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SEASON PREVIEW: Timberland Wolves

By High SchoolNo Comments

The Timberland Wolves enter the 2022 season with big names on the roster and high expectations for the team. The Wolves 2021 squad had a roster capable of going deep into the state tournament, but ultimately ended with four straight losses and being eliminated by their rival, Holt. That being said, there are several reasons to believe they’ll be a contender for a state championship in 2022.

What they have going for them:

They have some of the biggest star power in the state with their 2022 and 2023 classes. In addition to big names, the Wolves have depth all around the diamond with a wealth of varsity experience. It all starts with 2023 LHP and Arkansas commit Adam Hachman. He has the ability to live 93-95mph, occasionally touching upper 90’s, while pairing it with a CB/CH. Hachman will be able to dominate HS hitters if he can live in the zone and choose when he needs to ramp it up. The southpaw fanned 49 batters in 27 innings pitched last season.

As if Hachman wasn’t enough, the Wolves have 2023 RHP Jackson Yarberry (uncommitted), a high level RHP that gives Timberland one of the top 1-2 punches in the state. Yarberry can sit 86-88, occasionally popping 90, and also possesses excellent command and pitchability. The righty has a workhorse frame and should be able to eat up innings throughout the course of the season.

2022 UTIL Ryan Dickherber (Lindenwood) returns to pace the offense after boasting a .423 avg a season ago. He led the team with 13 XBH and showcases a free and easy lefthanded swing. He will need to provide a spark at the top of the Wolves batting order.

Timberland has an impressive list of college commits in the 2022 class, including Owen Powers (Jeff Co), Landon Willbrand (Lindenwood), Anthony Fumagalli (Illinois-Springfield), Ayalew Sisay (Indianapolis), Parker Dempsey (Drury) and Wyatt Seymore (Spoon River). This many quality, experienced varsity players should serve to provide consistency for the wolves lineup.

 

Concerns:

All the players mentioned so far were main stays in the lineup a season ago. Despite this, they fell short of expectations that many had for them.

Timberland will usually face their opponent’s best pitcher, and it will be interesting to see how their lineup holds up to this challenge.

The Wolves will also need to do a better job of executing on little things, and they need the high-end talent on their roster to consistently deliver results. Things like throwing strikes, limiting errors, bunt defense and quality baserunning can be separators in high school baseball. They had an abundance of errors a season ago and were also unable to steal many bags.

Undoubtedly, Timberland is a team capable of having a lot of success this Spring, and they’ll be a fun one to follow.

Unmentioned players to watch:

2023 Carson McCaleb C (uncommitted)
2023 Connor McCaleb RHP (uncommitted)
2022 Kyle Czeschin INF (uncommitted)

February 24, 2022
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SEASON PREVIEW: Liberty Eagles

By High SchoolNo Comments

The Liberty Eagles are coming off a 15-win season in which they sputtered at the end losing three straight. They lost some valuable contributors that look to be high level collegiate athletes. However, they return an experienced core of players that look to lead them to new heights.

What they have going for them:

Liberty fields one of the deepest pitching staffs in the state. It is led by 2023 RHP Seth Benes (uncommitted) who returns with valuable experience as a sophomore. Benes can ramp his FB up to 92 and live in the 88-90 range. This is paired with a high spin CB and great pitch ability. He will also be a major contributor in the heart of their lineup.

The Eagles return 2022 RHP Sam Gordley (St. Charles CC) and his five wins from a season ago. Gordley pitched 39+ innings with 43 strikeouts. With improved control, Gordley will be able to eat even more innings and give the Eagles a 1-2 punch. Gordley is able to sit mid 80’s and provide a tick or two more when needed.

2022 RHP Tyler Timmerman (St. Charles CC) returns from a torn Achilles that sidelined him for the 2021 season. He provides a cherry on top as another mid 80’s arm with a starter profile. Timmerman needs to get into the swing of things facing hitters again, but we should see him only get stronger as the season goes on.

2022 Trevor York (uncommitted) paces the offense with a .400 avg and the ability to play a vital role at
SS. York puts the ball in play only striking out twice all of 2021. He is also an efficient base runner
stealing 8 bags last season. York will need to provide a spark plug at the top of the Eagles lineup.

 

Concerns:

The Eagles should be even better on the mound than a season ago. Unfortunately, they aren’t sure where the offense will come from just yet. The Eagles lost a lot of firepower from their lineup with Victor Quinn, Konner Hutchings, Peyton Vieluf, and Kyle Bermudez graduating. They accounted for all but one of the Eagles home runs.

They will need the trio of 2022 OF Cooper Swift (Moberly CC), 2022 INF Cole Vance (East Central CC), and 2023 C Peyton Braile (uncommitted) to step up. They will play crucial positions to the Eagles success in the 2022 season. Braile will need to command a potent Eagles pitching staff and give a spark in the power department.

