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| 2,414 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,414 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Draft  | State Preview | 6/5/2017

State Snapshots: Great Plains

Photo: Mizzou Athletic Strategic Communications

 


Perfect Game 2017 MLB Draft Preview Index

South Atlantic
– FL, GA, NC, SC

Southeast – AL, KY, MS, TN
South Central – AR, LA, OK, TX
Mountain – AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY
Pacific – AK, CA, HI, OR, WA
Great Plains – IA, KS, MO, NE, ND, SD
Great Lakes – IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI
Mid-Atlantic – DE, DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV
New England – CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT
Canada and Puerto Rico


Iowa

BEST COLLEGE TEAM:
Iowa
BEST JUNIOR COLLEGE TEAM: Iowa Western

PROSPECT ON THE RISE:
Daniel Tillo, lhp, Iowa Western
WILD CARD: Jake Adams, 1b, Iowa

Best Out-of-State Prospect, Iowa Connection:
 Derek Burkamper, rhp, Nebraska
Top 2018 Prospect: Ian Bedell, rhp, Davenport Central HS
Top 2019 Prospect: Harrison Cook, rhp, Prairie HS

HIGHEST DRAFT PICKS

Draft History:
Mike King, lhp, Morningside College (1980, Athletics/1st round, 4th pick)

2012 Draft: Alec Rash, rhp, Adel-Desoto HS (Phillies/2nd round)
2013 Draft: Dakota Freese, rhp, Des Moines Area CC (Athletics/12th round)
2014 Draft: Mitch Keller, rhp, Xavier HS (Pirates/2nd round)
2015 Draft: Blake Hickman, rhp, Iowa (White Sox/7th round)
2016 Draft: Spencer Van Scoyoc, lhp, Jefferson HS (Blue Jays/19th round)


2016 DRAFT OVERVIEW

College Players Drafted/Signed:
 3/2
Junior College Players Drafted/Signed: 1/1
High School Players Drafted/Signed: 1/0

PROSPECTS IN THE TOP 500:

  • Daniel Tillo, lhp, Iowa Western (77)
  • Jake Adams, 1b, Iowa (308)
  • John Swanda, rhp, Roosevelt (398)
  • Korry Howell, ss, Kirkwood (494)

Kansas


BEST COLLEGE TEAM:
 Kansas
BEST JUNIOR COLLEGE TEAM: Johnson County
BEST HIGH SCHOOL TEAM: St. Thomas Aquinas

PROSPECT ON THE RISE: Nolan Hoffman, rhp, Hutchinson JC
WILD CARD: Shane Cooper, ss, Hutchinson JC


Best Out-of-State Prospect, Kansas Connection:
 Bryce Montes De Oca, rhp, Missouri
Top 2018 Prospect: Jackson Goodard, rhp, Kansas
Top 2019 Prospect: Ryan Zeferjahn, rhp, Kansas

HIGHEST DRAFT PICKS

Draft History:
Joe Carter, of, Wichita State (1981, Cubs/1st round, 2nd pick); Darren Dreifort, rhp, Wichita State (1993, Dodgers/1st round, 2nd pick)

2012 Draft: Collin Wiles, rhp, Blue Valley West HS (Rangers/1st round, 53rd pick)
2013 Draft: Jared King, of, Kansas State (Mets, 5th round)
2014 Draft: Casey Gillaspie, 1b, Wichita State (Rays/1st round, 20th pick)
2015 Draft: Nate Griep, rhp, Kansas State (Brewers/8th round)
2016 Draft: Riley Pint, rhp, St. Thomas Aquinas HS (Rockies/1st round, 4th pick)


2016 DRAFT OVERVIEW

College Players Drafted/Signed:
 12/12
Junior College Players Drafted/Signed: 5/5
High School Players Drafted/Signed: 7/5

PROSPECTS IN THE TOP 500:

  • Nolan Hoffman, rhp, Hutchinson (335)

Missouri


BEST COLLEGE TEAM:
Missouri State
BEST JUNIOR COLLEGE TEAM: Crowder
BEST HIGH SCHOOL TEAM: Jefferson City

PROSPECT ON THE RISE: Jake Burger, 3b, Missouri State
WILD CARD: Bryce Montes de Oca, rhp, Missouri

Best Out-of-State Prospect, Missouri Connection:
 Alex Lange, rhp, Louisiana State
Top 2018 Prospect: Dylan Coleman, rhp, Missouri State
Top 2019 Prospect: Kameron Misner, of, Missouri

