By Chris Parker
The baseball season started just over a month ago on Mar. 20 and we are less than a month out from post-season starting, so it is time for a midseason look around the area. Below is a look at all of the area’s teams mentioned in the most recent state rankings as released by the Missouri Baseball Coaches Association.
APR. 21 STATE BASEBALL RANKINGS – CLICK HERE
CLASS 6
No. 4 Nixa is the area’s highest ranked team in Class 6 and for good reason. The 17-6 Eagles have played a grueling schedule to this point with games against many quality out of area squads.
The Nixa offense has been rolling this season behind a pair of D1 signees in Wyatt Vincent and Caeden Cloud. Vincent, a Missouri State signee, has been a terror for opposing pitching staffs and defenses. He is hitting over .500 with 13 doubles and five home runs. When he is not putting the ball over the fence, he is capable of taking an extra base at any time with 17 stolen bases. Cloud, a Kentucky signee, is also slugging for the Eagles with nine doubles, four home runs and 21 RBI behind a .375 batting average. Jackson Gamble (senior), Wyatt Mabe (sophomore) and Caleb Jones (senior) are all also hitting over .300.
Seniors lead the team on the mound behind Gamble (1.10 ERA), Colin Kelley (2.30 ERA) and Tanner Midyett (0.00 ERA across 18 innings). Sophomores Cameron Miller and Grady Eoff are Nixa’s other two starters with ERAs in the low 3’s.
No. 8 Ozark entered the state rankings this week and have a 15-6 record right now. The biggest win for the Tigers was a nine-inning walk-off 4-3 win over Class 5 No. 2 Willard on Apr. 7.
Gannon Miller has been a key player in every facet for the Tigers. He has caught every game for Ozark providing defense and leadership behind the plate. When he has a bat in his hands, he has been a force with a 1.007 OPS, nine doubles and 17 RBI. Senior shortstop/pitcher Hudson Roberts also has a strong OPS at 1.022. He has five doubles and three home runs. On the mound, Roberts has contributed a 0.72 ERA across 19 innings pitched.
Senior Mizzou signee Cooper Pumphrey has looked the part of a D1 pitcher with a 2.33 ERA and 37 strikeouts across 24 innings.
Sophomore Rylan Sutton has broken out this season with a .426 batting average and a 1.275 OPS with four doubles, three triples, two home runs and 17 runs scored. Senior outfielders Keaton Hurst (.359 BA, .453 OBP, 16 runs scored) and Marcus Heavin (.317 BA, .447 OBP, 3 2B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 19 runs scored) have also provided an offensive spark.
Neosho dropped from No. 8 to receiving votes this week, but the Wildcats have proven to be formidable this season with a 14-6 record overall with three of the losses coming by one run. They have played 13 of their 20 games against out-of-state teams so far this season.
Catcher Kanten Smith has been a leader for Neosho both offensively and defensively. Behind the plate, Smith has caught every game and thrown out 10 would-be base stealers. At the plate, he leads the team in slugging and OPS behind 18 hits, three home runs and 15 RBI. Finn Versluis has used his speed to his advantage both in centerfield and the leadoff spot. He has 27 stolen bases with a .356 batting average and .479 OBP. Seniors Alex Rodriguez and Jaden Nichols have been key pieces of the offense as well. Rodriguez’s .400 batting average leads the team to go with a .500 OBP and five doubles. Nichols has a team-high 23 hits leading to a .377 batting average and 20 runs scored.
Junior Drake Jennis leads the team in OBP (.562), walks (23) and runs scored (26). Senior Liam McINturff has a team-high 24 RBI.
Brody Crane has had a two-way impact with team-highs in doubles (6) and triples (3) along with one home run. On the mound, the Arkansas commit is 3-1 with a 2.40 ERA and 44 strikeouts. Bostyn Patterson has been a workhorse on the mound in his senior season with 26 innings pitched and 36 strikeouts with a 2.13 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. Rodriguez has started four games and posted a 0.97 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 21.2 innings with 29 strikeouts.
