THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,801 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,801 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
High School  | General | 3/2/2016

Regional HS Preview: Great Plains

David Rawnsley
Photo: Perfect Game




For all of Perfect Game's regional previews as part of the 2016 high school baseball preview content, the Dream Team is available for free. The region top tools can be viewed with an Insider subscription. To learn more about Perfect Game's subscription packages and to sign up today please visit this link.




2016 Perfect Game High School Preview Index

Great Plains Region: Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

2016 is looking like perhaps the best year ever in terms of upper level baseball talent for the state of Kansas. Every state is destined to have a career year at some point; Oklahoma's 2011 class with Dylan Bundy, Archie Bradley, Michael Fullmer and Adrian Houser comes to mind immediately, and this is the year for Kansas.

Five Kansas seniors merit mention on the Great Plains Region Dream Team; righthanded pitchers Riley Pint, Ryan Zeferjahn and Tyler Benninghoff, shortstop Nonie Williams and first baseman Joey Wentz. All five of those players will be followed closely by scouts this spring ahead of the June Draft.

With most of the top prospects in the state being pitchers, including potential first round picks Pint and Zeferjahn, scouts will have an interesting time working out pitching schedules as well in the finicky Midwest spring weather. In addition, 6-foot-7, 220-pound lefthanded pitcher Lucus Krull from Mill Valley (Kan.) High School could join the prospects above as a potential top round pick.

The rest of the region doesn't lack for talent, either. Nebraska infielder Cole Stobbe was a standout on the national summer circuit, Iowa boasts two of the best two-way talents in the country in Spencer Van Scoyoc and Grant Judkins, and North Dakota will be on everyone's destination map late in the spring to see dynamic athlete and hard-throwing righthander Dalton Feeney perform.

It isn't true every year, but it would be easy to see a Great Plains team competing hard against a similar team from Florida or California, or other southern regions this year, especially with the depth and quality of their pitching staff.


Great Plains Region High School Dream Team

C – Maverick Handley, Sr., Mullen (Colo.)
Handley is solidly built 5-foot-10, 200-pound catcher but is surprisingly quick-twitch in his athletic actions. He's especially quick behind the plate and is capable of pop times in the 1.7's throwing to second base. At the plate, Handley is a righthanded hitter who posted a .483-3-12 line as a junior at Mullen High School and only struck out three times in 21 games. In addition to his physical tools and skills, Handley is also a high energy player with lots of leadership skills on the field. He's an outstanding student and is signed with Stanford.

1B – Joey Wentz, Sr., Shawnee Mission East (Kan.)
Wentz was a second team All-Kansas pick as a junior as a lefthanded pitcher with a mid- to upper-80s fastball last spring and summer. Until recently, scouts felt that Wentz's ceiling was higher as a power hitting first baseman. He has a very projectable and athletic 6-foot-5, 220-pound build and outstanding power potential and leverage in his swing. Wentz gained attention with that power when he blasted a 543-foot home run at the junior home run derby at the 2015 MLB All-Star Game in Cincinnati, although it was with a non-BBCOR metal bat. However, Wentz has moved his fastball up to 93 mph in workouts late this winter and will be looked at for his two-way potential this spring.  He is signed with 2015 NCAA champion Virginia.

MIF – Cole Stobbe, Sr., Millard West (Neb.)
Stobbe hit .426-4-44 last spring in the Nebraska high school ranks, then was one of the stars of the summer circuit, including starting at shortstop for the USA 18u National Team and playing in the Perfect Game All-American Classic.  Stobbe shows flashes of ability to play all of the infield positions defensively, and while most scouts project him at third base as he matures physically, second base remains a realistic option. He is signed with Arkansas.

MIF – Nonie Williams, Sr., Home Schooled/Turner (Kan.)
Williams is a dynamic athlete with outstanding speed but a build that looks like it was made to play safety at a high level in football. He is home schooled but plays for Turner High School in Kansas City. Williams was originally part of the 2017 class but went through the re-classification process with Major League Baseball last spring before signing with LSU during the fall. Most scouts feel his actions and athleticism are best suited for center field in the future but he will continue to play shortstop until that happens.

3B – Grant Judkins, Sr., Pella (Iowa)
Judkins was the Iowa Player of the Year last summer after hitting .520-13-57 and going 11-1, 0.56 on the mound with 112 strikeouts in 74 innings. A lefthanded hitter with a 6-foot-3, 190-pound build, Judkins has a strong swing with lots of power potential and plenty of arm strength at third base.  Judkins is signed with Iowa and will likely get a chance to be a two-way player should he honor that commitment, as his fastball sits in the upper-80s with a good curveball to complement it.