HIGHEST DRAFT PICKS

Draft History:
Roy Branch, rhp, Beaumont HS, St. Louis (1971, Royals/1st round, 5th pick)

2012 Draft: Pierce Johnson, rhp, Missouri State (Cubs/1st round, 43rd pick)
2013 Draft: Rob Zastryzny, lhp, Missouri (Cubs/2nd round)
2014 Draft: Monte Harrison, of, Lee's Summit West HS (Brewers/2nd round)
2015 Draft: Jon Harris, rhp, Missouri State (Blue Jays/1st round, 29th pick)
2016 Draft: Joey Lucchesi, lhp, Southeast Missouri State (Padres/4th round)


2016 DRAFT OVERVIEW

College Players Drafted/Signed:
14/13
Junior College Players Drafted/Signed: 3/2
High School Players Drafted/Signed: 6/4

PROSPECTS IN THE TOP 500:

  • Tanner Houck, rhp, Missouri (26)
  • Jake Burger, 3b, Missouri State (33)
  • Bryce Montes De Oca, rhp, Missouri (181)
  • Jackson Rutledge, rhp, Rockwood Summit (214)
  • Josh Flemming, lhp, Webster University (427)

Nebraska

BEST COLLEGE TEAM:
 Nebraska
BEST JUNIOR COLLEGE TEAM: McCook
BEST HIGH SCHOOL TEAM: Norris

PROSPECT ON THE RISE: Chase Adams, rhp, McCook JC
WILD CARD: Derek Burkamper, rhp, Nebraska


Best Out-of-State Prospect, Nebraska Connection:
 Nolan Hoffman, rhp, Hutchison JC
Top 2018 Prospect: Luis Alvarado, rhp/of, Nebraska
Top 2019 Prospect: Sam Wibbels, rhp, Grand Island HS

HIGHEST DRAFT PICKS

Draft History:
Darin Erstad, of, University of Nebraska (1995, Angels/1st round, 1st pick)

2012 Draft: Ty Blach, lhp, Creighton (Giants/5th round)
2013 Draft: Sam Tewes, rhp, Waverly HS, Lincoln (Blue Jays/22nd round)
2014 Draft: Jakson Reetz, c, Norris HS, Firth (Nationals/3rd round)
2015 Draft: Tanner Lubach, c, Nebraska (Angels/9th round)
2016 Draft: Ryan Boldt, of, Nebraska (Rays/2nd round)


2016 DRAFT OVERVIEW

College Players Drafted/Signed:
 10/9
Junior College Players Drafted/Signed: 0/0
High School Players Drafted/Signed: 1/1

PROSPECTS IN THE TOP 500:

  • Derek Burkamper, rhp, Nebraska (491)

North Dakota

BEST COLLEGE TEAM:
 North Dakota State

BEST HIGH SCHOOL TEAM: Thompson

HIGHEST DRAFT PICKS

Draft History:
Zac Elgie, 1b, Minot HS (2008, Athletics/12th round)

2012 Draft: Nick Anderson, rhp, Mayville State (Brewers/35th round)
2013 Draft: John Straka, rhp, North Dakota State (Rangers/32nd round)
2014 Draft: No selection
2015 Draft: Jay Flaa, rhp, North Dakota State (Orioles/6th round)
2016 Draft: Zack Muckerhirn, lhp, North Dakots (Orioles/11th round)


2016 DRAFT OVERVIEW

College Players Drafted/Signed:
 2/2
Junior College Players Drafted/Signed: None
High School Players Drafted/Signed: 1/0


South Dakota


BEST COLLEGE TEAM:
 South Dakota State
BEST HIGH SCHOOL TEAM: Roosevelt

PROSPECT ON THE RISE: Dalton Lehnen, lhp, Augustana University

Best Out-of-State Prospect, South Dakota Connection: 
Jake Adams, 1b, Iowa
Top 2018 Prospect: Gustaf Radel, rhp, Roosevelt HS


HIGHEST DRAFT PICKS

Draft History:
Wade Adamson, rhp, South Dakota State (1978, Reds/4th round)

2012 Draft: Derek Hansen, rhp, Augustana College (A’s/23rd round)
2013 Draft: Layne Somsen, rhp, South Dakota State (Reds/22nd round)
2014 Draft: No selection
2015 Draft: Zach Coppola, of, South Dakota State (Phillies/13th round)
2016 Draft: Michael Letkewicz, rhp, Augustana College (Indians/23rd round)


