SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State baseball received commitments from seven high school seniors during the National Letter of Intent signing period to join the Bears in the 2023-24 school year, including five in-state products, one from Colorado and one from Ontario.

Missouri State's newest commitments include:
Caden Bogenpohl • 6-5 • 230 • OF/RHP • Jackson, Mo. • Jackson High
Maloy Heaghney • 6-0 • 175 • SS • Eureka, Mo. • Eureka High
Brody McNiel • 6-4 • 190 • LHP • Rogersville, Mo. • Logan-Rogersville High
Curry Sutherland • 6-4 • 205 • 3B/RHP • Rogersville, Mo. • Logan-Rogersville High
Jake Syverson • 5-10 • 170 • RHP • Broomfield, Colo. • Holy Family High
Kaleb Thomas • 6-0 • 195 • RHP • Hagerville, Ontario • Brantford Collegiate Institute
William Zareh • 6-0 • 195 • C • Webster Groves, Mo. • Webster Groves High

Player Summaries:

Caden Bogenpohl • 6-5 • 230 • OF/RHP • Jackson, Mo. • Jackson High
A two-time all-state pick from southeast Missouri, Bogenpohl (pronounced BO-gen-pool) is a start two-way player for Jackson (Mo.) High. He earned second-team all-state honors as an outfielder his sophomore year after hitting .364 with a .517 on-base percentage and .670 slugging figure with four homers, 27 RBI, 21 runs and 26 walks in 31 games. The second-ranked outfielder in Missouri and No. 17 overall player, Bogenpohl was first-team all-state pick on the mound as a junior in 2022, striking out 72 batters in 39.2 innings with a 1.90 ERA and .131 opponent average. A repeat first-team all-conference and all-district pick last season, he posted a .405/.495/.838 slash line with seven homers, 29 RBI, 16 walks and 28 runs scored.

Associate Head Coach Joey Hawkins on Bogenpohl:
"Caden is a massive pick up for our program who we see making an impact immediately with his powerful skillset. He brings a left-handed swing with tons of raw power but also high-level plate discipline that fits in very well with our offensive philosophy. Caden also has the ability to help impact us on the mound with his tall athletic frame that runs his fastball up to 91-92."


Maloy Heaghney • 6-0 • 175 • SS • Eureka, Mo. • Eureka High
Heaghney (pronounced Heg-knee) is a talented infielder who is ranked as the No. 5 shortstop in Missouri's 2023 class. A two-time first-team all-conference selection, Heaghney hit .370 and fielded .965 as a sophomore to earn gold glove honors at third base. He received the same distinction at shortstop as a junior in 2022, hitting .330 and helping the Wildcats to a conference title and school-record 26 wins.

Associate Head Coach Joey Hawkins on Heaghney:
"Maloy will be near the top of this recruiting class in terms of pure athleticism. He showcases that athleticism in the middle of the field with smooth actions and above average arm strength combined with a very pure hit tool in the batter's box. We look forward to seeing Maloy make strides to an already impressive skillset once he steps foot on campus and we envision him impacting games in a number of different ways."


Brody McNiel • 6-4 • 190 • LHP • Rogersville, Mo. • Logan-Rogersville High
McNiel spent the first portion of his prep career playing for Hartville (Mo.) High and will play for Logan-Rogersville High as a senior. McNiel earned Class 3 first-team all-state honors as a utility player as both a sophomore and junior. The southpaw went 3-1 with a 0.56 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 50 innings his sophomore season, adding a .396 batting average with 38 RBI. As a junior, McNiel struck out 89 hitters in 51 innings with a 1.23 ERA, adding a .466 average with five homers, 13 doubles, 30 runs scored and 39 RBI on the offensive side. McNiel is rated as the No. 6 lefty in Missouri's 2023 class.

