Four seniors on the varsity baseball team are taking the next step in their careers, each committing to play at different junior college programs after graduation. 

While plans after high school vary, Caden Ziha, Carter Singler, Carson Howard and Kooper Herrell, all share the same end goal.

“I’ve known I wanted to play past high school for a while,” Herrell, who will be playing at Saint Charles Community College, said. “Honestly, it’s always been a dream to play college baseball.” 

For Singler, his versatile talent across multiple positions and significant playing time during his first year on varsity caught the attention of Moberly Area Community College and helped shift the idea of playing college baseball from a dream to a realistic opportunity over the summer. 

“I’ve always wanted to play, but this past high school year and summer was when I knew that it was really possible to continue playing,” Singler said. 

Driven by this dream, the athletes invested in weekly training while waiting for the opportunity to finally arrive.

“I’ve been doing lifts and then hitting a ton,” Howard, a pitcher going to East Central College, said. “ I’m also a part of a throwing program through the club I’m on, and it’s just getting me ramped up to pitch in college.” 

Hitting and pitching training is a necessity during preparation. However, building strength and adding muscle will be key as they prepare for the next level.

“My training right now is very high intensity, and I am just trying to put on weight so when I get on campus, I make an immediate impact,” Herrell said. 

The journey to meet this goal required patience and commitment. Some days looked doubtful but ended fulfilling dreams. 

 “It was really slow at first, not talking to many schools,” Howard said. “This year, I switched summer ball teams and started talking to a few coaches. Missouri Southern State University had me for a visit, which went well, but ended up having some unfortunate events happen, and that’s when ECC contacted me and offered me a scholarship.” 

Seeing the process through and consistently reminding themselves of the long-term goal became essential. Ziha made an additional effort to outwork his peers to get to where he wanted. His grit mindset helped keep him determined and excel more. 

“It’s definitely not easy or fun, and there’s definitely some parts where it’s, like, I just want to get this over with. But it’s important that you stick it through and find your best fit,” Ziha, an infielder committed to John Wood Community College, said. 

The transition from high school to junior college will look different and challenge the athletes while showcasing why they earned the opportunity to compete at the next level. 

“The workload is going to consist of balancing morning weights, then having a hitting group during the day, and then practice and still having to do school work in between,” Herrell said. 

While high school baseball emphasizes development, college baseball operates with greater discipline and a more competitive environment.

“The atmosphere will definitely be a little different. It’s not just for fun and games,every single person here has the same mindset of getting to the next place,” Ziha said. 

With the adjustment from high school to college, staying calm and keeping composure will be necessary to not get overwhelmed.

 “Just taking time to reflect and realizing how blessed I am to be where I’m at today,” Singler said. 

It’s a mindset shared throughout the team. Sophomore Charlie Mock, has had the privilege to be on the team with the talented group going on two years. Mock is confident that by taking some of their best qualities to the next level, the transition to junior college will be one these athletes can manage.

“Their work ethic is great,” Mock said. “They come to practice every day ready to work and win as a team.”

Who these athletes are off the field as people shines just as important to the team as their ability. Attitude, responsibility, and respect make them stand out more so. 

“They all have always had very good confidence, and hold themselves together well,” Mock said. “They treat everyone with respect and don’t put anyone down, thinking they are better than others. Kinda like to treat others the way you want to be treated.”

With just a few months away from starting their rookie seasons, each player has short-term goals they hope to achieve and build on. Playing time, gaining muscle, and talking to other college coaches, hoping to explore other opportunities at a higher level. Until then, this group of seniors has one more season left to play together. 

“I will try and take every moment with the other seniors and players cause it is the last time I will play with them,” Herrell said. 

This group of seniors wants to have fun and make it a memorable season as they close out their high school careers. Taking home hardware to the castle once last time would be the finishing touch. 

“We all have the same goal in mind. That’s winning the District Championship,” Ziha said.