OF – Logan Foster, Sr., Lincoln Southwest (Neb.)
Foster hasn't received much exposure to the national scouting community but has the tools to attract scouts attention this spring. He plays all over the field for Lincoln Southwest High School, including catcher and the outfield, and also struck out 51 hitters in 32 innings on the mound.  He's signed with Texas A&M as an outfielder with a leadoff hitter/center fielder profile.

OF – Wyatt Featherston, Sr., Green Mountain (Colo.)
Featherston is a two-time Colorado All-State selection for the two-time defending Class 4A state champion Green Mountain Rams. He hit .351-5-18 last spring but posted a huge sophomore season when he hit .438-8-38 with 38 walks. The Western Kentucky signee is a 6.7 runner in addition to having a strong righthanded bat.

OF – Kace Massner, Sr., Burlington Community (Iowa)
Massner checks in at 6-foot-5, 210-pounds but has a long and lean build and is all quick-twitch in his lower half. He ran a 6.34 60-yard dash last summer making him one of the fastest high school players in the country despite his size. Massner is a graceful outfielder who not surprisingly has lots of range in the outfield and is a lefthanded hitter with quick hands and a gap-to-gap swing.  He is signed with Iowa.

UT – Spencer Van Scoyoc, Sr., Jefferson (Iowa)
Van Scoyoc is a repeat selection for the utility spot on this Great Plains Dream Team and is ranked as the 58th best prospect in the country by Perfect Game as a lefthanded pitcher. The very projectable Van Scoyoc took a big step forward last fall with his arm strength, starting to touch 90 mph with his fastball and adding more power to his curveball, which is already one of the best breaking balls in the country. Arizona State thinks enough about the lefthanded hitter for Coach Tracy Smith to say this about Van Scoyoc in their 2016 signings press release: “Spencer is one of the top two-way players in the nation. He has proven to be one of the best lefthanded pitchers in the Midwest who we believe has the potential to be a middle of the order bat in the Pac-12."

P – Riley Pint, Sr., St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.)
Pint is the top ranked righthanded pitcher in the 2016 high school class and is frequently talked about as a potential top 10 pick in the June draft. He went 5-2 with a 2.20 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 35 innings last spring for St. Thomas Aquinas High School, then regularly topped out at 96-98 mph during the summer with his fastball. Pint's second pitch, a knuckle curveball, shows the potential to be another strikeout pitch if he can improve the control and consistency of it. He is signed with Louisiana State.

P – Tyler Benninghoff, Sr., Rockhurst (Kan.)
Benninghoff is a high level athlete who plays the infield when not pitching and is the quarterback and punter on the Rockhurst High School football team in the fall. At 6-foot-4, 180-pounds with broad shoulders, he is very projectable and already is touching 91-92 with his fastball to go with an outstanding curveball. Benninghoff went 5-1 with a 1.25 ERA in 39 innings last spring while also hitting .398 with a pair of home runs. He is signed with Arkansas, and if he makes it to campus after the June draft he'll be joining his brother, Tyler, a freshman redshirt infielder with the Razorbacks, in 2015.

P – Ryan Zeferjahn, Sr., (Seaman (Kan.)
Zeferjahn was an unknown entering his junior year last spring but the 6-foot-4, 190-pound righthander added almost 10 mph to his fastball from his sophomore season and went 6-2 with a 1.48 ERA with 86 strikeouts in 52 innings for the Kansas class 5 runner-ups. His fastball now tops out in the mid-90s to go with a hard slider and a changeup. Zeferjahn had a whirlwind summer after scouts discovered him, culminating with an appearance in the Perfect Game All-American Classic in August. He is signed with Kansas.

P – Dalton Feeney, Sr., Century (N.D.)
Feeney is a three-sport standout from Bismarck, North Dakota, who has had very little national exposure in baseball due to his multiple sports and the reality of living in one of the most northern reaches of the country. He did pitch at an event with fellow All-Region member Riley Pint last July, though, and many scouts were reportedly more impressed by the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Feeney, who topped out at 96 mph, than they were by Pint. Feeney was named North Dakota's Gatorade Football Player of the Year last fall after quarterbacking Century High School to the state 3A state title. He's signed to play baseball at Missouri.

P – Bo Weiss, Sr., Regis Jesuit (Colo.)
Weiss, the son of Rockies manager Walt Weiss, made significant improvements during the summer and fall and is ready for an outstanding spring. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound righthander bumped his fastball from the upper-80s  up to 94 mph during the last year and made similar improvements to his curveball and changeup while beginning to show confidence in both pitches for the first time. Weiss is ranked 88th in the Perfect Game 2016 player rankings and is the top ranked player from Colorado. Like his father, who was the 12th overall pick in the 1985 draft, Weiss has signed with North Carolina.


