2025 KSHSAA Team Preview: De Soto Wildcats
January 20, 2025
The Kansas high school baseball season kicks off on Mar. 20, opening day for regular season action under KSHSAA regulations. Leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2025 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, counting down to the official Prep Baseball Kansas Preseason Power 25 Rankings.
Perennially, we’ve submitted a preseason questionnaire to high school head coaches across the entire state. Their responses have been flooding in and we’re using the detailed insight they’ve provided in our team-by-team preseason analysis.
Our 2025 preseason coverage continues today.
Head Coach: Joel Thaemert (19th year at DHS, 29th overall)
Classification: 5A
2024 Record (Finish): 21-7 (Lost in Regionals)
2025 SEASON OUTLOOK
No. of Returning Position Players: 6
No. of Returning Pitchers: 6
Top Returners:
- SS/2B Cade Martinez (2025; Lindenwood)
- 5' 8", 170 lbs, S/R, Patient hitter with power, good contact and walks, GREAT defender, moving over to SS this season, will lead off
- UTL Blake Englehart (2025)
- 6', 175 lbs, R/R, Can play all over the field defensively, hits the ball with authority, will be big bat in lineup
- LHP Evan Fleet (2025; Cowley)
- 6' 1", 165 lbs, L/L, At times is dominant, Solid FB, curve and slider could be plus pitches, mainly fireman out of pen last 2 years, will start this season
- RHP Brad Janes (2025; Cloud County CC)
- 6', 170 lbs, R/R, When he puts it all together he will dominate, movement on all pitches, FB, SL, Split, has full arsenal
- 3B/RHP Max Johnson (2025)
- 6'4", 175 lbs, R/R, Flashy defender (one of best I've coached or seen over the years), contact bat, sprays the ball to all fields
- RHP/OF Austin Lindsay (2025)
- 6'1", 175 lbs, R/R, Solid defensively in all 3 OF positions w/ ability to play 3B as well, pitches to spots as effectively as anyone we have, COMPETES
- LHP/OF Noah Thompson (2025; SIU Edwardsville)
- 5'9", 150 lbs, L/L, Became a dominant starter last spring, Was our #1, Hit well over .300 in DH and LF positions
- RHP/OF Phoenix Thompson (2025; Cloud County CC)
- 6', 180 lbs, L/L, Most consistent hitter we had, major power, should be one of the best on the mound as well
- C Jackson Whiddon (2026)
- 6' 195 lbs, R/R, TERRIFIC Defensive catcher with power and can run too
Top Newcomers:
- OF Drew Parks (2025)
- 6' 1" 190 lbs, R/R, All conference caliber defender in the OF
- P/OF John Chapman (2025)
- 6', 200 lbs, L/L, will be a LHP out of pen and a LH bat off the bench
- RHP/UTL Carson Handy (2025)
- 5' 10" 150 lbs, R/R, Bullpen arm as well as a nice player off the bench
- UTL Austin Koup (2025; Kansas Wesleyan)
- 6'1" 200 lbs, R/R, Can catch, pitch, he will hit for power and be a big cog in our lineup
- 1B Ty Sharkey (2025)
- 6' 190 lbs, L/L Will have first crack at 1B, big-time power
- P Jack Cole (2026)
- 5'7" 135 lbs L/L, could spot-start or relieve
- P Jaxon Purkey (2026)
- 5' 9", 160 lbs, R/R, will play pivotal role on pitching staff
- 1B Bo Wiegmann (2026)
- 6' 1" 200 lbs, R/R, coming off TJ surgery, expected to compete for a role in lineup
- C Brett McQueeny (2025; Park)
- 6' 175 lbs, R/R, Great catch and throw guy
Key Players Lost:
- RHP/1B Jack Millman (Iowa Western CC)
- LHP/1B Nathan Mall (Fort Scott CC)
- SS Cole Heitmann
- OF Will Hudelson (Northwest Missouri St.)
- RHP Max Thurman (Northwest Missouri St.)
- RHP/OF Will Burger (Neosho County CC)
Coach’s Insight: “This team returns experience and production. The disappointment of not returning to the state tournament will be a motivating factor this season. The pitching staff is deep and has experience and should have the ability to miss bats. The offense should improve with more projected contact in the lineup. We will have to overcome the loss of a couple of key guys on the mound. We lost 2 starting pitchers and our closer so someone will have to step into those roles. Our offense lost our leadoff hitter and table setter. That will have to be replaced as well. ” – Joel Thaemert, head coach
Find more information on the 2025 De Soto program below:
+ Follow them on X: @BaseballDHS17
+ Visit Prep Baseball Kansas’ 2025 KSHSAA Team Previews page to learn more.
+ If you are a high school coach and didn’t receive our questionnaire, please click HERE to fill out the form
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