2016 DRAFT OVERVIEW

College Players Drafted/Signed:
 1/1
High School Players Drafted/Signed: None

PROSPECTS IN THE TOP 500:
  • Dalton Lehnen, lhp, Augustana University (209)

Draft | Story | 4/10/2026

PG Draft: Favorite Position Group

Tyler Henninger
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Every draft class has its strengths. Some years its a loaded group of prep infielders, some years its a deep collection of college arms. In this year’s class, certain position groups stand out above the rest to us. This week, the draft team dives into their favorite position groups. Groups that we believe are loaded with depth, upside, and big league potential. College Infielders It’s hard not to get excited about the crop of college infielders in this year’s class because of who is at the top. Roch Cholowsky alone makes the group exciting. He’s got gold glove potential at the next level and an offensive profile that should make him one of the Top 15 to 20 prospects in all of baseball the second he gets drafted. Justin Lebron is another player with as much upside in the class. He is a premium athlete that can really pick it at short and has big upside with the...
College | Story | 4/21/2026

College Players of the Week: April 21

Vincent Cervino
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April 21st Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Tague Davis, IF, Louisville  The Louisville Cardinals (22-18) haven’t been able to get themselves in much of a groove this spring, their longest winning streak is 5-games, and they are (4-6) in their last 10-games.  The issue has not been the offense as the Cardinals are averaging over 8-runs per game and Tague Davis is leading the club in virtually every offensive category.  His calling card is his 70-grade power and that was on display last weekend in their series against Cal.  In the three-game series, Davis went 7 for 12, scoring 4 runs, launching 5 home runs and collected 7 RBIs.  The 6-4/220 lefthanded hitter from West Chester, PA has a pure stroke, is one of the premier power hitters in the nation and has significantly improved his plate discipline from a year ago.  After his big weekend, he is...
Press Release | Press Release | 4/20/2026

PG & EventConnect Extend Collaboration

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    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME AND EVENTCONNECT EXTEND COLLABORATION FOCUSED ON SCALE, SERVICE AND EXPERIENCE    Sanford, Florida (Monday, April 20, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the renewal and expansion of its long-standing housing and technology partnership with EventConnect, reaffirming a shared commitment to innovation, scale and best-in-class experiences for athletes, families and event operators across North America.    The renewed multi-year agreement extends a successful partnership that has helped Perfect Game...
College | Rankings | 4/20/2026

College Top 25: April 20

Vincent Cervino
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As the old saying goes, “all good things must come to an end” and that was the case last Tuesday when UCLA (36-3) saw their 27-game win streak come to an end in a shutout loss to UCSB.  However, the No. 1 team in the land still has their 21-game winning streak in Big Ten to protect, as they have started off league play without a single blemish.  The Bruins will remain atop our poll this week and their historical start to the season roll on.  The UNC Tarheels (33-7-1) move up to No. 2 this week after they made their biggest statement of the year by taking the weekend series from now No. 4 Georgia Tech (32-7).  No. 3 Texas (30-8) and No. 5 Georgia (32-9) both went (3-1) on the week and won their SEC series to stay in contention for the regular season title.  Florida State (28-11) had a nice bounce back (4-0) week and re-enter the Top 10 at No. 8 this...
College | Story | 4/16/2026

Coppy's Corner: April 16 POY Deep Dive

John Coppolella
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Each week I huddle with Vinnie Cervino and Craig Cozart  to discuss Top-25 rankings and Players of the Week. In Coppy’s Corner, I dive deeper into these Players of the Week, providing analysis from 20+ years working in baseball front offices at the highest level.   Player of the Week: Jaquae Stewart – Texas State University  If you squint a little bit, you can see some Josh Naylor or Dominic Smith in Jaquae Stewart, with a stout build like a more powerful version of the teacup from the children’s song. Lately, the Sun Belt Conference has been child’s play for Stewart as he has been on fire showing an improved hit approach and power that tracks more with his 2024 performance at Northwest Florida State College than with his 2025 experience at the University of Texas. It’s tough for any player to jump from a JUCO in Florida to the big stage...
High School | General | 4/16/2026

