The Kansas high school baseball season kicks off on March 19, opening day for regular season action under KSHSAA regulations. Leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2024 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, counting down through 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 2024 preseason coverage continues today.

High School: Lansing
Head Coach: Michael Basler (9 years experience)
Classification: 5A
League: United Kansas Conference
2023 Record: 14-8

 

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2024 SEASON OUTLOOK

No. of Returning Starters:

6 of 8 position players & ENTIRE pitching staff is back.

Top Returning Players:

Tonio Mendez - SS/RHP, SR., 6’ 165 lbs, R/R - One of the best 2-way players on the Eastern side of 5A - 1st Team All UKC INF (3-time All-League) - Team Kansas Select participant summer 2023 - 29 1/3 innings pitched, 3-1 record, 27 K’s, 2.38 ERA, .373 AVG, 6 Doubles, 3 Triples 24 Runs, 10 SB - Barton County Community College commit.

James Umbarger - RHP/1B, SR., 6” 6” 200 lbs, R/R - 2nd Team All UKC Pitcher - Team Kansas Select participant summer 2023 - 43 innings pitched, 4-3 record, 38 K’s, 2.90 ERA - St. Bonaventure commit.

Caden Howell - CF/RHP, SR., 5’ 8” 165 lbs, R/R - Honorable-mention All UKC Pitcher - Team Kansas Select participant summer 2023 - 32 1/3 innings pitched, 3 saves, 48 K’s, 3.03 ERA - University of Akron commit.

Dalton Jorgensen - 3B/C/RHP, 5’ 9” 170 lbs, R/R. - 2nd Team All UKC INF - .324 AVG, 3 Doubles, 17 RBI - Barton County Community College commit.

Jett Hutton - RF, 6’ 0” 175 lbs, R/R - 2nd Team All UKC OF - .357 AVG, 9 Doubles,

Reid Oakley - C/1B/3B, JR, 5’ 9” 170 lbs, R/R - 1st Team All UKC Utility - AVG 403; 9 Doubles, 16 RBI

Top Newcomers:

Jake Tharnish - RHP, JR, 6’ 5” 150 lbs, R/R
Bryce Fullen - 1B/OF/LHP, SO, 5’ 8” 160-lbs, L/L

Coach’s Insight:

“We will return our entire pitching staff from a year ago on a team that went 14-8, we also return 6 of 8 position players (only lose our 2B & LF). We did lose our top hitter but returned 5 of our top 6 hitters in Oakley, Mendez, Hutton, Umbarger & Jorgensen. We return 5 ALL UKC players so experience is a strength that we will rely on in 2024. We return 12 of our 15 varsity players from 2023 and while this will be an older group, we did lose our top hitter from a year ago Blake Slaughter-LF whom hit .476 7-2B 2-HR 19-RBIs, 1st team All UKC & Honorable mention, all- state. Filling the production we lost from Slaughter could come from a number of players. ” – Michael Basler, head coach

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Find more information on the 2024 Lansing program below:

+ Follow them on X: @PrideBaseball21
+ Visit Prep Baseball Kansas’ 2024 KHSHAA Season Preview page to learn more.

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