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Missouri State Games Takeaways: 2025 Grads

June 21, 2024
By: Diego Solares
Central Region Media Director, Scouting

On Tuesday, June 4th, the PBR Missouri staff traveled to Taylor Stadium in Columbia, MO, to host the Missouri State Games. This event was an invite-only event for 2025-2028 class members.

All of our events offer players the opportunity to update their recruiting resume and showcase their talents in front of our staff. We also use these events as identifiers for future invite-only events, like the Preseason All-State, our summer Top Prospect Games, and the prestigious Prep Baseball Future Games that take place at the tail end of the summer.

For a full roster of those in attendance, click HERE.

Shortly after the event our staff published our traditional ‘Stat Story’, where we highlighted a multitude of the day’s stat leaders. You can find that by clicking HERE.

We’ve already spent some time highlighting a multitude of players from the event, starting with the underclass (2027 & 2028) group and the 2026 class afterwards. We’ll put the finishing touches on the post-event content from this year’s Missouri State Games by highlighting several 2025 graduates that stood out to our staff below. 

TAKEAWAYS

+ Few in attendance boosted their prospect stock more than RHP Luke Sullivan (Parkway South, 2025). At 6-foot-4, 195-pounds, Sullivan controls his long limbs down the mound consistently and maintains his direction towards home plate, allowing him to repeat his delivery at a high rate. His arm plays free and easy on the backside, finishing out of a loose, clean high ¾ slot with evident arm speed. Coming off a stellar season for his Patriots’ club, Sullivan’s fastball sat at 87-89 mph and was in the zone often on both corners of the plate. He’s plenty confident in a sweeping slider at 74-76 mph that generated upwards of 19 inches of horizontal movement at peak. Sullivan’s low-80s changeup is also an asset, as he throws it with the same intent and effort as his fastball while creating natural fade on the pitch. A true starter’s profile at the next level with plenty of physical upside left to come, Sullivan is a high floor, high ceiling prospect in the state’s 2025 class. 


+ C Rylan Mills (Oran, 2025) represented Team Missouri at the Future Games last year and has continued to solidify himself as one of the top uncommitted prospects in Missouri’s incoming senior group. Packed with strength inside a 5-foot-11, 200-pound frame, Mills’ simple and controlled right-handed swing produced some of the loudest contact of the day on average (93.8 mph) as well as at peak (102.3 mph). His bat strength and ability to cover the plate off the barrel showed in game, as Mills drove an outer-half fastball deep to right field that missed a home run by a few feet. Mills' arm peaked at 79 mph from the chute and he popped in the 1.98-to-2.08 range. With the summer in full swing, Mills is a must see uncommitted prospect in Missouri’s 2025 class. 


+ Another backstop to don the ‘Show Me’ state’s jersey at last year’s Future Games to show well at this event was 6-foot, 210-pound C Crew Norden (Rock Bridge, 2025). Norden’s advanced bat strength was on display in BP, posting a 98.5 mph max exit velocity with an average mark of 90.3 mph and his deepest barrel traveled 349 feet. He works uphill to contact with bat speed and intent to elevate the baseball, favoring the pull-side throughout his round. Defensively, Norden’s arm touched 79 mph on his hardest throw and he popped in the 1.94-to-2.05 range. 


+ OF Brady Nolen (Festus, 2025) possesses true impact athleticism on the baseball field. He broke the single season school record at Festus for stolen bases this spring and ran the fastest 60 time (6.66) at the Missouri State Games with a 33.3” vertical jump. Aside from his straight line speed, Nolen’s speed plays up in game both on the bases and in the outfield. He swung a strong, simple right-handed bat that flashed middle of the field feel and squared his hardest ball up at 95.2 mph. Nolen’s arm played true from the outfield with easy carry, topping at 88 mph on three of his four throws home. 


+ An uncommitted name that’s done nothing but keep trending up over the last six months: RHP Ethan Martin (Westminster Christian, 2025). Martin’s an athlete on the mound, working with intent downhill and showing arm speed out of a loose ¾ slot. He pounded the strike zone at 87-88 mph with his fastball that averaged 15.1 inches of horizontal movement with a peak mark of 20.1 inches. Martin can also really spin the baseball, ripping off a 74-76 mph curveball that reached upwards of 18.4 inches of horizontal movement at its best and offers out-pitch potential at the next level. He rounds out his arsenal with a 77-78 mph changeup that, like his fastball, shows heavy run at times. 


