Regardless of level, less than 10 percent of those who play baseball in high school move on to compete in the sport in college. 

That simply means the more than 20 locals currently playing on college diamonds this spring should consider themselves blessed to take their baseball talent to the next level.

Here’s a round-up of local college baseball players.

At the NCAA Division I level, Columbia High School graduate Dom Voegele is a junior pitcher for Kansas University (11-8). The hard-throwing righty is 2-2 in five starts amassing 22 innings, with 22 strikeouts and 14 walks. 

Also playing DI baseball is fellow CHS grad Kyle McConachie. The University of Akron (9-10) senior is hitting .212 in 18 games with six doubles, 11 RBIs, eight runs and four stolen bases.   

Another DI baseball local is Waterloo High School grad Marcus Heusohn. The McNeese State (9-10) graduate student is hitting .264 in 19 games with five doubles, 10 RBIs and seven runs.

One last DI local is Valmeyer High School grad Jacob Rowold. The Western Michigan (9-9) graduate student has a home run, four RBIs and six runs in 16 games played.

The NCAA Division II ranks are full of local baseball talent. 

Close to home, Millstadt’s Brayden Biggs is a hard-throwing sophomore pitcher at McKendree University. He’s pitched one inning so far for the Bearcats (9-13).

CHS grad Adam Wibbenmeyer is a grad student pitching at University of Illinois-Springfield (15-6). In four appearances, Wibbenmeyer has allowed one hit over three innings and has three strikeouts.

Two former standouts are playing this spring at Truman State (7-14) – Waterloo’s Evan Davis and Columbia’s Reed Drabant. Davis is hitting .310 with 11 RBIs and eight runs over 20 games. Drabant is hitting .200 with two RBIs in 11 games.

Yet another DII baseballer is CHS grad Alex Schreckenberg. He’s on the roster for the University of South Carolina-Beaufort, but has not yet seen varsity action.

A few local products are playing NCAA Division III baseball. 

At Illinois College (8-5), former CHS standouts Chase Schrader and Logan Sabo are on the roster. Schrader has appeared in four games with a 3.86 ERA over nine-plus innings. Sabo has not yet seen action.

At Greenville University (6-10), CHS grad Porter Fike is on the roster but has not yet seen action. 

At Millikin University (12-3), Red Bud’s Will Simpson is on the roster but has not yet seen action. 

There’s two locals playing baseball at the NAIA level. 

CHS grad Aidan Gaither is a junior at William Woods University (10-11), hitting .333 in 11 games played with 11 runs scored.

WHS grad Brayden Hays is a freshman on the roster at Missouri Valley College, though he has not yet seen varsity action.

The junior college level is loaded with local baseball talent this spring. 

At Southwestern Illinois College (18-6), there’s four WHS grads and one CHS grad playing this spring. The former Bulldogs are Max Oswald, Nate Phillips, Patrick O’Donnell and Nolan Veto. Oswald is hitting .316 in 22 games with 22 RBIs, four homers, 16 runs and seven stolen bases. Phillips is 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA in seven pitching appearances amassing 17-plus innings, collecting 28 strikeouts. In 11 games, O’Donnell is hitting .235 with two RBIs. Veto is 1-0 in three pitching appearances amassing four innings. Former Eagles player Andrew Colyer has not yet seen action. 

At Lewis & Clark Community College (7-13), three locals are on the roster. CHS grad Micah James is hitting .318 in 10 games, with fellow CHS grad Tyler Rosencrans making five starts on the mound with a 1-1 record and 16 strikeouts over 20-plus innings. Former Gibault standout Tyler Frierdich has one hit in three games played.

CHS grad Cash Bailey is a freshman at Mineral Area College (18-7), hitting .404 in 19 games with two homers, 13 RBIs, nine doubles and 17 runs.

WHS grad Jack Roessler is a 6-foot-4 sophomore pitcher at Morton College near Chicago. In five appearances amassing 17 innings, he’s 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA and one save with 20 strikeouts.

Yet another junior college local is CHS grad Brady Mathews at Jefferson College (18-7) in Missouri. The lefty pitcher is 1-0 with 19 strikeouts in six appearances (one start) amassing 12-plus innings.