Three ball players from South Dakota are featured on Major League Baseball’s list of the top-250 prospects.
Cooper Bowman of Rapid City is listed at No. 170, Bransen Kuehl of Rapid City is ranked No. 214, and Chase Mason of Viborg-Hurley is holding the final spot on the prospects list at No. 250.
Both Kuehl and Mason just graduated from high school, while Bowman recently finished his sophomore season of college baseball at the University of Louisville.
Cooper Bowman, 21, is a Post-22 and Rapid City Stevens alumni, who garnered some solid attention during his high school days.
Cooper Bowman – MLB Scouting Report (No. 170)
“A product of the same high school that produced Mark Ellis, Bowman could have a similar future as a multidimensional second baseman. He starred for two years as a shortstop at Iowa Western Community College, batting .418 with 44 steals in 84 games and helping the Reivers finisher runner-up at the 2019 Junior College World Series, before transferring to Louisville for 2021. He has settled in at second and the leadoff spot and became the Cardinals most dependable hitter outside of potential No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis.”
Bransen Kuehl, 18, also has Post-22 and Rapid City Stevens roots. He just graduated from high school this spring and is committed to playing college ball at the University of Utah. His scouting report raves about his 90’s fastball speed.
Bransen Kuehl – MLB Scouting Report (No. 214)
“His location doesn’t make Kuehl the easiest prospect to scout and he only attended a couple of showcase events last summer, but he threw in the low 90’s at both and is extremely athletic and projectable. He’s also a center fielder with plus speed and power potential who’s ticketed to play both ways in college at Utah., though pro teams definitely prefer him on the mound.”
Chase Mason, 18, is an eastern South Dakota prospect, who just graduated from Viborg-Hurley high school this spring. Mason is coming off an ACL injury that he suffered in the fall during his senior season of football. He’s a four sport athlete, who scouts say has plenty of upside. Despite getting college football offers, Mason committed to the University of Nebraska for college baseball.
Chase Mason – MLB Scouting Report (No. 250)
“He has some of the best all-around tools in the Draft and area scouts have dubbed him “Roy Hobbs,” though he’s extremely raw at the plate. Mason has a big-league body of 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, and big league quality power, speed, and arm strength. He’s a well above-average runner who can cover 60-yards in less than 6.4 seconds and his fastball has been clocked up to 94 mph. With his bat speed, strength, and leverage, he can hit tape-measure shots in batting practice.”
It’s been twenty years since South Dakota has had a prep level athlete drafted by a Big League club. Ben Thomas, a Post-22 product, who played for the legendary Dave Ploof, was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2001. Thomas, however, decided against going pro right away attended Midland College in Texas to play college ball for a few years. He was drafted again in 2003 by the Atlanta Braves.
The 2021 MLB draft is scheduled for July 11-13.
