SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State baseball received commitments from 10 high school standouts this week to join the Bears in the 2024-25 school year.
 
Missouri State's newest commitments include:
Nathan Arterbridge • 6-1 • 200 • C • Townsend, Del. • St. Georges Tech
Benito Bonilla • 6-4 • 230 • UT • Halifax, Nova Scotia • Foothills Composite High
Logan Dunn • 6-0 • 185 • OF • Neshkoro, Wis. • Wautoma High
Logan Fyffe • 6-0 • 182 • IF • Springfield, Ohio • Kenton Ridge High
Ross Lawrence • 6-2 • 190 • LHP • Rogersville, Mo. • Logan-Rogersville High
Sam MacLaughlin • 6-1 • 185 • LHP • Toronto, Ont. • Humberside Collegiate Institute
Owen Slater • 6-4 • 185 • RHP • Brooklin, Ont. • Brooklin High
Charlie Spoonhour • 5-11 • 150 • RHP • St. Louis, Mo. • Vianney High
Garrett Springer • 6-4 • 220 • C/1B • Lincoln, Neb. • Lincoln East High
Michael Yusypchuk • 6-2 • 205 • RHP • Edmonton, Alberta • Foothills Composite High

Player Summaries:
 
Nathan Arterbridge • 6-1 • 200 • C • Townsend, Del. • St. Georges Tech
A three-time all-conference selection, Arterbridge already holds the St. Georges Tech career home run record with 16 and ranks second in RBI (64) entering his senior season with the Hawks, reaching those numbers in 55 total games. Arterbridge, who will be the first Bear ever from the state of Delaware, hit .346 with nine homers and 28 RBI as a junior. He hit .389 with four homers and 18 RBI his junior season, and helped his club to a 16-2 record and fourth-place state finish by hitting .333 with three homers and 18 RBI as a freshman.
 
Associate Head Coach Joey Hawkins on Arterbridge:
"Nathan is coming in as one of the top ranked catchers in the Northeast as well as the country. He is advanced with the bat with feel for hitting but some real game power. His offensive profile fits extremely well into our philosophy, and I look forward to him impacting our lineup immediately. Defensively he is an athletic catcher who has a quick transfer combined with arm strength and really soft hands that enhances his strike stealing ability. Nathan demonstrates leadership skills behind the plate, and we look forward to his bright future inside our program."
 

Benito Bonilla • 6-4 • 230 • UT • Halifax, Nova Scotia • Foothills Composite High
Originally from Nova Scotia, which he has represented in the Canadian Summer Games, Bonilla completed his high school studies at Foothills Composite High in Okotoks, Alberta, south of Calgary. He made the Canadian Junior National Team his junior season, helping his teams to a 66-11 record in competitive action with a .367/.488/.627 slash line, seven homers and 70 RBI at the plate.
 
Associate Head Coach Joey Hawkins on Bonilla:
"Benito will be joining our program from both the Okotoks Academy and the Junior National Team program in Canada. Coming in as one of the best two-way players in Canada, Benito demonstrates some of the best power on both sides of the ball in his whole country. He has some top-end exit velocity that will stack up at the top of our team and can also be a power right-handed arm on the mound. We look forward to developing Benito's loud tool set into a polished two-way player for our program who can help us win games on both sides of the ball."
 

Logan Dunn • 6-0 • 185 • OF • Neshkoro, Wis. • Wautoma High
A two-way star in Wisconsin, Dunn has piled up multiple awards through his first three prep seasons both on the mound and in the outfield. As a freshman, Dunn was first-team all-conference as a pitcher and second-team all-league as an outfielder. He tossed two no-hitters and went 6-0 with a 0.72 ERA and 76 strikeouts on the mound and posted a .430/.628/.619 slash line at the plate with 31 stolen bases. Dunn was the conference player of the year his sophomore season, picking up third-team all-state honors as an outfielder and first-team all-conference and all-district nods at both positions. He posted a 0.98 ERA with 65 strikeouts, and batted .500 with a 1.468 OPS while going a perfect 28-for-28 on the basepaths. His junior season, Dunn again doubled up on first-team all-conference and all-district selections, adding an honorable mention all-state nod in the outfield. He recorded a .476/.645/.759 slash line with 32 steals, and went 5-1 with a 1.23 ERA, 73 strikeouts and a .111 opponent average on the hill.
 