+ OF Gabe Huelsing (Oakville, 2025) keeps trending up in our eyes and looks the part of a potential impact left-handed bat in the state. Huelsing was on the barrel in BP with bat speed to pair, back spinning baseballs gap-to-gap while staying balanced through contact. He averaged 87 mph per batted ball, reaching a peak mark of 94.7 mph, which came on a line drive into the opposite field gap. His strength showed in the outfield, where Huelsing peaked at 90 mph on his hardest throw home and he also jumped 29 inches in the vertical. 


+ Another outfielder to show well at the Missouri State Games was OF Drake Odneal (Smithville, 2025). Odneal was on the barrel and stayed on plane, spraying consistent line drive contact to the middle of the field. The 6-foot, 180-pound uncommitted outfielder ran a 6.85 60, jumped 32.9” in the vertical, and was up to 84 mph on his hardest throw home from the outfield. 


+ MIF Addison Miller (Home School, 2025) was another big winner from this event, turning heads in the workout as well as in the gameplay portion. A member of Team Missouri at the Future Games last summer, Miller’s quiet at the plate with a short and simple right-handed swing that sprayed line drives to all fields. He was on the barrel twice in game, one of them was a triple, and his 94.1 mph max exit velocity at this event was the firmest mark we’ve seen from him to date. Miller’s glove is his biggest asset, as he’s plenty fluid with all sorts of athleticism up the middle and arm that’s ticking up, firing a 91 mph strike across the infield. 


+ RHP Landon Fletcher (Webb City, 2025) caught our attention in a live look during the spring season, but the physical, strong-bodied 6-foot-3, 195-pound soon-to-be senior came away from the Missouri State Games as one of the biggest winners. Fletcher pounded the strike zone with a heavy fastball, averaging 14 inches of run at 86-88 mph, touching 88.5 mph on his firmest bullet. He showed feel for a tight slider at 76-79 mph, spotting it for strikes while also getting chase outside of the zone. Though he didn’t turn to it often, Fletcher also threw a 79-81 mph changeup from a slightly lower release height on average than his fastball. 


+ C Brady Vessells (Seckman, 2025) had an all-around impressive performance at this event. He continues to show high end bat speed at the plate from a fluid right-handed stroke that has real impact off the barrel. Vessells’ round of BP was amongst the day’s loudest, staying on the barrel consistently with a 92.4 mph average mark, peaking at 99.2 mph. Both Vessells’ average (260 ft.) and peak (358 ft.) batted distances were also near the top of our TrackMan batted ball leaderboards. Perhaps his most impressive asset, however, was his catch-and-throw behind the plate. Vessells was all over the bag from behind the plate, showing true arm strength and easy carry (T79 mph) with pop times in the 1.90-to-2.00 range. 


+ MIF Anthony Tocco (CBC, 2025) is a well-rounded up-the-middle athlete that has consistently impressed our staff each time we see him. Tocco ran the second-fastest 60 time of the event, posting a 6.75 on our lasers while also jumping 29.8” in the vertical. He swung a simple, yet intentful, right-handed barrel in BP that worked line drives back up the middle of the field throughout. Tocco’s glove may be his biggest asset, as he’s clean and fluid on the move with the ability to slow the game down when he needs to, and the versatility to play multiple positions on the infield. 


+ MIF Tyler Coffin (Rockhurst, 2025) continues to show polish in all areas of his game with upside to pair. Coffin sprayed line drives to all fields in BP from a clean, repeatable right-handed swing with balance through contact. He should continue to add impact as he fills out his 5-foot-11, 165-pound frame, enhancing an already polished offensive profile. On the infield, Coffin’s clean and fluid actions should keep him on the dirt at the next level and he peaked at 86 mph across the diamond on his firmest throw. 


+ A strong, physically built 6-foot-1, 200-pound backstop, C Ben Miller (Helias Catholic, 2025) looked the part on both sides of the ball. Miller’s easy hand strength was evident in BP, as he averaged 91 mph per batted ball and peaked at 98 mph. Both of those were near the top of our TrackMan batted ball leaderboard, as was his furthest batted ball, which traveled 348 feet. Miller’s glovework behind the plate continues to grade as above-average, working around the bag consistently with an arm that peaked at 78 mph. After his workout, Miller’s in-game blocking stood out, as he consistently chested up the baseball. 


