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: 6
No. of Returning Pitchers: 4

Top Returners:

• Peter Nickson (2027) - SS, S/R
  • Dayton commit
• Warren Robertson (2027) - OF, R/R
  • Notre Dame commit
• Owen Hughes (2027) - LHP, L/L
  • Kentucky commit
• Matt Gillespie (2027) - RHP, R/R
• Charlie Bernstein (2026) - OF, L/R
  • Washington University commit
• Carter Scott (2027) - C, R/R
• Jack Karl (2027) - INF/P, R/R
  

Top Newcomers:

• Trip Kratofil (2026) - LHP, L/L
  • Washington & Lee University commit
• Bodie Arthur (2026) - RHP, R/R

Key Players Lost:

• Evan Damario (Johnson County CC)
• Tyler Coffin (Emporia State)

Coach’s Insight: “The 2026 team sees the return of a number of key varsity players that got experience at a young age last season. We are looking forward to watching their play elevate again, combined with a core senior class that has shown the ability to win at every level. The key piece will be how fast the players making their first varsity appearances can adapt to the pace of play at the varsity level.” – Will Gorden, head coach

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Find more information on the 2026 Rockhurst program below:

+ Follow them on X: @HawkletBaseball
+ 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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