With 2022 behind us and the new year beginning, we wanted to take some time to reflect on the baseball landscape as a whole in Missouri throughout last year. With our unrivaled coverage of the ‘Show Me’ state, we felt it was necessary to shine some light on Missouri baseball as a whole, covering multiple avenues in the process.

Though we're eager to move forward into 2023 and what lies ahead, below you'll find some key points we felt were important to touch on from last year.

PBR MISSOURI EVENTS

We ran 41 events in Missouri in 2022, ranging across the entire state and ensuring that our boots-on-the-ground coverage went unmatched. It’s the highest number of events we’ve run since PBR Missouri’s inception and allows us to continue to see players up-close from across the ‘Show Me’ state.

16 of our events in 2022 were our traditional PBR showcases, including six open events, nine invite-only events, and the prestigious PBR Future Games. In addition, our staff ran 18 ‘Scout Days’ last year with respective travel programs across the state, providing our staff an opportunity to become familiar with a multitude of players we hadn’t seen before. Our database of prospects improved significantly and we became exposed to several fresh faces, allowing us to give them the recognition that they deserved.

In addition to our traditional PBR events, our JUCO coverage reached peaks that we hadn’t eclipsed prior to this year. We ran six JUCO scout days throughout the fall, providing exposure and video coverage of junior college prospects for these respective programs. We also created an expansive JUCO page that can be found on our website with stat leaders, top prospects, and more across Missouri’s JUCO realm.

CREEKSIDE SHINES AS PLACE TO PLAY

This year, particularly in the summer, we continued to grow Creekside as a premier place to play amateur baseball across the entire country. We saw an abundance of talent roll through the six field complex, generating plenty of buzz surrounding our events as a result. The competition levels were excellent across the board and the up-close look to some of the Midwest’s best players, regardless of state, greatly benefitted our staff from an evaluation standpoint. This upcoming year figures to be an even better one at Creekside, and we’re excited to make our way back to Parkville multiple times this summer.

Throughout this year our staff witnessed several memorable moments across the state. While we look forward to an even more memorable 2023, we’ve highlighted some moments that stood out to us in 2022 below:

LIBERTY NORTH WINS 6A STATE TITLE

Last year, Liberty North put the finishing touches on a dominant season by capturing the first state championship title in the program’s history. The Eagles, who were one of the top teams across MSHSAA all spring, saved their best for last, defeating three top-tier programs en route to their ring.

Liberty North upended rival Liberty to capture the District Championship on a wild walk-off win. The Eagles followed that up by taking down Raymore-Peculiar 7-6 in the quarterfinals. They then came away victorious against a powerhouse Francis Howell team in an extra-inning affair in the state semi-finals. Liberty North then capped their playoff run by taking down another highly regarded program, Blue Springs South, in the 6A finale.

There was certainly no shortage of talent on Liberty North’s roster. Their infield consisted of two top prospects in the state, INF Trey Snyder (2024; Tennessee) and INF Ty Wisdom (2023; Kansas), while RHP/INF Tate McGuire (2023; Arkansas) chipped in offensively as well. Several others contributed, including C Bo Jonas (2024; Oklahoma), OF Jack Lemasters (2023; Washburn) and OF Matthew Hutson (2022). Perhaps the strongest unit for the Eagles was a true four-headed monster in their pitching staff. Senior RHP Aaron Lewis (2022; Western Kentucky) anchored this group, while the aforementioned McGuire, Wisdom, and RHP Jackson Downing (2023; Arkansas State) dominated as well.

With a large chunk of their roster coming back, the Eagles will look to do something that isn’t common in the high school baseball world: repeat as state champions.

PLATTE COUNTY CAPTURES 5A CHAMPIONSHIP

The Pirates entered postseason play as a candidate to make their way to state, and the program has enjoyed plenty of success over the past decade. They haven’t had a losing season since 2013 and made an appearance in these state playoffs as recently as 2017.

