Coming to Missouri Baseball Near You: Freshmen
Missouri baseball fans can expect to see a lot of new faces on the roster for Missouri in the 2024 season, in fact there are more new faces than old.
The end of the 2023 campaign saw a lot of departure for the Tigers. Four of their key contributors got picked up in the MLB draft, but many of those leaving chose to do so through the transfer portal. Lots of roster turnover is expected with a new coach, but they didn't just get a new head coach in Kerrick Jackson to spark their hopes of a more successful season, they got 22 new players to work with — 10 of those being freshmen.
Missouri was able to pick up a lot of top-ranked players for their roster that should make an impact all over the diamond.
"I think it's one of those things where you come into a situation like this new, you have what you have to work with and as coaches, we have to be able to adapt to what we have," Jackson said.
Drew Culbertson- INF
Culbertson should bring some power and speed to the batting order — maybe even in his freshman year. He hit .419 with eight home runs in his senior season. This middle infielder was rated as the No. 2 prep shortstop and the No. 9 overall recruit in the state of Indiana’s 2023 recruiting class. In high school, his primary position was shortstop with stints at third base according to Prep Baseball. Culbertson’s arm should show off alongside his strength at the plate. The incoming freshman has a velocity of 90 mph in the infield and a 72.9 mph bat speed.
Jack Holubowski- INF
Despite having a season-ending injury during his junior year that lingered into his senior year, Holubowski was still able put up good numbers, batting .295 with three home runs and 15 RBIs. He was rated as the top third baseman and the No. 17 overall recruit in the class of 2023 in the state of Missouri by PBR. He put up an max exit velocity of 98.8 at the plate and an infield velocity of 90 mph.
Thomas Curry- C
Curry is one of two new freshman catchers the Tigers picked up for the 2024 season. He earned WBCA Second-Team All-State honors after hitting .437 as a senior and was ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 2 catcher and the No. 9 overall Wisconsin prep in the class of 2023. Curry has shown to be strong behind the plate with a pop time of 1.9 seconds and quick transfer and release out of the glove, according to Perfect Game.
Kaden Peer- OF/INF
From CBC high school in St. Louis, Peer is bringing his offensive threat to Columbia. He hit .393 with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs as a senior. Peer put his full range on display at the plate last season, recording 14 doubles, three triples and nine steals. Outside of the outfield, where he was ranked fifth in the state of Missouri, Peer played shortstop for his school.
Tyler Macon- INF
Macon can fill out both the shortstop and second base position for the Tigers, but was highly ranked at shortstop. He was rated by Prep Baseball Report as the No. 2 shortstop and 19th overall recruit in the class of 2023 in the state of Missouri. Macon comes with some speed, too. His bat and infield speed both top 90 mph. His speed isn't his only selling point, he also comes with a good eye at the plate, hitting .391 in high school.
Charlie Miller- RHP
Miller’s got some power behind his pitches, reaching up to the 90s before his first collegiate season. He was ranked No. 9 right hand pitcher in the state of Missouri by PBR. Miller is used to winning despite adversity, he helped his high school prep team to their first state championship win in 2022. Even though he is listed as a pitcher, Miller has experience as an infielder and was a three-time MHSBCA All-State selection as a utility player.
Wil Libbert- LHP
An instant impact to the pitching rotation can be expected with the addition of Libbert. During his senior season, Libbert threw for a 0.37 ERA and a 5-2 record. He earned 97 punch-outs in just 38 innings pitched, helping him achieve the No. 3 rank as an overall prospect for the state of Missouri and No. 15 as a left-hander in the nation by both Prep Baseball Report and Perfect game.
Ben Smith- RHP
Smith made a name for himself in Missouri pitching prospects after he made first team all-state two years in a row and will be expected to continue to make a name for himself with the Tigers. He was the No. 11 ranked overall prospect and No. 4 right-hander in the state of Missouri by Prep Baseball Report. His fastball speeds don’t tend to dip below the 90s and he has a couple other developed pitches in his arsenal.
Josh McDevitt- RHP
Another impressive pitching addition hoping to make a splash with the Tigers, McDevitt comes with major swing and miss power and a fastball in the 90s. He posted a 0.61 ERA in his senior season, while striking out 140 in just 80.1 innings. McDevitt was the No. 5 ranked right-hand pitcher from Illinois.
Mateo Serna- C
One of the two new freshman backstops that the Tigers added, Serna will bring some skill both at and behind the plate. He hit .332 with 14 home runs during his three-year run at his prep school, seven of those coming in his senior year, along with 38 RBIs. As a catcher, Serna reached No. 5 rank in Florida and has a 1.9 second pop time.
The Tigers season starts in California as they face off against Cal Poly in a four-game series starting on Friday at 8 p.m.