Great Plains Region Top Tools

This is PG 'DiamondKast' Level content.
You must be either an DiamondKast, Crosschecker Rankings & Scouting Reports, or Scout subscriber to read the rest.
Sign in Subscribe Now
Give us your feedback
High School | General | 12/24/2025

2025 Year In Review: High School
Cam McElwaney
Article Image
IMG Academy Takes Home the National Title Every year IMG Academy comes into the spring with top-to-bottom one of the top rosters in the country and every year have the expectation of winning the national championship. Well in 2025 they did just that after finishing the spring 24-1, winning the High School Showdown, and winning 15 straight games to end their season. Their high end offensive ability was on full display throughout the year and they will once again be one of the most talented teams in the country in ’26 as they look to go back-to-back. Two Top-10 Picks in the MLB Draft Headline National Players of the Year It was another loaded crop that took home the National Players of the Year as both Ethan Holliday, the National Player of the Year, and Seth Hernandez, National Pitcher of the Year, heard their names called within the first-10 picks in the MLB Draft. Another first...
Read More
Draft | Rankings | 12/24/2025

Top 2027 Collegiate Draft Prospects

Isaiah Burrows
Article Image
With the 2025 cycle officially behind us and the calendar nearly flipping over to 2026, it is time to start looking ahead to the future. More importantly, start looking ahead to the next season of college baseball and what that may mean for draft-eligible players with big dreams of continuing their journey. While the 2026 MLB Draft is now on the horizon, we are looking ahead to the future even further – to see which players have already made impacts upon their arrival to college campuses. We have already dropped our 2028 Top 75 collegiate prospects board, but this one is our Top 100 college prospects who will be eligible for the 2027 class. These are the Top 100 players in our eyes for this group, and many of them have already shown up on campus and been impactful in many ways. Whether its our top-ranked player in Oregon State’s Dax Whitney or ninth-ranked William Schmidt...
Read More
Draft | Rankings | 12/23/2025

Top 2028 Collegiate Draft Prospects

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
The college players in the 2028 draft class have yet to step on campus, but they're positioned to make an immediate impact. Several high end talents either turned down significant money last year or honored strong college commitments, resulting in their arrival on campus this fall. The class is currently led by a trio of high-upside arms in Jack Bauer, Angel Cervantes, and Cameron Appenzeller. They are followed by a deep group of bats that rounds out a strong, high end Top-10. Rk. Name Level Pos. B-T School Hometown State 1 Jack Bauer C LHP L-L Mississippi State Frankfort IL 2 Angel Cervantes C RHP R-R UCLA Lynwood CA 3 Cameron Appenzeller C LHP L-L Tennessee Springfield IL 4 Brayden Jaksa C C R-R Oregon Fremont  CA 5 JD Stein C SS R-R Wake Forest Carmel IN 6 Mason Ligenza C OF L-L Pittsburgh Brockton PA 7 Ty Peeples C OF L-R Georgia Lavonia GA 8 Lucas Franco C SS L-R TCU Katy TX 9...
Read More
Juco | Story | 12/23/2025

2025 Year in Review: JUCO

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Looking Back at the 2025 Top 10  Matt Barr (‘25 Niagara, ‘26 Minnesota Twins) Bursting onto the scene last winter, footage of an indoor bullpen rocketed Barr onto the radar of many. Explosive fastball reaches near triple digits with incredible spin numbers across the secondaries. Huge numbers at Niagara earned him the title of the first Juco player drafted in 2025. JC Vanek (‘25 Chipola, ‘26 Kansas City Royals) Just a professional hitter. Vanek for two years at Chipola was an impossible out. While there are questions if the power will ever reach what it takes to play first base at the big league level, the bat and quality defensive skillset at first base may carry. Donovan Becerra (‘25 New Mexico, ‘26 Texas Tech) One of the more high octane arms anywhere in the country last year. Can reach back for upper 90’s and has shown serious swing and...
Read More
Draft | Story | 12/22/2025

2025 Year in Review: Draft

Isaiah Burrows
Article Image
2025 Year in Review: Draft We’ve reached the end of the 2025 calendar year, and while we’ve already jumped in on the 2026 cycle with some of the fall events and post-draft content we’ve had here at Perfect Game, there’s still one more piece on the docket, and that’s the 2025 Year-In-Review piece here from the PG Draft staff.  The 2025 MLB Draft took place in July, when many highly talented players heard their names called and continued their journey through the game to the next level. There’s already been some of those names making noise in the minors and guys who are moving up prospect lists and becoming names to know for MLB fans digging deep into the future of their organizations. While we are going to “close the book” on 2025 with this article, these players still have many years ahead of them, and many blank pages to continue...
Read More
College | Recruiting | 12/22/2025