Platte County cruised in district play, outscoring their opponents 35-to-11 and taking down a tough Smithville squad for the championship. They defeated a tough, battle-tested Webb City squad in the state quarterfinals and took down the surging Fort Zumwalt East Lions to secure their shot at a state title. There, the Pirates came out on top, holding Festus to just one run and scoring six of their own.

Two senior arms led the Pirates on the mound this spring, RHP Landon Fulk (2022; Johnson County CC) and LHP Sawyer Allen (2022; Rockhurst), bringing a certain sense of comfort to the mound each time they toed the rubber. OF Devin Wassmann (2024; Wichita State) and INF Dayton Doll (2025) were two youngsters that chipped in plenty on this title team, while Cameron Lewis (2022) and Nick Baker (2023) brought much-needed experience to this lineup.

Though they did lose a few key seniors, the Pirates return a decent chunk of last year’s team, and they’re adding a few incoming freshmen that can make an impact early on in their careers. They’re gearing up for another run at the 5A state championship and will be amongst the favorites once the season begins.

KARSON MILBRANDT DRAFTED IN 2022

Milbrandt put the finishing touches on an impressive prep career by becoming one of the highest selected high school players from Missouri since C Carter Jensen (Park Hill, 2021; Kansas City Royals). Our high school ‘Player of the Year’ in 2022, Milbrandt was selected 85th overall in the most recent MLB Amateur Draft by the Miami Marlins. He forgoed his commitment to Vanderbilt and signed with the Marlins for $1.5 million, which was roughly double the monetary value attached to his slot selection.

Milbrandt’s senior year at Liberty was sheer dominance - he fanned 91 batters over 50 ⅔ innings, walked just 14, and pitched to a 1.66 ERA. It’s not hard to see why Milbrandt’s stuff is so conducive to missing bats when you watch him throw. He features a fast, whippy arm that generates low-to-mid-90s heat and spins at upwards of 2800+ RPM. His ability to spin a firm upper-70s breaking ball improved in the spring too and so did his feel for the zone, which ultimately led the Marlins organization to invest such a high price tag on him this July.

There’s a formidable pipeline of Missouri natives that have found success in professional baseball for quite some time now. Milbrandt will look to follow the footsteps of their predecessors and establish himself in 2023.

TEAM MISSOURI AT THE FUTURE GAMES

Each year our staff assembles an extremely talented collection of uncommitted soon-to-be sophomores and juniors to participate in the prestigious PBR Future Games held at LakePoint in Emerson, Georgia. Team Missouri has seen success year after year at this nationally known event, but the 2022 team left its mark across the loaded field. Our squad finished with a 2-1 record and several players from the ‘Show Me’ state stood out amongst their peers.

Six players from this team have committed already, including C Xander Schmitt (Lafayette, 2024; Kansas), who became the first player from Missouri to earn the event’s MVP honors, finishing 7-for-7 at the plate in his three games. INF Grant Hollister (Blue Springs South, 2024; Michigan) and INF/RHP Jordan Martin (Jefferson City, 2025; Arkansas) didn’t finish too far behind their teammate, while LHP Brady Kehlenbrink (Parkway South, 2024; LSU) and RHP John-Paul Sauer (Jackson, 2024; Tulane) stole the show on the mound. This collection of talent represented Missouri well and set the standard for those that follow them in future seasons.

TEAM MISSOURI JUNIOR FUTURE GAMES SUCCESS

Aside from the success of the older crowd, all three of Team Missouri’s PBR Junior Future Games teams made deep runs into their respective playoff runs. The 13U squad fell just short of a championship appearance, while 14U (1) lost in the gold bracket to eventual tournament winner Arkansas in a tight knit semi-final contest. 14U (2) battled in the silver bracket, upending Team Nevada and Team Illinois before dropping a close contest against Team Tennessee in the semi-finals. Several 2026 and 2027 prospects came away from the week-long event as high follow names in their respective classes moving forward.

2024 & 2025 CLASSES MAKE STRONG NATIONAL PUSH

There’s been a steady flow of top-end talent through the state of Missouri over the last few years. Both the 2022 and 2023 classes were formidable in their own right, but these 2024 and 2025 groups have already made a splash on a national scale.

