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US Nationals / Inside Edge / Marucci Midwest / Warriors / Sandlot Scout Day: Quick Hits

March 1, 2023
By: Diego Solares
Area Scout, Illinois & Missouri

On Saturday, February 25th, the PBR Missouri staff traveled to the EDGE Baseball Facility in Lee's Summit, MO, to host the US Nationals / Inside Edge / Marucci Midwest / Warriors / Sandlot Scout Day. This event featured 150+ players from all three travel programs, representing the 2024-to-2026 grad classes. Attendees participated in a pro-style workout in front of our staff, collecting verified data in the process and unrivaled metrics with the help of our tech partners.

To see a full roster of the players that attended this event, click HERE.

Shortly after the event’s conclusion our staff put together several statistical leaderboards to highlight the names that put up numbers and paced their peers. We created those within our ‘Stat Story’, which you can find by clicking HERE.

Today, after compiling our notes and digesting the day as a whole, we’ve put together these ‘Quick Hits’ to shine some light on some of the day’s top performers. Below you’ll learn more about which players really stood out at this event. 

QUICK HITS

+ Perhaps the day’s biggest winner, standing out on both sides of the ball: RHP/INF Kaden Durnin (Camdenton, 2024; Wichita State). The PBR Future Games alum started his day out with an electric showing on the mound, pounding the lower half of the strike zone with a 90-92 mph fastball. Durnin spun a 72-73 mph curveball to the arm side of the plate, and he located a firm 85-86 mph changeup below the zone as well. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound junior swung one of the event’s more physical right-handed bats, peaking at 97 mph on his firmest barrel. Committed to Wichita State, Durnin is going to be an integral part of the Lakers’ spring this season, and he’s an on-the-rise 2024 to know in Missouri.


+ RHP/INF Christian Bobzin (St. Paul Lutheran, 2024; Missouri commit) solidified his status as one of the state’s top-ranked junior prospects after another loud showing last weekend. At 6-foot-4, 190-pounds, Bobzin showed a real four-pitch mix on the mound, pumping his fastball at 89-91 mph from a loose, quick arm. He flipped in a more gradual breaking ball with depth for strikes at 75-77 mph, and turned to a sharper, more firm two-plane slider at 78-80 mph. Bobzin rounded out his arsenal with a 78-82 mph changeup that he flashed feel to the arm-side for. His polish on the mound is evident, but Bobzin showed well as a position player, too. He ran a 6.98 60, one of the fastest times at this event, and he recorded a peak exit velocity of 95.9 mph, averaging 87 mph per batted ball. Currently slotted inside the top-10 on our state’s 2024 rankings, Bobzin is a high-end name-to-know junior in Missouri.


+ Saturday was our first look at INF Mark Ross II (Glendale, 2024) since his commitment to Central Arkansas, and the 5-foot-11, 195-pound highly physical junior certainly didn’t disappoint. Ross II swung arguably the day’s fastest bat, consistently getting off aggressive hacks and producing explosive contact as a result. His 95.2 mph average exit velocity led the entire event, and his 99.5 mph peak nearly did too. Ross II also ran a 6.88 60, the event’s third fastest time, and he led all infielders in throwing velocity at 91 mph. With inherent strength and loud tools to pair, Ross II is certainly set to rise up our rankings next update, and he’s poised for a big spring on a Glendale squad that should make some noise at the 5A level.


+ OF Jake McGhee (Christian Brothers College, 2024; Missouri commit) is one of the top-ranked juniors in the state. A PBR Future Games alum, McGhee swung a fast, flat left-handed bat on Saturday, staying level through the zone with aggression through contact. McGhee peppered the pull-side with hard line drive contact, barreling balls up at an 88.9 mph average, peaking at 95.5 mph. McGhee also ran a 6.97 60, which was one of this event’s fastest marks. He’s expected to be a key offensive piece for a CBC team that is amongst the state’s best, and McGhee will look to build off a sophomore campaign where he slashed .333/.429/.417 with more walks (10) than strikeouts (6).


