Dec. 3, 2002

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Eight standout prepsters and two junior-college transfers have signed National Letters of Intent to enroll at the University of Missouri and play baseball in the spring of 2004, head coach Tim Jamieson announced today. Six are from the St. Louis area, and seven are Missouri products.

"We had a great deal of success getting the players that we wanted and went after this year," Jamieson said. "We are excited about the quality and the depth of this year's recruiting class, and especially its in-state flavor. We want to win with Missouri kids, and this class has the best that our state has to offer. This is the third very good recruiting class in a row for us, and it is obvious that Mizzou has much to offer to first-rate student-athletes."

Gary Arndt

Arndt batted .404 with four homers and 16 RBI as a junior for Horlick HS in Wisconsin. He did not allow a run in 20.2 innings, notching a 5-1 record and three saves with 40 strikeouts against just six walks. In addition, the honorable mention all-stater is the owner of a perfect game. Arndt played summer ball with the Racine Hitters, managed by R.J. Fergus.

In 25 games last year for Bossier Parish, Braud pitched 40 innings with a sparkling 50-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He also earned six saves with a 2.01 ERA. Braud earned all-state honors as a prepster, and was also an all-district linebacker. He played summer ball for the Brainard Mighty Gulls in 2002, registering a 1.27 ERA in 28-1/3 innings with 13 saves and 28 strikeouts.

Nathan Culp

Culp was 11-0 with a 2.01 ERA at Edwardsville High School as a junior last year. In 69-2/3 innings, he struck out 64 batters in helping the Tigers to a conference title and the IHSA Class AA championship game. He was named to the state championship all-tournament team; he also earned first-team all-area and honorable mention all-state plaudits. He also was an all-conference golfer on Edwardsville's state-qualifying teams. Culp lives across the street from Ed Cook, who was a left-handed starter on Missouri's 1954 NCAA College World Series Champion squad.

Erik Dessau

Dessau pitched 66-2/3 innings with a 2.85 ERA last year for Forest Park. While at Mehlville, he finished his senior season with a 9-0 record, 1.03 ERA, and 62 strikeouts in 61 innings. He was a member of the Panthers' state-title team in 1999. This past summer, he played summer ball for the Fauquier Gators in Virginia.

Grant Kohlstaedt

Kohlstaedt was a first-team all-conference pitcher as a junior at Kearney, where the Bulldogs won the conference title. Kohlstaedt played summer ball with fellow recruit Hunter Mense on the Worth/Harley-Davidson Orioles, coached by Mike Stockton.

Lucas May

May is one of five St. Louis-area players who played their summer ball for Jerry Daniels on the Midwest Prospects team. He joined Culp, John McKee, Brandon Patek and Max Scherzer on that squad. May batted .415 with 12 doubles and 10 stolen bases for coach Scott Weissman at Parkway West, which advanced to the state quarterfinals two years ago. He earned second-team all-state honors from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch last year.

John McKee

McKee hit .405 with five homers as a junior for Chaminade, helping the Red Devils to two straight district titles. He has made the honor roll in each semester of his high-school career.

Hunter Mense

In his last appearance at Taylor Stadium/Simmons Field, Mense helped Liberty to the Missouri Class 4A championship with a 6-5 win over Francis Howell North. A participant in the Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif., Mense earned all-state recognition.

Brandon Patek

Patek is the second member of his extended family to wear the Black and Gold. His uncle, Mark, lettered at MU from 1983-86. Patek was a unanimous first-team all-state selection by the Missouri Class 3A coaches, and batted .395 as a junior at Festus. Baseball America rated Patek as the No. 4 prospect in the state of Missouri, and he led the Midwest Prospects summer-league team with 12 home runs and a .450 batting average in 2002.

Max Scherzer

Scherzer had a 2.80 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 50 innings for Parkway Central, where he earned honorable mention all-state honors. Scherzer also led the team in batting average the last three years, including last season's .395. He is listed by Baseball America as the No. 1 prospect in the state. Scherzer also lettered at quarterback for the Colts.

All of the players listed above will enroll next year and be eligible to play for Missouri starting in the 2004 season. The 2003 Tigers will begin their 94th season of play on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2003, with a three-game series at North Carolina-Wilmington. MU's home opener will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2003, against Central Methodist.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI 2004 RECRUITING CLASS
Name	Pos.	B/T	Yr.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown (High School / Last School)
Gary Arndt	INF	R/R	Fr.	6-0	180	Racine, Wis. (Horlick HS)
Dustin Braud	RHP	R/R	Jr.	5-9	175	Metairie, La. (St. Charles Catholic HS / Bossier Parish [La.] CC)
Nathan Culp	LHP	R/L	Fr.	6-3	175	Glen Carbon, Ill. (Edwardsville HS)
Erik Dessau	RHP	R/R	Jr.	6-3	190	St. Louis, Mo. (Mehlville HS / Forest Park [Mo.] CC)
Grant Kohlstaedt	RHP	R/R	Fr.	6-1	180	Kearney, Mo. (Kearney HS)
Lucas May	INF	R/R	Fr.	6-0	185	Chesterfield, Mo. (Parkway West HS)
John McKee	C/INF	R/R	Fr.	6-3	210	St. Louis, Mo. (Chaminade Prep)
Hunter Mense	LHP/INF	L/L	Fr.	6-1	190	Liberty, Mo. (Liberty HS)
Brandon Patek	OF	L/L	Fr.	5-10	175	Festus, Mo. (Festus HS)
Max Scherzer	RHP	R/R	Fr.	6-3	195	Chesterfield, Mo. (Parkway Central HS)