2025 MSHSAA Team Preview: Willard Tigers
March 7, 2025
The Missouri high school baseball season kicks off on Mar. 20, opening day for regular season action under MSHSAA regulations. Leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2025 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, counting down to the official Prep Baseball Missouri 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.
Our 2025 preseason coverage continues today.
Head Coach: Scott McGee (17 years)
Classification: 5A
2024 Record (Finish): 34-5 (State Champs, COC co-champs)
2025 SEASON OUTLOOK
No. of Returning Position Players: 4
No. of Returning Pitchers: 3
Top Returners:
- SS Matthew Angel (2025; Fort Scott CC) - 6'2", 170, L/R
- Was our best player last year and an oustanding defender that hits in the middle of the lineup.
- P/OF Levi Hilton (2026) - 6'3", 205, R/R
- Started title game on mound. Best 2026 pitcher in SWMO.
- C Rowden LeJeune (2025; Evangel) - 5'9", 155, R/R
- Very strong defender.
- OF Jackson Phipps (2025) - 6'2", 175, R/R
- Power and speed. Will start in CF.
- P/OF Collin Spering (2025; Lincoln Land CC) - 5'9", 165, R/R
- Athletic defender with good velo/spin on mound.
- P/3B Bryton Towe (2025) - 5'9", 180. R/R
- Defense and power. Strike thrower with multiple pitches, mid 80s.
- C/INF/P Jarrett McGee (2026) - 6'0", 185, L/R.
- Good hitter
- INF/P Cade Hayter (2026) - 5'10", 155, S/R
- Good defender with speed
Top Newcomers:
- P Dale Anderson (2025) - 6'1", 195, R/R
- Low 80s
- P Kyler Adams (2026; College of the Ozarks) - 5'11", 160, R/R
- Strike thrower with movement
Key Players Lost:
- Hayden Larson (Evangel)
- Cameron Jennings (College of the Ozarks)
- Hayden Rakestraw (John Wood CC)
- Drew Quinlan (John Wood CC)
- Peyton Gayer (Evangel)
- Russell Roweton (Evangel)
- Kaelin Adams (Evangel)
- Landon Moore
Coach’s Insight: “We were the best team in the area at run prevention last year, and our defense will be a touch better. We also have a versatile lineup and our players understand our system extremely well. We have less depth than we have had in the past, which could hurt us on long weeks and with injuries. We still have some question marks after our top 3 arms.” – Scott McGee, head coach
Find more information on the 2025 Willard program below:
+ Follow them on X: @willardtigersbb
+ Visit Prep Baseball Missouri’s 2025 MSHSAA Team Previews page to learn more.
+ If you are a high school coach and didn’t receive our questionnaire, please click HERE to fill out the form