A former Waterloo High School baseball standout enjoyed a solid summer on the mound for the Normal Cornbelters of the Prospect League. 

The Prospect League is a wooden bat collegiate summer circuit with 17 teams across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. It was formerly known as the  Central Illinois Collegiate League from 1963-2008.

Drake Downing, a righthanded pitcher who had success for the Bulldogs in high school before continuing on collegiately at Maryville University, closed out his Prospect League season in style last Wednesday. 

He threw eight shutout innings in a 7-0 win for the Cornbelters over the Chillicothe Paints, striking out nine in the start.

Downing had to be removed due to a 95-pitch count rule in the league. He threw 72 strikes out of his 95 pitches.

In 16 appearances for Normal this summer – two of them starts – Downing went 6-1 with a 1.85 ERA, two saves and 47 strikeouts in 39 innings.

Wednesday was his final appearance of the season for the Cornbelters as he preps for another season at Maryville. 

Downing finished his redshirt sophomore season for Maryville as a second team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selection this past spring. 

Downing posted a 3.90 ERA in 27-plus innings with a pair of wins and a save this past season on the mound at Maryville.