MARION, Iowa – The Mississippi River stands alone as an impressive front porch to the Iowa city of Dubuque, which sits west of a wide bend on the iconic river with the states of Wisconsin and Illinois positioned side-by-side on the opposite banks.
And while no one can say for sure that the Mighty Miss plays any noteworthy role in what has been happening on the amateur baseball scene in that corner of the state recently, one cannot help but wonder if there really is something special in the water the residents of Dubuque County are drinking.
For a third straight high school graduating class, one of the top two-ranked prospects in the state of Iowa calls Dubuque County home, with Dubuque Wahlert Catholic High School junior Tommy Specht the most recent member of the coalition.
Standing there with him are 2019 Perfect Game All-American Calvin Harris from Peosta, a 2020 graduate of Western Dubuque HS in Epworth, and 2020 PG All-American Ian Moller from Dubuque, a senior at Wahlert Catholic who walks the same school hallways as Specht.
It’s a small world, indeed, in that little pocket of northeast Iowa, made even smaller by the fact that all three either were or still are active participants in the PG Iowa Spring League, which began its 26th season last weekend (25th if you consider the 2020 season was cancelled by COVID-19 after one week of play).
The catcher Harris, ranked the No. 2 overall prospect in Iowa in 2020, played in the PGISL in 2018-19, and was named the League’s MVP in 2019. The catcher Moller, the No. 1-ranked overall prospect in the state (No. 5 nationally) in 2021, is playing in his fourth PGISL season this year.
They cleared the path for Specht, an athletic outfielder ranked as the No. 51 overall national prospect (No. 1 in Iowa) in the class of 2022, who played in the PGISL in 2019 and was rostered again in 2020 before the shutdown. He is teammates this season with Moller on an Iowa Select Evans 2021 squad that features many of the League’s top prospects.
“It’s good to finally get outside after being inside for so long,” Specht told PG last Sunday before Select Evans was set to take the field at the Prospect Meadows Sports Complex for a nine-inning game against Iowa Sticks Scout 2021. “Even though it’s cold and the pitchers normally dominate these types of spring games, it’s just good to get out here and start seeing some live action.”
The chilly – OK, full disclosure here, it was cold – and windy conditions at Prospect Meadows on March 21 didn’t seem to effect the players all that much, although most were wearing sweatshirts under their game jerseys.
And as Tommy’s dad, Mike Specht, pointed out, it’s really one of those things that these Midwestern players can wear as a badge of honor as they show college recruiters and pro scouts they’re ready to perform at a high level regardless of the conditions; more than ready, in fact, to do all the little things that won’t go unnoticed.
“It’s great to be out here in the Iowa Spring League and get some live looks and get the ice chips off of you,” Mike said. “As it progresses into April and it warms up a little bit, the more you can see live pitching the better you are. (Tommy) works day-in and day-out in the cage and it’s time to see the open field now.”
Tommy Specht, a 6-foot-3, 195-pounder who hits from the left side and throws from the right, knows all about getting out on the open field and performing at a very high level. Keeping in mind that Iowa plays a summer high school season that can limit a player’s summertime travel, he’s now been rostered at 24 PG events since the fall of 2017; Specht has also played on the Wahlert Golden Eagles varsity team since the summer before his freshman year when he was still classified as an eighth grader.
Iowa’s summer season creates conflicts for the most high-profile prospects, especially for those who will be seniors in the fall. The summer between a player’s junior and senior years is very important from the standpoint of valuable exposure in front of college recruiters and pro scouts, and those decision-makers won’t necessarily be sitting at a high school field in rural Iowa in June and July.
Specht, who has committed to SEC stalwart Kentucky, is blessed in that he can enjoy the best of all worlds. He is very close with Wahlert head coach Kory Tuescher who, according to Mike Specht, has played a big role in his son’s development as both a player and a person, and Tommy has excelled in that environment.
He played in 39 varsity games as a freshman, hit .345 (30 hits, 10 extra-base) with nine RBI and 19 runs scored and in last year’s Covid-shortened sophomore season, he played in 18 games and hit .525 (21 hits, 8 extra-base) with 20 RBI and 16 runs. And now his junior season awaits.
“I’m going to definitely make what I’m able to make,” Specht said of his plans for playing with the Golden Eagles this summer. “There are definitely other events scattered here and there, but as of right now I’m going to play what I’m able to, for sure.”
One of those “scattered” events that Specht referred to is the 2021 PG National Showcase, to which he has already accepted an invitation to attend. The PG National, the most heavily scouted amateur baseball showcase in the country for incoming seniors, will be held July 14-18 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., the home of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Because of his high national profile, Moller – an LSU signee and a projected first round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft – headed south to play travel ball from the outset of what has been a brilliant career, so he never played a summer season with Wahlert Catholic. That hasn’t kept the two standouts from becoming huge fans of one another.
“Ever since I was really young I’ve heard about Ian Moller, just being in the area and with all the stuff he’s done, so finally getting to play with him is really cool,” Specht said. “He’s someone I can definitely learn from and he’s for sure a great talent.”
For his part, Moller has started paying closer attention to the exploits of his schoolmate and likes what he sees.
