Kameron Misner’s sophomore season came to a halt when a foot injury caused him to miss the final 22 games of Missouri baseball’s season. With the Tigers opening the 2019 season at North Florida Friday, the junior from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, will have the opportunity to pick up where he left off.
Last season, Misner led Missouri in batting average, stolen bases, doubles, triples, on base percentage and slugging.
Named to the Golden Spikes Award preseason watch list and a preseason Second-Team All-American, Misner will be a focus for Major League scouts throughout the season. With games against Southeastern Conference powerhouses like LSU and Vanderbilt, he will have the chance to cement himself as a potential first round pick in the 2019 MLB First Year Player Draft.
Instead of letting the spotlight get to him, Misner is focusing on keeping a level head and continuing to get work done.
“It’s cool to hear and whatnot, but it can go down the drain really fast,” Misner said.
Misner said he’s been told he’s being scouted predominantly as an outfielder, but, he will still be splitting time between first base and the outfield this season while senior Tony Ortiz gets back to full health.
To begin the year, he’ll also be hitting higher in the lineup, second or third according to coach Steve Bieser. This will give Misner the chance to see more pitches and make it harder for other teams to pitch around him.
In what will most likely be his final year in the black and gold, Misner will be a non-vocal team leader, wanting to lead by example. And after spending time not being able to play, he’s more appreciative of the time he’s spending on the field.
“Some days you’re like, ‘Man I don’t want to go out there,’ and lose sight of the overall picture,” Misner said. “You don’t want to take it for granted, there’s a lot of people that’d love to be in your shoes.”
Bieser praises him as being the hardest worker on the team. Looking ahead to his future after Missouri, he gave a simple reason why Misner is so high on the prospect radar.
“Everybody talks about ‘five tools’ and this guy has all five tools,” Bieser said.
First pitch for Misner and the Tigers from Jacksonville, Florida, this Friday is at 5:05 p.m. CST and will be broadcast on KTGR radio station.
_Edited by Emily Leiker | eleiker@themaneater.com_