Latest news with #JadenFauske
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Prized LSU baseball signee makes big decision regarding baseball future
LSU baseball signee Jaden Fauske inked a deal with the Chicago White Sox, reportedly receiving a signing bonus of $3 million. The bonus is $800,000 above the slot value of Fauske's selection at No. 44 overall in the 2025 MLB Draft. The outfielder was the No. 57 prospect on ratings of the draft class. It was always unlikely that Fauske would actually play at LSU as he was consistently considered to be a day one selection, but now it's official. One of the highest-rated high school players in the draft class, he will turn his attention to the professional level after agreeing to terms with the White Sox. Here's what draft scouting report had to say about Fauske. "With a smooth left-handed stroke and a disciplined approach, Fauske has a history of hitting against both high school and showcase competition. He rarely chases pitches or swings and misses, though he can get too passive at times. He works the ball from gap to gap and should develop 20-homer power as he gets stronger and turns on more pitches." LSU recruits at a high level and the Tigers always contend for the top players in the country. But the downside of that is competing with the MLB. LSU does a good job getting a handful of prospects to campus, but the Tigers always lose a few too. This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Prized LSU baseball signee officially decides to turn pro
CBS News
15-07-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Jaden Fauske of Nazareth Academy thrilled to drafted by hometown White Sox
After picking Billy Carlson out of Corona High School in California in the first round of the MLB Draft, the White Sox went in their own backyard to nab Nazareth Academy's Jaden Fauske in the second round. CBS News Chicago recently profiled Fauske, the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year. He was coached by Hall of Famer Jim Thome and grew up a Sox fan. Fauske said it was definitely a pinch-me moment to hear his name called by his hometown team. "It's a dream come true — I mean, you think about that when you're sitting in the stands, you know, when I was 12 years old, like, I want to be wearing these uniforms," Fauske said. "I want to be playing on this field one day. To see that materialize, it means everything." Earlier, the White Sox took Carlson with the 10th overall pick. He was one of the record 17 shortstops taken in the first round. Carlson was the sixth shortstop and the second player from Corona High School selected in the first 10 picks. In the 2024 draft, only 10 shortstops were taken in the top 30 picks. In the third round, the White Sox took shortstop Kyle Lodise of Georgia Tech. The Cubs also added three prospects, starting with Ethan Conrad at No. 17. The 21-year-old outfielder out of Wake Forest was the 17th overall pick. Conrad played 21 games this season before a season-ending shoulder surgery. The Cubs' second-round pick was Kane Kepley, an outfielder from North Carolina. In the third round, they took right-handed pitcher Dominick Reed from Abilene Christian. Brendan Summerhill, an alum of Chicago's Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, was selected 42nd overall by the Tampa Bay Rays in the Competitive Balance Round A of the draft. The outfielder is fresh off helping Arizona make the College World Series.
CBS News
03-07-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Nazareth Academy star Jaden Fauske named the Gatorade Illinois baseball player of the year
Nazareth Academy's Jaden Fauske was recently named the Gatorade Illinois baseball player of the year. It's an award that celebrates a player's accomplishments on and off the field. It's probably more the on the field work that will get him selected in the upcoming MLB Draft, but Fauske's much more than just a great baseball player, he's also an elite chess player, and a state scholar Fauske earned a starting job on the varsity lineup during his freshman season at Nazareth Academy. He helped the program win its first state title that year, finishing a historic career with a 136-21 record. "Jaden is different. Jaden's at-bats were different. Jaden, the ball coming off his bat was different, the distance is different, the height is different. He threw 34 innings on the mound for us as a sophomore and he gave up two earned runs over 34 innings," head coach Lee Milano said. The multi-talented outfielder helped Nazareth win back-to-back state titles his freshman and sophomore seasons. His impressive offensive skillset as a left-handed batter led to a .492 career batting average, with 12 home runs and 136 RBI. "When I'm in the hole and on deck, there's a lot of things I'm telling myself, and trying to learn about the pitcher, but as soon as I step in the box my mind just goes silent," Fauske said. Fauske has been learning how to stay one step ahead of his opponents since a young age; not only playing baseball, but by mastering chess. "I think I got third place in state when I was in fourth or fifth grade. I feel like people, they kind of get surprised when I