+ LHP Braden Ray (Francis Howell, 2025) ran his fastball up to 86.5, pitching at 83-85 mph at this event, with 19.7 inches of vertical break at peak from a 4.7 ft. average release height. Ray has feel to spin a 72-74 mph curveball with depth and downer spin, averaging 2396 RPM on the pitch. 


+ Coming off a productive spring for the Jaguars, C/INF Connor Day (Seckman, 2025) provided our staff with another positive look at this event. A polished right-handed bat with bat speed and strength, Day worked gap-to-gap and on the barrel throughout his round of BP. Day impressed defensively, showing easy arm strength behind the plate, touching 79 mph on his firmest throw with pop times in the 1.93-to-1.97 range. Day took reps on the infield as well, pumping a 90 mph high across the diamond, the second firmest mark of the day. 


+ Stepping into the box at a physical 6-foot-1, 200-pounds, 1B Hayden Gilmore (Kennett, 2025) elevated the baseball into the pull-side gap from a strong, fluid, and balanced left-handed swing. It’s a middle-of-the-order power profile that showed more polish in this look than we’d seen from him in the past. Gilmore showed footwork feel around the bag at first base with a confidence and bounce to him that stood out. 


+ INF Ayden Katzberg (Lee’s Summit West, 2025) had an impressive day at this event, headlined by homering in game and finding another barrel in a later at-bat. He flashed barrel feel in BP as well, peppering line drives into the pull-side gap from an athletic, intentful right-handed swing that stayed level through the hitting zone. Katzberg’s fluid on the infield as well, getting around the baseball and playing low to the ground. He trusts his hands with a clean transfer to release, firing an 87 mph high across the infield for his hardest throw. Given his impressive all-around performance, Katzberg was one of the biggest winners from this event. 


+ Coming off a strong spring for Westminster Christian, C Cal Leighton (2025) took one of the more impressive rounds of catcher defense on the day. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound backstop has easy arm strength with natural carry from the chute, peaking at 80 mph on his hardest bullet while popping in the 1.94-to-2.01 range. Leighton’s swing works level through the zone, squaring his hardest ball up at 93.3 mph in BP. 


+ RHP Kasey Griffin (Union, 2025) gave our staff another strong look at this event. A clean, in-sync mover down the mound with an upside 6-foot-1, 165-pound frame, Griffin’s fastball played in the low-to-mid-80s, touching 86 mph, with plenty more to come as he continues to tack on strength. He’s confident and has a feel for a 75-77 mph curveball with depth that he’s able to land in hitter’s counts. 


+ INF Alex Chester (Oak Park, 2025) holds strength within a strong, compact 5-foot-9, 180-pound frame. A left-handed hitter, Chester’s swing is simple with a flat barrel that stays on plane through the hitting zone. He peppered line drive contact to the pull-side off the barrel, averaging 87.1 mph per batted ball with a peak mark of 92.3 mph. Chester’s fluid on the infield with footwork feel and steady, sure-handed glovework. 


+ MIF Gage Vanlandingham (Van Buren, 2025) had a strong all-around performance at this event. A switch-hitter, Vanlandingham sprayed line drives to all fields from both sides of the plate and repeated a simple, level, and direct swing. He showed soft hands on the infield and worked in rhythm on the move with fluid, tempo’d footwork. 


+ C/1B Landen Danuser (Lone Jack, 2025) showed advanced raw bat strength inside a strong, impactful right-handed swing at this event. Working to the pull-side throughout his round, Danuser’s hardest ball came off his bat at 97.7 mph, which was the ninth firmest output from this event, and his deepest batted ball traveled 340 feet into the left-center gap. All of Danuser’s Blast Motion metrics registered in the upper percentile of our performance tiers; peak hand speed (23.5 mph), average hand speed (22.3 mph), peak bat speed (79.1 mph), and average bat speed (76.4 mph). Defensively, Danuser works quick to release from the chute and was up to 75 mph on his hardest throw. 


+ A 6-foot-2, 170-pound L/L athlete, OF Jack Rickman (Stockton, 2025) ran one of the day’s fastest 60 times (6.76) and jumped 33.1” in the vertical test. He swings an athletic left-handed barrel that works flat through the zone and was also up to 87 mph from the outfield. 

