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Kansas Curve Scout Day: Quick Hits

September 11, 2025
Eliott Wilk
Central Region Operations Director

On Saturday, August 30th, the Prep Baseball Missouri staff traveled to Eck Stadium on the campus of Wichita State University in Wichita, KS to host the annual Kansas Curve Scout Day. This event, featured 65+ players from the Kansas Curve program in attendence.

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. To see what our events offer, click HERE.

Earlier, 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 within these ‘Quick Hits’. Read below to learn about 16 names that popped to our staff from Saturday's trip to Wichita.

QUICK HITS

+ In his Prep Baseball debut on Saturday, C/INF/RHP Colton Wilburn (Wichita West, 2026) made a strong impression as a true two-way standout. Physical at 6-foot, 190-pounds, Wilburn was all over the barrel in gameplay, consistently generating loud contact that led to two hits and three RBIs, highlighted by a two-run double. On the mound, the right-hander worked in the low-80s with a 2,400+ RPM slider that showed swing-and-miss traits. He also impressed defensively, popping between 1.94-2.06 with a 74 mph arm from the crouch, while firing 83 mph across the diamond during the workout portion.

Colton Wilburn

+ RHP Cooper Wilson (Edmond Memorial, OK, 2026; Barton CC commit) showed intriguing upside on the mound during his inning of work in gameplay, working from a strong and physical 6-foot-3, 211-pound frame. Wilson’s noticeable arm strength stood out as he ran his fastball up to 87 mph, sitting comfortably in the 83-86 range. He paired it with feel for a complete arsenal, landing a 74-76 mph slider and a 79-80 mph changeup for strikes, flashing polish to match his raw power.

Cooper Wilson

+ OF/RHP Landon Makinster (Reeds Spring, MO, 2026) emerged as a winner from this event after a strong all-around showing in both the showcase and gameplay. A wiry 6-foot, 185-pound athlete, Makinster showed sneaky pop from a rhythmic right-handed swing, peaking at 93.8 mph exit velocity in BP and adding two hits in game, including a double down the left-field line. Defensively, he flashed an 85 mph arm from the outfield and played lockdown defense throughout the game. Makinster also hopped on the mound, working his fastball at 82-84 mph and showing feel for two distinct, high-spin breaking balls — a 72-74 mph curveball with 2,700+ RPM and a 75-76 mph slider at 2,400+ RPM. As he continues to add strength, Makinster will be a name to follow.

Landon Makinster

+ Saturday’s trip to Wichita gave our staff a look at one of the top uncommitted bats in Kansas’ 2025 class in INF/OF JJ Grove (Wichita Northwest). An all-around athlete with noticeable strength throughout a 5-foot-11, 188-pound frame, Grove continued to do what he does best in game — find barrels — hammering a double down the left-field line. He also impressed defensively on the infield, making several high-level plays from the left side of the diamond. One of the biggest winners from the showcase portion, Grove finished near the top of nearly every leaderboard, peaking at 94.5 mph exit velocity, 86 mph across the infield, and a 6.85 60-yard dash, continuing to solidify himself as a must-know uncommitted name in the Sunflower State.

JJ Grove

+ One of the more intriguing arms in Kansas’ 2026 class, RHP Braxton Withington (Colby) showed another big jump on the mound in his inning of work. The projectable right-hander ran his fastball up to 88 mph, sitting 83-87 mph with late life, jumping out of the hand, and spinning it up to 2,600 RPM. His go-to secondary in this look was a sharp, high-spin slider at 72-75 mph (2,600+ RPM; -12.7 HM avg.) that flashed true swing-and-miss potential when in the zone. Withington’s continued gains make him a must-follow name moving forward.

Braxton Withington

+ OF Sam Thielen (Russell, 2026) made one of the louder impressions of the day, standing out as an uncommitted name with big upside. Long and wiry at 6-foot-1, 160-pounds, Thielen’s athletic frame leaves plenty of room to add strength. He peppered the gaps in BP with a fast, level right-handed swing, peaking at 92.9 mph exit velocity and showing flashes of impact power. That translated directly into game action where he ripped an RBI triple. Defensively, his arm strength was among the best at the event, firing a 84 mph bullet from the outfield, and his 6.97 60 showed the speed to cover ground with ease. With his athleticism and offensive ceiling, Thielen is a name to circle in the Kansas 2026 class.

