Shon Plack
Missouri Scouting Director

Blake Mozley (Ozark, 2019) is a 5-foot-9 145-pound shortstop that has committed to Missouri State.  

Mozley is an athletic, left-handed hitting infielder with a 78 mph positional velo.  He has smooth actions on the infield with an over the top release.  He make accurate throws across the infield with a clean exchange and advanced footwork.  

At the plate, Mozley has an exit velo of 77 mph and he runs a 4.62 home to first from the left side.  He has a balanced set up with a controlled leg kick.  He has quick bat speed with a level path.  

Here is a look inside the recruiting process for Blake Mozley. 

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? Was it as expected?
Easy/Difficult?
 
Mozley: The decision for me was fairly easy. I have always wanted to play for Missouri State, and my expectations were to show them the ways in which I could one day contribute for them. I hoped that if I did that I would have the opportunity to be recruited by Missouri State. It worked out and I could not be happier

PBR: Did location or distance from home play a factor in your decision?

Mozley: I grew up going to the Missouri State games and I always thought it would be great to play college baseball in front of my family and friends. So yes, the location of Missouri State
definitely played into my decision
 
PBR: Where did Missouri State first see you? How did your relationship develop with them?
 
Mozley: I first went to a Missouri State camp 3 or 4 years ago, and I feel that I had a good relationship with the coaches right off the bat. My relationship with the coaches felt natural and I felt like I could just be myself and focus on the baseball side of things around them.
 
PBR: Who is the best player you have faced in your state, and why?
 
Mozley: Ben Cruikshank. He is a left handed pitcher from the St Louis area. I faced him for the first time a couple weeks ago and he was nasty. He comes inside with 90+ , then puts you away with a tight spinning slider with hard tilt.
 
PBR: What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?
 
Mozley: Not to worry about others who are bigger and stronger at a young age. I have always been smaller than my peers and when they were hitting home runs and driving the ball, I was still slapping the ball the other way. But I started maturing later than my peers and finally the strength came late for me and it allowed me to catch up. So, I would say not to be down on yourself if you aren’t where you want to be or where your peers are, because it will come.

PBR: What do you do in the offseason to keep yourself in baseball shape and prepare for the upcoming season?

Mozley: This off season I worked out at a strength and agility facility 3 times a week, and I hit every day. I hit off a tee daily, and got front toss and bp thrown to me daily. I also had access to an indoor facility where I could work on ground balls.

PBR: What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?

Mozley: My dad was a scout for about 8 years after he got done playing minor league ball, and while he was scouting for the Chicago Cubs he took me to a game at Wrigley Field. Just the feeling I got being at such a famous ballpark was awesome, but the cool thing happened in the stadium. My dad’s boss , scouting director Tim Wilken , got me down on the field and I was able to take ground balls and batting practice at Wrigley. I will always remember that day!

PBR: What do you like most about Missouri State and what were the key factors in making your decision?

Mozley: The coaches were honest and straight forward the whole time, that was huge to me and my parents. Also, when Missouri State made the regionals two years ago, I fell in love with the program and the way they did things. I thought to myself, I would love to be a part of something like that here at Missouri State

PBR: What other schools were on your short list before you made your final decision?
 
Mozley: I had interest in Oklahoma State and Arkansas

PBR: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Was there a particular game or event that you feel turned the corner for you?

Mozley: Recruiting heated up for me this fall and winter. I do not believe there was a specific event, but my strength gains really started to change the way I played the game, and I believe this led to increased recruiting opportunities.

PBR: Preview your high school season for us. How do you feel your team will be? What are your expectations and goals?

Mozley: I am excited for the high school season. We return a lot of good players at Ozark High School. We have two pitchers who will definitely pitch in college and we will play great defense. My goals for this season is for to win districts first and then to make it to the final 4 in state. I believe if you can get to the “dance” you just have to play fundamentally sound and get timely hitting for 2 games to be State Champs

PBR: Where do you play in the summer? And what has been your most memorable
experience with them?

Mozley: I play for the Midwest Nationals in the Summer. When we played down in Texas a couple years ago and we played older and more physical players. It was the first time I faced a kid throwing 90+ MPH. We ended up doing well in that tournament and it was a blast.

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