DISTRICT THOUGHTS: It gets said often about the difficulty of districts, but Class 6 District 6 has a real chance to be wild this season. Nixa, Ozark and Neosho are joined by Republic, Glendale, Kickapoo, Joplin and Branson. Right now, Ozark has the No. 2 winning percentage in the district but lost 12-3 to Kickapoo, which has the No. 6 winning percentage, on Tuesday. Neosho sports the No. 3 winning percentage but lost to No. 7 Joplin 6-1 on Tuesday. The seeding on this district will be VERY interesting to watch. Last year, this district played all three rounds within a four-day period (May 15-18) which meant a district quarterfinal starter would find it difficult to come back for the championship game. This year, the window MSHSAA has for the Class 6 districts is from May 21-26. That extra day, if the district uses it, will be huge to potentially allow No. 1 pitchers to throw quarterfinal and championship games.
CLASS 5
In Class 5, No. 2 Willard is looking to defend its state title from a year ago. So far, that goal looks like a real possibility with the Tigers sporting a 16-4 record. All four losses have come to Class 6 teams with three of them being ranked. Willard beat Nixa 4-1 on Apr. 8. For me, the most impressive result was a 2-1 loss to Staley over the weekend in Columbia. Staley is ranked No. 2 in Class 6 with a 21-1 record.
This year’s Willard team is built a little different than recent seasons with an offense on record-setting pace. The Tigers are averaging 10.2 runs per game against a rigorous schedule. Since 2009, Willard has never averaged more than 8.5 runs per game. The offense is versatile. They bring slug as evidenced by 51 extra base hits so far. They bring patience averaging 6.5 walks per game. They bring speed with 91 stolen bases as a team.
Matthew Angel leads the offense in his senior season with a .400 batting average and .566 on-base percentage leading to a 1.221 OPS. He has 23 runs scored, 21 RBI and 11 stolen bases. Fellow senior Jackson Phipps sports a .340/.516/.681 line. His four home runs have helped him to a 1.197 OPS. He brings more than slug with a team-high 13 stolen bases while playing a strong centerfield.
Caleb Hayter leads the team with 22 RBI in his senior season. Junior Cady Hayter has a 20-5 walk-to-strikeout ratio with 10 stolen bases while playing a strong second base.
The pitching lacks some of the depth of years past, but the top is still high-quality led by Levi Hilton with an 0.67 ERA and 31 strikeouts across 21 innings. He has only yielded six total hits this season. Bryton Towe has thrown 20 innings with 22 strikeouts. Collin Spering sports a 2-0 record with 25 strikeouts across 18 innings.
Marshfield entered the Class 5 state rankings at No. 10 this week thanks to a strong run over the last 11 games. The Blue Jays are 14-5 overall, but they have won 10 of their last 11 including wins over Nixa and Glendale in that run.
The Blue Jays are getting it done with pitching and defense giving up just 2.9 runs per game over the current 11-game stretch. Caleb Kasper and Jayce Baedke sit atop the pitching rotation. Kasper leads the team with 22.2 innings pitched and 22 strikeouts with a 1.24 ERA. Baedke is just behind with 21.1 innings pitched and 10 strikeouts and a 2.30 ERA. Braden Jensen is third in innings pitched at 17 with 10 strikeouts and a 2.06 ERA. Easton Curley (13.1 IP, 2.63 ERA) and Keegan Reynolds (10 IP, 2.10 ERA) have also thrown double-digit innings.
Behind the plate, Carter James has controlled the opposition’s running game throwing out almost 40% of would-be base stealers. He has a .400 on-base percentage on offense with 13 runs scored.
Tyce Jones has been a defensive star in centerfield while producing at a high level at the plate with a .432 batting average, .512 on-base percentage and 1.025 OPS. He has scored 12 runs and stolen 10 bases.
Henry Berkstresser and Jensen each sport an OPS north of 1.000. Berkstresser leads the team in triples with four to go with seven doubles, 10 RBI and 13 runs scored on his way to a 1.252 OPS. Jensen is the team’s primary run producer with 29 RBI, which is 17 more than any other player. He has a 1.169 OPS and 15 runs scored.
Case Steinbach leads the team with 11 stolen bases.
Carl Junction is receiving votes in Class 5 and might work its way into the top 10 next week after a victory over Class 4 No. 3 Logan-Rogersville earlier this week. The Bulldogs are 13-6 on the season.
