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: 12
No. of Returning Pitchers: 7

Top Returners:

• Chase Blue (2026) - 3B/RHP, 6', 195 lbs
  • East Central JC commit
  • Last Season Stat Line: .376 avg, .992 OPS, 21 RBI, 15 SB
  • Returning All-State Player will be a middle of the order bat (3 hole specifically) and will provide great leadership. Great/Balanced approach at the plate.
• Mitchell Garner (2026) - 1B/DH, 6'2, 200 lbs
  • Last Season Stat Line: .378 avg, 1.020 OPS, 34 H, 21 RBI
  • Returning All-State Player will be the middle of the order bat (4 hole specifically), provides great leadership and energy. Has a ton of pop.
• Landen Doza (2027) - OF/RHP, 5'11, 160 lbs
  • Last Season Stat Line: .348 avg, ,923 OPS, 31 H, 19 RBI, 34 SB
  • Returning All-State Player will be lead off for us again this year and man CF. Led us in hitting as a sophomore during the regular season. Has great hand/bat speed and led the team with 34 stolen bags.
• Raiden Redd (2027) - OF/RHP, 6'1, 170 lbs
  • Last Season Stat Line: .266, .909 OPS, 22 RBI--Pitching: 17.1 IP, 3-1 Record, 6.058 ERA, 1.673 WHIP
  • Has the potential to be one of the best hitters in the state, extremely hard working and has the hitting metrics to reflect that. At the plate he has a ton of raw potential. Will be a middle of the order bat for us and will be our #2 on the mound.
• Mahlon Foster (2027) - MIF/RHP, 6'1, 170 lbs
  • Last Season Stat Line (limited): 16 AB, .500 avg., 1.217 OPS--Pitching: 27 IP, 5-1 Record, 2.074 ERA, 1.111 WHIP
  • Has shown a ton of potential at the plate in limited opportunities last year. Very excited about where he will be this year. He is projected to be our #1 on the mound and has, in my opinion, an elite change up and has put on weight this off season to increase his fb velo. Very excited to see him on the mound this spring.
    

Top Newcomers:

• Ty Hassard (2028) - RHP, 6'1, 160.
  • Looks to be within the varsity rotation as a sophomore. Has a ton of potential, looking for him to have a break out year.

Key Players Lost:

• Drake Gawer - Johnson County CC
• Lucas Parsons 
• Nate McReynolds

Coach’s Insight: “Our greatest strength is going to be our offensive ability and our experience. We return the majority of our lineup from our Final Four run last year. Our guys are a year older, stronger, and more experienced. I'd say at any point 8 of our 9 starters will have one at least 1 district title (the majority with multiple) and all will have had a Final Four birth under their belt and on their record. This experience is huge because they know what it takes to earn a spot in Ozark at the end of the season. We lost a lot of our experienced arms from the past several seasons. Losing Drake Gawer and Lucas Parsons on the mound isn't going to be easy to replace from an innings perspective. Nate McReynolds also was a huge lift for us offensively last season and we will have to find a way to replace him in the lineup.” – Ian Whitson, head coach

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Find more information on the 2026 Sullivan program below:

+ 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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