SPRINGFIELD, Ill. app The 2025 Prospect League All-Star Fest activities kicked off Monday night at Robin Roberts Field with the Prospect League Alumni game and the 2025 Home Run Derby.
The Prospect League Alumni team defeated the US War Dogs in a four-inning exhibition game.
Following the game, the top sluggers from the Prospect League swung for the fences in the Home Run Derby. This yearapp competitors consisted of Wally Diaz (Rex), Baden Hackworth (OappFallon), Caleb Clealand (Alton), Hunter Snow (Lafayette), Brady Lester (Champion City), Cole Nathan (Dubois County), Kooper Schulte (Burlington), and Louie Barletti (Springfield).
In the first round, No.8 Barletti got things started as he launched nine long shots. No.7 Schulte followed up by going deep five times. The third to bat was No.6 Nathan, who sent out seven deep balls of his own. No.5 Lester finished the first half of the round with five big flies. No.4 Snow had two dingers to start the top half of seeded hitters. No.3 Clealand slugged one bomb out of the park. One ball was blasted out by No.2 Hackworth. The league-leading home-run hitter No.1 Diaz moved on with seven no-doubters, including six in the last 20 seconds. To wrap up the first round, Lester and Schulte had a three-pitch swing off. In the first round of the swing off, both players had one blast. After Lester had one long ball in the second round, Schulte blasted two over the scoreboard to move on to round two.
Moving on to round two were No.8 Barletti (9), No.1 Diaz (7), No.6 Nathan (7), and No.7 Schulte (5).
The home team hero Barletti led off the second round by sending out nine four-baggers for the second round in a row. Diaz continued the fun by knocking out eight round trippers. Nathan drove five balls out of the park. After winning the swing-off in round one, Schulte followed up by saying goodbye to seven baseballs.
Schulte, a graduate of New London High School and a member of the University of Iowa baseball team, finished third overall.
appIt was pretty crazy to be apart of it. Didnappt really get nervous at all until my name got called in the first round to go. Iappm not really a home-run hitter too much, so I surprised myself with making it to the final three. Up against so really good hitters, too,app Schulte said. appOverall it was a super cool experience. The crowd was into it, my teammates were hyping me up and even some of our division rivals were cheering me on, too, so it was really cool to be a part of something like that. Was just trying to put the Burlington Bees on the map.app
Heading to the final round were Barletti and Diaz.
In the championship round, it was the home team, Springfield Lucky Horseshoes No.8 seed Louie Barletti, going up against No.1 seed Wally Diaz of REX baseball. Barletti got the first swing, blasting out seven moon shots.
Diaz sent out his walk-off eighth home run with a long shot over the street to win the 2025 Prospect League Home Run Derby and the silver bat.
In the end, the No.1 seed Wally Diaz kept his title as the Home Run champion of the Prospect League for 2025.
In total, 86 baseballs were launched over the fences of Robin Roberts Stadium on this thrilling night, honoring the best sluggers in the league this season.
Schulte, along with fellow Bees Mason Schwalbach, Caleb Seibers, Braeden Sunken and Kaelen Clarkson participated in the Prospect League All-Star game on Tuesday at Robin Roberts Field.