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Preseason High School Preview: Nixa

March 17, 2023
By: Diego Solares
Area Scout, Illinois & Missouri

The Missouri high school baseball season is set to kick off shortly, with ‘Opening Day’ set for March 17th. Over the next two weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2023 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications.

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 2023 preseason coverage continues today.

Team: Nixa
2022 Record: 32-4
Conference: Central Ozarks Conference
Classification: 6A
Head Coach: Logan Hughes

X-FACTOR

Wyatt Vincent, OF, 2025, Missouri State commit: Vincent starred as a freshman for the 32-win Eagles, batting .375 with five home runs and swiping 25 bags in the process. He’s primed for an even bigger year than before and, with the departure of Jaret Nelson, will be relied upon more within this offense. This winter, Vincent attended the Missouri State Preseason ID, earning high praise from our staff after an impressive look:

From 1/22/23: “...thoroughly impressed in his PBR debut. Vincent, who’s slotted within the top-15 overall players on our state’s 2025 rankings, offers plenty of physical projection to come on a lean, lanky 5-foot-11, 172-pound frame. He stayed up the middle almost exclusively throughout BP, staying flat through the zone and peppering line drives from a loose, upside right-handed stroke. Vincent’s proven he can hit in-game previously as well, batting .375 with five home runs as a freshman for a 32-win Nixa squad last spring. Another thing to note is Vincent’s athleticism - he swiped 25 bags during the high school season and jumped 32.3” during our vertical test, which is a well above average mark for someone his age. We’re expecting more positive things from Vincent throughout 2023 and he certainly started his year off on a positive note.”

Wyatt Vincent


NEWCOMER TO WATCH

Caeden Cloud, INF, 2025: Cloud made his name known to our staff this winter, bursting onto the scene with an emphatic showing at the A’s Scout Day. Athletic with strength at 6-foot-1, 175-pounds, Cloud looked the part of a premier athlete in Missouri’s 2025 class throughout his workout. He’ll have an opportunity to compete for playing time this upcoming season and, internally, are high on the budding sophomore:

From 3/4/23: “...also really runs, dashing to a 6.76 time in his workout, and he was 88 mph across the infield, which led all underclassmen at this event. Cloud produced easy juice at the plate, squaring balls up at 89 mph on average, and reaching a 96.8 mph high on his loudest barrel without much effort to his swing.”


OUTLOOK

The Eagles won 32 games in head coach Logan Hughes' first season at the helm, falling 5-3 in the district championship to Kickapoo. Like any team, the Eagles lost a few key players from their 2022 squad, but a talented group of youngsters paired with multiple top returners has Nixa poised for a strong year yet again.

Paired with Vincent, INF Tanner Grant (2023) saw plenty of success as a junior, earning all-conference and district honors after batting .383 with 10 extra-base hits, chipping in 20 stolen bases as well. Pairing with him on the dirt is INF Rylan Michel (2024), another name that performed as a sophomore, doubling 16 times with a .345 batting average, adding even more speed to this club with 15 swipes as well. C/1B Jackson Edwards (2024) will thump it in the middle of this lineup, swinging one of the more physical right-handed bats in Missouri’s junior class, hammering out five home runs and serving as a real power threat nestled inside the middle of this lineup.


Deepening this roster are a few more names to know. 1B/RHP Rylan Evans (2023) pitched to a 1.10 ERA with a 3-1 record, and he’ll look to take on a bigger role for the Eagles on the mound in his senior season. RHP Ethan Taylor (2023) and RHP/INF Jackson Gramble (2025) are two more arms to know, while UTL Broden Mabe (2024) adds depth to both the infield and outfield, with C Ryan Buckner (2023; Jefferson JC) deepening this group behind the plate. Another high level athlete that adds even more speed and power to this roster is OF Parker Mann (2025), who impressed our staff at the A’s Scout Day in late February and will also compete for playing time throughout the year.

BOTTOM LINE

Coming off their highest win total in over 15 years, the Eagles are poised for another strong season with a few high-end names from their 2022 group returning. They’re young at some spots and are still searching for a true frontline arm, but this collective group of athletes looks more than capable of replicating last spring’s success, if not improving it.

Follow along @PBRMissouri for complete coverage of the 2023 high school season.

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