Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

Preseason All-State Quick Hits: Infielders

February 9, 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. We started with the catchers yesterday, which you can find HERE, and we also posted the outfielders, which can be found HERE. 

We’ll wrap up the position players from this event with the infielders today. Read below to learn about more than 30 infielders that popped to our staff from this year’s Preseason All-State.

QUICK HITS - INFIELDERS 

+ A true two-way follow in the state’s junior class that’s still uncommitted is RHP/3B Brian Gould (MICDS, 2025). Gould didn’t pitch at this event, he was 90-93 mph with a wipeout slider at the Rawlings Tigers Scout Day on Sunday, but abilities as a position player were on display. Gould creates lift through contact with strong hands to pair, working gap-to-gap in BP though mostly favoring the opposite field. He was on the barrel often (75%) and juiced his furthest ball 351 feet to right-center, adding a 95.7 mph batted ball as his max exit velocity. Gould tied for the second hardest throw across the infield in attendance with an 89 mph high across the diamond. 

+ CIF Ryker Benz (Vianney, 2025; Oklahoma commit) continues to show above-average bat strength coupled with a feel to hit each time we see him. Benz holds strength and physicality throughout a 6-foot, 205-pound frame, particularly in the lower half. He generates easy, low-effort bat speed and stays on plane through the hitting zone with jump off the barrel. All but one of Benz’s batted balls checked in at 93+ mph or higher, including a 99.2 mph high that traveled an estimated 335 feet, per TrackMan. Benz strength showed on the infield, as he was 87 mph across and was also up to 86 mph on the mound. 


+ 3B/OF Trey Jozwiakowski (Vianney, 2025; Missouri commit) swings one of the stronger right-handed bats in the state’s current junior class. At 6-foot, 200-pounds, Jozwiakowski was on the barrel gap-to-gap in BP with six batted balls at 95+ mph. He had three different swings resulting in 100+ mph exit velocities - two at 100.7 mph and another at 100.4 mph - and his deepest batted ball traveled 352 feet. 

+ OF Ryan Bradford (Seckman, 2025; Kansas State) represented Missouri at the PBR Future Games this past summer and the future K-State Wildcat continued to show well this past weekend. Bradford doesn’t lack muscle mass or strength, entering the event at a chiseled 5-foot-11, 180-pounds that’s packed with athleticism - he ran a 6.75 60, reached a peak run speed of 20.2 mph, and had the day’s highest vertical jump at 32.4 inches. Bradford’s intent and ability to elevate the baseball is well documented, as he works uphill through contact to produce gap-to-gap impact. He juiced a monster shot to the left-center gap that traveled 364 feet and came off his bat at 95.9 mph, though there were a handful of other quality gap-to-gap barrels throughout his round. Bradford took reps in the infield and outfield at this event with above-average arm strength from the outfield (88 mph) as well as sound, athletic actions on the infield turf. Seckman should be a quality club this spring and it’s likely Bradford plays a key role in the Jaguars’ success.


+ 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.


+ MIF Tyler Coffin (Rockhurst, 2025) is a lean, athletic 5-foot-11, 160-pound prospect with upside to follow from this event. Coffin works in rhythm at the plate with loose easy hands and a simple, direct swing that sprayed line drives to the opposite field in this look. As he continues to add strength and mature physically, Coffin’s sure to add more thump to his bat and grow his offensive ceiling as a whole. He showed well on the infield too with soft hands, athletic feet that play comfortably on the move, and the ability to throw accurately from multiple arm slots on the move. Far away from what his future self will look like, Coffin is an uncommitted junior to know form the Kansas City area. 


+ 1B/RHP Keller Costello (Marquette, 2025) is a highly physical 6-foot-3, 210-pound uncommitted left-handed hitting junior. Costello flashed bat strength to the middle-pull side of the field from a long and connected uphill swing with five batted balls at 90+ mph. He took the mound later on in the event and showed high spin traits on his arsenal, starting with an 84-86 mph fastball that averaged 2364 RPM. Costello’s 74-77 mph breaking ball flashed sharp spin and tilt from an 11/5 plane, averaging 2506 RPM, and he landed all five that he spun for strikes. He rounded out his arsenal with a 78-79 mph changeup that reached upwards of 18 inches of horizontal movement at peak. 


