The Oklahoma high school baseball season kicks off on March 2nd, opening day for regular season action under Ossaa regulations. Over the next several weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2021 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, leading into a countdown through the official PBR Oklahoma Preseason Power 25 Rankings.

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.

If you would like your team covered, please have your head coach email us at [email protected]

Our 2021 preseason coverage continues today.

Team: Shawnee High School
OSSAA Class: 5A
Head Coach: Kevin Paxson
Returning Starters: 4
Returning Pitchers: 4

TOP PLAYERS

Bauer Brittain, RHP, 2022, Oklahoma commit

Headlining this Shawnee pitching staff is Brittain, a nationally ranked prospect that’s amongst the top pitching prospects in the Midwest for his respective class. The 6-foot, 175-pound Brittain works in a confident, controlled rhythm on the mound with noticeably twitchy arm speed. He was reportedly sitting in the 87-92 mph range this past fall, rounding out his arsenal with both a slider and changeup. 

Brylen Janda, RHP, 2021, Cowley County CC commit

Joining Brittain at the top of this rotation is Janda, the 26th ranked prospect in Oklahoma’s senior class and a Cowley County commit. Standing at a lanky, long-limbed 6-foot-5, 175-pounds, Janda’s stuff has apparently ticked up since we last saw him, sitting at 86-89 mph with his fastball. He, like Brittain, also mixes in a breaking ball and changeup, although they’re still developing pitches. Still, it’s a formidable one-two punch at the top of this rotation for Shawnee. 

Krew Taylor, SS, 2021, Cowley County CC commit

A key piece for Shawnee on offense is Taylor, a top-of-the-lineup returner for this squad that also features a key glove at shortstop. He’ll join Janda at Cowley County this upcoming fall, but will look to put the finishing touches on his prep career with a successful final season at Shawnee first. 

OUTLOOK

STRENGTHS: Led by Brittain and Janda, Shawnee’s pitching staff is certainly a strength for this squad. The sure-handed glove of Taylor, as well as others across the diamond, make for a formidable defensive game, too. 

AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: The offensive identity of this Shawnee team might be geared more towards the short game, as they lack full consistency in the power department. 

Make sure to follow @PBR_Oklahoma on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2021 season.

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