Recruiting Notebook: December 22

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
Lucien Saint Cyr, INF, Class of 2026 Commitment: Bucknell Saint Cyr announced his pledge to Bucknell, giving the Bison an interesting blend of present tools and projection. Saint Cyr stands 6-foot-1 and offers room to fill in his medium frame, profiling in the middle infield defensively. The New York product starts wide at the base in the right-handed box, keeping his hands high behind the ear. He works into a subtle outward step load, firing through a compact barrel that showcases bat speed and gap-to-gap impact. For head coach Scott Heather and Bucknell, they land a high-quality Northeast infielder in the ’26 cycle, adding to a class that takes the quality over quantity approach. Patrick Diaz ('26, NY) 102 EV off the bat. Impact to the pull side. #PGNational @PGMidAtlantic @PG_Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/NN0L3FRdO9 — PG Showcases (@PGShowcases) July 9, 2025 Patrick Diaz,...
Read More
High School | General | 12/19/2025

Huntington Beach HS World Series Recap

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
MVPitcher: Duncan McLeod The uncommitted junior toed the slab in three of the four games for Team Mick, tossing 3 2/3 innings.  Zero walks, zero hits and 6 punchouts for the lefty who was used both as a starter in the series clinching game 4 and he closed out game 3 on Friday in quick fashion.  McLeod was very efficient as well, needing just 42 pitches over all his outings.  In the game 4 start, over two innings he punched out 3, with one strikeout with all of his offerings.  The mid 80’s fastball regularly played up, set up with efficient use of the secondaries, with the breaking ball 73/74 and fading change-up 72-74.   Owen Bone (2026) at it again... Solo shot in the 5th to tie things up. Back to back days with a home run for Bone. #PGHS pic.twitter.com/2JC9qETI5h — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) December 13, 2025 MV Hitter: ...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 12/19/2025

13u Tourney All-American Team

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
What a year it was in 2025 on the national landscape at the 13u level as Perfect Game continues to expand its reach around the country, providing an even bigger schedule of events coast-to-coast which has allowed players all over show out and gain their deserved recognition. Whether in Texas for the Houston 1000 or the 13u WWBA in West Palm Beach, we saw huge, eye opening performances from the players placed below, knowing that we could EASILY build a third team and likely a fourth without much effort.  As we do every year with this exercise, it's worth pointing out the trickiness of this age group and putting the teams together with the 13u group. While the players are all members of the Class of 2030, some are younger for the grade, which allowed them to play at the 12u level where's it's a smaller field, shorter mound distance and different bats, so we'll separate them out and...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 12/18/2025

14u Tourney All-American Team

Tyler Russo
Article Image
Player of the Year: Asher Williams It was an incredible year for Williams that was rewarded with a trip to the 14U Select Fest, before some more impressive play in the fall. He came to the plate almost 250 times in PG tournaments throughout 2025 and reached base in well over half of them, hitting to a .500 AVG while slugging a 14U circuit best 12 bombs and driving in 113 runs. The numbers on the surface are ridiculous, but when you look at the high-level events he put them up in, it makes it even more impressive. Pitcher of the Year: Tristan Blalock Blalock earns this honor after a dominant 2025 where he struck out 85 batters in just 48.2 innings of work with a minuscule 1.58 ERA. This included several strong performances at many national level tournaments and showcases where he was able to bully some of the best hitters in the country. It’s hard not to fall in love with...
Read More
Draft | Story | 12/18/2025

PG Draft: Gut Feel Guys

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
While we are nearing the turn of the calendar to the 2026 year, that means we are just inching closer to the beginning of the season for many high school players and college baseball is on the horizon. We are prepping for a reshuffle of the 2026 MLB Draft Board as well here amongst the PG Draft staff. But before we get to that, we sat down and have each picked a couple of players who are in the mix to get selected in a couple of different buckets.  We have prospects who could go into the Top 30 picks or so, prospects who could be selected in the Top 5 rounds, and prospects who could go inside of the Top 10 rounds. With the draft quite far down the road and a lot of re-shuffling to be done as these players play themselves into certain spots on the draft board, our scouts picked some players who fit into these “buckets” who are gut-feel guys. These are the guys that our PG...
Read More
Loading more articles...
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2025 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.