Pitching Coach Nick Petree on McNiel:
"Brody is a 6-4 lefty with a four-pitch mix and a fastball coming in at 87-89. Brody has an enormous amount of upside with an already polished arsenal of both command and stuff. He can throw any pitch in any count, making it an uncomfortable at bat for hitters. He should make an impact right away for the Bears. We are excited to see him develop in our program with the projectable frame and stuff that he already has."


Curry Sutherland • 6-4 • 205 • 3B/RHP • Rogersville, Mo. • Logan-Rogersville High
Sutherland has earned all-state honors following both varsity seasons at Logan-Rogersville. As a sophomore, he held opposing hitters to a .096 batting average, striking out 48 with a 1.45 ERA as a second-team all-conference and honorable mention all-state pick. Sutherland batted .356 and slugged .511 that season, driving in 24 runs and drawing 19 walks for a 22-6 club. Sutherland, who is the second-ranked third baseman in Missouri, posted a .439/.593/.829 slash line as a junior, earning second-team all-state honors while clubbing nine extra-base hits and driving in 23 runs in 16 games for the Class 5 state runners-up.

Associate Head Coach Joey Hawkins on Sutherland:
"Curry will not only bring physicality but also athleticism to our program on both sides of the ball. We see Curry using that physicality to make an early impact in his career both on the mound with a fastball touching 91 and an offensive profile that projects to hit for some big right-handed power throughout his time here with the ability to let his athleticism aid him at third base defensively. "


Jake Syverson • 5-10 • 170 • RHP • Broomfield, Colo. • Holy Family High
Syverson is entering his third varsity season at Holy Family High in suburban Denver, where he posted roughly two strikeouts per inning as a junior with a 2.20 ERA and finished with a 1.50 ERA as a sophomore in helping the Tigers to a 20-3 record and state runner-up finish. He is ranked as the No. 11 overall player in Colorado and the No. 4 right-handed pitcher.

Pitching Coach Nick Petree on Syverson:
"Jacob is bringing a very athletic arm with the ability to really spin the breaking ball. The four-seam fastball has ride and flashes 90-91 with the breaking ball being a plus swing and miss pitch for him. The change up has depth with room to become a very good third pitch. He has a great demeanor on the mound, and we see him helping the staff in year one."


Kaleb Thomas • 6-0 • 195 • RHP • Hagerville, Ontario • Brantford Collegiate Institute
Thomas comes from the same Mississauga Tigers High Performance Program that produced current MSU freshman Taeg Gollert as the connection with Associate Head Coach Joey Hawkins and his home province continues. Thomas is the eighth-ranked player in Canada and third-best prospect in Ontario in the 2023 class. At the high school level, Thomas was his team's rookie of the year as a freshman, helping the team to a county championship and throwing in a combined no-hitter. Thomas also was named team MVP of his high school basketball team twice.

Pitching Coach Nick Petree on Thomas:
"Kaleb is going to have the ability to potentially make a significant impact right away at the D1 level with both his explosive stuff and his pitch-ability. He brings a fastball up to 93 with a wipeout swing-and-miss slider and an improved change up to go with it. Kaleb has shown power stuff and the ability to consistently throw the ball over the plate in big situations against competition all over the world while playing for Team Canada. We look forward to seeing what he can do in a Bears uniform."


William Zareh • 6-0 • 195 • C • Webster Groves, Mo. • Webster Groves High
The top-ranked prep catcher in Missouri, Zareh is coming off a junior campaign in which he was team MVP for the Webster Groves Statesmen. He posted a .419/.541/.698 slash line with 17 extra-base hits and 23 RBI, earning team MVP honors. As a sophomore, Zareh batted .326 and was voted the team's defensive player of the year.

Associate Head Coach Joey Hawkins on Zareh:
"William is going to have the ability to fit right in to the speed of the game at the D1 level given his baseball IQ as well as the tools he brings to the table. William will bring elite catching ability to our program as well as some of the best arm strength from across the country in the 2023 class. William shows a balanced offensive profile that we're excited to watch grow inside our development program."