The top four prospects on our 2024 board slot inside the top-75 nationally and aren’t separated by too many spots: No. 64 Trey Snyder (Liberty North; Tennessee), No. 66 Cole Gibler (Blue Springs; Arkansas), No. 68 Drew Dickerson (Lee’s Summit West; Missouri), and No. 72 Andrew DuMont (St. Louis University HS; Tennessee). 13 players from this class are ranked within the 500 nationally ranked names and all but one are already committed.

Missouri’s 2025 class is equally as impressive as their predecessors, and the first four names on our board are ranked inside the top-85 nationally: No. 40 Ty Thompson (Rock Bridge; Tennessee), No. 44 Jordan Martin (Jefferson City; Arkansas), No. 81 Sebastian Norman (Glendale; Oklahoma State), and No. 85 Tyler Wood (Lee’s Summit West; Missouri). The next five prospects (No. 5-9) rank inside the top-130 and there’s currently 11 total players in this class slotted on our national board for this class.

MISSOURI STATE MAKES REGIONAL PLAY

The Bears entered Missouri Valley postseason slotted as the sixth overall seed when conference tournament play started on May 24th. As the host team, the Bears fought for their lives from the beginning, starting with a single elimination 9-4 defeat over Illinois State.

They took down top-seeded Southern Illinois and beat No. 4 Bradley in seven innings, riding serious momentum into Saturday’s play. There, the Bears took down No. 2 seeded Evansville before matching up with the Salukis again. They dropped the first game but rallied valiantly, up-ending their conference foes 13-3 to take home their fifth Missouri Valley Conference title.

Winning their conference secured Missouri State a spot in regional play once their NCAA tournament bid began. They fell in the first game to then ranked No. 7 Oklahoma State 10-5, but battled to an 8-7 win against Grand Canyon the following day, forcing another matchup against the Cowboys in an elimination game. The offense came alive for both sides, but it was the Bears who came away on the short-end, falling 29-15 to end their season.

Even so, Missouri State finished with their highest win total since the 2018 season, marking the program’s eighth 30+ win season since 2011. Though they lost some key pieces to graduation and the MLB Draft, the Bears will look to make another deep run this upcoming season and continue to serve as a consistent threat year after year.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE MAKES REGIONAL PLAY

Just like the Bears, Southeast Missouri State (SEMO) also found themselves playing in the NCAA Tournament this past June for the second straight year. They defended their OVC Title valiantly, taking home more hardware in Lexington with an impressive run to another conference championship.

The Redhawks fell in the tournament opener to sixth-seeded Tennessee Tech 11-10, but rattled off wins against Southern Illinois - Edwardsville and Tech again to find themselves playing in the OVC’s finale. They drew top-seeded Belmont and enjoyed a thriller, tying the game in the ninth inning and plating three runs to take the lead in the 10th. Belmont scored twice in their half of the extra frame, but the Redhawks held on to secure a victory and keep their season alive.

SEMO dropped both of their games in regional play, losing to Louisville and Oregon, respectively. Still, the Redhawks are building a perennially successful program in the Ohio Valley, having amassed the 30+ win mark in each of the last two seasons. They’ll look to ‘three-peat’ in 2023 and continue to push forward as one of the Midwest’s more successful mid-major programs.

LINDENWOOD JOINS DIVISION I

The state gained a new Division I baseball program when the Lindenwood Lions made the jump up, leaving the GLVC to join the Ohio Valley Conference. Lindenwood's seen success as a program over the years, posting 40+ win seasons from 2006 to 2010, including a trip to the NAIA World Series in 2007 and an opening round trip in 2009. They've posted nine winning seasons since then, making a trip to the 2017 Division II National Championship and nearly doing so again in 2021. Missouri now has five Division I baseball programs as the Lions look to make an impact early on in the OVC.

CROWDER MAKES JUCO WORLD SERIES

Continuing their push as one of the premier junior college baseball programs in the country, the Roughriders concluded a 54-win 2022 campaign with a trip to the Division I World Series. Crowder defeated eventual champion Central Arizona 5-4 in round one before falling to Wabash Valley 13-2 and ultimately the Vaqueros 11-3 to end their season. Crowder finished the year as Region 16 and South Central District champions.

