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By Sean McCann
Prep Baseball Report Kansas 

We have several risers and newcomers in our new Class of 2014 player rankings as we expand the list from 75 to 125 since our last major update this winter:

Top Risers and Newcomers

Blue Valley West’s Evan Bourn moves from #21 to #9.  Bourn is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound right-handed pitcher and left-hand hitting outfielder that would be ranked high based on projection alone, but also took his game to a new level this spring earning KABC 6A First-Team All-State honors as an outfielder.  At the KABC All-Star Game yesterday he looked like a big leaguer playing a game with high school kids as he squared up baseballs at the plate and stole bases seemingly at will.  Bourn is the highest ranked outfielder in the 2014 class.

At #10 is a newcomer to the rankings: right-handed pitcher Zach Linquist of Perry-Lecompton.  Linquist has a prototypical MLB pitchers frame at 6-foot-4, 200-pounds and showed an aggressive, yet balanced, delivery and quick arm in the two outings we saw this spring.  His fastball was clocked between 86-90 mph  at the KABC All-Star Game yesterday and he also showed feel for late-moving secondary pitches.

Manhattan left-hand hitting outfielder Bret Fehr checks in at #15 after previously being ranked 20th - behind Bourn, Fehr is the second highest ranked outfielder in the 2014 class.  Fehr’s strong, athletic 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame and game-changing speed have always been part of the equation.  He struggled at the plate early this spring before catching fire in the second half of the season on his way to earning KABC 6A First-Team honors.  Due to football Fehr has never had a chance to just focus on baseball until this spring and if the improvement trend continues he could emerge as a serious MLB prospect after his junior year at Wichita State. 

We’d heard good things about back-to-back KABC 1-2A Player of the Year Tevin Renken from Little River but hadn’t had a chance to see him in action until yesterday.  The 6-foot, 165-pound right-hander was more than impressive showing a near-flawless, repeatable delivery and effortless arm dialing in 84-86 mph fastball strikes with ease.  He also controlled a late-breaking mid-70’s slurve that has the makings of a plus pitch.  Today’s easy-armed, skinny mid-80’s high school pitcher is often tomorrow’s low 90’s prospect so be sure to remember the name Tevin Renken.  He goes from unranked to #16.

Athletic left-handed pitcher/centerfielder Blaine Fisher of Olathe South enters the rankings for the first time at #17 after showing a quick arm, low-to-mid 80’s fastball and feel for both off-speed pitches when we saw him this spring.  At #17, Fisher is the top-ranked left-handed pitcher in the 2014 class.  He also shows promise at the plate and as a defender in centerfield - he potentially could be a two-way player at the college level. 

A pair of physically impressive infield prospects advanced in the player rankings after showing improvements this spring in Blue Valley’s Mitchell Rogers (#41 to #20) and St. James Academy’s Alex King (#26 to #21).

New to the rankings is #22 Bryce Fischer, a left-handed pitcher/outfielder for Bishop Carroll.  Fischer lacks a standout tool but grades out well across the board.  He also showed punch-out stuff on the mound striking out 18 batters in nine innings as Carroll’s closer.

Another climber in the rankings is right-handed pitcher  Connor Boyer  (Southeast of Saline) a tall, projectable right-handed pitcher with a fast arm showing upper 80’s mph stuff this spring and flashing a 90 once – he moves in the rankings from from #42 to #25.  He’s by no means polished delivery-wise but you can’t teach 90 and he is nowhere near filling out his 6-foot-3 frame.

Here is a look at the Top 10:

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	Commitment
1	Bryce Montes de Oca	KS	Lawrence	2014	RHP	Missouri
2	Zack Engelken	KS	Blue Valley West	2014	RHP	Nebraska
3	Ryan Ralston	KS	Blue Valley West	2014	RHP	Kansas
4	Gunnar Troutwine	KS	Shawnee Mission East	2014	C	Wichita State
5	TJ Martin	KS	Blue Valley Southwest	2014	C	Kansas
6	Clayton Custer	KS	Blue Valley Northwest	2014	SS	Iowa State (Basketball)
7	Tanner Gragg	KS	Blue Valley West	2014	C	Kansas
8	Taylor Sanagorski	KS	Bishop Carroll	2014	C	Wichita State
9	Evan Bourn	KS	Blue Valley West	2014	OF	Neosho County CC
10	Zach Linquist	KS	Perry-Lecompton	2014	RHP	Washburn