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PBR OK OSSAA Team Previews: Broken Arrow Tigers

February 28, 2023
Scott Hood
OK/MO/KS/ARK Assistant Scouting Director

The Oklahoma high school baseball season kicks off on Feb. 20th for A-B, and March 1st for 2A-6A. Over the next several 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, leading into a countdown through the official PBR Oklahoma Preseason Power 25 Rankings.

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 as well as our own coverage on players in our team-by-team preseason analysis.

Partners - Impact Tulsa

Team: Broken Arrow Tigers
2022 Record: 18-17
Classification: 6A
Head Coach: Shannon Dobson
Years at the Helm: 21

OUTLOOK

Coach Dobson's Tigers head into their 2023 season after a bit of an up and down 2022 campaign that saw them finish a game above .500.  The good news for the Tigers is they return a large portion of the roster with multiple players having a ton of experience at the Varsity level.  They return a front line starter on the mound and a few others that have the capability to take over in District game innings.  The Tigers will heavily rely on a talented position player group that have been starters in the top and middle of the lineup for the past couple of years.  Offensively they have a group of barrel control hitters that have shown the ability to handle the bat and shoot line drives all over the yard.  The Tigers have certainly had their growing pains with playing a young roster over the past two seasons and will look for that experience gained to pay dividends as the lineup and pitching staff matures heading into the 2023 season.

IMPACT PLAYERS

Jaxon Gregory, 1B/OF/LHP, 2023, UCO commit

Gregory has been a mainstay in the middle of the Tiger's lineup the past couple of seasons and has positioned himself as one of the top clutch hitters in the area.  Gregory has a unique knack for hitting with runners in scoring position in large part for his ability to control the barrel and his line drive approach.  Jaxon has a short and compact swing that allows him to hit plus velocity as he never seems to be overmatched in the box.  Defensively he can provide some versatility playing both first base as well as in the outfield and also can provide some depth on the mound if needed.

 

 

Landon Flusche, RHP/1B, 2023, UCO commit

Flusche burst onto the scene as a sophomore working mostly out of the bullpen for the Tigers before taking on the Ace of the staff role as a Junior in 2022.  Flusche has high levels of pitchability with stuff that has played up in the past.  The 6-foot-4 and 200-pound righty has a starter's profile with a solid three pitch mix.  The fastball has worked up to 90 mph in the past and shows feel for landing both the slider and changeup in the zone while collecting swing and misses.  Flusche showed his ability to take over games last year including throwing a no-hitter that only took him 81 pitches to complete while racking up 11 strikeouts along the way.  Flusche also has hit in the middle of the order for Tigers providing some thump to the lineup while manning the first base spot.  With Flusche's ability to take over games on the mound, look for the Tigers to be a tough out on the night he takes the bump.

 

 

 

Kaemyn Franklin, INF/RHP, 2025, OU commit

Franklin will look to see his role expand both in the lineup as well as on the bump for the Tigers in 2023.  On the mound Franklin has a strong feel for himself as a pitcher and controls the zone in the mid to upper 80's and a strong fading changeup with big depth.  Franklin has strong hand speed and it wouldn't be surprising to see his velocity make big jumps in a shorter period of time.  Offensively Franklin has a loose swing with some leverage showing some potential pull-side pop.  He has strong defensive actions and enough arm strength that should play up on the left-side of the infield.  Last year Franklin was able to get his feet wet at the Varsity level and should continue to see more opportunities to impact the game on both sides of the ball in 2023.

 

 

Kade Matthews, OF, 2023

Matthews showed off his potential in 2022 and will look to have a breakout senior campaign in 2023.  In our looks at Matthews throughout last spring he showed some sneaky pop with strong gap power and ability to leave the yard against high velocity.  He covers a ton of ground out in the outfield and his speed can be a weapon both on defense as well as on the basepaths.  The Tigers will rely on Matthews to be a catalyst at the top of the order and setting the table for the guys behind him.  With his proven abilities to handle high-end pitching and his strong defense, Matthews should be a strong follow heading into this Spring.

 

 

Grayson Childers, INF, 2023, Seminole State JC commit

Childers is another Tiger that has been a mainstay in the middle of the lineup for the past couple of years.  He has a highly levered swing with some strength at contact that has shown strong gap power in the past.  A strong athlete at 6-foot-2 and 180-pounds, Childers has shown strong speed running a a 6.78 this past summer and has the ability to cover some ground in the middle of the diamond.  Childers has shown in the past to be a big run-producer in the past and will be heavily relied upon to be a key cog in the middle of the lineup.

 

 

Cooper Bates, INF/OF, 2024

Bates got his feet wet last year with some part-time starting responsibilities at the hot corner and will look to take on a more of an established role in the lineup in 2023.  Bates has a loose and whippy bat path with some strength at contact.  Bates stays behind the ball well that allows him to reach extension and has a line drive approach.  Defensively Bates shows the ability to both handle duties in the infield as well as in the outfield where his arm strength plays up at a higher level.  Look for Bates to see his role expand in 2022 and should be one to keep an eye on in the future.

 

 

 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Grady Oliver, INF, 2024

Avery Sawyer, OF, 2024

Brock Natale, INF, 2025

Titus Heeley, C, 2025

 

Make sure to follow @PBR_Oklahoma on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2023 season.

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