Maryville University All-American pitcher Jacob Kroeger was selected in the 10th round of the 2024 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Atlanta Braves. The lefthander is the first Saints baseball player drafted since pitcher Robbie Gordon was picked in the 36th round of the 2016 draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.
 
Kroeger was a second-team All-American selection as voted upon by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. He helped lead the Saints to a school-record 40 wins, the 2024 Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship and a second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
 
The lefty from Palmyra, Mo., set career highs in ERA (3.18), wins (seven), innings pitched (90.2), complete games (two) and shutouts (two). His 117 strikeouts were the most in the GLVC and broke his own program single-season mark set last year. Kroeger notched double digits Ks in three starts, including a career-high 12 strikeouts at Drury. He allowed just one hit in seven innings of work on two occasions this season, against Hillsdale (March 1) and McKendree (May 2).
 
In the 2024 GLVC Tournament, Kroeger threw six scoreless innings to open the tourney, struck out six and picked up the win over Rockhurst University. He also opened the NCAA Tournament for the Saints with seven innings, two earned runs, and eight strikeouts in a win over Grand Valley State University.
 
Kroeger finished his five-year career at Maryville with an 18-5 overall record, five complete games, three shutouts, 243 Innings pitched, a program-record 305 strikeouts, and a .228 batting average against.