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Prospects Scout Day: Quick Hits

February 26, 2024
By: Diego Solares
Central Region Media Director, Scouting

On Sunday, February 18th, the PBR Missouri staff traveled to Center St. Louis in Affton, MO, to host the Prospects Scout Day. More than 90 players, making up the 2025-to-2027 grad classes, from the Prospects' program participated in a pro-style workout and gathered unrivaled measurables through our tech partners in the process.

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 takes place at the tail end of the summer.

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

Shortly after the event, our staff posted several of the day's stat leaders within our traditional 'Stat Story', which you can find HERE. 

We’re wrapping up our coverage from the event today with these ‘Quick Hits’, where we’ve broken down a handful of the day’s standouts. Below you’ll learn more about the names that stood out at this year’s Prospects Scout Day. 

QUICK HITS

+ LHP Jonathan Stagner (DeSmet Jesuit, 2024) popped as an uncommitted senior on the mound to know from this event. A strong-bodied 6-foot-1, 165-pound athlete, Stagner spun one of the day’s best breaking balls; a 71-74 mph offering that peaked at 2695 RPM with big bend, depth, and horizontal action (14.4”) to it. Stagner’s fastball sat 82-84 mph and he also threw a low spin, low lift changeup at 73-76 mph. 

Jonathan Stagner

+ Perhaps the top prospect in attendance from this event, RHP Jack Cowling (North Point, 2025) remains one of the top uncommitted juniors in the state. Toeing the rubber at a hard-to-miss 6-foot-5, 200-pounds, Cowling’s a simple, controlled mover down the mound with noticeable arm speed to pair. His fastball played at 86-88, touching 89.2 mph on his firmest bullet, while averaging 2400+ RPM and 17 inches of vertical break on the pitch. His slider flashed swing-and-miss traits at times, playing at 75-78 mph at 2800+ RPM on average with hard horizontal action (-16.4”) at peak. Cowling also threw a firm straight changeup at 81-83 mph to round out his pitch mix. Though still developing full feel for his arsenal, Cowling’s physical stature and intriguing stuff give the St. Louis native a relatively high ceiling on the hill. 


+ RHP Parker Poole (Carterville, IL, 2025) popped as an arm strength follow from the southeastern part of Illinois. Physical with strength throughout at 6-foot-3, 195-pounds, Poole pumped the day’s firmest bullet (T90.7 mph) while pitching at 88-89 mph with his fastball. Off that, Poole flashed feel to land a 71-73 mph slider for strikes throughout his ‘pen and also threw a splitter at 71-74 mph from the same arm slot as his fastball. 


+ INF Hayden Post (Timberland) remains one of the top uncommitted left-handed bats in the state’s junior class. He showed an athletic, uphill swing that created leverage through contact and consistently elevated the baseball gap-to-gap. On the infield, Post has a quick first step, covers ground confidently on the move, and has sure-handed actions to stick on the dirt at the next level. 


+ OF Jacob Noland (Kirkwood, 2026) may have been the top sophomore prospect in attendance. Noland holds present strength on a well-proportioned 6-foot-2, 170-pound frame with room to tack on more as he continues to mature physically. He took a polished round of BP, repeating line drives to the middle of the field consistently, with one of the event’s highest average batted distances (256 ft.) as well as a 337 ft. peak batted distance. Noland’s hardest throw came in from the outfield at 86 mph and he was also up to 82 mph on the mound. 


+ Another sophomore of note from this event’s outfield group was OF/RHP Tyler Kuhlmann (Kirkwood, 2026). The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Kuhlmann juiced the day’s furthest batted ball, sending his deepest barrel 358 feet, per TrackMan, and he peaked at 86 mph from the outfield. 

+ LHP Landon Martin (Lafayette, 2025) is an upside 6-foot-2, 180-pound southpaw with three pitches to follow from this event. A controlled drop-and-drive mover down the mound, Martin’s arm draws short out of his glove and plays loose out front from a high ¾ slot. His fastball flashed arm-side action at 81-84 mph, touching 85 mph at peak. He created natural fade on a changeup at 72-75 mph and landed a bendy breaking ball with depth for strikes at 67-69 mph. A strike-thrower with polish on the hill, Martin will be one to watch for a talented Lafayette squad this spring. 


