What makes Glendale sophomore Sebastian Norman one of the nation's top baseball prospects

When Jim Julian went to the diamond to watch Sebastian Norman while he was in middle school, the Glendale head baseball coach figured he had someone special heading his way.

Norman was playing with the Midwest Mavs as a part of a premier tournament in the area. Norman was already built bigger than those his age and played the role of one of the more impressive sixth-graders Julian has come across.

Two years later, in eighth grade, Norman received his first scholarship offer from Mizzou. From there, he earned offers from Missouri State, Arkansas and then Oklahoma State, which he eventually fell in love with.

Now standing as a 6-foot-2 sophomore on the Glendale baseball team, Norman stands out as one of the top high school baseball prospects in the nation.

"We haven't had anyone with all the attention and accolades and things (like he has)," Julian said. "We've had some Division I guys in the past but just being around him every day at practice and at school, you wouldn't know that he's garnering all this attention and things like that."

The quiet 16-year-old is currently rated as the No. 79 player in the Class of 2025 and he's part of an Oklahoma State recruiting class that includes No. 1 prospect Ethan Holliday, who is the son of former MLB All-Star Matt Holliday and the brother to Jackson Holliday, who was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the most recent MLB Draft with the No. 1 overall pick.

The two played for Team USA's 15U National Team this past summer in Mexico and won a gold medal. In the first game against South Africa, Norman put a ball in play and rounded the bases for an inside-the-park home run. He batted .286 with a .500 on-base percentage.

"It was just crazy to go to a whole different country to represent your country and see how the other teams play," Norman said. "I think the coolest team we got to see play was Japan which was probably the coolest thing about it ... well, no, that was second. The first coolest thing was wearing the gold medal."

A gold medal with Team USA is one of many accolades Norman has already garnered and will continue to earn over his high school career and beyond. As a freshman for the Falcons last season, he earned second-team all-state at the Class 5 level and was just one of 15 freshmen to earn any level of all-state recognition at any class.

He was a second-team Ozark Conference honoree as he batted .389 with an on-base percentage of .521, 14 steals, 12 extra-base hits and 28 RBI. Based on early returns through the first few days of the 2023 season, Norman already looks like a player that everyone is trying to pitch around.

"All I get are comments from teachers and faculty and administration saying how good of a kid he is," Julian said. "On top of all that, he's a heck of a player. The fact that he's such a good kid, respectful and not a problem while making good grades is a lot of the reason why he is garnering this type of attention and he's worked super hard."

When watching Norman play, it's easy to see why he's committed to one of the top college baseball programs in the nation already and why he may receive attention from pro scouts in the near future.

Norman has a muscular build at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds and has been working out "hard" in the weight room over the last 28 months. He credits his father, former Missouri State football player Ron Oliver, for good genetics along with a work ethic that has him in the weight room four-to-five times a week.

Watching Norman run is also a sight to behold as he glides like a gazelle at his size whether he's trying to beat out a chopper in the infield or when he's tracking down a flyball deep into the gap. Prep Baseball Report describes him as an "athletic freak" and that he's only going to continue to get better.

Norman is a five-tool player and is deserving of everything heading his way.

"It's all just kind of effortless in the way he throws the ball and the way he runs," Julian said. "He works really hard at it and he hasn't gotten a big head. He's coachable and he isn't one of those guys that thinks he knows it all already which is kind of unique for someone in his position."

As for this season and for the remainder of his high school career, Norman is focused on what he can do for the Falcons — which he believes can be an unstoppable team in the area with how much talent it has on the roster.

Norman also won't be looking or thinking about the rankings. He'll instead put in the same work ethic that's made him one of the more special high school baseball players in the nation.

"I just like to play and I don't like to talk too much or showboat," Norman said. "I just come out and play so it's kind of cool."

Norman helps make Glendale one of the best teams in the state

Glendale enters the season considered as one of the top teams in the area and as one that can contend for a state championship at the end of the year — and it will have to go through a tough district to do so.

The Falcons are in a Class 5, District 6 field that includes the likes of a powerhouse program like Willard along with a loaded Camdenton squad this season with multiple Division I prospects. The likes of Marshfield and Branson are two that could give teams fits this season.

Glendale will have plenty of talent to help it go on a run this season, in addition to Norman.

Spencer Pottebaum appears to be the Falcons' go-to pitcher. Monday's win over McDonald County saw him start while Drew Wedgeworth and Kaleb Julian came in and threw excellent innings of relief.

The Falcons also feature Division I prospects in Brooks Kettering (Southeast Missouri State) and Mark Ross II (Central Arkansas). Carter Lewis is a Drury-bound standout playing first base with catcher Alex Ranken and Camren Stratton also providing plenty of things to like.

Glendale is as talented as anyone in the area in 2023.

"We're pretty deep," Jim Julian said. "We got talent all the way up and down. It's a good problem to have because we have a lot of different options. We've got a lot of guys who can play multiple positions and swing the bat pretty well and do a number of things for us."

Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or Twitter at @WyattWheeler_NL.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Oklahoma State commit Sebastian Norman is a top baseball prospect