Chase Hagerty just started his senior year at Cape Central HS.  He has been the Ace for the Cape Central Tigers baseball team since he was a freshman.  He has also been one of the top pitchers for the Missouri Bulls baseball team since then.

He has played football and basketball for his high school but his dream was to play college baseball.  This week his dream of playing Division I college baseball came true.  He committed to Southeast Missouri State earlier this week.

Southeast Missouri State cannot comment on this, they could only confirm that he indeed did commit.  November 12th is national signing day an that's when it will become offical.

"I had quite a few colleges that were talking to me", said Hagerty.  "Thanks to the coaches and the Bulls organization because they really helped as far as getting me and the other players exposure.  We played in front of college coaches every weekend and the last weekend of the year there must have been 20 colleges there to watch us play, it was great."

Hagerty started playing for the Lids Missouri Bulls when he was a freshman and was always one of the top arms in the program.  He has gotten better each and every year and really started to draw some attention this past summer. 

"He has worked hard and it really showed late this summer", said Todd Pennington, head coach for the Bulls 17u team.  "He had good command of his fastball which he threw in the upper 80's and his slider has really become his best pitch.  He's got a nice change up and is working on a splitter.  He has tremendous upside and he still has another year of high school!"

Hagerty had offers from Western Illinois, Missouri State, Murray State and numerous Junior Colleges but in the end he chose to stay close to home.

"I really liked some of the other programs and the coaches but in the end I liked coach Bieser and his staff", said Hagerty.  "They are all business and I think they will push me.  I like where the program is headed and I wanted to be part of it."

He'll get his chance next fall as he'll join three other Missouri Bulls players who are on the Southeast Missouri State baseball team.  Junior Andy Lack from Kennett, Junior Brady Wright from Anna, Illinois and Wesley Pyles from Poplar Bluff who will be a freshman.

"We sound like a broken record but our goal is to get our players as much exposure as we possibly can to college coaches", said Glenn Campbell, director of the Lids Missouri Bulls.  "The credit goes to the coaches and to these kids who work hard and do things the right way.  Chase worked hard and he is seeing it pay off with a college scholarship to play division 1 baseball in his hometown."

Chase Hagerty becomes the 36th player for the Bulls organization to get a scholarship to play college baseball.