Top Tier Alumni in the MLB
Tanner Roark
Former Top Tier pitcher Tanner Roark is now a constant staple in the rotation for the Washington Nationals. After being called up in August of 2013, Roark posted a 7-1 record with a 1.51 ERA in 53.2 innings pitched. In 2014, Roark had a 15-10 record with a 2.85 ERA. He pitched his first Complete Game Shutout on April 26, 2014. Roark had 1 4-7 record with a 4.38 ERA in long relief in the 2015 season. He had his best year in 2016 when he went 16-10 as a starter with a 2.38 ERA. In the beginning of the 2017 season, he was selected to represent Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, where he helped USA win the Gold for the 1st time. His 2017 season, Roark went 13-11 with a 4.67 ERA to help the Nationals earn the best record in the NL East. Roark was part of the Top Tier Class of 2005.
Casey Crosby
Former Top Tier LHP Casey Crosby was part of the Top Tier class of 2007. Crosby was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 5th round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft out of Kaneland (Ill.) High School. In 2012, Crosby made his MLB debut throwing 12.1 innings. In October of 2017, Crosby signed a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins.
Michael Bowden
Bowden former RHP for Top Tier's 18u team in 2005, was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 1st round. Bowden got called up in 2008 and pitched in the big leagues for the Red Sox for four seasons before being traded to the Cubs. In 2012 with the Cubs, Bowden pitched 36.2 innings out of relief with a 2.95 ERA. In 2013 with the Cubs he pitcher 37.2 innings out of relief with a 4.30 ERA. Bowden was part of the Class of 2005 Top Tier team that had 12 players drafted. In April of 2015 he was traded from the Cincinnati Reds to the Baltimore Orioles where he played Triple A most of the year. The last two years he signed a professional contract in the Korean Baseball Organization for the Doosan Bears where he helped them win the Korean League Championship in 2016 and Runner-up in 2017. In 2020-21 season, Bowden made another go of it pitching in the American Association of Independent baseball for the Chicago Dogs.
John Ely
Ely pitched with Top Tier on the Class of 2004 team. Ely in 2010, pitched 100 innings and posted a 5.49 ERA. In 2011 he appeared in 12.2 innings and held a 4.26 ERA. Ely was one of five players drafted off of Top Tier's 2004 team. Ely was drafted out of the University of Miami Ohio by the Chicago White Sox in the 3rd round. In 2012, Ely was named the "Minor League Pitcher of the Year for the Dodgers and later threw in 2 games with them. Currently, Ely joined the Chicago White Sox organization as the minor league pitching coach for the Great Falls Voyagers of the Pioneer League.
Joe Benson
Former Top Tier outfielder Joe Benson was a high school star at Joliet Catholic as a two sport athlete in baseball and football. Out of high school Joe signed at Purdue University but opted to forgo college after he was picked in the 2nd round of the 2006 first year player MLB Draft. Benson played with Top Tier in 2005 & 2006 and was one of 7 players drafted off that 2006 Top Tier team. Joe played with the Twins in 2011 and was listed as a top 10 prospect in their minor league system. In 2014, Benson was picked up by the Miami Marlins from the Twins and played a that year in Double A, Jacksonville Suns. In 2015, Benson picked up a minor league deal by the Atlanta Braves and then later in July of 2015 was picked up for a minor league deal by the New York Mets. In the winter of the 2015 season he picked up a minor league deal with the team the drafted him the Minnesota Twins but was released after spring training.
Rob Scahill
Scahill was one of 12 players drafted off Top Tier's 2005 team. Scahill pitched at Bradley from 2006-09, compiling a 10-15 career record with a 4.70 earned run average. The 6-foot-3 right-hander originally was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 48th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball First- Year Player Draft, but opted to return to Bradley for his junior season. He later was picked up by the Colorado rockies in the 8th round of the 2009 MLB Draft. In 2012, Scahill made his MLB debut with the Colorado Rockies our of the bullpen, pitching 8.2 innings with a 1.04 ERA. Scahill in 2013 pitched 33.1 innings out of the bullpen for the Colorado Rockies with a 5.13 ERA. In 2014, Scahill pitched 15 innings of relief with a 4.80 ERA. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015, where Scahill threw 30.2 innings out of the bullpen with a 2.64 ERA. In 2016, Scahill started the season off with the Pirates and then was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers where threw 18.1 innings of relief with a 2.45 ERA. In 2017, Scahill threw 22.1 innings out of the bullpen with 4.43 ERA before being sent down to the Triple A, Colorado Springs Sky Sox.
Tyler Ladendorf
Paul Dejong
Ryan borucki
Sean hjelle
Hjelle is a 2015 grad out of Mahtomedi, MN. He was drafted in 2018 MLB Amateur Draft in the second round.