+ RHP/INF Matthew Merzlicker (Francis Howell, 2025) showed arm strength on both sides of the ball at this event. The compact 5-foot-10, 175-pound uncommitted junior led all infielders in peak throwing velocity, touching 89 mph on his firmest throw, and touched 87 mph on the mound, pitching at 85-86 mph with his fastball. At the plate, Merzlicker looked to elevate the baseball from an uphill right-handed swing that found the barrel consistently. 


+ RHP Aaron Akin (Marquette, 2025) is a physical 6-foot-1, 175-pound uncommitted junior arm that flashed feel for three pitches on the mound in his ‘pen. An up-tempo mover with pace down the mound, Akin’s fastball played at 83-85 mph and peaked at 86 mph. He spun a low-70s slider with some depth at times and also threw a firm 78-80 mph changeup that played with gradual arm-side run when working from the stretch. 

+ OF/RHP Aiden Rodell (Francis Howell, 2025) continues to show our staff arm strength on both sides of the ball, doing so at the Preseason All-State earlier this month and again at this event. A strong well-proportioned 6-foot-1, 180-pound athlete with room to tack on more muscle mass, Rodell led all outfielders in throwing velocity at this event (T90 mph). He pitched at 82-84 with his fastball, touching 85 mph, while spinning a short wrinkle slider at 69-71 mph and turning over a low-spin changeup in the mid-70s as well. 


+ Another southpaw with three-pitch feel from this event is LHP Ryan Souden (Fredericktown, 2025), who threw one of the day’s more polished bullpens. Working solely from the stretch, Souden consistently threw his fastball for strikes at 81-83 mph from a long arm swing that finished out of a ¾ window. He confidently threw his changeup at 76-77 mph from the same arm window as his fastball and his breaking ball flashed late break off a 1/7 plane at 69-70 mph. 

+ MIF Brant Deverman (Fort Zumwalt West, 2025) sprayed line drives to all fields from a polished, in rhythm right-handed swing during his round of BP. Deverman’s polished actions translated to the infield as well, where his soft hands, clean glovework, and steady footwork showed well. 

+ RHP Brady Schuler (Timberland, 2025) has upside within a lean, lanky 6-foot-3, 160-pound frame. Schuler’s fastball sat 83-84 mph from a short tight arm draw and he consistently landed a 67-69 mph breaking ball with depth (T2447 RPM) for strikes. 

+ RHP/3B Brennan Swindler (St. Dominic, 2025) was one of the day’s top offensive performers. The strong-bodied 6-foot-2, 205-pound left-handed hitter found the barrel often from a short and uphill stroke that consistently produced elevated contact, averaging 86.5 mph per batted ball with a peak mark at 93.1 mph. Swindler’s hardest ball across the infield touched 83 mph and he also pitched in the low-80s on the mound. 

+ OF Braydon McCoy (Fort Zumwalt West, 2025) and OF Carson Cosby (Chaminade, 2025) are two junior outfielders that left a positive mark on our staff. Cosby’s plenty physical from the left side of the plate at 6-foot-2, 185-pounds with a strong, intentful stroke that was on the barrel consistently in BP. He also showed noticeable arm strength from the outfield, reaching 88 mph on his hardest bullet. At 6-foot-1, 175-pounds, McCoy sprayed line drives to all fields throughout his round from a level and direct right-handed swing. His hardest ball came off his barrel at 93.3 mph and he was also up to 83 mph from the outfield. 

+ OF Isaiah Ogbe (Timberland, 2025) and 1B Blake Willan (Glenwood, IL, 2025) are two more follow athletes. Ogbe is an upside 6-foot-1, 170-pound athlete that consistently has shown our staff arm strength from the outfield, touching 88 mph on his hardest throw home at this event. From Illinois, Willan flashed barrel strength with natural intent to elevate the baseball in BP, averaging 261 feet per batted ball and peaking at 339 feet. 

+ LHP Renn Fiss (Lafayette, 2025) toes the rubber at a projectable 6-foot-3, 185-pounds. Working from the stretch only, Fiss’ arm draws short out of his glove and works from a tight window, creating slight run on an 80-83 mph fastball. He created natural fade on a changeup at 72-75 mph that played from a window out of the hand to his fastball and he also flashed feel to land a 70-71 mph slider for strikes. 

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