Luke Haines has played for the Lids Missouri Bulls for three summers and like most kids that play for a prospect team, his goal was to play college baseball after high school.  Luke has started for the Notre Dame Bulldogs the last 2 seasons and had a solid junior year. 

"I've worked hard, dedicated so much time to baseball to make myself a better player," said Haines.  I hit almost everyday, sometimes twice a day.  I lift weights and do as much as I can do to get better each and everyday."

Well his hard work finally paid off as he worked out at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Mo. a few weeks ago and impressed the coaches.  So much that they offered him a scholarship to play this fall once he graduates from Notre Dame.

"I knew I did a pretty good job for them and I was excited to get the call that they wanted me," said Haines.  'They have a great program and I like their coaching staff."

Notre Dame has another player at Jeffco, Chase Simmons, who played last season and will be back again this season.  "It will be cool to know someone like Chase who I played with," said Luke.  "He can show me the ropes and help me get acclimated to college life and college baseball."

"I've known Luke for a few years now and there aren't too many kids I've seen that will out work him," said Glenn Campbell, director of the Missouri Bulls.  "That kid works out in my facility behind my house almost everyday.  I see him at 7am before school starts and 3pm when school ends.  It doesn't surprise me at all that Jeffco signed him.  The Bulls wish him well and have loved having him play for us."

Luke actually makes the ninth player from last years 17u Bulls team to sign with a college and the 32nd in the last four years to move on to play college baseball after high school.

"That's the thing we are most proud of," says Mitch Wood, director of player personnel for the Bulls.  "The kids we get have talent and we try to help them fine tune their game.  We help them understand and appreciate the game,  to play it the right way.  We put them on the field with the best competition in the midwest and get them in front of as many college coaches as possible.  We've been lucky that most of our kids understand how blessed they are to have the oopportunity.  That's why we've gotten so many signed the last four years."

"I'm looking forward to my senior season at Notre Dame, we have a good team and we can go far this year," said Haines.  "I've enjoyed playing for the Bulls as well.  They've given me a lot of experiences I wouldn't have had and the coaching staff's have been great to work with."