+ CIF Blake Bell (Rockwood Summit, 2025) has strength throughout a physical 6-foot-1, 195-pound frame. Bell found the barrel often throughout his round, mostly into the right-center gap, from a leveraged swing with lift. His hardest ball checked in at 92.9 mph, his furthest traveled 334 feet, and he averaged 258 feet per batted ball. 


+ INF Matthew Rauser (Francis Howell, 2025) is a switch-hitter with balance and rhythm from both sides of the plate. Rauser’s swing plays uphill through the zone that produced ifted contact to the middle of the field from both sides of the plate. The 6-foot, 175-pound uncommitted junior also peaked at 88 mph across the infield. 

+ Another switch hitter, MIF Mason Bogard (Francis Howell, 2025) peppered line drives from both sides of the plate. His swing works slightly more uphill from the left side than the right, but Bogard showed polish and barrel feel through both of his BP rounds. Bogard’s hands play steady on the infield and his footwork, particularly up the middle on the move and on his double play feeds, are advanced for his age. 

+ MIF Gage Vanlandingham (Van Buren, 2025) stays short, in rhythm, and on top of the baseball from both sides of the plate. Without much effort, Vanlandingham showed a knack for the barrel and comfortably worked line drives to all fields from each side of the plate. He’s sure-handed on the infield too and is comfortable on the move, particularly when working to his glove side. 

+ INF Mason Stover (Blue Springs South, 2025) holds compact strength within a 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame. Stover’s swing plays level through the zone with length and backspun line drives back up the middle of the field. He averaged 88.7 mph per batted ball, peaking at 92.1 mph. 

+ Two uncommitted infielders to follow from last Saturday’s event are INF Kyle Rehg (Eureka, 2025) and INF Jacob Robinson (Liberty, 2025). Rehg’s hands work direct to contact with a simple right-handed stroke that stays on top of the baseball, spraying line drive contact to the opposite field in this look. Robinson’s swing is more aggressive and he looks to elevate the baseball, producing his loudest contact on Saturday to the pull-side, and he was also 86 mph across the infield on his hardest throw. 

+ A pair of uncommitted left-handed hitters of note from the All-State: 1B Jared Chorlins (Parkway Central, 2025) and 1B Chance Rose (Greenwood, 2025). The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Chorlins generates noticeable hand speed at peak (24.8 mph) and on average (23.7 mph) and has consistently shown advanced raw power to our staff in event looks. Chorlins barreled his firmest ball up at 96.5 mph, with an average mark at 87.3 mph, and his furthest ball traveled 352 feet, which was one of the day’s best. Rose is a strong 6-foot, 180-pound athlete who’s swing works uphill through the zone to contact. He stayed up the middle of the field for a large majority of his round, squaring his hardest ball up at 92.8 mph.

+ 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. 


+ There may not have been a single player in attendance that stood out to our staff more than INF/OF GT Taylor (CBC, 2026; Mizzou commit). Saturday was the first time we’d seen Taylor at one of our events in three years and the 6-foot-2, 185-pound sophomore didn’t disappoint at all. Taylor showed electric bat speed from the right side with the intent to do damage, and he basically took one of the more standout BP rounds we’ve seen over the last few years. Five of his barrels came off his bat at 97+ mph, with three different swings at 100.1 mph, and his furthest ball traveled 348 feet. Taylor’s bat speed, power, and athleticism at the plate are hard to miss and gives him true middle-of-the-order type upside at the next level. On the infield, Taylor’s footwork feel and athleticism are evident, especially on the move, and his arm played at 85 mph across the dirt. He also took reps in the outfield, where his arm played up to 88 mph at peak. As his sophomore season at CBC is set to start in the next few weeks, Taylor figures to be an impact-type bat for the Cadets over the next three years.