“Tommy is a humble dude and I didn’t really know who he was at first because I’m not on social media like that; he’s so humble you’d never even know that you’re around him,” Moller said. “Then I saw some things about him, how he’s climbing (the prospect) rankings and he continues to climb; that’s important that you keep getting better.”
Specht was a four-time all-tournament selection at PG WWBA tournaments in 2020, three times while playing with Iowa Select Evans 2021, including at the PG WWBA World Championship (Jupiter); he was also all-tourney at the PG WWBA Underclass World Championship while playing with the Mississippi-based East Coast Sox Founders Club.
“I just love playing against good competition,” he said. “Whether you do good or bad, you’re always going to benefit from playing with top-level competition because it’s always going to challenge you. That’s why I love getting out to these big tournaments and just showing what I can do while I’m also improving as a player.”
In addition to his standout play at tournaments, Specht has earned Top Prospect List recognition at three PG showcases, most recently at the 2021 National Indoor Showcase held Feb. 20 in Lake St. Louis, Mo. He continued to open eyes at that event when he ran a 6.46-second 60 and threw 96 mph from the outfield.
There is no doubt that Tommy Specht’s development and progression with his game is continuing at a rapid pace, and it’s something he’s not only noticed but something he can use as a driving force on his way to maximizing his seemingly boundless potential.
“I think I’ve come a long way since I was a small, undersized eighth grader,” Specht said with a smile. “But I know I still have a lot more to (do) and I’m never content; I’m always looking for the next thing...It’s really just about being patient, knowing that everything is going to work out if you ultimately put the work in.
“Some things aren’t going to be there currently but if you just keep pushing and keep believing in yourself, ultimately things are going to pan out...I’m looking forward to what’s ahead of me.”
Tommy Specht credits his parents, Mike and Jennifer, as having had the biggest impact on his progression to date, if for no other reason than the sacrifices they’ve made just getting him everywhere he needs to be.
They are parents who fully understand the sacrifices athletes make on their respective journeys, having both been NCAA D-III athletes at Loras College in Dubuque, Mike in baseball and Jennifer in track and field. Jennifer, in fact, was a two-time All-American which led Mike to note that any role genetics may have played in Tommy’s ability to run that 6.46-second 60 definitely came from his mother.
“I think my parents have had the biggest impact just by believing in me from a young age and believing in my ability to do something great in this game,” he said.
Added Mike: “It’s a dream come true for a parent, and my wife and I have been really fortunate to have a kid that grinds, that works hard. He’s been focused ever since he was 10 years old that baseball is what he wants to be good at. In all walks of life you want to be great but with baseball he absolutely has a lot of drive.”
Mike Specht also goes out of his way to give credit to the many coaches who have helped his son along the way. It starts with Coach Tuescher at Wahlert Catholic and extends to his hitting coach, former Big League catcher Eric Munson, who owns and operates Gold Standard Athletics in Dubuque.
There is also coach/instructor Tim Evans from Perfect Game and coaches Joe Caruso, Eric Dubose and Mark Willoughby from the East Coast Sox organization.
Specht committed to Kentucky last September when virtual recruiting was the norm, telling PG that he just clicked immediately with Wildcats head coach Nick Mingione, recruiting coordinator Will Coggin and the rest of the Wildcats staff.
There were several other programs he was having conversations with at the time as well, but there was a connection he felt with the people in Lexington that he didn’t feel elsewhere. There was a sense of family, he said, and a sense of belonging right from the beginning.
“It’s been a great ride,” Tommy’s dad said. “The recruiting process was fantastic and he learned a lot. He grew a lot as a person which we thought as parents was invaluable when you get to talk to adults and the parents aren’t around. And then you get some good feedback that schools are interested in him because he’s a good kid, as well, and means more than anything.”
Mike Specht was effusive in his praise of Harris and Moeller, elite players who have provided a detailed road map for Tommy Specht to follow. Mike called Calvin and Ian “just good kids, good people” who reached PG’s biggest stages – the PG National Showcase and the PG All-American Classic – the summer before their senior years.
Count Moller among those who feels like Specht, who already has the PG National invite, belongs on those biggest of stages.
“I can see the progress from old videos up to now and you can tell he loves putting the work in; he’s a grinder,” Moller said. “I’m happy for him and I’m proud of him, especially coming from the same school and everything. I hope he continues to climb and goes to the PG All-American (Classic) this summer, in 2021, and goes to all those events that I went to last year.”
The PG Iowa Spring League gives Specht and Moller one final opportunity to perform together as teammates while continuing to grow their games. Specht has been involved with the Iowa Select since he was that kind of scrawny eighth grader and he loves getting out on the field during these PGISL games and mixing it up with a bunch of other talented players from across a three-state area.
And especially those from Iowa, with a little extra love thrown the direction of Dubuque County. Just listen to the way Moller, the highest-ranked prep prospect the state has ever produced, puts it.
“There are a lot of guys up there who are great that don’t get the credit for it just because it is Iowa,” Moller said. “I’m happy that Dubuque is starting to get on the map more, with Cal doing his thing down at Ole Miss now and me and Tommy are next in line whether it’s college or the draft...
“I’m happy that Dubuque is getting some publicity now; we deserve it,” he concluded. “I’m happy that the kids from Dubuque are starting to make it out.”