Columbia, MO homeboy Garrison McLagan can be seen hanging around Simmons field these days and hanging out with Mizzou ballplayers as well. He is not officially on the Fall Roster, since he is still a senior at Christian Fellowship School, but will graduate at the semester and join the team officially in January.
But there's more to this out-of-the-ordinary recruit than just being a mid-year high school graduate.
Back in May, the Missourian reported on McLagan and his unusual route to college baseball:
Improvement can be seen in the fact that for the first time in his life, Garrison McLagan has a catcher he can work with every day of the week if he wishes. A year ago, Raymond McLagan couldn’t catch his brother’s fastball and his sharp breaking curve ball. Now, when Garrison McLagan has his pitching sessions twice a week, the brothers work as team. Garrison McLagan flips his glove or the ball a certain way to indicate which pitch is coming to Raymond.
“I really wish he was on my team during the summer,” Garrison McLagan said.
As Garrison McLagan’s last spring without playing baseball games comes to an end, he looks forward to playing for Mizzou next season and the end of only practice in spring. He’s proud of his decision to skip high school baseball. His faith in God is present when he steps into the batter’s box. Garrison has Phil: 4:13 written in black sharpie on the inside of his batting glove.
“I can do everything through Him who gives me strength,” the Bible verse says.
KOMU echoed that report on the unfamiliar recruit in June:
"I really can't wait, me and my dad talk about it every once in a while, and it's a little bit surreal still, just the fact that I hardly ever thought of playing college ball until a couple years ago, and now I'm already going to Mizzou, so I'm excited," said McLagan.
McLagan will play more games here next season at Taylor Stadium, when he suits up for the Tigers. He'll take a spot on the team after never playing a single high school baseball game. He attends Christian Fellowship School in Columbia, a school that doesn't have a baseball program. Once he got to ninth grade, he had to make the choice to transfer to a school that offers his sport, or stay where he has been since he was a child.
"It was really tough, because I've gone to this school since I was in pre-school, I've gone my whole life. My younger brother goes, my sister goes, all my friends are there. I just really felt I should have stayed at CFS and I think it's one of the best decisions I've made," said McLagan.
But it was the Columbia Tribune, back in October of 2007, that first reported on the CSF baseball standout's verbal commitment to MU:
"I can’t sign until November of my senior year, but I’m ready to sign now," said McLagan, who will graduate from high school a semester early and be eligible to play for the Tigers in the spring of ’09. "I’m excited. I can’t wait."
Although Christian Fellowship does not have a baseball program, the left-handed pitcher and outfielder has honed his impressive skills the past few years playing for the Rawlings Prospects - a traveling baseball program based out of St. Louis.
McLagan has been on the national baseball map since 2003 when he was named a 12-year-old All-American by Baseball America. In attending baseball camps at MU over the years, he forged a strong working relationship with MU assistant Coach Tony Vitello.
"I knew him pretty well," McLagan said. "We always had a good friendship. When I was thinking of colleges, Mizzou was always on the top of the list.
And even earlier, in July of 2007, the Tribune reported on Columbia's best-kept baseball secret:
It might be a stretch to say that Garrison McLagan is the best high school baseball player this area has ever seen.
He still has two more years of high school to go.
A safer comment would be to say that McLagan is the best high school baseball player this area has never seen.
You see, even though the left-handed 16-year-old with the fluid swing and powerful throwing arm is a lifelong Columbia resident, he rarely plays a baseball game on his home turf.
For now, McLagan works out with individual Tiger players and coaches and has a weekly date with former Tiger Aaron Crow, playing a game of vigorous catch to keep them both in shape.
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