Cooper Vediz has been a two-way force for Carl Junction. At the plate, he is hitting .466 with 27 hits, six doubles, three triples and a .672 slugging percentage. On the mound, Vediz is 3-1 with 34 strikeouts and a 2.36 ERA.
Deacon Endicott is 5-0 with 28 strikeouts and a 2.47 ERA on the mound.
Both Brayden Larery (.429, 17 RBI) and Brody Pant (.400, 24 hits) are hitting .400 or better.
CLASS 4
The Logan-Rogersville baseball machine continues to roll along this season with a No. 3 ranking in Class 4. The Wildcats are 14-5 overall with four of those losses coming to Class 5 & 6 teams. The fifth was to Class 4 No. 1 Summit Christian Academy by a 5-2 margin. The best win for LR so far is an 8-1 victory over Class 5 No. 4 Smithville.
Logan-Rogersville is leaning on some youth for success this season. Junior centerfielder Cash Clark hits leadoff with a .473 batting average, 26 hits, 20 runs scored and 13 stolen bases. Classmate Teagan Trent is behind the plate at catcher hitting .369 with 20 hits and 12 RBI. Freshmen Jack Sutherland (.355 batting average) and Cooper Wagner (.319 batting average) have had strong starts to their high school careers.
On the mound, sophomore Nate Eakins and senior Charlie Greer lead the charge. Eakins is 4-1 with a 1.86 ERA and 46 strikeouts. Greer is 5-1 with a 0.75 ERA and 27 strikeouts. Sophomore Cole Evans and junior Easton Hampton are both 3-1 with 3.50 ERAs.
Forsyth, which is receiving votes in Class 4, graduated one of the top pitchers in the state in current University of Kentucky pitcher Tristan Hunter from last season’s team, but the Panthers have continued to roll in that department this season leading to a 13-4 record.
The Panthers are sporting a 1.58 team ERA behind Bryce Nolen (3-1, 0.70 ERA), Braxton Gross (3-1, 0.64 ERA, 2 saves), Jerrett Walls (3-1, 2.71 ERA), Ben Boyer (2-0, 0.00 ERA) and Tyler Strahan (2-1, 1.79 ERA).
At the plate, Gross leads the team with a .396 batting average and 1.111 OPS. Ayden Cleveringa is hitting .354 with 19 RBI. Strahan (.344), Boyer (.310) and Walls (.304) are all hitting above .300.
Strafford is 14-6 on the season and receiving votes in Class 4. Pitching has anchored the team with a 2.05 team ERA. Senior Gage Bradley is 5-0 with a 0.47 ERA. Junior Eli Clark is 3-2 with a 2.36 ERA allowing only one earned run over his last 18.2 innings (three starts).
At the plate, Landen Rhodes has been a consistent middle-of-the-order force leading the team in RBI. Crue Crawford brings a .370 batting average and strong defense in centerfield. Sophomore Colton Dampier is hitting .450. Freshman JT Mullings has made an immediate varsity impact with a .333 batting average and .950 fielding percentage.
Seneca, receiving votes, is 12-5 this season averaging 5.2 runs per game while giving up 2.7 per game. That 2.7 number is two full runs per game less than last season when the Indians went 18-13 overall. It is almost three runs per game better than the last time Seneca won a district title in 2021.
The lion’s share of the pitching has been handled by Grant Houchin, Drew Sherwood and Jagger Wilson to this point. All are over 30 innings pitched. Houchin leads the group with 35.1 innings pitched. He has 54 strikeouts and a 2.18 ERA. Sherwood is at 32 innings pitched with 41 strikeouts and a 1.31 ERA. Wilson sports the best ERA of the trio at 0.66 across 31.2 innings with 49 strikeouts.
Offensively, Sherwood leads the way with a ridiculous 1.460 OPS behind a team-high 26 total hits, 8 doubles, three triples, one home run, 16 RBI and 14 runs scored. Hagen Ginger also has driven in 16 runs a with Asher Prater at 12 RBI. Wilson leads the team with 15 runs scored followed closely by Houchin at 14 runs scored. Ginger (25), Sherwood (15) and Wilson (10) have all stolen double-digit bases.
