one of the most versatile players in the Falls Aces program, logging playing time at 3B, SS, 2B, C, and P last season.

These are a handful of the 2023 athletes who are making noise within the program at the moment. We will update this list as we progress throughout the season.

Information on the Falls Aces: The Falls Aces program was designed to offer high-level development opportunities to young athletes looking to improve their baseball skills. The focus is on skill acquisition and development, leading to a lot of practice and workout time as compared to other programs. Since 2017, the Aces have increased in size from one team, to 5 in 2019.

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BREAKING: Axe Bat Fitting

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UPDATED 1/25/19 3:15 PM: The Falls Aces will be the first program in the nation to go through the bat fitting process, partnering with Axe Bat to help them further design the process for a nationwide roll out.

The Falls Aces are excited to announce that Jeff Leach, a prominent hitting instructor and Manager of Hitting for Axe Bat, will be onsite at the Launch Pad training players, coaches, and parents early this February.

Coaches and parents will have a chance to learn more about bat fitting, while players and coaches will learn more about the art of wrecking baseballs – with axe handled bats preferably – in a separate session.

The fitting session will be unique, as technology will be used to allow each hitter to measure which bat produces the best outcome – leading to the opportunity to have better in-game performance.

Falls Aces Coaches will also be instructed on more advanced ways to ensure the correct bat is in each hitter’s hands, as well as additional hitting instruction offered by Jeff.

Falls Aces families will receive information via email on how to take part in this great, free, opportunity.

Jeff Leach is the Manager of Hitting for Axe Bat. He works with amateur, college and professional baseball teams to help their hitters find the best bat for their swing.

Jeff, with his wife, Brittani

The 2018 American League MVP Mookie Betts and the 2017 World Series MVP George Springer are amongst more than 60 hitters who use Axe Bats in Major League Baseball.

Previous to Axe Bat, Coach Leach was Director of Instruction for D-BAT in San Antonio. In 2015 he was nominated for national instructor of the year by D-BAT Sports. He is sought out for his ability to develop high performing hitters of all ages and ability levels.

“My goal as a coach is to boost a hitter’s confidence by developing their skills and their approach. I encourage aggressive swings that produce line drives.”

His high school players have earned All-District & All-State honors in Texas, and have earned scholarships to nationally ranked college baseball programs. Since 2013, his players have committed to play Division I baseball in the SEC, Big 12, WAC, Conference USA, Southwest Conference, Southland and American Athletic Conference.

A native of San Antonio, Coach Leach played baseball at McMurray University in Abeline, TX as an outfielder. He lives with his wife Brittani, and their 4 children: Sydney, Carter, Cooper and Cash.

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Training Session Openings

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⚾We have baseball training openings for the following sessions, including a new batch of hitting clinics! 👍

– Introduction to Fielding – starting this Friday, registration closes tomorrow
– Pitching 101 – starting Monday, registration closes Saturday
– Ace of the Staff – starting Monday, registration closes Saturday
– Hitting Clinics (based on MFLL level of play) – starting Saturday 1/19, registration closes Thursday 1/17

All sessions are open to MFLL players looking to get an edge on the upcoming season. Registration is now completed on a new platform that provides automated email reminders! Click below to get started.
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php…

Learn more about current and future training provided by our travel program at fallsaces.org

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So much training, so little time!

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➡ If you have not checked out the latest training sessions we have to offer, you are missing out on some GREAT pitcher and catcher training opportunities! You can learn more about all of the below sessions by visiting our Baseball Training page.

intro to catchingCatcher Camps, led by Jacob Windom:

  1. Introduction To Catching – This program aims to teach the basics of the catcher position. Everything from stances, to receiving, to blocking and throwing will be covered. The emphasis will be on learning the basic movements in order to begin their catching career.
  2. Catcher Program: Stealing Strikes – This session is for the experienced catcher who is looking to learn the art of getting pitched balls to be called as strikes. The focus is on learning body movements that provide the illusion of borderline pitches looking like pure strikes.

Register here for any of these sessions!

full pitching programPitcher Programs, led by Alex Tomter:

  1. Introduction To Pitching – This program aims to teach the basics of throwing a baseball. Everything from fastball grip, arm path, and how to properly use the legs will be covered. The emphasis will be on throwing the ball correctly and with intent.
  2. Pitching 101 – This program will be for pitchers who have experience pitching and have the basics down but are looking for a more general knowledge. Focus will be on cleaning up mechanical flaws and throwing the ball with dual intent of throwing hard and throwing for strikes.
  3. Ace of the Staff – This advanced program will cover more of the fine tuning in building pitchers. Things like off-speed pitch design, pitch selection, pick-off moves and pitch location will be the focus. Concepts like pitching mentality, holding base runners and more will be stressed from the very first session.
  4. Velocity Training – Learn the principles of velocity and how to implement them through various drills using plyoballs, wrist weights, medicine balls and resistance bands. Data will be kept throughout in order to measure effectiveness of program.