+ Another major winner from Saturday: INF/RHP Sam Wyrick (Helias Catholic, 2024). Still uncommitted, Wyrick excelled on both sides of the ball, starting his day on the mound with one of the event’s most polished ‘pens. He pounded the strike zone with his fastball, a pitch that worked primarily in the lower quadrant at a relatively easy 89-91 mph. Wyrick spun a 75-77 mph breaking ball with intent and gradual break off an 11/5 plane, and he threw a 78-80 mph changeup at arm speed too. Following his work on the mound, Wyrick swung a loose, easy right-handed bat, generating above-average marks in average exit velocity (88.3 mph) and at peak (93 mph) without much effort. He’s sure-handed on the infield as well, working in rhythm with an 83 mph high across the diamond. Wyrick came away from this event as a name-to-know junior on the market with the spring season set to start.


+ C Brek Sloan (Grain Valley, 2024) was a winner from the early session and really looked the part in all aspects of his workout. A strong, compact 6-foot, 173-pound athlete, Sloan took one of the more polished rounds of BP, working the middle of the field consistently from a clean, repeatable right-handed swing. Sloan stayed on the barrel (73% sweet spot), posting an average exit velocity of 86.9 mph with a 90.5 mph max. He’s an asset defensively with arm strength behind the plate, topping at 79 mph on his hardest throw from a short, quick release.


+ The day’s lone Illinois’ product, RHP Bryce Buhs (Gillespie, 2024) emerged as an uncommitted arm to follow with upside from southern Illinois. Buhs, who’s 6-foot, 185-pounds, sat at 86-88 mph with his fastball from a short, quick arm with more to come. He spun one of the event’s better breaking balls - a sharp 72-75 mph slider with late action off fastball plane, and he proved capable of landing it for strikes, as well as below the zone. Buhs also showed a firm 78-79 mph changeup, completing his three-pitch mix in this ‘pen. He’s an arm to watch on a Gillespie team that should make some noise at the 2A classification in Illinois.


+ A PBR Future Games alum, RHP Cooper Hudson (William Chrisman, 2024) provided us with his loudest showing to date at this event. At 6-foot-3, 200-pounds, Hudson’s firmest bullet reached the 90 mph mark, and he sat 86-89 mph throughout his ‘pen. He spun a 71-73 mph slider that flashed lateral action, and he also turned over a 74-75 mph changeup. Hudson’s physicality translated to the plate, barreling his hardest ball up at 93.7 mph with an average mark of 87.9 mph.

+ LHP Evan Watson (Lee’s Summit West, 2024) is an upside 6-foot-4, 185-pound southpaw that showed upside in his ‘pen. Watson’s arm worked free and easy to release, and he pumped his fastball for strikes around the zone at 83-85 mph. He spun a 72-74 mph breaking ball with depth and downer action from a slightly higher release point than his fastball, and also flashed feel to spot a 76-77 mph changeup below the zone. A strike-thrower with polish for three pitches and physical projection left to come, Watson is an intriguing uncommitted arm to follow from the Kansas City area.

+ RHP/INF Kayden Kohlberg (Seckman, 2024) is a lean, athletic 5-foot-11, 185-pound two-way prospect to know from this event. On the mound, Kohlberg’s fastball sat 85-87 mph from a quick arm, and he worked east-to-west with his fastball in the zone. His go-to secondary in this look was a slurvy-type breaking ball at 70-74 mph, and he also threw a firm 77-79 mph changeup in his ‘pen. Offensively, Kohlberg swung one of the event’s loudest left-handed bats, squaring balls up at a 91.4 mph average, peaking at 97.4 mph, and his furthest ball traveled 357 ft., per TrackMan.


+ INF/OF Austin Marsh (Lee’s Summit West, 2024) first popped up on our radar this winter at the Missouri State Preseason ID after an impressive showing. The 5-foot-10, 150-pound uncommitted junior looked the part on Saturday again, repeating line drive contact from a loose, athletic, and projectable right-handed swing, topping at 90.3 mph. Marsh’s athleticism is evident in the box, and he solidified that earlier in the day by running a 6.90 60 and jumping as high as 33 inches on our vertical test in the past. He’s a junior to know on the market that’s likely to positively impact his talented Lee’s Summit West team in the spring.