tell them that," he said. Fauske continues to play chess as a hobby, and feels it benefits him on the field too. "Hitting, every at bat is kind of like a chess match between the pitcher; you know, trying to predict their tendencies, what they might do at a certain count, stuff like that. So I think there's definitely a correlation there," he said. Does Fauske challenge his teammates to play him in chess? "They don't give me much of a challenge, to be honest, but, yeah, we play sometimes," he said. "AP Scholar, Illinois State Scholar, 4.3 grade point average, elite chess player, Jaden works extremely hard," Milano said. A talented player who will now either continue his career collegiately at national champion LSU, or, as a projected first-round MLB Draft pick, go pro. "I mean, chasing the dream of playing in the big leagues, either way you go to LSU or go to the draft. You can't really go wrong," he said. While Fauske has a lot to look forward to in his future, he will never forget memories made at Nazareth Academy. "I'm going to miss playing for Coach Milano and those coaches, and playing alongside my friends … wearing the Nazareth uniform across my chest," he said. There is only one thing his coach might not miss. "Jaden hit anywhere, on a daily basis, 8 to 10 homers in our field where our field is backed up to the woods. So the balls, once they're out there, we can't get them, we can't find them. I figured Jaden owes the school about 600 baseballs right now, and I told him whatever happens at some point when he signs that pro contract, a couple dozen balls back to the program wouldn't be a bad idea," Milano said. Something that could apparently be a problem for Fauske the rest of his career.
CBS News
14-05-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Star players, Hall-of-Famer assistant coach have Nazareth Academy baseball riding high
Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park, Illinois, captured its first baseball state championship in 2022, and won back-to-back titles the following year. The Roadrunners haven't slowed down since, thanks to a pipeline of talented players and a veteran coaching staff with some Hall-of-Fame help. This is Lee Milano's 26th season as head baseball coach at Nazareth Academy, and it began with another impressive winning streak — 14 straight games, to be exact, by a team with youth and experience. "It's the best. I mean, there's nothing like winning. We've won a lot my four years here, and hopefully, we do a little more winning later this spring," said Nazareth senior Jaden Fauske. Fauske has been a part of a 35-game and 46-game winning streak at Nazareth, winning two state titles. The LSU commit is also a top 20 MLB draft prospect. "There's been up to 70 scouts, general managers, out at out games to watch him — which is not an easy thing," said Coach Milano. "He is going to walk away here as the most decorated baseball player we've ever had." Nazareth has another player headed to an SEC program on the roster. Junior shortstop Landon Thome is committed to defending national champion — Tennessee. "Me and him going to similar colleges in the SEC, we've become really tight over these last few years," Thome said of his teammate Fauske. "I would call him one of my best friends, and we really get to pick each other's brains too in baseball. He knows a lot." Another mind Landon learns from is his dad. White Sox legend and Hall-of-Fame slugger Jim Thome is an assistant coach. "You know, it's a dream come true to watch your son keep progressing, be around a good culture of coaches, and then watch his love of the game just grow and grow," said Jim Thome. Jim Thome, of course, was on the World Series champion 2005 White Sox team. His career is quite the inspiration for his son. "I've grown up in the clubhouses around my dad, and just seeing him play, I mean, it's really inspired me to want to be like him — because he's like my hero," said Landon Thome, "so just makes me want to follow that path and create my own path too so." Milano takes pride in both the younger Thome and Fauske. "He's definitely a different player than his dad, which is really I think a good thing for him. But he also has the power," said Coach Milano. "Both young men are great kids. They do volunteer work. They're quiet leaders." But leadership and talent are not the only things that make the team unique. "I just feel like we have a really strong bond here at Naz, and around the team, I mean all the guys — we're really close, even though some of them are new," said Landon Thome. "So it's really cool. We have a really good bond." "Coach Milano is obviously the baseball aspect, but just being a young man too — learning to respect the game, learning to be humble," said Fauske. All lessons that have led to a lot of success at Nazareth. "Winning has become a big thing here, and we take a lot of pride in making sure we give them the information but that they want to be good," said Coach Milano. "They put the work in, they take the information, and at the end of the day, they go play — and the reward is them doing well." The team hopes "doing well" this year means a third state title in four seasons.