+ RHP Parker Bryant (Oran, 2025) was in the strike zone with three pitches in his outing at this event. The strong, compact 5-foot-11, 190-pound right-hander pitched at 82-84 mph with his fastball while spinning a mid-to-upper-60s curveball with depth and turning over a 76-77 mph changeup. 


+ Another strike-throwing uncommitted arm from this event is RHP Jack Moore (Ladue, 2025). Moore was in the zone often with a 83-85 mph fastball and confidently turned to a sharp 67-69 mph curveball with depth as his go-to secondary. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Moore rounded out his arsenal with a changeup at 76-77 mph. 


+ RHP Michael Siebels (Eureka, 2025) toes the rubber at a long, lanky, and projectable 6-foot-4, 170-pounds. Siebels’ fastball had the second highest average (2335) and peak (2601) RPM of the entire event, pitching at 81-84 while touching 85 mph in his two innings of work. His primary secondary pitch is a split changeup that he’s able to spot down in the zone at 74-78 mph and he also spins a 69-72 mph curveball that reached 2419 RPM at peak. 

+ A switch-hitter, MIF CJ Campbell (Lafayette, 2025) is a strong, compact 5-foot-10, 165-pound athlete that looked the part on both sides of the ball. Campbell swung a heavy, impactful barrel with whip through contact that flashed advanced raw power at peak; 96.4 mph exit velocity, 344 ft. peak batted distance. Defensively, Campbell showed comfort on the move and was up to 86 mph across the infield. 

+ INF Bryce Daniel (Orchard Farm, 2025) produced above-average batted ball data in BP at this event. Daniel produced easy bat speed (T75.7 mph) from a fluid right-handed swing, finding the barrel often (87.2 mph avg) with a peak exit velocity of 91.4 mph. His ability to elevate the baseball showed throughout his round, sending his furthest ball 345 feet while also having one of the highest average batted distances (243 ft.) of the event. Daniel is a clean and easy mover on the infield with steady glovework that was up to 84 mph across the infield. 

+ Another strong bat to follow from this event was INF Easton Day (Hillsboro, 2025). The 5-foot-10, 180-pound right-handed hitter worked on the barrel to the pull-side of the field, impacting the baseball out front with a peak exit velocity of 92.4 mph. He’s quick to release on the infield with a clean glove-to-hand exchange, working comfortably on the move and peaking at 84 mph across the infield. 

+ INF/RHP Gabriel DeFily (Fulton, 2025) is a lean 5-foot-11, 155-pound athlete with tools on both sides of the ball. DeFily showed one of the strongest arms across the infield in the workout portion (T88 mph) and swung a quick, loose right-handed barrel in BP. He jumped on the mound later on and he pitched at 82-85, touching 86 mph with his fastball, averaging the most RPM on the pitch (2368 RPM) of the entire event. Additionally, DeFily spun a 73-76 mph breaking ball that averaged 2672 RPM, peaking at 2724 RPM. 

+ INF/RHP Thomas Dickinson (Rock Bridge) was another uncommitted 2025 grad with strength at the plate and on the mound. Dickinson’s hardest barrel in BP came off his bat at 100 mph, which was the third highest mark of the entire event, regardless of class. He jumped on the mound later on in the day and touched 86 mph with his fastball, while pitching in the low-to-mid-80s. 

+ LHP Ethan Lipp (Jefferson City, 2025) tossed a pair of clean and efficient innings in his outing at this event. Lipp ripped off some of the day’s best breaking balls, a 70-73 mph offering with big bend and vertical drop that averaged 2616 RPM while getting several uncomfortable swings from his opposition. The uncommitted southpaw’s fastball peaked at 82 mph and was effective up in the zone from a low release height (4.7 ft) on average. 

+ OF Isaiah Ogbe (Timberland, 2025) is an upside 6-foot-2, 185-pound prospect with an athletic right-handed stroke that was up to 91 mph from the outfield on his hardest throw home. 

+ RHP Adam Streicher (Windsor, 2025) threw his fastball around the zone at 82-84 mph and spun a short wrinkle breaking ball at 68-71 mph that reached 2582 RPM at peak. 

+ Two uncommitted arms that were both up to 85 mph are RHP Kyle Haynes (Hickman, 2025) and Preston Rains (Stockton, 2025). 

+ OF Bronson Ryan (Platte County, 2025) and 1B Matthew States (Father Tolton, 2025) are two physical right-handed bats to follow from this event. 

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