The Missouri high school baseball season is set to kick off shortly, with ‘Opening Day’ set for March 17th. Over the next two weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2023 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications.

Perennially, we’ve submitted a Preseason Questionnaire to high school head coaches across the entire state. Their responses have been flooding in and we’re using the detailed insight they’ve provided in our team-by-team preseason analysis.

Our 2023 preseason coverage continues today.

Team: Timberland
2022 Record: 17-12
Conference: GAC South
Classification: 6A
Head Coach: Andy Zerr

X-FACTOR

Adam Hachman, LHP, 2023, Arkansas commit: There isn’t much to say about Hachman that we haven’t already expressed throughout his high school career. He boasts premium arm strength, running his fastball as high as 98 mph in the past, and has long been a premier arm in the 2023 class on a national scale. Timberland didn’t have Hachman for much of last season, but the 6-foot-5, 210-pound Arkansas signee enters his final year of prep baseball at full health, and ready to go. Hachman’s dynamism on the mound should certainly draw professional scouts basically each time he starts, and he’s unquestionably on the shortlist of ‘Player of the Year’ candidates for us entering 2023.

Big-time pitching event put on by @ACEBASEBALLDEV. Top arms from St. Louis area lit it up, headlined by:@adamhachman (@PBRMissouri; ranked 12 nationally) threw a "light" pen; sat 95 while showing off shortened arm path, 3-pitch mix, all strikes. Strong/athletic 6-5/210 frame. pic.twitter.com/krTAhirD22

— Sean Duncan (@SeanDuncan729) February 22, 2023

NEWCOMER TO WATCH

Carson Ramos, C/3B, 2025: Ramos’ arrival gives the Wolves one of the state’s top sophomore talents. He’s an excellent receiver behind the plate with arm strength to pair, and he’s sure-handed on the infield, bringing more versatility to this team. Offensively, Ramos has a simple right-handed swing that’s comfortable using the whole field. It’s unclear how much time he’ll see early on, but adding him to this senior heavy group does deepen the roster.

Carson Ramos

OUTLOOK

Timberland finished five games over the .500 mark in 2022, dropping the first game of District play to Holt. The Wolves enter this season with a deep crop of arms, headlined by the state’s top prospect, though they’ll look to fill some holes on offense left behind via graduation.

With Hachman, RHP Jackson Yarberry (2023; Saint Louis) forms arguably the state’s deadliest one-two punch on the mound. He’s skyrocketed up our 2023 rankings after an extremely productive off-season, climbing over 20 spots, now slotted at 18th overall. Yarberry stacked on muscle to a 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame, upping his fastball into the low-90s, while continuing to pound the zone with two quality secondaries. Yarberry threw well as a junior last season and enters his final season trending upward, giving the Wolves another true ace within their pitching staff.

2023 6’2 @SLUBaseball signee Jackson Yarberry @wolvesdugout

FB 91-94 w/ 19-21.5 IVB
CH 86-88
SL 79-82#ACEscoutday pic.twitter.com/fCm1j1OM9H

— ACE Baseball Development (@ACEBASEBALLDEV) February 23, 2023

Handling these arms is important, and the Wolves have a polished veteran behind the plate that’s more than comfortable captaining this staff in C Carson McCaleb (2023; Christian Brothers University). McCaleb returns a .333/.429/.500 line from 2022, and he’s made positive strides this winter, adding strength and polish from both sides of the plate. His most important lie on the defensive end, but McCaleb is likely to be amongst the Wolves’ top run producers this year. His twin brother, RHP Connor McCaleb (2023; Christian Brothers University) deepens this pitching staff, as a veteran mid-to-upper-80s right-hander that spins a sharp breaking ball capable of missing bats now, and at the next level. Another sophomore worth mentioning is RHP Richie Swain (2025), who's amongst the top prospects in the state's 2025 class. He has a powerful upper-80s fastball that's touched 91 mph and dominates up in the zone, flashing true swing-and-miss spin on a firm upper-70s slider, too. Swain still has to harness his stuff fully with consistency, but it's unquestionably a special arm that adds even more talent to this rotation.

Carson McCaleb

Two more reliable seniors on this roster are OF Caden Bish (2023) and MIF/RHP Will Muench (2023; State Fair CC). Bish is a versatile defender that can play multiple positions and reached base at a .426 clip last season. Muench will serve as this offense’s catalyst, batting .286 with a .383 on-base percentage while also stealing 12 bags, and he’s also expected to see time on the mound. Another senior to know is RHP Cole Evans (2023; East Central College), who’s a strike thrower with a low-80s sinker-type fastball and feel for his secondaries.

BOTTOM LINE

Timberland has two true aces in Hachman and Yarberry, surrounding their potent arms with a core made up mostly of seniors. They’ll have a chance to win each game that duo starts, and what their offense looks like will ultimately be the driving factor behind their success in 2023.

Follow along @PBRMissouri for complete coverage of the 2023 high school season.

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