CLASS 3
No. 7 Fair Grove has used a strong pitching staff to lead the team to a 17-4 start. All four of Fair Grove’s losses have come to schools in larger classes. Since starting 0-2, Fair Grove is 17-2 with the two losses coming on the same day to Class 4 ranked Logan-Rogersville and Class 6 Carthage.
As a team, Fair Grove has a 1.72 ERA with 149 strikeouts over 118 innings. Six different pitchers have thrown double-digit innings led by Brock Boatwright and Gavin Thomason. Boatwright has a 0.72 ERA and 34 strikeouts over a team-high 29.1 innings pitched. Thomason leads the team in strikeouts with 45 across 27.1 innings with a 1.02 ERA. Nolen Geitz (14.1 IP, 16 K, 1.95 ERA), Spensar Seiger (14 IP, 17 K, 3.00 ERA), Macklen Johnson (12.1 IP, 9 K) and Carson Krider (12 IP, 18 K, 0.58 ERA) round out the pitchers who have thrown double-digit innings.
At the plate, Harrison Martin and Thomason lead the way with each sporting a 1.092 OPS. Martin has a .410 batting average with a team-high 25 hits and seven doubles. He also has driven in a team-high 18 runs. Thomason is hitting .360 with 13 RBI, 16 runs scored and 13 walks.
Nolen Geitz (12 RBI, 5 doubles) and Kellan Kirkpatrick (13 RBI, 12 run) have each driven in double-digit runs.
Stockton is 9-3 sitting at No. 9 in the Class 3 rankings. The Tigers have a tough schedule down the stretch with four teams either ranked or receiving votes in the state poll remaining on the schedule.
Stockton has gotten it done largely behind four pitchers in Easton Hubbard, Preston Rains, Justus King and Cannon Brown. That quartet has thrown all but 1.2 innings this season.
Hubbard is a strikeout machine with 61 across his 30.2 innings pitched. His ERA sits at 0.46 with a 0.59 WHIP. Rains has thrown 20 innings with 32 strikeouts and a 2.10 ERA. King sports a 3.34 ERA and 15 strikeouts across 14.2 innings. Brown has not yielded a single earned run in 13 innings with 13 strikeouts.
Hubbard is also a dominant force at the plate with a .564 batting average, .627 on-base percentage and 1.354 OPS. He has 22 hits, 13 RBI, 18 runs scored and 16 stolen bases. All but the RBI total lead the team. Cale Johnson is the team-leader in RBI at 15 with a 1.299 OPS and the team’s lone home run to go with 11 stolen bases. Jack Rickman is a third Stockton hitter with an OPS above 1.200 sitting at 1.264.
Lamar got off to a 9-0 start and is 11-2 overall. That has the Tigers receiving votes in Class 3. Trent Torbeck has gotten it done on the mound and at the plate for Lamar with a 1.300 OPS, two home runs and 16 RBI hitting to go with 34 strikeouts and a 2.65 ERA across 26.1 innings on the mound.
Cooper Haun (.378 BA, .979 OP, 11 RBI) and Korbin Steinkamp (.333 BA, .806 OPS, 10 RBI) have been Lamar’s other top hitters.
Gage Shaw leads the team with 31.2 innings pitched on his way to 30 strikeouts and a 2.65 ERA.
Licking is also getting votes in Class 3 with a 12-4 record this season. Wins over Strafford, Iberia and Stoutland top the Wildcat resume. Kannon Buckner, a senior third baseman, is hitting .541 with a .679 on-base percentage including five doubles, one home run and 21 RBI through Apr. 21. He has struck out just once.
Junior Karson Walker leads off and plays shortstop. He is hitting .429 with a .538 OBP. On the bases, he swiped 21 bags through Apr. 21. Freshman Jason Ingram has handled the catching duties while hitting .410 with 19 RBI through Apr. 21.
As a team, Licking is hitting .355 with 53 stolen bases and 11.2 runs per game through Apr. 21. On the mound, 11 different pitchers have thrown innings combining for a 2.77 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 100 strikeouts across 75.2 innings through Apr. 21.
