Q&A with Johnson County CC Commit Brendan Pyle
May 16, 2026
INF Brendan Pyle (Fort Zumwalt West) is a strong, compact 5-foot-9, 191-pound athlete currently ranked No. 25 in the state’s senior class. A consistent producer over the past few seasons for the Jaguars, Pyle features a short, simple stroke with an all-fields approach and high-level bat-to-ball skills from the right side of the plate, along with sound, fundamental actions on the infield. A member of Team Missouri at the 2024 Prep Baseball Future Games, Pyle committed to Johnson County CC last August.
We recently had the chance to talk to Pyle about his recruitment process, along with some other fun topics, below.
Our Q&A
Prep Baseball: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?
Brendan: I was expecting the recruiting process to be crazy and exciting. I had heard that it would be tough to navigate, but it would be a lot of fun. I was looking for a college program to really just help me develop so I could eventually get to pro ball. I also wanted to go to a place where I could get on the field early because that was very important to me.
PB: What do you like most about the program you chose, and what were the key factors in making your decision?
B: I love how Johnson County wins a ton along with how many guys they send out to big D1s. Some factors that made me choose JCCC were how nice of an area it is in and the coaches showed great interest. The school is also a great community college.
PB: What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?
B: Just stay patient and keep getting better. The recruiting process will play itself out. Keep having fun while playing.
PB: Did location or distance from home play a factor in your decision?
B: It did. I wanted to be close enough to home that my parents could come watch me play very often.
PB: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Where did the school you committed to first see you play?
B: After [the] Future Games is when the recruiting process definitely started to heat up. That is where JCCC first watched me play.
PB: Was there a particular Prep Baseball tournament or showcase that helped accelerate your recruiting process? If yes, how so?
B: Future Games helped me immensely. There were so many coaches there watching everything which helped me get noticed.
PB: What other schools were on your short list before you made your final decision?
B: I was looking at some other jucos many around KS/MO along with some D1s and D2s in the Midwest area.
PB: Who is the best player you have faced in your state? What about them makes for a tough opponent?
B: I faced Cooper Shrum a few years ago and the way he attacked the zone with multiple pitches made him very tough to hit against.
PB: If you could steal any tool or quality from another player in the state, what would it be and who would it be from?
B: I would say I’d want to have the velocity that CJ Lake or Tyler Putnam have off the mound.
PB: Who is the next talented young player to keep an eye on out of your high school or travel program?
B: Michael Wolff is a junior at West. He had a great year last year and I’m expecting him to be even better this year!
PB: At what point in your career did you realize you were a college-caliber player and became serious about taking your game to the next level?
B: I started playing travel ball really early and I found out I wanted to play college baseball when I was around 11-12. That’s when I started training hard to get to where I need to be to play in college.
PB: What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?
B: Going to state last year was awesome and playing with those guys really showed me the great memories and bonds you can attain from this game.