Missouri State baseball star Zack Stewart goes undrafted, paving way for return to Bears

In a surprising turn of events, Missouri State star outfielder Zack Stewart went undrafted and will be eligible to return to play for the Bears next season.

Stewart was tabbed as a potential second-round pick by ESPN and was widely considered a prospect who would be selected in the first five rounds. As one of the top lefthanded power bats in the draft, according to multiple draft experts, it is unclear what led to his slip.

Going undrafted doesn’t necessarily mean teams passed over the Lebanon graduate because of his talent. With the way the MLB Draft works, he could have had an asking price for his signing bonus that teams were unwilling or unable to meet. Being a draft-eligible sophomore, Stewart could leverage returning to the MLB Draft next year if he wasn’t given the dollar amount he was seeking.

More: How Missouri State baseball already has a different feel weeks into Joey Hawkins as coach

A return to Missouri State would be welcomed by fans and first-year head coach Joey Hawkins with the Bears having one of their biggest bats back in the lineup.

Missouri State returns freshman All-American Caden Bogenpohl, All-Missouri Valley Conference first-teamer Nick Rodriguez and Taeg Gollert’s big bat to what should be another powerful lineup. A busy offseason also includes the recent commitment from Oklahoma State transfer left-handed pitcher and first baseman Max Knight, who was considered the No. 2 recruit out of Oklahoma, according to Prep Baseball Report in 2023.