Warsaw sits at 12-4 and is receiving votes in Class 3. The Wildcats have losses to Class 6 Lebanon, Class 4 Odessa and Class 3 Fair Grove and Lafayette County. As a team, Warsaw is hitting .359 with an OBP of .481 averaging 10.8 runs per game. On the mound, Warsaw has an ERA of 3.00 with 117 strikeouts through the first 14 games.
Seniors Kendall Bagley (.465 BA, 20 hits, 3 doubles, 3 triples, 1 HR, 22 runs scored, 15 RBI), and Logan Gemes (.409 BA, 18 hits, 2 doubles, 3 triples and 16 RBI) along with junior Jase Hubert (.389 BA, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 19 runs, 10 stolen bases) lead the offense.
Josh Bunch and Ryan Fajen each had thrown 25.1 innings through Apr. 21. Bunch had 46 strikeouts and a 2.70 ERA while Fajen posted a 3.80 ERA with 28 strikeouts.
CLASS 2
No. 7 New Heights Christian is 12-2 so far this season with a key 7-2 win over fellow Class 2 ranked team Miller.
Smoke Ezell (.562 BA, .694 OBP, 12 RBI), Josh Anderson (.550 BA, .623 OPS, 24 RBI, 3 HR) and Jayce Walker (.528 BA, .667 OBP, 19 RBI, 27 runs, 4 HR) lead the offense with all hitting north of .525. Ezell is the top pitcher with a 4-0 record and 38 strikeouts over 34.2 innings pitched. He has a 1.70 ERA. Brodrick Burns has a 2.33 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 21 innings.
As a team, New Heights is hitting .346 with 152 runs scored and 52 against posting a 2.48 team ERA.
No. 8 Miller has taken a step forward this season with better late-game execution, improved base running and the ability to hit velocity better. That has led to a 12-4 record so far.
The sophomore duo of Jase Wilkinson and Hayden Schnake lead the pitching staff. Wilkinson is 5-0 with an eye-popping 65 strikeouts over 24.2 innings pitched. He has a 0.057 ERA and three no-hitters. Schnake is 4-0 with 25 strikeouts over 22 innings with a 1.91 ERA. Paul Nunez is the third starter while senior Jarod Lung is closing games. Lung, who was the No. 1 starter last season, is thriving in his new role closing games and spending more time at shortstop.
Nate Hill leads the offense with a .464 batting average and .571 OBP with four doubles and 10 RBI. Colton Brown (.441 BA, .612 OBP, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 14 RBI), Lung (.417 BA, .533 OBP, 4 2B, 1 HR, 13 RBI), Wilkinson (.375 BA, .580 OBP) and Gavin Hendricks (.341 BA, 15 RBI) lead the offense.
As a team, Miller has 73 stolen bases after swiping 52 all of last season.
Gainesville is receiving votes in Class 2 with a 7-6 record overall. The offense is paced by Brayden Miller (.417 BA, 15 hits, 15 RBI, 12 runs), Grant Leeker (.405 BA, 17 hits, 4 2B, 1 HR, 15 runs), Cutter Morrison (.359 BA, 14 hits, 3 2B, 11 RBI), Hunter Luna (.324 BA, 11 hits, 4 2B, 11 RBI) and Owen Donley (.300 BA, 9 hits, 9 RBI).
Pitching and run prevention have been key for Hartville this season. The Eagles are receiving votes in Class 2 thanks in large part to a pitching staff that is helping Hartville to allowing just 3.6 runs per game, which is almost three full runs better than last season. The Eagles are 8-4 with one loss coming by two runs and the other three by one run.
Gus Sinning tops the pitching staff with a 1.49 ERA and 53 strikeouts across 33 innings pitched. He is also hitting .400 with 11 RBI.
Brodyn Hulsey (1.71 ERA, 16.1 IP), Truett Coryell (2.74 ERA, 15.1 IP) and Heston Lowery (2.63 ERA, 13.1 IP) have also been key to the pitching success.
Gavin Stigall has contributed a .359 batting average and seven RBI at the plate.
