Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

Missouri State Games Takeaways: 2026 Grads

June 15, 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.

Last week, our staff began to shine some light on individual performers from our trip to Columbia who turned heads at this event. We started with the underclass group (2027 & 2028 grads) and today we’re working our way up to the 2026 class. Continue reading below to learn more about which soon-to-be juniors came away as winners from the Missouri State Games. 

TAKEAWAYS

+ RHP/INF Tyler Putnam (Battle) continues to soar upwards from a prospect standpoint and is amongst the more talented 2026 grads in the entire Midwest. Plenty athletic and projectable at 6-foot-5, 185-pounds, Putnam worked out as a position player to kick off his day and produced one of the day’s firmest barrels (100.7 mph) with an average mark of 90.5 mph per batted ball. He ran a 7.16 60-yard dash at his size and moved comfortably around the infield, controlling his long, lanky levers well. After all of that, Putnam jumped on the mound and pumped his fastball at 88-90 mph, though he’d touch 92 mph a few days later at the National Program Invitational at LakePoint, GA. Though he didn’t turn to it often, Putnam did spin a 72-76 mph breaking ball with some lateral tilt and depth to it. As he continues to grow into his frame, as well as gain more control over his levers, Putnam’s only going to keep improving in all areas of his game, and he holds one of the highest ceilings in the state. 


+ Another high level prospect in attendance at this event was INF/OF GT Taylor (CBC, 2026; Missouri commit). Taylor really looks the part in a uniform at 6-foot-2, 185-pounds with present lean strength and room for more. He’s intentful and aggressive at the plate, generating bat speed out of load with strength off the barrel on average (89 mph) and at peak (95.1 mph). Taylor’s power potential showed in the gameplay portion of this event, as he rocketed a triple into the left-center gap, and he also homered eight times for the Cadets in the spring. Though he didn’t run the 60-yard dash, Taylor did jump 32.5” in the vertical test - one of the day’s highest marks - and he was up to 87 mph from the outfield. 


+ A top prospect in Missouri’s 2026 class, C Kendall Hagedorn (Smith-Cotton) did nothing but solidify that sentiment at the Missouri State Games. The 6-foot, 185-pound muscle-bound backstop ran a 6.99 60 and jumped 29.5” in the vertical, both of which are advanced marks for his age and are amplified by the fact that he’s a catcher. At the plate, Hagedorn produces high end bat speed and keeps his barrel through the hitting zone with real strength at impact. Staying mostly up the middle of the field, Hagedorn averaged 87.7 mph per batted ball with a max mark of 95.6 mph. Defensively, Hagedorn’s ultra quick to release and explodes out the chute with event-best pop times at 1.86-to-1.94 and a 78 mph arm. 


+ RHP Preston McCracken (Republic) emerged as a name-to-know prospect on the mound in the state’s 2026 class following the Missouri State Games. A strong, proportionally built 6-foot-3, 193-pound athlete, McCracken moves well down the mound, getting onto his backside and riding it downhill to front footstrike. His arm works long on the backside and finishes out of a high ¾ window, pumping his fastball at 87-89 mph in this look. He spun a 73-75 mph curveball with depth and bite to it at times around the zone and he also turned over a low-70s splitter that could be an asset at the next level. McCracken worked out as a position player as well, posting one of the day’s highest average exit velocities (89.5 mph) and barreling his hardest ball up at 95.2 mph. 


+ INF Seaton Thompson (Ladue, 2026) has done nothing but improve over the last 12 months and was unquestionably a huge winner from the Missouri State Games. Thompson’s 6-foot-1, 170-pound frame holds lean strength and with plenty room for more as he continues his physical development. A switch-hitter, Thompson has all sorts of ease and balance from both sides of the plate, working direct to the baseball with a clean, fluid finish. Defensively, Thompson plays low to the ground and with pre-pitch bounce, moving around the infield at a controlled pace with the ability to work from multiple arm angles as well. Thompson firmly put himself on our prospect radar and is a name-to-know prospect in Missouri’s soon-to-be junior class. 


+ OF Colton Petersmith (Rolla, 2026) is a left-handed hitter with high level athleticism that’s a major arrow-up name in the state. At 6-foot-1, 165-pounds, Petersmith ran one of the day’s fastest 60 times (6.86) and plays faster than that in-game because of his high motor. It’s a fluid and easy left-handed swing that favored the pull-side throughout BP, though he’s able to shorten up with two strikes and put the ball in play to utilize his athleticism. With that, Petersmith’s hardest ball came off his bat at 94.1 mph and his deepest traveled 355 feet, which was amongst the day’s leaders. Petersmith is an uncommitted prospect to follow throughout the summer and beyond in this 2026 group. 


