photo by: Conner Becker/Journal-World

Free State junior Blaine Larkin lets it rip during a home game vs. Shawnee Mission North on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at FSHS.

One year at the varsity level was enough for Free State High School baseball player Blaine Larkin to prove that he was capable of playing at the collegiate level. The 6-foot-5 pitcher and wrestler still has one last season with the Firebirds, but he already knows where his next team will be.

Larkin recently announced his commitment to the University of Central Missouri, a team that played in the NCAA Division II College World Series last season.

Larkin took a big step forward in his junior year. He not only was one of Free State’s three regular starters, but he also pitched the most innings while keeping his ERA under 2.00.

It was at the start of his junior year that Larkin knew that he could play at the college level, and it was around that time that Central Missouri reached out. He was pitching well against some of the best teams in the state, which to him solidified that he could follow through on his dream of playing college baseball.

Larkin and the school remained in contact through the remainder of his junior year, where he helped the Firebirds finish third in 6A, and he finally visited the campus on July 23. It didn’t take long for him to decide that it was going to be his home. He announced his decision a few days later, on Saturday.

The Mules are one of the best teams in NCAA Division II. Their 2024 season culminated in a 52-10 record with a conference championship and a College World Series berth, where the Mules lost their first two games to end the season.

“You can see the tradition and they’ve always been good,” Larkin said. “It’s an honor to be able to be a part of a team that’s accomplished like that.”

The current junior-heavy roster at Central Missouri won’t be there by the time that Larkin moves to Warrensburg, Missouri, but Larkin knows that the expectations will be to continue the trajectory of the team and compete for the College World Series.

Larkin will bring his off-speed arsenal as a strength to the Central Missouri pitching staff. This season, Larkin worked on his slider to go along with his curveball.

“I think I’m able to control them really well, and that gets hitters off balance when I go to my fastball or my changeup,” Larkin said.

Larkin will also compete in one final wrestling season before the spring. It’s a sport that he’s participated in since second grade and one that has helped him become a more well-rounded athlete. Once the wrestling season is over, Larkin will have one last chance with the Firebirds to finish above third in the state tournament.

“We have a lot of talent this year, and obviously we don’t want to finish third again,” Larkin said. “I think we just need to all come together, all play as a team and have good team practices. We have all the necessary things to win us a championship.”

For Larkin, taking the next step to get to the championship game will be to improve his control. While he didn’t issue many walks last year, it’s still an area in which he’s looking to improve. That starts with the pitch process. Larkin said that he can’t go into every at-bat attempting to strike every batter out. Instead, he needs to pitch for weak contact and trust the defense behind him.

If Larkin and the Firebirds can finish with a state championship win, Larkin can bring to Warrensburg a strong breaking ball and an understanding of what it takes to win. He’s hoping that will translate, and that he and the Mules can continue to compete for titles.