+ A winner from the Preseason All-State in early February, CIF Trace Harrington (Republic, 2024) continues to show some of the most advanced bat strength in the state’s 2024 class. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound uncommitted junior barreled balls up at 91.4 mph on average, peaking at 99.6 mph on his firmest swing. Harrington’s furthest batted ball traveled 393 ft., the day’s furthest mark by 16 feet, and his average batted distance finished one foot behind the event leader. Harrington’s strength showed on the infield too, as his 89 mph high was only two ticks behind the day’s hardest mark.


+ C Zach Amezcua (Parkway Central, 2024) has plenty of inherent strength within a physical 5-foot-11, 195-pound frame, and he utilized it to consistently create hard contact off his right-handed barrel. Working uphill to contact with bat speed, Amezcua elevated gap-to-gap with consistency, squaring his hardest ball up at 96.1 mph while averaging 89.3 mph per. Amezcua’s furthest ball landed at an estimated 376 feet, the event’s second furthest mark. His strength translated behind the plate, where he popped a 1.87 on his quickest throw and topped at 75 mph. Amezcua is yet another talented prospect on a Parkway Central squad that made it to the 5A state playoffs last spring.


+ Two left-handed hitting outfielders to follow into the spring from this weekend, both of which are uncommitted: OF Caden Carter (Lee’s Summit West, 2024) and OF Slater Hooke (Vianney, 2024). Carter led the entire event in throwing velocity, uncorking a 92 mph laser to home from the outfield during his defensive workout. He swung a long, level left-handed bat in BP, and spun a curveball/slider mix for strikes on the mound. Hooke, who’s a lean, lanky 6-foot-1, 180-pound athlete worked with length and on an uphill angle through the zone, elevating the baseball with consistency. His 250 ft. average batted distance led the entire event, and he squared his hardest ball up at 89.9 mph with more to come as his frame continues to fill out.


+ RHP Sebastian Coleman (Lee’s Summit West, 2024) has taken a considerable jump since we saw him at the St. Louis Open last summer. There, Coleman sat 76-79 mph with his fastball, and the 5-foot-10, 170-pound athletic junior held 83-85 mph on Saturday, topping at 86 mph. He also spun a 72-74 mph slider with intent, and faded his changeup to the arm-side at 73-74 mph. Coleman’s a strike thrower that should see innings on a competitive Lee’s Summit West squad this upcoming spring.


+ OF Aiden Hinkle (Oak Park, 2024) showed a top-of-the-order type of skill-set in BP at this event. A compact 5-foot-8, 170-pound uncommitted athlete with strength in the lower half, Hinkle stayed short and direct to contact, peppering line drives back up the middle during his round with a 93.5 mph max exit velocity. His bat-to-ball skills and knack for consistent contact showed in BP, and he also ran a 6.99 in the 60-yard dash.


+ C/INF Carson Shettlesworth (Hickman, 2024) swung an athletic right-handed bat, working on the barrel and direct to contact throughout his round. He repeated in rhythm and regularly produced line drives (54.5%) with a 91 mph max exit velocity. Shettlesworth worked quick to release from behind the plate, popping in the 1.99 to 2.04 range during his defensive workout.

+ C/INF Connor Kepner (Lee’s Summit, 2024) backspun baseballs throughout BP, working gap-to-gap from a long, uphill right-handed swing. Kepner’s furthest batted ball traveled 335 feet, a 29 foot increase since we saw him at the Missouri State Preseason ID, and his max exit velocity rose nearly six ticks (93.9 mph) from that event, too. Defensively, Kepner showed a quick release behind the plate, and his hardest throw carried at 76 mph from the chute.

