Missouri's best high school baseball players: Meet the state's top shortstops

By Cody Thorn

Feature photo of Staley's Dylan Grego by Cody Thorn 

Our look at top baseball players in the state of Missouri continues in the infield, this time looking at shortstop, with third base and outfield the ones remaining.

We have posted lists on catchers, right-handed pitchers, left-handed pitchers, first basemen and second basemen. 

There are hundreds of outstanding players 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 athletes worthy of fans’ attention.

Chase Blair, Sr., Chaminade

Finished third on his team with a .324 batting average and scored a team-high 29 runs in 32 games. Also paced the Red Devils in hits (33), doubles (8), triples (4), walks (9) and stolen bases (17) – the latter going a perfect 17-for-17. He has committed to Division II Southern Arkansas.

Memphis Bliley, Jr., Platte Valley

Probably one of the lesser known names on this list, he is a standout at a Class 1 team that made the playoffs. He attends South Nodaway High School and plays for the Class 1 co-op Platte Valley. He is hitting. 500 with a slugging percentage of .700 with seven extra-base hits and 21 RBIs. During a district championship game, he had a standout performance on the mound but got a no-decision despite throwing nine innings of no-hit ball. His ERA is 0.35.

Tytus Cissell, So., Francis Howell

He sports a .336 average and has a .417 on-base percentage for a Class 6 playoff qualifier. He has 35 hits, which includes three doubles and a home run to go with 24 RBIs. He leads the Vikings with 12 sacrifices, helping teammates move over bases. Prep Baseball Report Missouri lists him as the No. 10 prospect in the Class of 2024. Cissell, who can also play second base and outfield, has committed to Missouri.

Jake Daneff, Sr., Park Hill

He will follow in the footsteps of his brother, Joe, to play baseball at Emporia State in Kansas. He had a .363 on-base percentage for the Trojans and provided an RBI in a 3-2 win against Staley in the recent district playoffs. The left-handed hitter was 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts and drew 21 walks.

Drew Dickerson, So., Lee’s Summit West

Another Missouri commit on the list, he has been a Rawlings/Perfect Game preseason All-American the past two years in high school. The right-handed hitter is ranked No. 474 in the country and No. 3 in the Class of 2024 in Missouri by Prep Baseball Report.

Kam Durnin, Jr., Camdenton

Provided a key hit for the Lakers in a district playoff game that tied the game against Jefferson City before his younger brother, Kaden, provided the game-winning hit. Kam Durnin committed to Wichita State prior to the start of this season. The right-handed hitter has a max exit velocity of 94.3, according to Prep Baseball Report Missouri.

Dylan Grego, Sr., Staley

A switch-hitting shortstop with power, which was evident by hitting a grand slam against No. 2 ranked Liberty North on May 7. Grego has been clocked at 7.09 in the 60-yard dash and has an exit velocity max of 92 on Trackman at the plate. He has signed with Ball State.

Maloy Heaghney, Jr., Eureka

Has put up impressive numbers across the board for the Wildcats with a .305 batting average, a .436 on-base percentage and a .505 slugging percentage. He has scored 27 times and had 10 total extra-base hits (three doubles/five triples/two home runs) and leads Eureka with 28 RBIs. He has committed to Missouri.

Jake McCutcheon, Sr., Francis Howell

The Missouri State signee is one of the top hitters in the state and has a .488 batting average with 20 extra-base hits for the Vikings. He has smacked five home runs and driven in 36 runs in 39 games. He’s also swiped 16 bases out of 19 attempts.

Jack Mosh, Sr., St. Pius X (KC)

He’s another infielder who can not only play other spots – second base/third base – he is another one who is staying in-state, signing to play with Missouri. A member of the Royals Scout Team summer team, he is ranked in the top 500 list in the country in the Class of 2022 by Perfect Game – which has given him All-American preseason honors the past three years.

Austin Neuweg, Sr., Blue Springs

A four-year varsity member for the Wildcats, the right-handed hitter has a max exit velocity at 99.2 miles per hour. He can play shortstop or second base and hit nearly .400 last year for the Wildcats after being forced into a designated hitter-only role due to an arm injury. He has signed with Saint Louis University.

Tanner Paschke, Jr., Ft. Zumwalt North

Hit just under .300 for the Panthers, having a .370 on-base percentage. Paschke walked more than he struck out. He’s made the Central Region honorable mention list on the Rawlings/Perfect Game preseason All-American team the past two years. He has committed to play at Iowa.

Jake Rice, Jr., Lee’s Summit North

Closed the season with a .400 batting average and drove in 33 runs for the Broncos. Led his squad with 41 hits, 10 doubles, four triples and two home runs, and his 28 runs were second-most on the team. The Wichita State commit had a slugging percentage of .631.

Grant Richars, Sr., St. Dominic

Was ranked as the No. 1 shortstop in the Class of 2022 by Missouri Prep Baseball Report last year. He hit .494 with an .873 slugging percentage for the Crusaders, with nine doubles, three triples, five home runs and 36 RBIs, with team leads in triples and home runs. The Coastal Carolina signee was also a perfect 16-for-16 in stolen bases.

Ryan Retone, Sr., Nixa

The left-handed hitting Retone helped Nixa be a Top 10 ranked team all season in Class 6, though the season ended with a loss to Kickapoo in the district title game. Retone, a left-handed hitting shortstop, has signed to play with State Fair Community College. He has been selected to play in the SWMO Sports Baseball All-Star Game on June 15 in Ozark.

Addison Smith, Jr., Liberty

Helped the Blue Jays win the Class 6 title last year and hit .342 while recording a team-high 13 stolen bases. He is a well-documented prospect and is currently the top ranked shortstop in the state according to Perfect Game. Smith was a Rawlings/Perfect Game Central Region First-Team pick on the Preseason Underclassmen All-American Team. Nationally, he is ranked No. 232 in the top 500. Recently, Smith hit in the cycle in a game for the Blue Jays.

Trey Snyder, So., Liberty North

The Kansas City suburb of Liberty has two of the top shortstops in the country. Snyder is ranked No. 69 in the country and the No. 1 shortstop in Missouri among the Class of 2024. A right-handed hitter, Snyder is the top-ranked player in the Class of 2024 statewide by Prep Baseball Report. Also a standout basketball player for the Eagles, Snyder was running the show as the point guard and helped his team knock off the No. 1-ranked team in the winter. He has committed to Tennessee.

Ty Thompson, Fr., Columbia Rock Bridge

The youngest player on this list, he plays for a Bruins squad that was ranked in the top 10 all season. Thompson is the top ranked player in the state Class of 2025 by Prep Baseball Report and he has already committed to Tennessee, like Snyder. Thompson committed to the Vols before even playing a high school game. He met Tennessee coach Tony Vitello in a showcase event in Georgia and the former Missouri assistant coach offered Thompson.