Kroeger becomes first Palmyra product selected in MLB draft in nearly half-century

PALMYRA, Mo. — The most prolific strikeout pitcher in the history of the Maryville University baseball program is going to get the chance to prove he can bury hitters in the pros.

He’s making history for the Palmyra baseball program as well.

Jacob Kroeger, a left-handed hurler who recently completed his playing career as a second-team All-American at Maryville, was selected in the 10th round of the Major League Baseball Draft on Monday by the Atlanta Braves.

Kroeger was selected with pick No. 311 and is the first person to play baseball at Palmyra High School to be drafted and the first Palmyra native to be selected in 46 years.

Palmyra’s Terry Bogener was selected by the Texas Rangers in the sixth round of the 1978 draft and made his big league debut with the Rangers in 1982. Bogener played American Legion baseball in Hannibal while in high school, but Palmyra didn’t field a varsity baseball team until the late 1990s.

In the spring, Kroeger went 7-1 with a 3.18 ERA over 90 ⅔ innings in helping the Saints win the GLVC Tournament championship and reach the 40-win plateau for the first time in program history. His 117 strikeouts were a single-season program record and led the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

The first-team All-GLVC pitcher tied the Maryville record for career victories with 18 and career starts with 41, while setting career records for strikeouts (305) and innings pitched (243).

Kroeger was named a second-team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and the American Baseball Coaches Association. He also pitched part of the 2022 Prospect League season for the Quincy Gems, making six appearances and throwing 15 innings with a 1-1 record, one save and 22 strikeouts.