High School Notebook: April 16

Tyler Henninger
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Alain Gomez-Gudiño (‘26 AZ) with a pair of backside barrels, including a double. Physical 6-0/215 frame. Switch-hitter with power. Adv. defender with strong C&T behind the dish. @PGAllAmerican alum. #Gamecocks commit #PGHS @PG_Draft @SaguaroBaseball pic.twitter.com/2Vhuu5gYX9 — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) April 11, 2026 C Alain Gomez-Gudino, Saguaro (Ariz.) Since I first saw him as a sophomore, Gomez-Gudiño has long been one of my favorite prospects in the state. The backstop features a super physical frame at 6-foot-0, 215-pounds with a thick lower half and strong forearms. Defensively, Gomez-Gudiño has always stood out. He moves well for his size behind the plate and receives with confident hands. The catch-and-throw ability stands out. Gomez-Gudiño looks to be aggressive and will back pick runners often. The glove alone makes...
Juco | Rankings | 4/15/2026

JUCO Top 25: April 15

Blaine Peterson
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Another week of undefeated weeks for our top 4 ranked teams. Joining them in the top 5, coming off an undefeated week of their own, is Florence-Darlington, a team we have consistently had as a top 10 team all season long. Cloud County and Midland College continue to put together strong weeks and climb the rankings each week it seems. Jumping into the rankings this week on the strength of a 15-game winning streak is Seminole State (OK). And Linn Benton makes the top 25 for a 2nd consecutive week and looks like the top team in the NWAC this spring. Plenty of high-level matchups at the JUCO level for some of the top teams in the county this next week.  Rk. School Record 1 Johnson County (KS) 42-2 2 Gaston (NC) 43-3 3 McLennan (TX) 34-7 4 Chipola (FL) 37-7 5 Florence-Darlington (SC) 40-8 6 Walters State (TN) 37-10 7 Blinn (TX) 31-11 8 Florida Southwestern (FL) 30-12 9 Southern Nevada...
College | Rankings | 4/15/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: April 15

Nick Herfordt
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Welcome to this week's small school baseball rankings, covering NCAA Division II, the NAIA, and NCAA Division III. As the calendar turns toward the final weeks of the regular season, the urgency is real across all three levels — teams are running out of weekends to build their cases, and the extended postseason invitations that every program is chasing don't go to programs that peak in March. The next few weeks of results will carry more weight than anything that happened before spring break, and the postseason committees in all three divisions are watching closely. Every series dropped to a team you should beat, every road sweep you let get away — it all matters now in a way it simply didn't two months ago. What you'll also notice as you read through the breakdowns below is that the numbers are doing more of the heavy lifting in how these rankings are constructed. Run...
Press Release | Press Release | 4/15/2026

Perfect Game & Youth Prospects Team Up

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    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME AND YOUTH PROSPECTS ANNOUNCE   BROADCAST RIGHTS AND CONTENT PARTNERSHIP    Sanford, Florida (Wednesday, April 15, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with content platform Youth Prospects centered around broadcast rights, content collaboration and expanded visibility for elite youth baseball events.    As part of the agreement, Perfect Game will grant Youth Prospects broadcast rights to select games across its premiere events, including marquee matchups at the WWBA World...
College | Story | 4/14/2026

College Players of the Week: April 14

Vincent Cervino
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April 14th Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Jaquae Stewart, INF/OF, Texas State  The Texas State Bobcats (24-12) are sitting in second place in the ultra-competitive Sun Belt Conference, and they have one of the most explosive offenses in the country.  They average right at 8-runs per game and can slug with the best of them, averaging almost 2-home runs per game as well.  Sitting in the middle of the order, Jaquae Stewart, is putting together a career year and is becoming the focus of opposing teams.  The 5-10/234 junior from Sinton, Tx is your classic lefthanded power hitter and is thriving in his move from Austin to San Marcos.  While it wasn’t the best week for his club, Stewart was sensational, collecting 8 hits in his 19 at-bats, scoring 5 runs, launching 5 home runs and driving in an insane 17 runs.  For the season, he is now slashing...
Showcase | Story | 4/14/2026

PG Announces Prospect Gateway Schedule

Hannah Jo Groves
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PG has announced the dates for Prospect Gateway events across the country - unique opportunities for young players to receive professional feedback and prepare for the next level. The Prospect Gateways are for players ages 13U-14U and serve as a qualifier for the National Showcase. Kevin Schuver, the senior director of showcases at Perfect Game, said these events are chances for players to step out of their comfort zone and show what they’re really made of. “Perfect Game Prospect Gateways aren’t just events. They’re doorways into something bigger. For young athletes, they serve as the first real step beyond their local fields, where raw ability begins to meet visibility and purpose.” At the event, each player is assigned a PG advisor who will watch and advise them individually. There will also be other scouts giving tips on how to enhance and develop a...
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