+ INF Nathan Rose (Blue Valley, 2024) really looks the part in a uniform, standing at a well-proportioned 6-foot, 190-pounds with muscle. Rose worked long to contact from a quick right-handed swing, squaring his hardest ball up at 93.8 mph while favoring the pull-side throughout his round. He’s bouncy on the infield with active feet, and he also ran a 7.13 in the 60.

+ Two physical corner infield bats from this event: 1B Conner Anderson (Lees Summit, 2024) and CIF Ethan Johnson (St. Louis University HS, 2024). Anderson repeated line drives (55.6%) to the middle of the field from a handsy, twitchy right-handed swing. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound first baseman stayed short and simple to contact, barreling his hardest ball up at 96.1 mph in the process. Johnson, who’s thicker and more physical at 6-foot-2, 215-pounds, recorded the second-highest max exit velocity of this entire event, reaching a 99.7 mph high on his loudest barrel.

+ Another winner from the Missouri State Preseason ID to show well at this event: C/INF Braedan Barbee (Lee’s Summit West, 2024). A 5-foot-9, 170-pound athlete with compact strength, Barbee worked flat and on top of the baseball in BP, favoring the backside gap. His most impressive showing at this event came behind the plate on defense, where he increased his throwing velocity by three mph since January’s look, topping at 76 mph on his hardest throw from a quick, over-the-top release. Barbee was also 84 mph across the infield with sure-handed actions, adding more versatility to his game. Still uncommitted, Barbee is another piece from this event that’ll look to make an impact for Lee’s Summit West in the spring.

+ A high ceiling arm in Missouri’s sophomore class from Saturday’s event: 3B/RHP Haden Terrill (Wellington Napoleon, 2025). At 6-foot-6, 210-pounds with long, lanky levers, Terrill’s fastball came out of his hand easily, sitting 86-88 mph from a lower arm slot with ride up in the zone at times. Terrill’s primary secondary pitch was a sweeping slider at 77-80 mph, and he also turned over a firm 81-82 mph changeup with straight action. Terrill’s levers flashed strength in BP too, as he averaged 88.1 mph per batted ball, peaking at 92.7 mph. He’s headed into the spring with plenty of momentum, and is a name-to-know uncommitted sophomore arm in the state.


+ C Crew Norden (Rock Bridge, 2025) continued to show an extremely physical offensive skill-set to the plate. At 5-foot-11, 200-pounds, Norden posted the day’s highest exit velocity (101.6 mph) and averaged one of this event’s highest marks (94.3 mph), staying flat and on top of the baseball from a strong, yet simple, right-handed swing. His inherent strength translated to the field, where Norden was up to 89 mph from the outfield, a three tick uptick from the Preseason All-state, and he topped at 79 mph behind the plate, which was also a three mph increase from early February. Norden will look to make an impact for a talented Rock Bridge squad this spring, and he’s amongst the top catching prospects in the state’s 2025 class.


+ One of Saturday’s biggest winners, INF Lucas Wietholder (Father Tolton Catholic, 2025) really looked the part of a high-follow sophomore. Wietholder’s added strength since we saw him in the fall, filling more of his 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame, yet still leaving room for more projection down the road. He took an excellent round of BP, working gap-to-gap from a faster, more consistently on the barrel swing, averaging 90.1 mph with a 95.4 mph peak. For reference, Wietholder’s max exit velocity at our fall underclass games was 89.9 mph, and his average mark at that event was 82 mph. Wietholder’s furthest batted ball on Saturday traveled 350 feet, a 51 foot increase from September. He’s an asset on the infield too, flowing freely with lateral range, athletic feet, and soft hands to pair, all while topping at 83 mph across. Wietholder, who helped lead Father Tolton Catholic to a state championship as a freshman last spring, is a name-to-know infielder in Missouri’s 2025 class.