+ 3B/RHP CJ Lake (Oakville, 2026) greatly boosted his prospect status at this event after a stellar all-around showing. Lake’s long, projectable 6-foot-3, 200-pound levers aid him in generating big bat speed and rotation out of load while staying in control. He stays inside the baseball, keeps his barrel level and in through the hitting zone, and has a knack for finding the sweet spot often. Lake took one of the louder rounds of BP we saw on Saturday - five of his batted balls checked in at 97+ mph, including swings that produced a 100.7 mph output and a max mark of 103.4 mph. His three batted balls traveled 359 feet, 368 feet, and 369 feet, respectively, all of which are high-end numbers for his age. Lake was 89 mph across the infield with actions best suited for a corner role at the next level. After all that, he hopped on the mound and was absolutely electric. Lake’s fastball played at 86-89 mph, touching 90.1 mph, with real life and carry in the upper-quadrant of the strike zone. He threw two different breaking balls; a 72-73 mph knuckle curve with vertical drop and depth to it that he landed for strikes, as well as a tighter, more firm 74-76 mph slider that broke late off a horizontal plane. Additionally, Lake’s changeup flashed late fade at 74-77 mph, giving him the potential for four above-average pitches. Lake figures to be a two-way asset for an Oakville squad that’s shaping up nicely this spring and is a high-follow uncommitted sophomore in Missouri’s 2026 class. 


+ INF/RHP Brendan Pyle (Fort Zumwalt East) is another top prospect in the 2026 class that impressed in all aspects of his workout on Sunday. A compact athlete with added strength at 5-foot-11, 180-pounds, Pyle was consistently on the barrel (78%) in BP from a simple, yet strong, right-handed stroke. He looked mostly to the opposite field, averaging 87.6 mph per barrel with a max mark of 96.2 mph. Additionally, Pyle’s average batted distance (268 ft.) was the third-highest of the entire event. Fundamentally, he’s a quality defender on the infield with confidence in his soft hands, nimble feet on the move, and an arm that played at 89 mph across the diamond. Pyle took the mound at the tail end of his workout, showing a quality three-pitch mix that he threw for strikes. His fastball played at 88-90 mph and he spun a tight slider at 74-76 mph while turning over an 80-82 mph changeup. Pyle should be the cog for the Lions this spring and he’s a must-know prospect in Missouri’s 2026 class. 


+ INF Drew Messey (Westminster Christian, 2026; Louisville commit) swings a polished left-handed bat that repeated line drive contact to the middle of the field in this look. Messey’s rhythm, balance, and polish are advanced for his age, with more impact to come as he continues to fill out his 6-foot-1, 170-pound frame. Defensively, Messey plays with bounce on the infield and stays in rhythm on the move with soft hands to pair. He showed one of the more firm arms across the diamond in attendance, reaching 87 mph on his hardest throw. 

+ MIF Brady Tanner (Francis Howell, 2026) continues to leave a positive impression on our staff each time we see him. Tanner started his day by running one of the event’s fastest 60 times (6.92) and he posted a near event-high RSI jumping score (2.70) with a 28.1” vertical jump as well. A 5-foot-9, 165-pound left-handed hitter, Tanner profiles as a middle-of-the-order type bat, staying short and direct to contact. He’s comfortable spraying line drives to all fields and started to show more bat strength than we’d seen from him previously. Five of his batted balls came off his barrel at 90+ mph, including a 94.1 mph max mark that’s three mph harder than what we saw from him last fall. Tanner’s plenty athletic on the infield with sure-handed actions, a quick glove-to-hand transfer, and an athletic arm that’s accurate from multiple angles. 


+ 3B/RHP Luke Baer (Ozark, 2026) came away from Saturday as one of the top two-way sophomores in attendance. Baer stayed up the middle and matched planes consistently from a fast right-handed swing that regularly produced line drive contact. His average exit velocity (87.7 mph), max exit velocity (93.8 mph) and peak batted distance (349 ft.) are all advanced marks for his age. Baer peaked at 85 mph across the infield and hopped on the mound afterwards, pumping his fastball for strikes at 84-86 mph. His slider showed hard horizontal action, 16.6 inches on average, with swing-and-miss potential at 70-72 mph and he showed feel for the zone on a firm 78-82 mph changeup. 


