Prep Baseball Louisiana: 2026 State Rankings Risers (December 2025)

Mills Richardson RHP / 2B / Catholic, LA / 2026

6-foot-2, 175-pound frame with plenty of physical projection still ahead. The Southeastern Louisiana recruit has noticeably added strength since the summer, and that development began to show in the fall as his velocity trended upward — welcome news for the Catholic High Bears. Richardson touched the low-90s on multiple occasions in recent months, and his slider has started to sharpen into a firmer 78–80 mph offering. He’s long been one of the easiest, most efficient movers down the mound with a clean, uninterrupted arm stroke, and now the stuff is beginning to match the delivery. The arrow continues to point up.

Sam Marse RHP / Mandeville, LA / 2026

Marse entered the fall as an uncommitted senior, but that quickly changed. After delivering back-to-back standout performances at both our Senior Games and State Games events, the Mandeville product is now officially a Southeastern Louisiana recruit. He has always been an athletic, efficient mover down the mound, the type of arm you knew would eventually take a jump — the only question was when.

That jump arrived this fall. Marse sat a comfortable 85–90 mph with his heater at both events and paired the velocity uptick with competitive, consistent strike throwing. With his delivery syncing up and his stuff trending in the right direction, it’s easy to project even more gains ahead.

Marse vaults into the Top 25, landing at #24 in this state rankings update, and his best baseball still appears to be in front of him.

Bud Burns RHP / Benton, LA / 2026

6-foot-1, 180-pound athletic frame with noticeable lower-half strength. The Benton product entered the fall uncommitted, but it didn’t take long for his name to generate real buzz following a strong showing at our Senior Games event and then our State Games event. Burns worked with a quick, lively arm and an 85–88 mph fastball, but it was his advanced feel for spin that truly separated him.

He flashed both a mid-70s curveball and an upper-70s slider — two distinct, well-shaped breaking balls, each spinning near the 3,000 rpm mark, an elite trait that immediately caught the attention of our staff and college recruiters alike.

Burns capped off his breakout fall by announcing his commitment to LSU-Eunice, and he now heads into the spring with momentum and a ceiling that continues to climb.

Peyton Daigle RHP / Rayne, LA / 2026

6-foot-2, 195-pound frame with broad shoulders and plenty of strength still to come. Daigle entered our Baton Rouge Fall ID — the final stop on our fall circuit — as a relatively unknown and uncommitted arm, but he left as one of the biggest breakout performers of the entire season.

The Rayne product works from the first-base side of the rubber with a simple, up-tempo delivery and a long, whippy arm stroke that comes out of a high three-quarter slot. His fastball works 88–91 mph with heavy, downhill action. He pairs it with a 78–79 mph slider that flashes sharp, lateral bite and an 82–83 mph changeup with late sink and feel for the strike zone — a true three-pitch mix with projection.

Daigle drew immediate interest from multiple programs following the event and ultimately announced his commitment to East Central Community College. A big fall for a name that’s now firmly on the radar.

Collin Walls SS / RHP / Zachary High School, LA / 2026

At 5-foot-11, 185 pounds with a strong, developed lower half, Walls put together one of the most complete performances at our Baton Rouge Fall ID to close out the fall. Defensively, he showcased advanced actions — cutting angles with intent, playing through the baseball with confidence and rhythm, and showing the ability to make accurate throws from multiple arm slots.

Offensively, Walls delivered arguably the top round of BP of the entire event. Working from a wider base, he stays centered with a simple load and stride, creating a tight, efficient turn through contact. The bat speed and strength translate to consistent loud contact to all fields, highlighted by a top exit velocity of 98.6 mph and a true gap-to-gap approach.

The Zachary product is a strong, uncommitted senior whose fall performance should draw significant interest from college programs heading into the spring.