This Crowder squad was full of premier talent, starting with RHP Jacob Misiorowski, who was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the second round of this most recent MLB Amateur Draft. The flamethrowing right-hander finished with 136 strikeouts in 76 innings, logging a 2.77 ERA. Jake Wilson, who’s now at Central Missouri, finished the season with a 2.45 ERA over his 55 innings of work.

Offensively, the Roughriders were led by two premier JUCO bats in Peyton Holt (Arkansas) and Josh Patrick (Charlotte). Holt slashed .425/.500/.668 across 226 at-bats, walking 31 times and finishing with 33 extra-base hits. Patrick paced this team in the power department, crushing 19 home runs and 24 doubles to finish his year with a .805 SLG%. He also batted .408 and reached base at a .532 clip, drawing more walks (65) than strikeouts (52). 

A perennial threat to make a run at Grand Junction, the Roughriders are gearing up for another potent season in 2023 under head coach Travis Lallemand.

OTHER COLLEGE PROGRAMS SHINE IN MISSOURI

Aside from the programs we’ve highlighted already, the flourishing success of college baseball across the state of Missouri is difficult to ignore. Regardless of level, multiple programs enjoyed plenty of winnings throughout their 2022 season:

+ Central Missouri has built itself into a powerhouse at the Division II level and the Mules absolutely dominated in 2022. They won 46 games, including a near flawless 30-3 record in conference play, and nearly made it to the NCAA D2 Super Regionals, falling to Augustana (SD) in the final game of Regional action. The Mules have won 40+ games in three straight seasons, including NCAA D2 World Series appearances in 2019 and 2021.

+ At the NAIA level, both Central Methodist and Columbia College saw great success in 2022. The Eagles finished the season with 42 wins, including 23 conference victories, and they took home the ‘Heart of America’ conference title with a 4-3 win over MidAmerica Nazarene. They made it to the NAIA National Championship Opening round, though dropped both of their opening contests, resulting in elimination. The Cougars won 38 games last spring, marking five straight 30+ win seasons since 2017, and finished with a 15-6 conference record, including an impressive 15-3 record on the road. Though they lost both of their postseason contests, falling to Bryan College (Tenn) and Taylor University, a model of consistent victory has been established in Columbia.

+ A trio of Division II programs in the state also enjoyed winning seasons this past year. Drury University won 38 games, their most since the 2014 season, which was 24 more victories than the 2021 campaign. They finished with 21 wins in conference, an astounding 29-6 home record, and they won a pair of games in the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament before falling to No. 7 ranked Illinois-Springfield on May 14th. Two other members of the GLVC, Maryville and William Jewell, also won at least 30 games in 2022. The Saints saw their highest win total (32) in some time last season and defeated Lewis 3-1 in the opening round of the GLVC tournament. William Jewell also eclipsed the 30-win mark and saw themselves playing in the postseason for the first time since 2017.

+ Aside from Crowder, three other Region 16 JUCO programs from Missouri all won 30+ games in 2022: Jefferson College, Mineral Area, and St. Charles. JeffCo won 33 games, including an 18-6 conference record, and fell to Crowder in the Region 16 championship game. Mineral Area fell to JeffCo twice in the Region 16 tournament, though the Cardinals did win 31 games, including 17 conference victories and three postseason wins. St. Charles finished with 30 wins as well, picking up wins over Heartland CC, JeffCo, and Mineral Area in the regular season.

+ Finally, Webster has continuously proven that they’re a premier program in the country at the Division III level dating back to 2005. The Gorloks have won 14 straight SLIAC Conference Championships, and they’ve been to the NCAA College World Series four times, most recently in 2019. They have second most wins in Division III baseball since 2017 and the third highest winning percentage, proving that their consistent dominance is no fluke. Webster won 38 games in 2022, including an 18-2 record in SLIAC play, and their season ended with a loss to Wooster in regional play.

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