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Preseason All-State Quick Hits: Catchers

February 8, 2024
By: Diego Solares
Central Region Media Director, Scouting

On Saturday, February 3rd, the PBR Missouri made our annual trip to the SportsBarn in Wentzville, MO, to host the Preseason All-State. This invite-only event featured a multitude of the state's top prospects, representing Missouri's 2024-to-2027 classes, with over 100 players set to attend.

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 the players that attended this event, click HERE. Yesterday, our staff rolled out the day’s statistical standouts in leaderboard format within our ‘Stat Story’, which you can find HERE. 

Today, after combing through our notes from the day, we’ve compiled some of the event’s standouts below within these ‘Quick Hits’. Given the magnitude of talent at this event, we’ll be breaking up our ‘Quick Hits’ by position, starting with the catchers today and working our way around the diamond over the next few days. 

Read below to learn more about 14 backstops names that popped to our staff from this year’s Preseason All-State. 

QUICK HITS - CATCHERS

+ Still uncommitted, C/INF Caynen Patterson (DeSmet, 2025) put together one of the loudest all-around showings in attendance. Built with compact strength at 5-foot-10, 180-pounds, Patterson rotates quickly out of his load at the plate with an uphill right-handed swing that looks to elevate the baseball. He worked mostly to the middle of the field, though elevated contact into each gap at times, and averaged 88 mph per batted ball, peaking at 94.3 mph. Patterson led all catchers (83 mph) in throwing velocity and tied for the day’s quickest pop to the bag (1.88) as well. He showed athletic actions and soft, confident hands with a quick release on the infield, leading all players with the firmest bullet across the diamond (92 mph) as well. Patterson heads into his junior spring as a must-follow uncommitted prospect in the state. 


+ For some time now, C/INF Carson Ramos (Timberland; Northern Illinois commit) has been one of the top backstops in Missouri’s 2025 class. A PBR Future Games alum, Ramos provided us another quality look at Saturday’s event. The strong-bodied 6-foot-1, 200-pound backstop consistently backspun contact to the middle of the field throughout his round, averaging a near event-best 267 feet per batted ball with a max distance of 339 feet. Behind the plate, Ramos’ throws played around the bag and he popped in the 1.88-to-1.97 range with an 81 mph high to pair. 


+ Another uncommitted backstop to stand out from this event was C Brady Vessells (Seckman, 2025). Vessells’ hands are loose and work in rhythm, staying through the baseball while keeping his barrel in the zone. He generates easy bat speed and jump off the barrel as well, averaging 90 mph per batted ball with his firmest ball registering at 98.7 mph. Defensively, Vessells showed above-average arm strength (78 mph) and popped a 1.89 on his quickest bullet to the bag. Additionally, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound muscle-bound backstop ran a 7.02 60-yard dash, jumped 32 inches in the vertical test, and also posted one of the event’s best RSI jumping scores (2.70). Vessells looks to be a key piece for a Seckman squad that should make some noise this spring. 


+ Arguably the day’s most physical round of BP belonged to C Connor Day (Seckman, 2025). Packed with strength at 5-foot-9, 200-pounds, Day’s bat speed, intent, and repeatability from the right side are all standout traits in his offensive skill-set. He stays in rhythm and works short to the baseball, producing serious jump off the barrel to the middle of the field. All of his batted balls came off his bat at 91 mph or harder, including two barrels at 98.2 mph. Day’s hardest ball registered at 99 mph and his furthest traveled 389 feet, both of which finished near the top of this event’s batted ball leaderboard. Day’s quick to release from behind the plate and has above-average arm strength from a short draw, topping at 77 mph. 


+ A member of Team Missouri at the PBR Future Games this past July, C/INF Jake Greer (Liberty-Wentzville, 2025) showed well again at Saturday’s All-State event. Greer has bat speed and strong hands at the plate, creating leverage through contact and consistently elevating the baseball gap-to-gap. Nine of his batted balls came off his barrel at 90 mph or higher, including a 96.1 mph max mark to go along with a peak batted distance of 342 feet. Behind the plate, Greer worked quick to release while flashing accuracy around the bag, popping in the 1.94-to-2.08 range with 77 mph arm strength. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Greer enters his junior year at Liberty as one of the Eagles’ key pieces and a name-to-know uncommitted 2025 in the state. 


+ C Ben Miller (Helias Catholic, 2025) is a physical 6-foot-1, 190-pound uncommitted junior to follow from this event. Miller generated hard contact with consistency throughout his round of BP from a simple right-handed swing that created leverage to the middle of the field. He averaged 90.6 mph per batted ball, peaking at 95.7 mph, with his three other hardest swings being 93, 93.5, and 95.1 mph, respectively. Miller’s strength showed behind the plate too, as his hardest throw from the chute peaked at 77 mph. 


+ C Jackson Miller (Rockwood Summit, 2025) swings a fast, physical, and impactful left-handed barrel. The uncommitted 6-foot, 190-pound left-handed hitting backstop drove one of the day’s best batted balls deep into his pull-side gap - 97.9 mph off his barrel and traveled 383 feet, per TrackMan. Miller’s 92.2 mph average exit velocity was one of the event’s top marks and he posted high-end bat speed metrics on average (75.9 mph) and at peak (79.9 mph) as well. 