+  Fresh off of helping lead Rockwood Summit to a District championship, OF Kaden Dinges (2026) is a 6-foot-1, 160-pound athlete with tools and polish to pair. He ran a 6.95 and peaked at 88 mph from the outfield while repeating barreled line drive contact to the middle of the field throughout BP. 


+ Another key underclassmen on that aforementioned Rockwood Summit club, INF Wyatt Schneider continued to show why he’s a name to follow in the state’s 2026 class. Schneider holds easy bat strength, averaging 90.1 mph per batted ball with a 95.9 mph max without much effort or intent. He plays low to the ground with footwork feel on the infield and highly advanced arm strength for his age (T91 mph) to pair. 


+ 3B/RHP Carson Howard (Francis Howell North, 2026) has loud tools on both sides of the ball to go along with a physical 5-foot-11, 195-pound frame. Howard took one of the day’s loudest rounds of BP, regardless of class, as he repeatedly got off aggressive, intentful hacks from the right side. His hardest hit ball jumped off his barrel at 99.6 mph, averaging 91.8 mph per swing, and his furthest traveled an estimated 350 feet, which was also amongst the day’s leaders. His Blast Motion metrics are fairly advanced; peak bat speed (82.1 mph), average bat speed (80.1 mph), peak hand speed (24.9 mph), and average hand speed (23.1 mph). Howard toed the rubber later in the day and pumped his fastball at 82-85 mph while also spinning a 70-71 mph slider for strikes. 


+ OF/RHP Jacob Noland (Kirkwood, 2026) produced some of the more impactful batted ball data from this event. Noland recorded the day’s furthest batted ball (366 ft.) while also posting the event’s highest average batted distance (277 ft.). He was all over the barrel, peaking at 94.5 mph with an average exit velocity of 87.8 mph. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound St. Louis’ area native is a name to follow throughout the summer and into his junior year. 


+ OF Devin Freeman (Ladue, 2026) came away a winner from this event, homering in the gameplay portion and showing well in the workout. A loose, lean-levered 5-foot-11, 155-pound athlete, Freeman’s hands work free and easy at the plate without much effort throughout his swing. He looks to elevate the baseball, working uphill to contact with a fluid finish and pull-side approach. Freeman also ran a 7.01 60 and was 85 mph at peak from the outfield. 


+ INF Carson Twellman (Troy, 2026) showed well on both sides of the ball at this event. Twellman flashed barrel feel from a simple right-handed stroke that works on top of the baseball with a level path at times. Twellman’s actions on the infield are likely to keep him there at the next level; he has soft, confident hands and active feet that stay in rhythm on the move while working around the baseball. He was able to accurately work from multiple arm angles as well, topping at 84 mph on his hardest throw across the diamond. 


+ C Logan Studer (SLUH, 2026) is a strong, compact 5-foot-10, 180-pound backstop that looked the part at the Missouri State Games. Studer stays inside the baseball from a simple right-handed stroke, averaging 87.5 mph per barrel with a max mark at 91.7 mph. Studer continued to show that he’s an asset behind the plate from a defensive standpoint, popping in the 1.95-to-2.02 range with a 75 mph peak. 

+ Another backstop from this event that showed well was 6-foot-2, 170-pound C Carter Jeffries (Summit Christian, 2026). Jeffries stayed up the middle of the field from a long, leveraged right-handed stroke that should add impact as he continues to fill out his projectable frame. He olds easy arm strength from the chute, topping at 77 mph at this event with a quick, accurate release that popped in the 1.94-to-2.09 range. 


+ One name that continues to trend upward in our looks is OF Chase Cradick (Francis Howell, 2026), as the 6-foot-3, 185-pound soon-to-be junior impressed at the GBA Scout Day in February and did so again at the Missouri State Games. It’s easy hand strength from the left side with a simple hand tip turn into his swing, flashing barrel feel to the pull-side throughout his round. He showed well in the gameplay portion, finding the barrel twice to pick up a pair of hits. 


+ OF Kolt Hopper (St. Dominic, 2026) packs strength into a compact, muscle-bound 5-foot-11, 185-pound frame. Hopper took a quality round of BP, keeping his barrel through the hitting zone with leverage out front and intent to elevate to the pull-side. His hardest ball came off his bat at 94.5 mph and traveled 329 feet, both of which were improvements on when we previously saw him in February. He also had some of the highest bat speed at peak (78.1 mph) and on average (74 mph) for his age, and the same could be said for his peak vertical jump (29.3”). 

