SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri State baseball head coach Keith Guttin announced Monday (Nov. 19) the receipt of official commitments from 10 high school standouts and one junior college transfer during the NCAA's early signing period. The Bears' signing class features six players ranked among the top 30 prep seniors in the state of Missouri, according to Prep Baseball Report.
 

The new additions to the Bears' 2019-20 roster are highlighted by three pitchers, including two-way standout Mason Auer (Springfield, Mo.), as well as Hayden Minton (Collinsville, Okla.) and Cole Schroeder (Foristell, Mo.). Additionally, MSU added infielders Blake Mozley (Ozark, Mo.) and Grant Wood (Jefferson City, Mo.), catchers Drake Baldwin (Madison, Wis.) and Carson Shaver (Ozark, Mo.) and outfielders Bryson Kemp (Magnolia, Texas), Chase Krogman (Dardenne Prarie, Mo.), Blaise Matheny (Weldon Spring, Mo.) and Greg Ziegler (Joliet, Ill.).

"We feel like this is strong class," Guttin commented. "Last year, we focused on adding some depth to our pitching staff with a strong crop of high school arms. With this class, we were looking to balance that with some high-caliber position players and I think we accomplished that with a good mix of right and left-handed bats, some quality arms, as well as an accomplished Division I transfer."

Mason Auer (RHP/OF, 6-1, 185, Fr., Springfield, Mo., Kickapoo High School)              
A local product from Springfield Kickapoo High School, Auer has been a two-way standout for the Chiefs each of the last two seasons. The right-hander earned first-team Missouri Class 5 All-State recognition as a utility player as a junior last spring, in addition to picking up All-Ozarks Conference honors for the second year in a row while leading KHS to a district championship. Auer enters his senior campaign as the No. 3 overall prep recruit in the state of Missouri, as well as the top outfielder in the 2019 class, according to Perfect Game.

Drake Baldwin (C, 6-0, 200, Fr., Madison, Wis., Madison West High School)                         
One of two catchers in this year's recruiting class, Baldwin will join the Bears after completing a four-year prep career at Madison (Wis.) West High School. A two-time all-city honoree for the Regents, Baldwin is the No. 4 overall 2019 recruit in Wisconsin and the top catching prospect in the state, according to Prep Baseball Report. A standout on the ice as well, Baldwin was the state of Wisconsin's leading goal-scorer with 43 last winter.

Bryson Kemp (OF, 6-0, 175, Fr., Magnolia, Texas, Klein Oak High School)                        
A three-year letterwinner as an outfielder for Klein Oak High School in Spring, Texas, Kemp has earned all-district honors each of the last two seasons, helping the Panthers advance to state playoff appearances all three years. Ranked as the No. 21 prep outfielder in the talent-rich state of Texas by Perfect Game, he picked up his club's Big Stick Award and also earned honors from the Greater Houston Coaches Association.

Chase Krogman (OF, 5-11, 185, Fr., Dardenne Prairie, Mo., Liberty High School)                        
One of the most prolific hitters in this year's class, Krogman enters his senior season as Liberty High School's already entrenched at the top of the program's all-time leaderboard for hits, home runs, RBIs, doubles and runs scored. The No. 3 overall prep recruit—and the No. 2 outfielder—in the state of Missouri, according to Prep Baseball Report, Krogman is a three-time all-district and all-conference performer for the Eagles and a two-time Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American Honorable Mention selection.

Blaise Matheny (OF, 6-3, 215, Fr., Weldon Spring, Mo., Westminster Christian Academy)                        
Another outfielder from the St. Louis area, Matheny will follow in the footsteps of older brother Tate at Missouri State. The younger Matheny batted .368 with a home run, 26 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in his first full varsity season for Westminster Christian Academy last spring, helping the Wildcats to a 29-3 overall record and a Missouri Class 4 quarterfinal appearance. He is rated as the No. 29 overall prep prospect in the state by Prep Baseball Report.
      
Hayden Minton (RHP, 6-3, 185, Fr., Collinsville, Okla., Collinsville High School)                        
Minton enters his senior season at Collinsville (Okla.) High School as one of the most highly regarded players in the state of Oklahoma, ranking as the No. 12 prep standout in this year's recruiting class according to both Prep Baseball Report and Perfect Game. The right-hander starred for the Cardinals' Oklahoma 5A regional championship club last spring as both a pitcher and third baseman, then picked up all-tournament honors at the WWBA 17U National Championship over the summer.
 

Blake Mozley (IF, 5-10, 170 Fr., Ozark, Mo., Ozark High School)                                   
The Bears will also bring in one of the top area infielders in this year's recruiting class, as Mozley enters his final prep season at Ozark (Mo.) High School as the No. 4 shortstop (and No. 13 overall recruit) in the state of Missouri, according to Prep Baseball Report. The two-time Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American Honorable Mention choice earned his second-straight All-COC Large citation, as well as an all-district nod last spring for the Tigers.

Cole Schroeder (LHP, 6-1, 180, Fr., Foristell, Mo., Christian Brothers College High School)                                         
Rated as the top prep left-hander in the state of Missouri by both Prep Baseball Report and Perfect Game, Schroeder is coming off back-to-back All-Metro Catholic Conference citations for CBC High School in St. Louis. The two-time Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American High Honorable Mention selection went 4-3 with a 1.25 ERA in nine outings last spring for the Cadets, including a school-record 19-strikeout performance. He also earned a pair WWBA National Championship all-tournament honors and participated in the 2017 PG Underclass All-American Games.

Carson Shaver (C/IF, 5-10, 190, Fr., Ozark, Mo., Ozark High School)                                        
A prep teammate of fellow signee Blake Mozley at Ozark (Mo.) High School, Shaver was an all-district and All-COC performer last spring for the Tigers. Also an infielder for OHS, Shaver hit .376 with five home runs in his second varsity campaign. He enters his final prep season as Missouri's No. 3 catcher in this year's recruiting class, according to Perfect Game, which also rated him as the No. 19 overall player in the state.

Grant Wood (IF, 5-11, 195, Jr., Jefferson City, Mo., Jefferson College/Jefferson City High School)                                        
A middle infielder from Jefferson City, Mo., Wood will join the Bears after competing for Jefferson College (Mo.) as a sophomore in 2019. Wood earned Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year and Collegiate Baseball Division I Freshman All-American honors this past spring as a freshman at Murray State, where he hit .376 with five home runs and 46 RBIs and ranked fifth nationally with a .520 on-base percentage for the Racers. As a two-time all-state honoree as a prep standout at Jefferson City High School, he was named an ABCA/Rawlings All-American and the MHSBCA's player of the year for the state of Missouri in 2017 after leading the Jays to a state title.

Greg Ziegler (OF, 6-0, 180, Fr., Joliet, Ill., Joliet Catholic Academy)                                        
A three-year starter for Joliet (Ill.) Catholic Academy, Ziegler is coming off a breakthrough junior campaign in which he hit .402 with three home runs and a team-leading 35 RBIs. The all-area and All-ESCC selection helped the Hilltoppers to a regional title as part of a 31-6 season after picking up Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-America recognition. The No. 14 overall prep recruit in the state of Illinois according to Prep Baseball Report, Ziegler was an all-tournament pick at the 2017 WWBA 16U National Championship and earned an invitation to the 2017 PBR Future Games for Team Illinois.

Coming off the most-successful four-year stretch in program history, the Bears will open their 2019 slate Feb. 15 against Nevada as part of the Texas State Invitational in San Marcos, Texas. Ticket information for the Bears' home slate is currently being finalized and will be made available through the official web home of Missouri State Athletics, MissouriStateBears.com, later this fall.