+ Saturday provided us with an up-to-date look at one of the state’s top sophomores in MIF/C Nolan Sissom (Fort Zumwalt West, 2026; Mizzou commit). Sissom’s athletic measurables appeared to have ticked up, as he has started to add more strength onto his 5-foot-10, 165-pound frame. He ran the fastest 60-time we’ve seen from him to date - 7.04 on our lasers - and he also set personal bests in catcher velocity (78 mph), infield velocity (83 mph) and top pop time (1.93). As polished as a left-handed bat as you’ll find in this class, Sissom sprayed line drives to all fields throughout BP from a simple, level, and direct swing. His bat strength isn’t his carrying tool, but his ability to produce quality contact off the barrel with regularity is certainly noteworthy and stands out in-game, too. Sissom’s quick and clean to release from the chute with a short, accurate arm that was on the bag throughout his round. On the infield, Sissom’s confident in his hands, works around the baseball with his lower half, and is able to throw from multiple arm angles when needed. 


+ C/RHP Drew Parsons (Jackson) continues to show as a follow prospect on both sides of the ball in Missouri’s 2026 class. He appears to have added strength over the winter, filling out a 5-foot-11, 170-pound frame with more muscle mass than we’d seen in the past. Parsons’ hands work on top and direct to the baseball, producing hard contact to the middle of the field in this look. Six of his 10 batted balls came off his barrel at 92 mph or higher, including a 94.9 mph high with batted balls of 94.8 mph, 94.1 mph, and 93.8 mph as well. Parsons’ throws played around the bag from behind the plate with arm strength (77 mph) and quickness (1.93) to pair. Afterwards, he hopped on the mound and showed a simple, polished, and repeatable delivery with three-pitch feel. His fastball played around the zone at 82-83 mph, complimenting it with two secondaries that he threw for strikes - a curveball at 68-71 mph and a changeup at 69-73 mph. Also the starting quarterback for Jackson’s football squad, Parsons will look to make an impact for the Indians on the diamond this spring. 


+ Another strong-bodied sophomore catcher to know from this event was C Laird Van Sciever (Francis Howell, 2026). At 5-foot-10, 165-pounds, Van Sciever’s bat strength showed throughout his round of BP, as he averaged 90 mph per barrel with a 96.4 mph high. He stays connected through the zone with a long and level right-handed swing that regularly worked on the barrel to the middle of the field. Van Sciever’s furthest batted ball traveled 364 feet and he also produced barrels at 92.8 mph, 94.6 mph, and 95.6 mph. Van Sceiver also ran a 7.07 in the 60-yard dash, was up to 77 mph from the crouch, and popped in the 2.01-to-2.06 range. 


+ One name that continuously impresses our staff each time we see him is C Teagan Trent (Logan-Rogersville, 2026) and Saturday’s trip to the SportsBarn was no different. Trent rotates out of his load intently, generating quickness in a tight window with a short, compact right-handed swing to pair. Trent sprayed line drives back up the middle, and to the opposite field, throughout his round, peaking at 93.2 mph on his firmest barrel. Trent’s biggest asset may be his glove - he’s agile, athletic, and a willing worker behind the plate with an above-average arm to pair. 


+ We saw one of Missouri’s top freshmen in attendance on Saturday, currently sitting at No. 6 overall on our in-state 2027 rankings: C/INF Carson Leuthauser (Northwest). A physical 5-foot-11, 185-pound athlete, Leuthauser steps into the batter’s box with a presence to him. Leuthauser’s simple at the plate with a slight barrel turn, strong hands, and an uphill right-handed swing that looks to elevate the baseball intently. His average exit velocity (89.4 mph) and average batted distance (247 ft.) were amongst the top marks for underclassmen in attendance, as was his max exit velocity (93.9 mph) and peak batted distance (348 ft.). Leuthauser’s arm strength behind the plate has long been an asset of his - he was up to 80 mph in this look, popping in the 1.98-to-2.00 range, and he was 86 mph across the infield, too. With his high school season set to start in a few weeks, Leuthauser continues to be a high-end prospect in the state’s 2027 group. 


+ C Luke McAtee (DeSmet, 2027) is another top prospect in the state’s current freshmen class that we saw at this year’s All-State. McAtee’s physical stature stands out, as he holds present strength and physicality on a 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame that’s plenty capable of continuing to add muscle mass over the next few years. At the plate, McAtee keeps a level barrel through the hitting zone that produced consistent line drive contact to the middle of the field in his round. His feel for the barrel is evident and McAtee should develop into a true middle-of-the-order type bat as he continues to get older. As for his glove, McAtee’s glove-to-hand exchange is quick and simple with a short, simple arm action to pair. 


+ C/OF Zach Partney (Hillsboro, 2027) came away from Saturday’s event as a big winner. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound freshman showed more bat speed and physicality than we’d seen from him previously. He stays connected and balanced through contact with real jump off the barrel as well. Partney had three barrels at 94.5 mph or higher, including his peak mark of 95.1 mph, and he averaged 87.9 mph per batted ball in total. Partney had one of the highest vertical jump of the event (31.1”), was up to 85 mph from the outfield, and peaked at 74 mph from the chute. 

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