Missouri’s best high school baseball players: Meet the state's best right-handed pitchers

By Cody Thorn 

With about a month left in the baseball season in Missouri, we have started looking at some of the top players throughout the state. 

After starting with catchers, we move to the mound and the top right-handed pitchers.

There are hundreds of outstanding hurlers in the Show-Me State, and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive. Tag us on Twitter @SBLiveMiz and let us know about other right-handers worthy of fans’ attention.

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Karson Milbrandt, Sr., Liberty

There may not be a more ballyhooed prospect in the state than Milbrandt, ranked No. 81 in MLB.com’s top 150 draft prospects. He throws in the low 90s consistently and has topped out at 96 miles per hour. He allowed one hit and struck out eight of the 15 batters he retired in his most recent start. He has committed to Vanderbilt, part of the No. 1-ranked recruiting class by Baseball America.

Christian Bobzin, So., St. Paul Lutheran

He is ranked the No. 5 sophomore in the state by Prep Baseball Missouri and has already committed to Missouri. The 6-foot-4 right-hander also plays football and basketball for the private school located in Concordia. He has a fastball in the low 90s.

Henry Cordes, So., MICDS

A preseason Rawlings/Perfect Game Central Region honorable mention All-American, the 6-foot-1 prospect is another 2024 commit to Missouri. He has a fastball in the upper 80s and has a slider that generates swing and misses.

Andrew DuMont, So., SLUH

Yet another sophomore on the list, he announced earlier this month that he will head to Tennessee once high school is over. DuMont has shown a big jump in his fastball going from 82 miles per hour as a freshman to a max of 91 this spring. Through six games, he is 3-0 with a 1.27 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings.

Nick Potter, Sr., Lee’s Summit West

Coming off a leg injury, Potter has one of the best fastballs in the state topping out at 95 miles per hour. He made his debut on April 15 but his 6-foot-4 frame makes him very projectable at the next level. He has signed with Crowder College, a junior college powerhouse.

Trey Mulholland, Sr., Aurora

Nicknamed ‘Donkey Kong,’ he is 6-0 on the year with a 0.18 ERA and has a save, when he struck out the side against Class 4 No. 3-ranked Logan-Rogersville. He will join Potter at Crowder College in Neosho. His dad, Bill, also played junior college baseball at Crowder.

Wyatt Brown, Jr., Affton

The 6-foot-3 right-hander has four pitches, fastball, curve, changeup and added a slider last year. He sits in the mid 80s with his fastball and gained notice last year when he struck out 18 in a complete-game effort. He has committed to Eastern Illinois.

Jackson Downing, Jr., Liberty North

Downing, one of two hurlers from Liberty North on the list, has committed to Arkansas State. He has a fastball that has peaked at 88 miles per hour and is currently ranked in the top 500 in his class in the Perfect Game rankings for the Class of 2023. He is also a two-time Perfect Game Preseason Underclassmen All-American selection.

Tommy LaPour, Jr., Blue Springs South

According to Trackman stats, LaPour’s fastball averages between 87 and 88, and he has topped out at 92. During the Prep Baseball Report Future Game in the fall, his 92 mph was tied for the second fastest. He is a three-sport standout – football and wrestling – but has committed to play baseball at Cincinnati.

Collin Maloney, Jr., Mehlville

He is another hurler bound for Arkansas State, joining Downing in the 2023 class. Maloney, a 6-foot-2, 190-pounder, has three wins and has tossed three complete games this spring. He also has 49 strikeouts in 34 innings for the St. Louis-area school.

Tate McGuire, Jr., Liberty North

In his most recent start, McGuire hurled strikeouts on seven of the 12 outs he recorded for the No. 3-ranked team in Missouri's largest classification. The start before that he fanned 10 in only four innings of work. The Arkansas pledge is ranked No. 4 in the state in the 2023 class by Prep Baseball Report Missouri. Was a second-team All-Stater last year.

Will Moore, Jr., Ladue Horton Watkins

He is holding batters to a .184 average through six starts this year and has racked up 40 Ks in 26 2/3 innings for the Rams. The Purdue commit has a fastball that sits between 86 to 88 miles per hour. He was part of the Perfect Game Jr. National Showcase in 2021.

Coleman Morrison, Jr., Springfield Catholic

He is averaging nearly two strikeouts per inning so far with 35 strikeouts in 18 innings on the mound for the No. 1-ranked team in Class 3. The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder has committed to Missouri, which has cleaned up with in-state talent in the 2023 class. Morrison’s fastball has peaked at 86 miles per hour.

Ben Smith, Jr., Springfield Catholic

Morrison’s teammate helps provide a 1-2 punch for the Fighting Irish and the two will be teammates in college too. He struck out 12 against Class 4 state-ranked Hollister earlier this year. Through 29 innings on the mound, he had 41 strikeouts and a 2.10 ERA.

Garrett Ferguson, Sr., Summit Christian Academy

A Missouri State signee, Ferguson attends a private school in Lee’s Summit. He has been a Perfect Game Preseason All-American and a Preseason Underclassmen All-American for three years. He had a 12-strikeout, 2-hit outing to help his team win the Marshall Tournament earlier this month.

Aidan Haynes, Sr., Metro Christian

One of the tallest pitchers on this list at 6-foot-6, Hayes has a fastball that tops out at 91 miles per hour. A top-500 ranked prospect in this nationwide by Perfect Game, Haynes has committed to Missouri. He is only one of two right-handers, so far, in the 2022 recruiting class for the Tigers and the only in-state one.

Trenton Roehler, Jr., Blue Springs South

Another junior who is going to be headed to Columbia, as the Tigers. He uses a three-quarter arm slot from the mound and his fastball has gained more than 14 mph to it over the past four years. His max fastball is 88 miles per hour.

Ashton Williams, So., Kennett

Ranked No. 8 in the 2024 class in the Show-Me State by Prep Baseball Report Missouri. The 6-foot-1 pitcher, who is uncommitted, possesses a fastball that sits between 86-89 miles per hour. He doubles as an outfielder for Kennett, a reigning state champion and top-ranked team in Class 4.

Karter Muck, Sr., St. Pius X

The Kansas signee — where he pledged in the summer of 2020 — plays summer baseball with the Royals Scout Team. He was ranked as high as No. 4 on the Class of 2022 rankings on Prep Baseball Report Missouri. He typically hits the low 90s with his fastball.

Brock Lucas, Sr., St. Elizabeth

He has helped his small-school program reach the final four and could’ve been three times in a row had COVID not wiped out the 2020 season. Lucas was dominant last year, giving up just four runs in 10 starts, while striking out 69. Also an accomplished basketball player that led his team to the final four in the hardwood all four years and was an all-state pick this past season. The hurler, with a fastball that hits 94 miles per hour, has signed with Missouri.