Where Are They Now?: A look at how some former metro-east baseball and softball standouts are doing in college

The longest hitting streak for a Missouri State University baseball player since 2010 recently came to an end at 20 games for former Belleville West standout Aaron Meyer.

The junior second baseman hit safely in 20 straight games from March 5 to April 5 for the Bears, off to the best start in school history at 25-5 and ranked 16th in the nation.

Meyer has settled into a position after filling in as an infielder and outfielder in previous seasons, hitting .321 in 29 games with 10 doubles, one home run and 20 RBIs.

Edwardsville High graduate Blake Graham has also been hot for the Bears. The junior right fielder, who had a 14-game hitting streak of his own from Feb. 20 to March 16, began Friday hitting .343 through 29 gams with six doubles, two triples, two home runs and 26 RBIs.

Freshman infielder Jordan Hovey, another Edwardsville graduate, is hitting .267 in 14 games with a double, triple, home run and three RBIs.

Tanner Houck, Missouri

Rated as a potential first-round draft pick in 2017 by both Perfect Game USA and Baseball America, Houck is turning in another solid season as a flame-throwing sophomore right-hander at the University of Missouri.

The Collinsville High graduate is 3-2 with a 2.76 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 49 innings for the Tigers.

He picked up a win in his last start, but pitched even better in a 2-0, 11-inning loss to fourth-ranked Vanderbilt on March 26.

Houck shut down the Commodores on just two hits through nine shutout innings. His 14 strikeouts that day were the most by a Mizzou pitcher since 2009.

Houck spent last summer pitching for the Team USA Collegiate Team and combined for a no-hitter in one of his starts.

Adam Bauer, Murray State

Bauer (Belleville West, Southwestern Illinois College) has been on a hot streak since the season began and while his average was at .400 as recently as March 26, it’s still at a solid .382. That’s the best of the team’s everyday starters and he has four doubles, five triples, four home runs and 22 RBIs.

Bauer had a 4-for-6 day with a home run and four RBIs on Feb. 26 against Northern Illinois.

Brady Schanuel, Parkland

One of the top junior college pitching prospects in the Midwest, the freshman right-hander from Belleville East continues to excel at Parkland College in Champaign. His strikeout average of 15.06 per game leads the nation and his 0.78 ERA ranks second nationally.

Schanuel is 4-1 with 58 strikeouts (sixth best in the country) and 10 walks in only 34 2/3 innings. Schanuel has three complete games, one of which included a school-record 16 strikeouts.

Keaton Wright & Brock Weimer, SIU Edwardsville

The junior infielder led SIUE in hitting (.389), home runs (five) and RBIs (21) through 23 games and is showing signs of the power stroke that helped make him a former BND Player of the Year at Triad High School.

Freshman catcher Brock Weimer (Edwardsville) is hitting .254 for SIUE with three doubles and five RBIs.

Brent Gibbs, Central Arizona

The former Alton High standout originally signed with Indiana out of high school, later transferring to Central Arizona junior college after being behind current Chicago Cubs standout Kyle Schwarber, among others, while with the Hoosiers. Central Arizona is ranked third in the nation and sends numerous players to the Division I ranks.

Through 33 games, the sophomore catcher is hitting .376 with eight doubles, three homers and 26 RBIs. Gibbs signed with USC and will play with the Trojans next season depending on what happens in the Major League Draft in June.

“He’s got a tough decision to make because I know he’s got a good scholarship to USC,” Alton baseball coach Todd Haug said. “That is an ungodly juco program out there, they’re like a pipeline to the Pac 12. He’s getting his opportunity and worst-case scenario he’s still going to be on one of the best program in the country.”

Ryan Netemeyer, SIU Carbondale

Used primarily as a starter at Mascoutah High, Netemeyer is settling in as the bullpen closer for the Salukis of SIU Carbondale. The sophomore right-hander is 0-1 with a 0.56 ERA and six saves in 11 appearances. Netemeyer also has 12 strikeouts in 16 innings.

Wes Degener, Lindenwood-St. Charles

The former Gibault High standout was hitting .328 through 30 games with five doubles, two triples and nine RBIs along with a team-leading six stolen bases.

Jeff Hahs, John A. Logan

The sophomore outfielder is headed to Division I Campbell University next season, but is putting together another solid season for John A. Logan, a junior college located in Carterville, this sping

Through 29 games the former O’Fallon High star was hitting .330 with 10 doubles, three home runs and 25 RBIs.

Hahs led the Volunteers last spring with a .388 average that included 13 doubles, one homer and26 RBIs along with 11 stolen bases.

SOFTBALL

Shaye Harre, SIU Carbondale

The junior first baseman from Nashville High is enjoying another monster season for the Salukis, hitting a team-leading .371 through 32 games with eight doubles and a team-best nine home runs and 31 RBIs. She has 122 hits, 19 home runs and 104 RBIs in his first three seasons at SIU.

Harre is tied for the Missouri Valley Conference lead in home runs and tied for third in RBIs.

Taryn Pena, Drake

A freshman catcer at Drake, Pena didn’t leave her incredible offensive statistics behind at Columbia High. Despite playing in her first collegiate season, Pena is hitting .333 through 33 games with nine doubles, two home runs and 22 RBIs for the Bulldogs (21-12).

Kelly Kapp, Bradley

The junior outfielder from Gibault has been one of the MVC’s top hitters all season, currently checking in with a .438 average through 30 games that includes 21 runs scored, 21 stolen bases and 10 RBIs.

Kassi Farmer, Indiana

The Columbia High graduate is hitting .254 in 23 games with four doubles, one home run and 10 RBIs for the Indiana Hoosiers (21-14). The junior catcher-infields was an All-American Scholar Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore.

This story was originally published April 8, 2016 at 6:21 PM with the headline "Where Are They Now?: A look at how some former metro-east baseball and softball standouts are doing in college."