Not too long ago, Liberty North captured consecutive Class 6 state championships and for back-to-back years, Tate McGuire (2023; Arkansas) played a huge role in each. For his efforts throughout the 2023 season, McGuire has been named the PBR Missouri Player of the Year.

McGuire was the definition of dominant on the mound. He hurled 59 ⅔ innings and pitched to a perfect 11-0 record for the Eagles. In that span, McGuire pitched to a 0.23 ERA, allowing only two earned runs, and held a 0.73 WHIP, too. He punched out 109 batters and walked just 16, allowing 28 hits in total.

Two performances stand out, both in the playoffs, from his 2023 season.

In the state quarterfinal against Rockhurst, McGuire worked the bulk of a combined no-hit win, punching out eight over six innings of work. There, his fastball played in the low-90s, touching 94 mph, and he featured a swing-and-miss slider, while also turning over a changeup at 83-84 mph.

(5/27/23)

A week later, McGuire took the rubber at Ozark in the state semi-finals, fanning 11 over six innings of one-run ball in a game the Eagles would win 2-1 over Nixa. He allowed just five hits and walked only two batters, holding low-90s velocity yet again with his fastball and ripping off more swing-and-miss sliders.

(6/2/23)

Aside from serving as Liberty North’s anchor on the hill, McGuire swung it well in the middle of the order for the Eagles, slashing .342/.434/.491 in 120 at-bats. He doubled 13 times, swatted two home runs, and drove ho39 while also scoring 33 runs of his own. 

McGuire’s prospect has certainly climbed over the last calendar year or so. In our most recent 2023 rankings update, McGuire rose to No. 4 overall, and he sits inside the top-200 on our PBR National rankings as well. Whether he hears his name called in July for the MLB Draft or he’s toeing the rubber at Baum-Walker Stadium for the Razorbacks next season, McGuire’s future on the diamond is undoubtedly bright.

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