+ RHP/OF Ethan Milius (Fulton, 2025) was another sophomore to come out of this event as a major winner. Built at a highly projectable 6-foot-1, 155-pounds with lean levers and plenty of physical maturity to come, Milius’ day started with an upside look on the mound. He consistently threw his fastball in the zone at 83-85 mph from an easy, low-effort operation, and the way his body works downhill suggests there’s plenty of untapped velocity to come down the road. Milius showed two secondaries, a 71-72 mph curveball and 76-78 mph changeup, and he confidently threw them both around the zone, playing well off his fastball. He then showed well as a position player, running a 7.04 in the 60-yard dash, topping at 90 mph from the outfield, and taking an athletic round of BP while squaring his hardest ball up at 91.3 mph.


+ Arguably the day’s most polished ‘pen came from RHP Tanner Graham (Hickman, 2025). The 6-foot-1, 200-pound thick, strong-bodied sophomore showed us an uptick in velocity, pumping strikes with his fastball at 86-87 mph. Graham spun two different breaking balls - a more gradual 68-71 mph curveball with higher shape and arch, and a tighter, more laterally spun 77-79 mph slider. He landed them both for strikes, and limited both lift and spin on a 74-76 mph changeup that he kept beneath the zone. Graham’s always been a strike-thrower and if he can sustain this jump in velocity throughout the spring and summer, he’ll definitely be one to monitor closely over this year’s circuit.


+ OF Brady Nolen (Festus, 2025) made a name for himself after a high-end athletic showing at this event. Nolen, who’s a 6-foot, 180-pound athlete with strength attached, ran the day’s fastest 60 time, clocking a 6.79 on our Swift lasers. He consistently peppered the back net in BP with line drives, swinging a loose, easy, and athletic right-handed swing. Nolen stayed on the barrel consistently, averaging 89.8 mph per batted ball, and his 95.7 mph max exit velocity was amongst the highest marks for any 2025 prospect in attendance. His athleticism showed in the outfield too, where he attacked the ball with confidence and rhythm, topping at 88 mph on his firmest throw home. Headed into his sophomore year, Nolen will look to play a role on a Festus squad that will aim to return to the 5A state playoffs this spring.


+ From Oklahoma, RHP/INF Conner Chambers (Bishop McGuinnes, 2025) is a physical 6-foot-5, 210-pound sophomore to follow from this event. Chambers’ day started on the mound, where he held 85-87 mph with his fastball from a high arm slot throughout his ‘pen, complimenting it with three secondaries. He threw his 76-77 mph changeup at fastball arm speed, and threw two different breaking balls, with similar actions yet different velocity bands - 64-68 mph curveball and 69-70 mph slider.

+ LHP/1B Dylan Cassidy (Lee’s Summit West, 2025) showed an athletic left-handed swing in BP. Working uphill to contact, Cassidy stayed in the zone with his barrel, repeating gap-to-gap contact during his round. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound sophomore averaged 85 mph per batted ball, and he peaked at 89.9 mph, both numbers that should uptick as he continues to get more physically mature.


+ Three strong middle-of-the-order type sophomores from this event: 1B/LHP Garretson Cook (Bolivar, 2025), INF Joe Heater III (Wellington-Napoleon, 2025), and 1B Matthew States (Father Tolton Catholic, 2025). Cook brings an imposing 6-foot-2, 235-pound frame to the plate and a potent left-handed swing to pair, squaring up one of the event’s hardest batted balls in BP at 98.4 mph. Heater III nearly matched his counterpart, as the 5-foot-9, 175-pound sophomore peaked at 96.8 mph during his round from a short, simple, and compact right-handed swing. States, who’s more projectable at 6-foot-1, 190-pounds though does have present strength, set a personal best exit velocity mark at our events, peaking at 96.1 mph during his round.


