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Mike Kickham’s stay at Crowder College was a short one, but he joins the growing list of pitchers headed for Division I baseball.
Kickham, a Glendale High School product, signed to play with Missouri State in Springfield, his hometown, after a successful summer.
Kickham, a lefty, played for the Ozark Generals this summer before being traded to the Sedalia Bombers, a MINK League team headed for the postseason. Kickham had the chance to take part in the NBC World Series.
“Missouri State started recruiting me in the summer,” Kickham said. “Their coaches came and watched me throw in a couple games and I threw well. Fortunately, I had a good summer and I hope to carry that into the fall. I wanted to be close to home so that my parents could come watch me play. We play in a top-of-the-line facility and MSU has produced some very good pitchers to the professional levels over the last few years.”
Kickham was 3-3 with a 5.61 earned run average for the Roughriders this spring. He started 10 games, striking out 47 in 41 2/3 innings. Kickham, after a rocky start, did well down the stretch. In his final five starts, he gave up nine runs.
He joins holdover Aaron Meade, a Yankees draft pick in June, as the left-handed pitching options for the Bears next spring.
The Bears lost two lefties after this spring, including Royals draft pick Buddy Baumann.
“Being one of only two left-handed pitchers on our staff with any kind of college experience, I hope to be a weekend starter,” Kickham said of his plans. “We’ve got a talented staff so there’ll be some competition, but I feel that I can earn a top spot in the rotation if I work hard enough.
“I really enjoyed my year at Crowder and made tremendous improvements as a pitcher. I wouldn’t be playing at Missouri State without the experiences I had in my year (at Crowder).”
Mike Kickham’s stay at Crowder College was a short one, but he joins the growing list of pitchers headed for Division I baseball.
Kickham, a Glendale High School product, signed to play with Missouri State in Springfield, his hometown, after a successful summer.
Kickham, a lefty, played for the Ozark Generals this summer before being traded to the Sedalia Bombers, a MINK League team headed for the postseason. Kickham had the chance to take part in the NBC World Series.
“Missouri State started recruiting me in the summer,” Kickham said. “Their coaches came and watched me throw in a couple games and I threw well. Fortunately, I had a good summer and I hope to carry that into the fall. I wanted to be close to home so that my parents could come watch me play. We play in a top-of-the-line facility and MSU has produced some very good pitchers to the professional levels over the last few years.”
Kickham was 3-3 with a 5.61 earned run average for the Roughriders this spring. He started 10 games, striking out 47 in 41 2/3 innings. Kickham, after a rocky start, did well down the stretch. In his final five starts, he gave up nine runs.
He joins holdover Aaron Meade, a Yankees draft pick in June, as the left-handed pitching options for the Bears next spring.
The Bears lost two lefties after this spring, including Royals draft pick Buddy Baumann.
“Being one of only two left-handed pitchers on our staff with any kind of college experience, I hope to be a weekend starter,” Kickham said of his plans. “We’ve got a talented staff so there’ll be some competition, but I feel that I can earn a top spot in the rotation if I work hard enough.
“I really enjoyed my year at Crowder and made tremendous improvements as a pitcher. I wouldn’t be playing at Missouri State without the experiences I had in my year (at Crowder).”