Sam Thielen

+ Another uncommitted senior to note from this look was OF Christian Laws (Wichita South, 2026), who put together one of the more impressive overall showings of the day. Physical and imposing at 6-foot-4, 219-pounds, Laws posted the event’s top exit velocity (94.9 mph) as well as the top average exit velocity (88.6 mph), showcasing easy bat speed (71.3 mph average) while looking to elevate with authority to the pullside. That translated seamlessly into gameplay, where he was all over the barrel and collected a pair of doubles to cap off a standout day.

+ INF/RHP Micah Gray (Emporia, 2027) was another two-way standout from the event, showing a well-rounded toolset with impact potential on both sides of the ball. Built with strength throughout a 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame—especially in the lower half—Gray consistently found the barrel in BP, producing a 92.5 mph peak exit velocity with easy bat speed (T75.1 mph). His arm strength carried across the field, reaching 87 mph across the diamond, 88 mph from the outfield, and 78 mph from the crouch while producing 1.93–2.00 pop times. On the mound, Gray stole the show, overpowering hitters with a fastball up to 89 mph that carried through the zone, while flashing a developing 77–80 mph slider with swing-and-miss traits and an 81–82 mph changeup. With his two-way athleticism and arm talent, Gray is an arm to keep an eye on this spring.

Micah Gray

+ INF/RHP Max Evans (Russell, 2026; Butler CC commit) impressed on both sides of the ball in this look. Strong and physical at 6-foot-3, 210-pounds, the right-handed hitter worked with loose hands and an aggressive swing, flashing the ability to drive the ball with authority and backspin, peaking at 91.3 mph exit velocity with plenty more power on the way. Defensively, Evans showed soft hands, natural actions, and rangy movements on the infield, pairing them with an accurate arm from multiple slots. He capped off his day by tossing a dominant inning on the mound, pounding the zone with a four-pitch mix and running his fastball up to 81 mph.

+ LHP Easton Carter (Clearwater, 2026) was dominant in his inning of work, showing poise, deception, and a three-pitch mix that kept hitters off balance. Strong and athletic at 6-foot-1, 185-pounds, the lefty attacked the zone with an 80–82 mph fastball, topping at 84 mph, while consistently landing a 68–70 mph slider and 70–75 mph changeup for strikes. Efficient and in control throughout, Carter made quick work of hitters, and with his polish and pitchability, his arsenal has clear traits that will play at the next level. 

Easton Carter

Being one of the youngest players in attendance didn’t stop OF/RHP Ethan Viola (Eisenhower) from making his presence felt, as he impressed with the bat in gameplay. Showing poise beyond his years, Viola used a smooth, simple right-handed swing and a strong feel for the barrel to collect a pair of hits against quality arms. 

Ethan Viola

+ A pair of backstops—C/OF Garrett Griffin (Bridge Creek, OK, 2028) and C/1B Bronx Sitton (Salina South, 2026)—stood out with strong showings. Both posted exit velocities north of 91 mph, flashing impact potential at the plate. Sitton paired his offensive strength with advanced catch-and-throw skills, popping 1.87–1.97 with a 74 mph arm from the chute, while Griffin showed his athletic versatility behind the plate and in the outfield. Meanwhile, INF Wyatt Griffin (Chase County, 2026) made his presence known offensively, posting one of the day’s top exit velocities at 93.3 mph, pairing bat strength with speed.

+ INF/OF Trace Van Asdale (Haysville Campus, 2027) and OF/RHP Isaac Vanderburg (Wichita Collegiate, 2026) emerged as a pair of quick-twitch, top-of-the-order bats to watch from this look, showcasing the speed, athleticism, and bat-to-ball skills that make them impact players at the top of the lineup.

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