+ Two top prospects in Missouri’s freshman class were in attendance on Saturday, both of them committed to Louisville: INF/RHP Drew Messey (Westminster Christian, 2026) and LHP/1B Grant Mehrhoff (Crosspoint Christian, 2026). Messey really looked the part in all aspects of his workout, starting the day off on the mound, where he held 82-84 mph with his fastball, touching 85 mph on his highest bullet. He showed upside at the plate from a clean, polished, and projectable left-handed swing, spraying line drives to all fields in the process. Messey was also 85 mph across the infield, which paced all underclassmen at this event. Mehrhoff continued to solidify himself as a premier left-handed arm in Missouri, pumping his fastball at 83-85 mph from a loose, easy ¾ arm slot. He spun a sweeping slider around the zone with late break at 72-73 mph, and his 76-77 mph splitter flashed tumble. Mehrhoff also took one of this event’s loudest BP rounds, barreling his hardest ball up at 98.6 mph from a flat left-handed swing with inherent strength. With their high school seasons set to start shortly, these two are amongst the most talented prospects in the state’s next influx of players.


+ A pair of physical high school teammates in the 2026 class from the early morning session who each took loud BP rounds: C/RHP Dawson Edwards (Lee’s Summit West) and CIF Kody Underwood (Lee’s Summit West). At 6-foot-3, 195-pounds, Edwards got off some of the day’s loudest hacks, squaring up nearly every ball at 90+ mph from a long, level right-handed stroke. He squared his hardest ball up at 99.5 mph, the day’s fourth-highest mark, and a metric that is well above average for someone his age. Edwards was also up to 77 mph from the crouch and ran his fastball up to 83 mph on the mound. Underwood, who brings a strong 6-foot-1, 200-pound frame to the plate, squared his hardest ball up at 93.9 mph with a handful of other 90+ mph barrels to pair.


+ A member of Team Missouri at the PBR Junior Future Games, INF/RHP Eli Kemna (St. Elizabeth R-IV, 2026) provided our staff another upside look this past weekend. The lean, lanky 6-foot, 165-pound freshman ran his fastball up to 82 mph, sitting at 78-81 mph with feel to spin his 69-70 mph breaking ball around the zone, and adding a 72-75 mph changeup into the mix, too. Kemna swung a simple and projectable right-handed bat in BP, staying level through the zone while working pull-side line drives throughout.

+ 1B Will Breitweiser (Father Tolton Catholic, 2026) is another physical right-handed bat in Missouri’s freshman class that showed bat strength at this event. Breitweiser, who’s built at a sturdy 5-foot-11, 203-pounds, repeated some of the hardest contact of any underclassman in attendance, posting an average exit velocity of 87.5 mph with a 95.1 mph max.

+ Two more athletic freshmen to follow from this event: C Brant Colvin (Knob Noster, 2026) and INF Drew Grauberger (Lee’s Summit West, 2026). Colvin has lean strength within a 5-foot-11, 184-pound frame, and he got off regular hacks with authority, squaring his hardest ball up at 96.8 mph, which was one of this event’s highest marks. He showed a quick release behind the plate, popping a 1.95 on his best bullet. Grauberger swung with aggression throughout his round, showing hand speed and quick rotation out of his load. He stayed on the barrel, averaging 85.5 mph per batted ball, while peaking at 89.9 mph. Defensively, Grauberger’s hands worked out front with steady actions, and his hardest ball came out at 80 mph across the infield.

+ A pair of tall, lanky, and projectable 2027 grads who looked the part in their PBR event debut: RHP/INF Wyatt Libbert (Blair Oaks) and RHP/INF Dasch Kaiser (Fair Grove). At 6-foot-1, 160-pounds, Libbert’s fastball sat in the upper-70s for strikes, and he spun a 63-66 mph breaking ball around the zone, too. He was on the barrel in BP from a short and direct right-handed swing, and he flashed steady actions on the infield with a loose arm across. Kaiser, who’s a 6-foot-1, 175-pound athlete, also stayed on the barrel throughout his BP round, working the pull-side from a longer, more aggressive swing. His fastball sat 80-81 mph in his ‘pen, and he complimented it with a 67-68 mph curveball and 68-70 mph changeup.

+ Four players in the 2027 class that showed advanced bat strength for their age in BP, all of them recording peak exit velocities above 87 mph: INF/RHP John Schmitt (Lee’s Summit North), OF/3B Jalen Gipson (Nixa), C/RHP Kyler VanMatre (Hickman), and C/1B Joshua Garcia (Mill Valley, KS).

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