The Tyler King Watch

In case you have never heard of Republic High School senior Tyler King, get ready to be impressed.

The lefthanded pitcher has established himself as the best pitcher in the Ozarks, with a pedigree that has earned him a scholarship to the University of Nebraska — if Major League Baseball teams don’t grab him first.

When he was a sophomore, King was selected to represent the Chicago White Sox in the Area Codes Games, a national all-star game that has produced dozens of MLB players. He has parlayed that into the Big 12 scholarship and probably a phone call during the MLB draft. Now, it’s just a matter of whether or not he will take the money, or become a Husker. King said he has already had contact with more than a dozen scouts, and it seems there are always a few that pop up during his pitching performances.

Hovering close to 6-feet tall, King is a lefthanded pitcher with a four-pitch arsenal, featuring a fastball, changeup, slider and curveball. His velocity is in the mid-80s, and as King told me the other day, his arm feels healthy after experiencing some soreness in early April.

We’ve been following King all season and here is a snapshot of his season thus far. We will check in on him weekly, all the way up until districts.

• April 9 against Blue Springs: 6 innings, 2 earned runs, 3 hits, 13 Ks (Win)
• April 13 against Ozark: 6 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 7 Ks  (Win)
• April 19 against Bolivar: IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 K (Save)
• April 20 against Carthage: 5 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 7 Ks  (Win)
• April 27 against Neosho: 6 IP, 9H 6 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 10 K (Loss)
• Season: 3-1, 1.88 ERA, 24 IP, 15 H, 5 BB, 38 Ks, 0.83 WHIP

King’s next start: Tuesday against Nixa.