Purdy has gotten hot of late, which has the Eagles receiving votes in Class 2. They are 7-1 over their last eight games. Three of the losses came to schools in larger classes. Purdy played No. 7 New Heights Christian to a close 5-4 loss. The 12 wins so far matches last season’s total for Purdy. The pitching and run prevention are much improved for Purdy this season giving up 3.6 runs per game this year compared to 6.9 last season.
CLASS 1
No. 4 Wheatland is using many of the players who helped the Mules to a final four appearance on the basketball court this winter. The talented group has Wheatland off to an 18-3 start scoring 10.8 runs per game while yielding just 2.5. All three losses have come in tournaments.
Braden Sawyer, Brock Mendenhall, Brett Dougherty, Avery Ohrazda, Nathan Sawyer and Andrew Dougherty all have an OPS north of 1.000.
Braden Sawyer leads the way with a 1.352 OPS to go with 24 runs, 24 RBI, 10 doubles, two home runs and 16 stolen bases. Mendenhall is hitting .523 with a 1.102 OPS, 34 runs scored, 16 RBI and 22 stolen bases. Brett Dougherty is at a 1.078 OPS with 20 RBI and a .436 batting average. Ohrazda has a .404 batting average,1.009 OPS, 20 runs, and 15 RBI. Nathan Sawyer has the second-best OPS at 1.180 with 27 runs, 17 RBI, 5 doubles, one triple and three home runs. Andrew Dougherty has scored 24 runs with 25 RBI with a 1.075 OPS
Tucker Shaddox (.333 BA, 19 runs, 14 RBI, 1 HR, .896 OPS) round out the top hitters for Wheatland.
Many of the same players lead the pitching staff.
Shaddox (3-1, 22.2 IP, 23 K, 0.62 ERA), Nathan Sawyer (4-1, 22.2 IP, 26 K, 1.54 ERA), Andrew Murphy (2-0, 19 IP, 33 K, 3.32 ERA), Brett Dougherty (2-0, 14 IP, 10 K, 0.50 ERA), Brock Mendenhall (2-0, 13.1 IP, 20 K, 1.58 ERA) and Ohrazda (2-0, 12.2 IP, 18 K, 0.55 ERA) make up the Wheatland pitching staff.
No. 6 Halfway sits at 15-5 through April 24. The Cardinals, who were 24-6 and district champions lats season, are scoring 9.4 runs per game, which is up a half run per game from last season. They are yielding four runs per game which is up 1.1 from last season.
Circle May 8 on your calendar, that is when the Cardinals will travel to face Wheatland in a key conference matchup.
No. 9 Stoutland has played a tough schedule on the way to a 10-6 record. All six losses are to Class 2 and 3 teams including a pair of teams in Iberia and Licking who made the final four last season.
Sophomore Brodie Millsap leads the team with a pitching record of 6-2 and 3.31 ERA. He has struck out 57 in 31 innings. Will Morrow has an ERA below one with a 3-0 record, four saves and 38 strikeouts in 29 innings.
Aaron Franklin and Austin Pribble are a pair of lefthanders who round out the rotation.
Millsap has a .396 batting average with a13 RBI and 16 stolen bases. Morrow has an OPS of 1.036 and 12 RBI.
Speed is key for Stoutland. The Tigers had 79 stolen bases through their first 15 games. Jesse Dickenson, Michael Kincade and Isaac Hill pull double duty doing both baseball and track.
Defensively, Devin Barnwell (shortstop), Franklin (centerfield) and Brandon Sterling (catcher) provide a solid core up the middle.
Lakeland, 12-7 overall, is receiving votes in Class 1. The Vikings are built on pitching and defense. Justin Gregory is one of the team’s top starting pitchers with a 1.17 ERA over 35.2 innings pitched. Trenton Helm is the top bullpen arm with a 0.50 ERA over 14 innings. Logan Moran leads the staff with 39 strikeouts in 24 innings.
Offensively, Moran is hitting .444 with a 1.192 OPS and 19 RBI and eight extra base hits. Jacob Gregory has eight extra base hits and 19 RBI with a .361 batting average. Leadoff hitter Dawson Harrill has scored 22 runs and stolen 19 bases.
Billings is receiving votes with a 9-2 record. The two losses are to No. 6 Halfway and Class 4 Hollister by two runs.
