Sparks was a dominant No. 1 pitcher for one of the best high school pitching staffs ever assembled in Missouri. He threw 75 innings with 143 strikeouts and an earned run average of 0.933. The Missouri State signee walked just 14 batters for a 10-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, which helped him post a microscopic 0.56 WHIP (walks+hits/innings pitched). At the plate, Sparks hit .357 with 26 runs scored including a key home run in the state semifinal.
