Cobden’s Draper signs to play baseball at Rend Lake College

Cobden High School’s Steve Draper has signed a national letter of intent to play baseball this fall at Rend Lake College near Ina.

Draper, an outfielder, had a .406 batting average during the fall with a pair of doubles and 12 RBIs. He was 7 of 8 in stolen bases.

He had a .370 batting average during his junior year. As a sophomore, he had a .355 batting average.

He pitched 35 2/3s innings in the fall with 34 strikeouts. He was 6-0 on the mound with an 0.79 ERA.

“He runs well and has above average speed,” Cobden head coach Blayne Smith said. “He’s very competitive.”

Draper, who follows two other brothers who played collegiate baseball, is also a forward on the Appleknockers’ basketball team