Kentucky lands top recruit Rob Czarniecki
Rated as the No. 1 player in Indiana by Prep Baseball Report, Czarniecki was an all-state selection after an outstanding sophomore season at Chesterton High School.
Chesterton (Ind.) center fielder Rob Czarniecki committed to Kentucky on Wednesday evening, giving the Wildcats a significant recruiting win in the Midwest in the 2026 class. Czarniecki is ranked as the top player in Indiana by Prep Baseball Report and the No. 44 player nationally. He chose the Wildcats over Notre Dame.
Czarniecki was an all-state selection as a sophomore after he hit .484 with 45 hits, 11 doubles, five triples, seven home runs and 38 runs batted in. He walked 22 times compared to 13 strikeouts. During the summer, Czarniecki had a standout performance at the Prep Baseball Report Future Games event and earned MVP honors. He went 5-9 with a home run, a triple and four RBIs.
“Absolutely dynamic,” said Shooter Hunt, vice president of scouting at Prep Baseball Report. “True center fielder, can really track it down. This is a small window. You have four days to perform. The results may not show in that game play in this small window, which is why when kids come and have a workout day, it’s a chance to shine there and really get on people’s radar. Czarniecki did it all. Whether it was the workout, the ability to run, he’s athletic, he’s physical in the bat, and then he gets up there and performs in the game… he’s a guy that the more you watch him, the more you like.”
Czarniecki is listed at 6-1, 195 pounds by PBR with a 6.62 60-yard dash, 90 mph outfield velo and a 103.5 exit velo at the plate. He joins a Kentucky class that already has a few impressive recruiting wins, including fellow Hoosier Sammy Swank (No. 110 nationally at PBR), Lexington’s Gary Gibson (No. 130 nationally), Kaden Powell (No. 183 nationally), Nolan Ramoley (No. 239 nationally) and Louisville’s Grayson Willoughby (No. 325).