High School

Missouri high school pitcher fans 22 in record-breaking performance — but did he get the win?

Senior Mason Morris struck out 22 in just 8.1 innings, setting a school record and tying for third-most in state history in an extra-inning showdown

Levi Payton

Putnam County senior southpaw Mason Morris struck out 22 batters in an 8.1-inning start last Wednesday.
Putnam County senior southpaw Mason Morris struck out 22 batters in an 8.1-inning start last Wednesday. / Courtesy photo, Mason Morris

SPOILER ALERT: While voting is currently wide open for last week's Missouri High School On SI Baseball Player of the Week, next week's poll will include Putnam County's Mason Morris, and he's going to be tough to beat.

The senior southpaw turned in one of the most dominant pitching performances in Missouri high school history this week, striking out 22 batters over 8.1 shutout innings Wednesday night in a 1-0 extra-inning win over Green City.

Still uncommitted with a fastball up to 85 mph, Morris (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) broke the school’s single-game strikeout record of 18 and tied for third all-time in the state for strikeouts in an extra-inning game, according to MSHSAA records. What sets the outing apart from those others: Morris did it in fewer innings than anyone else in the top four.

He allowed just two hits, walked none, and threw 102 pitches - 85 of them for strikes (83.3%).

After allowing a leadoff single in the second, Morris struck out the next 14 batters. The first ball put in play after that was a weak tapper to the catcher in the sixth. He ended the seventh inning with 19 strikeouts, which would have placed him in a tie for fifth all-time in Missouri in strikeouts for a 7-inning game if the game had ended there.

Miller’s Tyler Abma holds the record for most strikeouts in a 7-inning game in Missouri history with 22, which he set against Walnut Grove on Apr. 16, 2007, in a game at Ash Grove. Two pitchers in Missouri high school history have have struck out 21 batters in a 7-inning game, and 10 are tied for fourth with 20.

Morris opened the eighth with a groundout, then struck out two more. He fanned the first batter of the ninth before being relieved by Sawyer Morgan, who struck out both batters he faced on just six pitches.

With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Calvin Ruiz ended it with a walk-off solo homer to left.

By rule, the win would typically be credited to Morgan, the pitcher of record when the winning run was scored. But official scorers have discretion in such cases and could award the win to Morris. It is not clear which pitcher was awarded the win in this game.

The MSHSAA state record for strikeouts in a game is 25, set by Gideon’s Cody Groves in 10 innings in 2012. Zach Brown (Santa Fe) had 23 in nine innings in 2004, and Jesse Mulch (Higbee) recorded 22 in 10 innings in 2005. Morris matched Mulch’s mark but did so in just 8.1 innings - fewer than any pitcher in the top tier of the list.

Setting records is nothing new to Morris. He broke Putnam County's record for home runs in a season (12) on a grand slam earlier this year and currently has 13. His 136 strikeouts this season are a team record. He is also inching closer to 350 career strikeouts but already holds that program record.

On the season, Morris has thrown 59.2 innings, allowed just 10 earned runs (1.17 ERA), and struck out 136 while walking a meager 15. Nine of those 15 walks came across three starts when he walked three in each game, the most walks he has given up in any game this season. He’s allowed no more than five hits in any start and has recorded 10 or more strikeouts six times, including 15 twice and 22, 13, 11 and 10 once.

Despite his success, and did we mention still currently uncommitted?, Morris clearly has his sights set on proving himself at the next level, telling KTVO in an interview that he just wants to make his supporters proud.

"[I] always represent Putnam County the best I can," Morris told KTVO. "I want people to be proud of me and whenever they see me step out on the field, I want to be something that people want to come watch, when these big crowds come to these big games. I don't want to let them down. So that's my biggest driver in the off-season. Whenever I'm getting ready, you know, all the hours in the weight room are just really making a name for myself and making my community proud, making my parents proud."

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Levi Payton
LEVI PAYTON

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