Associate Head Coach Joey Hawkins on Dunn:
"Logan is one of the most exciting offensive players in the Midwest and possibly the entire country. He is a future top of the order bat that absolutely flies around in the outfield on defense. He is a left-handed hitter with elite zone awareness and demonstrates bat speed that can generate a fun combo of contact and power to his game. We see Logan making an immediate impact to our lineup and being a force for our program."
 

Logan Fyffe • 6-0 • 182 • IF • Springfield, Ohio • Kenton Ridge High
Fyffe (pronounced Fife) has earned first-team all-Central Buckeye Conference, all-county, all-district and team defensive player of the year honors in each of his first three high school seasons. As a freshman, he hit .389 with a .476 on-base percentage, two homers and 16 RBI to help Kenton Ridge to a conference title. As a sophomore and junior, he added team offensive player of the year to his list of accomplishments, batting .385 with four homers and 27 RBI as a sophomore, and .403 with a homer and 14 driven in as a junior, posting a .473 or better on-base percentage each season. Fyffe also earned county player of the year honors his junior year.
 
Associate Head Coach Joey Hawkins on Fyffe:
"Logan is a physical right-handed hitting shortstop who will bring an exciting combination of tools and skills to our program. He is a smooth defender that moves well laterally despite his physicality and showcases a plus arm that will allow him to defend one of the most important positions on the field. Offensively he will bring some hard-hit ability and can develop into a powerful right-handed bat for us. Logan is a player we have been strongly looking forward to getting into our development system because we believe he can become a top player in our program."  
 

Ross Lawrence • 6-2 • 190 • LHP • Rogersville, Mo. • Logan-Rogersville High
The latest in a long line of talented Logan-Rogersville players to sign with the Bears in recent years, Lawrence has earned all-conference and all-district honors following each of his first three prep seasons, averaging 12 strikeouts per nine innings in his career. As a freshman, Lawrence went 5-1 with a 2.50 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 36.1 innings on the way to honorable mention all-conference and second-team all-district honors. Lawrence helped the Wildcats to a state runner-up finish his sophomore year, going 8-1 with a save in 57.2 innings, fanning 80 hitters with a 1.70 ERA. He also batted .330 and drove in 26 runs. As a junior, Lawrence struck out 55 in 36.2 innings, holding opponents to a .206 average with a 5-2 record. He also hit .384 with a .466 on-base percentage.
 
Associate Head Coach Joey Hawkins on Lawrence:
"Extremely excited to add Ross, one of the top arms in our state, to our program. Ross is a competitor who has pitched for a tremendous local program in Rogersville but has also pitched across the top tournaments in the country throughout the travel summer circuit. Ross brings us a high level of pitchability from the left side with a fastball that can touch 91 but also demonstrates the skill to throw both his breaking ball and changeup for a strike whenever he wants. I am excited to see Ross continue to develop, but he is a player with both a high ceiling and high floor who can help us right when he gets on campus."  
 

Sam MacLaughlin • 6-1 • 185 • LHP • Toronto, Ont. • Humberside Collegiate Institute
From the same high school as current MSU sophomore Taeg Gollert, MacLaughlin was his high school's baseball MVP as both a junior and senior and helped the Huskies to a city championship in his final season. MacLaughlin has made a name for himself pitching for the Canadian Junior National Team, playing alongside the three other MSU signees at the national level.
 
Associate Head Coach Joey Hawkins on MacLaughlin:
"Sam has been one of the fastest risers in the entire 2024 high school recruiting class. He is an extremely hard worker who has developed from a left-hander with pitchability and a solid breaking ball to a lefty who can pound 89-91 in the zone to hitters. His breaking ball will be a separator for him at this level and will allow him to be a big piece of our team right away. With added strength and continued development on his changeup, we look forward to seeing Sam develop into a high-end pitcher inside our program who will help us win a lot of games."
 

