Shon Plack
Missouri Scouting Director

Follow @PBRMissouri

With the 15th Annual Super 60 in the rear-view mirror, we can now take a look at the performances of the five players from the Show-Me State and take a brief look at what's to come.  In today's Missouri Insider will give you a free look inside one of the biggest events in country and some possible names for next year.

Jackson Rutledge, RHP, Rockwood Summit, 2017
Rutledge not only impressed with athleticism and size but his arsenal of pitches and velo was eye-popping as well.  Rutledge worked 91-93 mph, touching 94 mph with his fastball.  He flashed a slider at 81-83 mph with late 11-to-5 action and showed a change up with arm side sink at 83-85.  Rutledge's performance was on the of the top at the event. He is an Arkansas recruit.

Matt Russell, RHP, Staley, 2017
Listed at 6-foot-2 190-pounds, Russell didn't throw a fastball under 89 mph and touching 90 mph. The Missouri State recruit, has a smooth and accelerated delivery with a high three-quarters arm slot.  His had arm side run on this two-seam fastball and a sharp/late 11-to-5 action on his breaking ball at 75-77 mph. He threw a change-up at 81-82 mph, with arm side run. 

Coltyn Kessler, C, Rockwood Summit, 2017
Kessler posted one of the top catcher velos and pop times at the Super 60.  He posted an 80 mph positional velo and best pop time of 1.97, with all of this pop times being under 2.00.  He has a quick exchange with fluid footwork, making accurate strong throws to the bag at second.  Kessler moves well for his size and shows good flexibility.  He also showed soft hands receiving pitchers during bullpens.  At the plate, Kessler had an 89 mph exit velo with pull side pop and ran a 7.28 60. He is listed at 6-foot-3 210-pounds and is attending Kentucky next season. 

 

Justin Mitchell, C, Platte County, 2017
Mitchell, an Oklahoma commit, again showed his strength and athletic ability at the Super 60.  Behind the plate, he had the top pop time of the event at 1.85 and was 1.85 to 2.01 with his pop times putting all of his throws on the bag.  He is a quick twitch players behind the plate and with the bat.  He posted a 6.95 60 and 97 mph exit velo, showing a middle to pull approach during batting practice.  He has smooth rhythm at the plate and quick bat speed showing power gap-to-gap. 

Mark Vierling, SS, Christian Brothers College, 2017
Vierling is a 6-foot 185-pound shortstop committed to Missouri.  He ran a laser-timed 6.94-second 60 and posted a 98 mph exit velo. At the plate, he has a smooth load and aggressive bat speed, showing pull side power. On the infield, he had an 87 mph positional velo with an over the top release and quick actions to the ball. 

So who's next?  What can we expect from the 2018 class at the Super 60? One thing is for certain, the junior class in Missouri is full of talented players.  Three Arkansas commits top the list in OF Christian Franklin (Rockhurst), LHP/OF Liam Henry (Park Hill) and Allante Hall (Blue Springs South).  Nebraska has three commits in Missouri's 2018 class as well in C/2B Cameron Chick (Hickman), Tyler Martin (Webb City) and Brett Hammit (Nixa), while Missouri has a pair of high end arms in Luke Mann (Vianney) and lefty Trae Robertson (Hickman). Also keep an eye on Missouri State's Wyatt Sparks (Aurora) who showed well as two-way player at last year's Missouri Underclass Games.

As always, we can overlook the players that will make a jump over the next several months as Russell did in 2016.  Maybe next summer's ProCase, a PBR regional showcase for professional scouts, will make the picture more clear.  Here is look at the top players in Missouri's 2018 class.

1	Christian Franklin	MO	Rockhurst	2018	OF	Arkansas
2	Liam Henry	MO	Park Hill	2018	LHP	Arkansas
3	Allante Hall	MO	Blue Springs South	2018	C	Arkansas
4	Cameron Chick	MO	HIckman	2018	C	Nebraska
5	Luke Mann	MO	Vianney	2018	RHP	Missouri
6	Brett Hammit	MO	Nixa	2018	SS	Nebraska
7	Wyatt Sparks	MO	Aurora	2018	SS	Missouri State
8	Trae Robertson	MO	Hickman	2018	LHP	Missouri
9	Zack Hunsicker	MO	Francis Howell	2018	RHP
10	Kevin Graham	MO	Westminster	2018	3B	Mississippi
11	Tommy Williams	MO	Lafayette	2018	OF
12	Gage Dwyer	MO	Fort Zumwalt South	2018	OF
13	Alex Adams	MO	Lafayette	2018	SS
14	Nicholas Schmidt	MO	Holt	2018	RHP
15	Jonathan Reese	MO	Rolla	2018	SS
16	Brett Gonzalez	MO	Rolla	2018	OF
17	Rodrick Criss	MO	Staley	2018	OF
18	Tyler Martin	MO	Webb City	2018	LHP	Nebraska
19	Jimmy Schork	MO	Rockwood Summit	2018	LHP
20	Brice Pannier	MO	Smith Cotton	2018	OF

For More Missouri Insider News