Their pitching staff will allow them time to find their offensive identity. If they do, they could be a dangerous team come districts and beyond.

Unmentioned players to watch:
2024 Tyler Holman RHP/OF (uncommitted)
2023 Aidan Cole LHP (uncommitted)
2023 Ethan Weiler RHP/OF (uncommitted)
2023 Ryan Casteel INF (uncommitted)

February 22, 2022
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SEASON PREVIEW: CBC Cadets

By High SchoolNo Comments

CBC is known as a high school athletics powerhouse, and the Cadet’s baseball program is no exception to this reputation. Head Coach Mason Horne has had tremendous success in his tenure as head coach, having won multiple state titles while coaching some of the most talented players in the area. 

Players like Matt Vierling, Jake Burger, Christian Little, Kurtis Byrne, and Justin Paulsen give perspective to the talent that CBC baseball has rostered over the last decade. These names also serve to give perspective (and perhaps for some, pause) as to how impressive it is that the 2022 Cadets could be the most talented team they’ve had in recent memory.

What they have going for them:

It’s often said that a pitching is the most important aspect of a team, and unsurprisingly, the Cadets are loaded. If you took their pitching staff of Tyler Charlton (Missouri State), Cameron Poe (Duke), Jake McGhee (Mizzou), Michael Walsh (Lindenwood), Daniel Flier (Jeff Co) Evan Margherita (Quincy), Kyle Byrne, Nazzan Zanetello (Miami), and cut it in half, you’d still have an above average high school rotation. 

When it comes to position players, the Cadets offense is loaded with top tier athletes. Perhaps most impressive is University of Miami commit Nazzan Zanetello (2023) who is easily one of the most exciting players in the state. Zanetello is the type of player that coaches and scouts are immediately easily drawn to because of his long and athletic frame, clean infield actions and effortless arm strength. His athleticism allows for him to be extremely dynamic, and it will be exciting to watch this spring as he makes his team better offensively, defensively, and even on the mound with his low 90’s fastball. 

2023 Outfielder Kaden Peer (Mizzou commit) will undoubtedly play a key role for CBC. Peer runs well and has a linear swing that compliments his skillset. He also has a plus arm in the outfield. The Cadets 2023 class also features 2023 C/UTL Ryan Stevens, a hard-nosed player who is a spark plug and can do a lot of little things to help his team win. 

Seniors Ayden Robinson-Wayne (Missouri Southern) and Daniel Flier (Jeff Co) are both reputable players that figure to be starters in the cadets’ lineup as well. 

Miles Birke (2023), Kyan Franklin (2023), Jake McGhee (2024) and Luke Matschiner (2022, Drury Commit) are all solid players as well that would likely be top of the order bats in the average high school lineup and could wind up putting up big numbers. 

Concerns:

It may be true to say that the biggest thing standing between the Cadets and winning the 2022 State Title are the Cadets themselves. 

From the outside looking in, it would appear that anything less than a state Championship for the Cadets would be falling short of expectations. And that might be the expectation most people will have for them, but that doesn’t make it a reasonable one. 

In a format that features a single elimination postseason, the pressure that 16, 17, and 18 year old kids face is immense. The Cadets will go all season facing opposing team’s top pitchers, and playing opponents that are energized to play them. They will be challenged, game after game, and how they respond will ultimately dictate their identity as a team, their chemistry, and their readiness for the playoffs. 

To assume they will win simply because they have the most talented team is to have a limited understanding of the game of baseball. Talent gets pre-season coverage, but execution gets state championships. Without a doubt, the Cadets will be one of the most exciting teams to follow this Spring.

February 9, 2022
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SEASON PREVIEW: Parkway West Longhorns

By High SchoolNo Comments

The Parkway West Longhorns are coming off a dominant 2021 season in which they went 23-4, eventually being upset by Rockwood Summit in the district final. Despite having a ton of success in 2021, it is conceivable that they could be as good or even better in 2022. They are led by second year head coach Andrew Jett. 

“Despite having a ton of success in 2021, it is conceivable that they could be as good or even better in 2022.”

What they have going for them: 

2023 Infielder Gannon Snyder is one of the most dynamic players in the area. He is an elite bat that has the ability to both get on base at a high rate while also getting on base a ton due to a generally disciplined approach. Snyder is an aggressive base runner with a high baseball IQ, and also has an above average arm. He may be able to help the Longhorns on the mound as well. 

2023 Catcher Tyler Lang (uncommitted) is coming off a 2021 season in which he led the team in batting average as a sophomore, hitting a robust .431 to compliment a whopping .576 OBP and 1.187 OPS. We see Lang as one of the most underrated players in the St. Louis area. The hit tool is extremely advanced, and defensively he is a high level receiver that grades out overall as above average.

