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: Russellville
2022 Record: 29-4
Conference: Show Me Conference
Classification: 2A or 3A
Head Coach: Lucas Branson

X-FACTOR

Charlie Miller, RHP/INF, 2023, Missouri signee: Miller returns after a stellar junior campaign, leading the charge for Russellville en route to a state championship. He earned just about every first team honor a player could receive last spring, batting .381 with 13 extra-base hits and 38 RBIs, while also striking out 99 on the mound over 61 ⅓ innings, posting a 1.26 ERA. Miller’s return is enormous for the Indians, and he slots right into the heart of this team as their unquestioned most valuable player.

STAT RAT

6 - The number of District championships that Russellville has won since 2006. They won three in a row from 2017 to 2019 and finished third at 2A state in both 2006 and 2018 before winning the title in 2022.

OUTLOOK

A perennial contender at the 2A level, Russellville took a step over the hump in 2022, capturing the program’s first state championship with a 5-3 win over Portageville. Unsure if they’ll be playing at 2A or 3A this season, Russellville enters 2023 with a large chunk of their title team back and will be a force regardless of their classification.

Behind the plate for Russellville C/RHP Jake Schulte (2023; Missouri - St. Louis), a first team all-state, district, and conference honoree last spring. He’s a veteran that brings stability at an important position on the infield, serving as a leader within this locker room, too. INF/P Jesse Daniel (2023) and UTL Chris Seaver (2023) are two more returners that earned accolades in 2022 who are capable of playing multiple positions for the Indians. As is 1B/RHP Alex Oligschlaeger (2023) - a name that’s continued to improve and take on an expanded role over the last few seasons. Other names that saw time last year include Bryce Bryant (2023), Josiah Herman (2023), Nolan Gartner (2024), and Ethan Hickey (2024).

BOTTOM LINE

Winning has been the standard at Russellville over the 17 years that head coach Lucas Branson has been at the program’s helm. Bringing back multiple players from last year’s title team, including star Charlie Miller, the Indians feel like they’re positioned to repeat as the last man standing in 2023. 

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

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