Owen Slater • 6-4 • 185 • RHP • Brooklin, Ont. • Brooklin High
One of four Canadian prospects in the class, Slater hails from the same province as associate head coach Joey Hawkins and comes from the same elite Ontario Blue Jays developmental program. In 2023, Slater was named the Blue Jays' pitcher of the year after going 2-0 with a 0.89 ERA and .174 opponent average in 31.1 innings. He pitched for the Ontario Astros the year prior, tossing 48 innings and going 5-2 with a 2.89 ERA, 74 strikeouts and 32 hits allowed. Additionally, Slater has played on the Canadian Junior National Team.
 
Associate Head Coach Joey Hawkins on Slater:
"Owen has been one of the most improved players in all of Canada the last two years and we are looking forward to seeing him to continue to trend upward with his development. He will come in with a great athletic, tall frame and is already a great mover with a repeatable delivery. Owen is a right-handed pitcher who can pound the zone with a three-pitch mix and a fastball that is 87-90 but plays up to hitters. He has shown the ability to compete against the best talent in the world while representing the Canadian Junior National team last season. We are looking forward to seeing Owen develop in the weight room and under Coach Petree's guidance to where he can be a force in the program for a long time."
 
 
Charlie Spoonhour • 5-11 • 150 • RHP • St. Louis, Mo. • Vianney High
Spoonhour comes from a family with Missouri State ties, including former MSU men's basketball head coach and grandfather Charlie, current MSU men's basketball assistant and father Jay, and current MSU cross country runner and sister, Grace. Spoonhour completed his junior season with a 3-0 record and 2.60 ERA in 35 innings while helping the Vianney Griffins to a 30-5 record. He went 2-1 in five appearances as a sophomore, and took to the mound eight times during his freshman campaign.
 
Associate Head Coach Joey Hawkins on Spoonhour:
"We look forward to adding Charlie to our program with a true four-pitch mix that he can command in the strike zone and pitch with true feel. Charlie will be a force for Vianney in their rotation and is a proven athlete while also playing on the varsity basketball team. We're excited to get Charlie on campus and in the weight room, and we believe with added strength and development under Coach Petree, Charlie will be a solid addition to our program." 
 

Garrett Springer • 6-4 • 220 • C • Lincoln, Neb. • Lincoln East High
Springer is the backstop for the reigning Nebraska Class A state champions, helping the Lincoln East Spartans to the first title in school history in 2023. He batted .324 with a home run and 22 RBI, earning honorable mention all-state along with all-conference and all-city laurels. Springer batted .275 with two homers and 22 RBI for a third-place state club as a sophomore, and posted a .333 average as a freshman while helping the Spartans to a fourth-place state finish.
 
Associate Head Coach Joey Hawkins on Springer:
"Garrett is a physical right-handed bat with the ability to catch and play first base and has been a proven winner after leading his team to the Legion World Series in North Carolina. Garrett has a chance to develop into a true power hitter inside our program and we look forward to seeing his defense take steps forward to where he can be a very solid all-round player for us."
 

Michael Yusypchuk • 6-2 • 205 • RHP • Edmonton, Alberta • Foothills Composite High
Yusypchuk (pronounced You-sup-check) has posted dominant numbers on the mound through his first three prep seasons, going 6-0 with a 0.43 ERA, 111 strikeouts, seven walks and 13 hits allowed in 50 innings as a freshman to earn 15U Player of the Year honors. As a sophomore, Yusypchuk helped his team to a provincial title with an 8-1 mound mark, fanning 100 against 17 walks and 45 hits in 64 innings for a 0.86 ERA. He was also the MVP of the provincial championship. In 2023, his team won the Palouse Summer Series tournament in Washington state, and he was 8-0 with a 2.60 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 56 innings across the competitive season. He has also spent time on the Canadian Junior National Team. He attended Foothills Composite High in Okotoks, Alberta, with fellow signee Benito Bonilla.
 
Associate Head Coach Joey Hawkins on Yusypchuk:
"Michael is coming into Missouri State as a decorated player from Canada after dominating the amateur circuit and being a two-year player on the Canadian Junior National Team and top player for the Okotoks Academy. He is a proven winner, pitching in some of the biggest games in nationwide tournaments north of the border. He is a physical strike thrower with a four-pitch mix that produces a fastball that touches 91 and two swing-and-miss breaking balls. I look forward to seeing how his arsenal improves under Nick Petree's guidance. Michael will have the ability to come in right away and compete to pitch very important innings for us."