It is Prep Baseball KC Challenge weekend, 2025! This 135-team event is spread out across 5 venues throughout Kansas City: the Homefield and Creekside Baseball Complexes, Bonner Springs High School Baseball and Softball Fields, the University of St. Mary's, and Oak Park High School. Officially in the back half of spring, we are starting to see more high-level baseball and highly talented organizations from around KC and the surrounding states.

Let's take a look at last year’s Prep Baseball KC Challenge winners:

• 10u D3: KC Scrappers went 4-1 with a run differential of 29.
• 10u D1/D2: Canes KC Black went 4-1 with a run differential of 10.
• 11u D2: Old School Ducks-Spotts went 4-0 with a run differential of 22.
• 11u D3: Jaguars 11u went 4-0 with a run differential of 40.
• 12u Open: Building Champions Navy went 4-0 with a run differential of 29.
• 12u D3: Classics went 5-0 with a run differential of 20.
• 13u D1: Cedar Rapids Reds went 4-0 with a run differential of 22.
• 13u D2: Arkansas Select went 5-0 with a run differential of 26.
• 13u D3: KC Blues went 4-0-1 with a run differential of 23.
• 14u D1: WOW Factor UBA National went 4-0 with a run differential of 17.
• 14u D2: Midwest Wardogs went 5-0 with a run differential of 32.

Some of the top players from last year’s KC Challenge are:

• Karson Welander IA #10 (2028)
• Porter McCarthy MO #6 (2028)
• Xander Tiller MO #9 (2028)
• Braxtyn Blank-Jimenez NE #3 (2028)
• Easton Lunn NE #9 (2028)
• Brekken Miller IA #3 (2028)
• Cade Anderson IA #1 (2028)

As we prepare for the 2025 KC Challenge, let’s take a look at some of the top teams we will be seeing, as well as some teams traveling in from surrounding states:

• ‘25Risin Baseball -2029-Pando is traveling Okay, Oklahoma and bringing with them Steel Lowry, Miles Hayhew and Finley Thompson. 
• Arkansas Sticks Henfling 14u is traveling from Jonesboro, Arkansas. The Sticks program is one of the preeminant programs in Arkansas with 42 MLB Draft Picks. Some players they will be bringing are Lyric Gray and Brayden Grooms, both were participants in the East Arkansas Preseason ID.
• STL Legacy 14u - Whorton from St. Louis, Missouri is one of the top organizations in Missouri. Jace Smothers was in attendance for the Southern Illionois Rising Stars ID.
• UBA Gladiator Black will be traveling from Omaha, Nebraska
• SOX Baseball 14U will defende their Easter Bracket Buster championship. 
• Arkansas Sticks Tapper  and Arkansas Sticks Williams will be representing the Sticks in the 13u division. 
• 13U Prime 27:17 National will go for the 3-peat in the 13u division as they have won the last two Prep Baseball KC events that they have attended. 

Don’t forget to tag me (@ljhatchpb) in any highlights or videos from the 2025 Prep Baseball KC Challenge and get your nominations in for this weekend’s LJ's Lineup!

Here are the returners from last week's LJ's Lineup, who will be competing in the PBKC Challenge 2025.

14u

Brayden Williams C / RHP / Lee's Summit West, MO / 2029 SOX Baseball 14u

Landon Box SS / 2B / Shawnee Mission Northwest High, KS / 2023 SOX Baseball 14u

Landon Nickell LHP / 1B / Lee'S Summit North High, MO / 2029 SOX Baseball 14u

Paddy Ryan 3B / RHP / st. michael, MO / 2029 Mac N Seitz Blue

13u

Reece Murphy 1B / C / BLUE SPRINGS SOUTH HIGH, MO / 2030 Inside Edge- Elliot

Ryker Bowles SS / 2B / GRAIN VALLEY HIGH, MO / 2030 Inside Edge- Elliot

Nash Elliott SS / Lees Summit High School, MO / 2030 Inside Edge- Elliot

Grady McSpadden 2B / OF / Park Hill, MO / 2030 Prodigy Teal- McSpadden