The Missouri high school baseball season kicks off on Mar. 19, opening day for regular season action under MSHSAA regulations. Leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2026 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 2026 preseason coverage continues today.

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2026 SEASON OUTLOOK

No. of Returning Position Players: 5
No. of Returning Pitchers: 5

Top Returners:

• T.J Griese (2026) - P/MIF, 6' 185, R/R
  • East Central JC commit
• Jaymeson Forest (2026) - 3B, 6'2 210, R/R
  • East Central JC commit
• Jackson Nikodym (2026) - P/MIF, 6'1 205, R/R
  • Moberly Area JC commit
• Drake Fortman (2028) - MIF/OF, 5'10 150, R/L
• Ben Winterer (2028) - C, 6' 185, R/L
• Rudy Weber (2026) - P, 6'3 190, R/R

Top Newcomers:

• Ryan Whitworth (2027) - 1B/OF 6'1 220, L/L
  • Could not play varsity last year due to transfer
• Michael Shaw (2026) - 1B/OF, 6'3 180, R/L
• Alex Hopf (2026) - OF, 5'10 180, R/R

Key Players Lost:

• Jack Burle - St. Louis CC
• Sam Jost - State Fair CC
• Cayden Wolfe 
• Gavin Moffitt - Moberly Area CC
• Luke Fink 

Coach’s Insight: “The pitching staff looks formidable as the team returns three of its top four arms from last year which was statistically the best overall staff we have ever had. Additionally, we welcome back T.J. Griese, who served as the ace during their 2024 state championship run. Our biggest hurdle isn't physical—it's mental. We have a veteran group, but with that comes the threat of complacency and the natural distraction of graduation. I believe this squad is uniquely committed, but we'll need to stay vigilant to ensure that 'senioritis' doesn't undermine our goals.” – Michael Hollander, head coach

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Find more information on the 2026 Duchesne program below:

+ Follow them on X: @duchesnebasebal
+ Visit Prep Baseball Missouri’s 2026 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

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