Shon Plack
Missouri Scouting Director

Follow @PBRMissouri

The 2015 Team Preview of the Blue Springs South Jaguars come in number 11 in the countdown of Missouri's most read articles.  The Jaguars finished 20-10 last spring, with the season ending in a loss to Raytown in the District Championship.  Here is a re-post of the article on February 20.

#11: 2015 Team Preview: Blue Springs South Jaguars

Fri February 20, 2015

Shon Plack and Jeff Viles
Prep Baseball Report-Missouri

As we prepare for the upcoming 2015 high school season, we will be taking a preseason glimpse at programs from around the state.

Team: Blue Springs South
Nickname: Jaguars
Class: 5A
League: Suburban Big 6
Head Coach: Ben Baier
Twitter Handle:  NA
2014 Overall Record: 24-12
2014 League Record: 6-4, 2nd place
2014 Post-Season Finish: 3rd Place in Missouri Class 5

Number of Position Players Lost: 6
Number of Pitchers Lost: 3
Number of Returning Starters/Position Players: 3
Number of Returning Starters/Pitchers: 4

TOP RETURNERS (Commit)
Max Atchilty, OF, 2015
Tyler Clark, 1B/RHP, 2016
Conner Davis, RHP/3B, 2015 (Creighton)
Ethan Frazier, RHP, 2015 (Nebraska)
Jake Lamb, OF/RHP, 2016
Colton Larkins, LHP, 2015 (Crowder)
Nic Mertes, C, 2015, (Rockhurst)
Andrew Olsen, 2B/RHP, 2015
Nate Pecota, OF, 2015

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Adam Cofield, OF, 2016
Hayden Ludwig, SS, 2016
Tyler McKay, RHP, 2016
Tyler Pittman, OF, 2016
Spencer Prichard, C, 2016
Kellen Sojka, 2B, 2016

OUTLOOK
Don't the the fact that Blue Springs South lost two of the states top pitchers fool you.  The Jaguars have have ten letterman returning in 2015 from last year's Final Four squad.  Coach Baier will have a trio of pitchers that have varsity experience and a college commitment.  Senior Conner Davis, a Creighton commit, is among the top of those returning.  Davis RHP with low three-quarters delivery that tallied 21 strike-outs and posted a 1.27 ERA as a junior.  The Jags will also have another D1 arm on the mound in Ethan Frazier.  Frazier is a 6-foot-3 180-pound Nebraska recruit with a fastball that could be touching 90 mph by late spring.  Junior Colton Larkins will give the Jags a southpaw option on the mound. Larkins is a strike thrower with movement on all his pitches, and will be attending Crowder.  Offensively, the Jaguars will have a lefty-filled line up, led by senior catcher Nic Mertes.  Mertes was a .380 hitter a season ago and will be a power threat in the middle of the order.  Senior Andrew Olsen and junior Jake Lamb will have increase roles this season and will add two more lefty bats to the line-up.   Junior Tyler Clark is a physical 6-foot-3 180-pound 3B/RHP that will give the Jaguars added power in the order and another arm on the mound.  Blue Springs South holds a preseason rank of #5 in the MHSBCA poll and will look for a return trip to T.R. Hughes in June. The Jags will have a tough non-conference schedules as well, traveling to St. Louis early in the season to compete in the Midwest Classic.

Missouri's Top Articles of 2015
#12 - Team Preview Kickapoo Chiefs
#13 - Missouri Scout Blog
#14 - Team Preview Westminster Christian Wildcats
#15 - Top Gun Pitchers Showcase Instant Analysis
#16 - Mid-Eastern Missouri Open ID Instant Analysis
#17 - 1.19 KC Underclass Instant Analysis
#18 - Four Borders ID Instant Analysis
#19 - Preseason All State Instant Analysis
#20 - Southeast Missouri Prospect ID Showcase Instant Analysis