+ There’s all sorts of upside with 6-foot-1, 165-pound switch-hitting INF Seaton Thompson (Ladue, 2026). Thompson’s swing plays loose and easy from both sides of the plate, as he stays balanced through contact with present polish as well. He’s level through the zone, creating leverage out front with gap-to-gap feel to pair. Thompson’s starting to show more raw power - he hit his hardest ball 92.4 mph on Saturday while his furthest traveled 336 feet - and he’s only going to add more bat strength as he continues to fill out his frame. 


+ One other name that really intrigued our staff on both sides of the ball was INF/RHP Jackson Miller (Chaminade, 2026). Miller’s plenty projectable at 6-foot-2, 175-pounds with lean limbs that stand to add plenty of muscle mass as he continues to get older. A left-handed hitter, Miller’s hands stay connected and his swing works uphill through the zone while finding the barrel often in Saturday’s BP. His knack for the barrel is a positive and should add more consistent impact to his offensive game as he tacks on strength to his frame. Miller pitched in the low-80s with his fastball on the mound and threw all five of his changeups for strikes at 71-74 mph while showing a 71-74 mph slider as well. 

+ A pair of strong follows from this event are MIF Finnegan Ryan (CBC, 2026) and INF/RHP Landon Matthews (Lafayette, 2026). Ryan backspun baseballs to the middle of the field repeatedly throughout his round from a flat right-handed swing. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound sophomore averaged 87.7 mph per batted ball, peaking at 93.1 mph, with an 80% sweet-spot rate and one of the day’s higher average batted distance marks (243 ft.). Matthews holds proportional strength on a 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame with a strong, level right-handed swing that was on the barrel (70%) to the middle of the field consistently. His hardest exit velocity output came out at 94.6 mph, up two mph from the fall, and he averaged 87.8 mph per batted ball in this look. 

+ Two highly physical left-handed bats of note from Saturday’s showcase: CIF Jaymeson Forest (Duchesne, 2026) and 1B/LHP Aiden Zehnle (Oakville, 2026). Forest boasts a 6-foot-2, 210-pound with equal bat strength to match his stature. He drove one of the day’s furthest batted balls deep into the right-center gap - a 371 foot missile that came off his bat at 94.8 mph. Forest had another ball travel 352 feet and his three hardest batted balls registered at 94.8 mph, 95.9 mph, and 96.1 mph on TrackMan. Zehnle stands in at 6-foot-4, 200-pounds and posted one of the higher exit velocity marks of the entire event (102.1 mph). He had swings that produced outputs at 95.4 mph and 97 mph while also pitching in the low-80s on the mound. 

+ Saturday provided us an up-to-date look at the state’s top 2027 prospect in UTL Cole Chambers (SLUH). Chambers has added size since the last time we saw him, now listed at a highly projectable 6-foot-1, 175-pounds. He keeps his barrel through the hitting zone with impact out front and sprayed line drives gap-to-gap throughout his round of BP. Chambers, despite being two years younger than the rest of this crop, threw the second-hardest ball home from the outfield at 92 mph. He took reps on the infield too with athletic feet, steady hands, and comfort on the move to go along with a live arm (T84 mph).


+ INF Max Partney (Hillsboro) has the makings of a premier left-handed bat in Missouri’s 2027 class. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound freshmen stayed on the barrel to the center/right-center gaps, showing more bat strength than we’d seen from him previously. Partney barreled his hardest ball up at 94.8 mph with additional batted balls of 91.3 mph and 93 mph as well. His furthest traveled 354 feet, which is a 21 foot increase from what his previous personal best at our events was. Partney’s rhythm, repeatability, bat speed, and polish at the plate are all advanced for his age and he’ll look to make an impact at the varsity level for Hillsboro this spring. 


+ 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.

RELATED CONTENT