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Missouri State Games Takeaways: Underclass (2027 & 2028)

June 11, 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. 

We’ll begin to shine some light on individual performers from last week’s trip to Columbia over the coming days, starting with this underclass bunch below and working our way up. Continue reading below to learn more about a handful of 2027 and 2028 grads that left a positive impression on our staff from this year’s Missouri State Games. 

TAKEAWAYS 

+ C/RHP Rowan Johnson (Nixa, 2027) is an ultra-physical 6-foot, 200-pound athlete with advanced raw tools for his age. Johnson swung a fast, intentful right-handed swing that worked mostly to the pull-side in BP, averaging 89.6 mph per batted ball with a peak mark of 95.2 mph. He juiced his furthest ball 357 feet, which was one of the day’s furthest balls, regardless of class. Johnson hopped on the mound during the gameplay portion of the event, running his fastball up to 86.6, while pitching at 83-85 mph. He also showed a developing slider with tight spin at times at 74-78 mph. 

+ RHP/INF Max Jones (Seckman) has solidified his status as one of the top prospects in the state’s 2027 class over the last few months, dating back to our winter look in early February. The lean, long-bodied 6-foot-2, 190-pound soon-to-be sophomore pitched in the low-80s with his fastball from a long arm swing that finished out of a high ¾ window. Jones featured a parachute changeup with natural fade at 74-75 mph and he also spun a low-70s breaking ball to round out his arsenal. Jones’ arm strength showed earlier in the day during his position player workout, where he reached 85 mph across the diamond on his hardest bullet. 

+ C/1B Blake Hollrah (Orchard Farm, 2027) produced some of the loudest contact, on average and at peak, from the Missouri State Games. Built at a proportionally strong 6-foot-2, 185-pounds, Hollrah’s hand strength, heavy barrel, and ease of output all stand out for his age. He favored the pull-side throughout his round, averaging 88.5 mph per batted ball with a max mark of 95.4 mph. Additionally, Hollrah’s deepest barrel traveled 345 feet, which was the second furthest such output for someone his age. 


+ OF Noah Willett (2027) showed tools across the board at this event and came away as a soon-to-be sophomore to follow at Ste. Genevieve. At 5-foot-10, 145-pounds, Willett repeatedly got off long, intentful hacks in BP that produced elevated contact back to the middle of the field with a max mark of 92.8 mph. He also ran a 7.04 60-yard dash, the fastest of any underclassmen in attendance, and his 87 mph high from the outfield was amongst the day’s best, regardless of class. 

+ OF Lucas Parker (Jefferson City, 2027) is a polished switch-hitter that came away a winner from this event. He repeated quality contact off the barrel from both sides of the plate with a short, quick path to contact that worked line drives to the pull-side in each respective side of the plate. 

+ OF Brady Rallo (CBC, 2028) has the makings of a premier left-handed hitter in the state’s incoming freshman class. At 5-foot-9, 152-pounds, Rallo swung a fast and level barrel through the zone with notable hand speed for his age. He also flashed next level impact, squaring his hardest ball up at 91.7 mph. 


+ INF/OF Memphis Mooneyham (Aurora, 2028) looked like a top-of-the-order type of bat in this look. He throws his hands and stays inside the baseball, spraying line drive contact off the barrel to all fields with all sorts of repeatability in his operation. Mooneyham showed footwork feel defensively and also ran a 7.27 60-yard dash. 


+ There’s all sorts of upside with 6-foot-1, 150-pound INF Nolan Ash (Southern Boone, 2028), who looks the part of a top prospect in the state’s incoming freshman class. Ash’s loose, easy, and polished right-handed swing was on display in BP, as he sprayed line drives to the middle-pull side of the field with balance and repeatability throughout. As he continues to fill out and mature physically, Ash figures to be a true middle-of-the-order bat that should impact the baseball with regularity. Defensively, Ash is a clean and confident mover on the infield that plays low to the ground with steady hands to pair. 


+ INF Beau Bradley (Rockwood Summit, 2028) repeated line drive contact to the middle of the field throughout his round of BP. Bradley stayed on the barrel with balance through contact, showing polish and feel to hit for his age, and he should continue to add more impact as he matures physically. 

+ C Benjamin Winterer (Duchesne, 2028) is a follow left-handed bat from this event. The 5-foot-10, 155-pound backstop repeatedly got off intentful hacks to the pull-side in BP from a long, leveraged stroke. 

+ Another left-handed hitting catcher to show well at this event was C Ryan Caffey (Kirkwood, 2028). Caffey’s hands work direct and on top of the baseball, producing steady line drive contact back up the middle of the field with balance through contact.

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