+ C/RHP Landon Montgomery (West Plains, 2026) emerged from the St. Louis Preseason ID as a winner and had another strong showing at the Missouri State Games. He’s quiet at the plate with a simple and confident approach, staying short and level to the baseball without trying to do too much. Montgomery stayed on the barrel and sprayed line drives back up the middle of the field throughout his round. He’s quick to release behind the plate with an arm that reached 76 mph at peak and popped in the 2.01-to-2.09 range. After working out as a position player, Montgomery took the mound in game and was up to 81 mph with his fastball while spinning a tight low-70s breaking ball as well. 


+ C Oren Miller (Rockwood Summit, 2026) is another name on this list that showed well to our staff in the winter and did so again in our trip to Columbia earlier this month. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound backstop gets on top of the baseball and is comfortable working to all fields, though he flashed above-average juice to the pull-side for his age in BP. Behind the plate, Miller is quick to release and gains ground with his lower half, staying around the bag with pop times in the 2.02-to-2.07 range. 

+ RHP Henry Bertoncin (St. Pius X, 2026) has three pitch feel to go along with an upside 5-foot-11, 160-pound frame. The Kansas City area native pitched at 84-86, touching 86.5 mph, with 21.8 inches of vertical break and 19.7 inches of horizontal movement at max, while reaching 2391 RPM at peak with 91% spin efficiency. He ripped off a low-70s breaking ball that flashed sharp spin (T2592 RPM) and was able to throw a 77-78 mph changeup with the same arm speed and intent as his fastball around the zone. 


+ C Teagan Trent (Logan-Rogersville, 2026) is a name that always shows well each time we see him. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound backstop from southwest Missouri has a fluid, repeatable right-handed swing that was on the barrel often throughout BP. He flashed feel for the bag from behind the plate, popping in the 2.00-to-2.06 range, and is a willing blocker that chests up the baseball. 


+ INF Chase Lewis (Capital City, 2026) offers all sorts of upside in a 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame that really looks the part. Lewis flashed bat speed and impact potential in BP from a simple, tight barrel turn, working on the barrel to the pull-side when at his best with balance through contact. 


+ RHP Cameron Fuqua (CBC, 2026) is a strong, compact 5-foot-10, 185-pound athlete that ran his fastball up to 84 mph at this event. Fuqua also spun a 70-74 mph curveball that averaged 2565 RPM, peaking at 2651 RPM, and he showed a 74-76 mph changeup with low spin (1542 RPM) and lift (7.2 IVB) while creating heavy horizontal action (17.7”). 

+ INF Jackson Miller (Chaminade, 2026) continues to intrigue our staff each time we see him. At 6-foot-3, 175-pounds, Miller’s left-handed swing works with length on a level path through the hitting zone and a balanced two-hand finish. He’s likely to add more impact as he continues to get stronger and, as a result, should drive the baseball with more authority to the pull-side. 

+ LHP/1B Aiden Zehnle (Oakville, 2026) takes the field at a hard-to-miss 6-foot-4, 200-pounds. He moves down the mound well and in control for his size, and his arm works tight on the backside out of a high ¾ slot. His fastball flashed late run at 82-84, touching 85 mph, and he also showed a 73-76 mph slider with tight spin. Zehnle’s left-handed swing holds inherent strength, barreling his firmest ball up at 98.1 mph while favoring the pull-side. 

+ INF Will Breitweiser (Father Tolton, 2026) produced consistently elevated contact throughout his round of BP at this event. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound right-handed hitter has a simple hand load and works level through the zone with leverage out front. Working mostly to the middle-pull part of the field, Breitweiser averaged 242 feet per batted ball with a peak batted distance of 333 feet and max exit velocity at 93.4 mph. He had some of the highest grip strength of the event with his right hand (152 lb) and left hand (156 lb), while also showing noticeable hand speed at peak (24.3 mph) and average (22.3 mph). 

+ 1B/OF Austin Jones (Lindbergh, 2026) is a physical 6-foot-1, 185-pound left-handed hitter that flashed bat strength at the plate in BP with a max exit velocity of 92.7 mph. He led all first basemen in attendance with an infield max of 84 mph in his defensive workout.

+ INF Ryder Lewis (Macon, 2026) swings an athletic left-handed barrel that stays flat through the zone and on top of the baseball, elevating contact to the pull-side in BP. He’s active on the infield with sure hands that play under center of his body. 

+ INF Tylan Messley (Aurora, 2026) showed some of the cleaner infield actions of the group. He’s a free mover with a clean lower half that’s comfortable ranging laterally to both sides, pairing that with soft, fluid, and confident hands. 

RELATED CONTENT