2024 Infielder Mason Beno (uncommitted) has a shot to emerge as one of the best prospects in St. Louis’ 2024 class. Beno made varsity as a freshmen on a loaded Parkway West team last spring, and contributed on both the mound and in the field for the Longhorns. This year, he takes on an even bigger role, as they’ll likely lean on him as both a top end rotation piece and a top half of the order bat.

2022 LHP/1B Luke Wright is a front of the rotation talent that will be headed to JuCo powerhouse Heartland CC in the fall. At 6 foot 4 with a muscular build, Wright is an imposing figure on the mound. He features a mid to upper 80’s fastball with a plus changeup and a functional breaking ball. Wright hit .360 for the Longhorns last spring and figures to play an even bigger role offensively this year for Parkway West. 

Concerns:

The reality is the Longhorns are losing some significant pieces that will undoubtedly be tough to replace. They lost their entire starting outfield from 2021 (Nicholas Harms, Isaac Kittrell & Griffin Snyder), along with Dartmouth commit Elliott Krewson. 

Despite the loss of some significant pieces, they will benefit from the fact that talented players such as Snyder, Lang, 2023 INF Cooper Walkoff and Beno are each a year older and more experienced. This was one of the best underclass groups in the area last spring, and they have a chance to be a dominant group against competition that’s closer to their age in 2022.  

Another factor in the 2022 Longhorn’s success will be the availability of aforementioned senior LHP/1B Luke Wright. He is currently working his way back from an injury that has sidelined him the past several months. His availability could be another pivotal factor in determining Parkway West’s success.

Unmentioned players to watch:

Alex Gitt (Lindenwood)

Denver Eaves (East Central CC)

Ben Seavey

Zack Boland 

Bryce Drake

Brayden Gilmore 

February 8, 2022
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COMING UP NEXT: MLK Florida Winter Series

By ShowcaseNo Comments

The MLK Florida Winter Series was held January 15-17 in Bradenton, Florida. Overall, there were a total of 8 games played in the 3 day event, with an additional 6 hours dedicated to a pro-style showcase.

“Several players surprised me over the course of the weekend.”

Shortstop Devin Wheaton (IL) projects likely as a D1 shortstop down the road. Wheaton showed a mature approach at the plate and barreled several baseballs during the games. Has some athleticism at the plate and will continue to develop as a hitter. In the infield, he has excellent actions with the glove and does a great job of attacking the baseball. Footwork was excellent both in game and the showcase.

Brayden Hodges (MO) was the most impressive athlete physically speaking in attendance at the event. At 6 foot 6 and 270 pounds Hodges is physically imposing. Hit several balls out in BP, and displayed a mostly pull-side approach with a top exit velo of 97. He moves incredibly well for his size, already possessing skillset and athleticism that would presently be above average at any collegiate level. The swing is still developing and he will need to develop the ability to drive the ball the other way, but the juice is real and it will ultimately be well worth the squeeze.

Another player who showcased an impressive skillset was Jake Miller (MO). Miller ran a 6.8 in the 60 yard dash. In BP he showed a pullside approach and caught several barrels for extra base hits in game. Topped at 80mph on the mound from a very low arm slot. Showed excellent tilt and shape on his breaking ball. Did a great job in centerfield tracking down several balls on the run. Miller’s swing lacks fluidity and several aspects of his game are extremely raw, but his tools are undeniable and he is certainly a prospect worth monitoring in 2022 and beyond.

SS Jacob Mruk (FL) was another player in attendance who projects as a future collegiate athlete. Mruk showed great actions with the glove, attacking the baseball aggressively. His footwork is developing but overall he shows feel for the shortstop position. Showed some promise offensively, taking several quality at bats during the game, often getting on base. Mruk displayed upside on the mound as well, utilizing a 2 seam fastball with plenty of ASR as well as a functional breaking ball. Worth keeping an eye on.

U&C MLK FLORIDA WINTER SERIES ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM:

1B: Brayden Hodges (2023, MO)
2B: Jackson Carroll (2023, MO)
SS: Devin Wheaton, (2025, IL)
3B: Brock Jones (2024, MO)
OF: Jake Miller (2024, MO)
OF: Holden Strain (2024, MO)
OF: Baker Merris (2023, MO)
DH: Ethan Weber, (2023, MO)
C: Ethan Flores, (2025, IL)
UTL: Dylan King, (2025, IL)
UTL: Jacob Mruk (2023, FL)

P: Blake Larson(2023)
P: Lucio Sanchez (FL, 2022)
P: Tyler Kolb (FL, 2024)
P: Eli Grant (2023, MO)

January 28, 2022
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