Oran standouts Kolten Payne and Luke Peterson ink baseball scholarships

ORAN, Mo. — Oran senior baseball standouts Kolten Payne and Luke Peterson will officially take their talents to the next level.

Payne and Peterson fulfilled their childhood dreams recently, signing national letters of intent to play college baseball with St. Charles Community College and Mineral Area College, respectively.

"The reason I got into coaching and teaching is because of my experience as a player," Eagles coach Joe Bickings said. "I got to play a little bit in college, and now these kids have been able to go on to college, partake in that and get an education out of it. That's huge for them."

Oran's Luke Peterson sits for a photo after signing to play college baseball at St. Charles Community College. (Submitted)

While neither player was able to get on the field their freshman year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both played a role on Oran's state championship team in 2021 and subsequent appearance in 2022.

Payne pitched the state championship game as a sophomore and received All-State honorable mention honors from the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association. He earned first-team All-State honors as a junior, leading the Eagles back to the state title game.

"My sophomore year I really progressed and slowly got to be a starter," Payne said. "Then, in my junior year, I was one of the key players on the team. I've just felt really good about myself and hopefully, we can do the same thing this year."

Bickings knew Payne would be a special player during his sophomore season, particularly in the Eagles' 3-0 win over St. Elizabeth in the Class 1 state title game.

"That sophomore year we kind of used him as a reliever. He came in and was just constantly pumping strikes," Bickings said. "Throwing him out there in the state championship game when it was raining and misting like that, and he didn't bat an eye and he took the baseball and went out there and really proved he belonged."

Payne has tossed 116 2/3 innings in his career with the Eagles, striking out 172 batters while posting an ERA of 1.15. At the plate, Payne boasts a .361 career average with 37 RBIs and 84 runs scored. Through 14 games in 2023, Payne has struck out 44 batters across 30 innings while recording a 1.16 ERA.

While he excelled at the plate for Oran, Payne's sole focus for the Cougars will be on the mound.

"I'm going to miss (batting) a lot," Payne said. "It's going to bring back memories, but my dad and I made a decision where we think it's best for me to stick strictly with just pitching."

While not as decorated as Payne, Peterson also contributed to the Eagles making back-to-back state title appearances. The future Cardinal has driven in 43 runs at the plate with a .315 average, 58 runs scored and five home runs. through 14 games this season, Peterson boasts a .308 average with 20 RBIs and four of his five career homers.

"He's got some of the best pop I've had here at Oran," Bickings said, "and that's kind of saying a lot because we've had some really good players."

Peterson — a South Dakota native who has only lived in Oran since his seventh-grade year — played right field on Oran's state championship-winning team before moving to center field where he currently plays. Bickings attributed Peterson's aggressiveness when tracking down fly balls and his off-field work ethic to his on-field success.

"The kid lives in the weight room and he loves the game of baseball," Bickings said. "He goes out, he'll hit nonstop. He'll get in that weight room and he'll work out.

"There were times when he was going through a stretch that I would get in the weight room at 6 in the morning, since I coach year-round it's the only time I can work out, and he'd be in there before me. For a high school kid to do that, see that, and then see the results, I try to tell the other kids, 'Look what Luke did from his sophomore year to his senior year.' "

Being undersized as a freshman and seeing how big some of his former teammates were inspired Peterson to lift hard during his high school career which has improved his game significantly.

"It's helped a lot," Peterson said. "I can definitely tell at the plate, strength-wise, I've been able to hit the ball harder. It's been awesome to see my numbers jump, my exit velo and stuff like that, just from weight training. I see myself getting faster, stronger and throwing harder."

Payne plans to study agriculture engineering or a sports-related field at St. Charles while Peterson expects to major in pre-dentistry at MAC.

"I kind of had messed up teeth when I was younger," Peterson said. "I've always been in the dentist's office or at the orthodontist, so I got interested because of that."

Ultimately, Bickings hopes both athletes find success at the next level.

"I hope both succeed when they get the chance," Bickings said. "Right now, they're kind of the best in our area and when you get to college everybody's good. So when you get your opportunity, you better do something with the opportunity, and if not, make sure you're working your rear end off to get another opportunity, go out there and compete."

The Eagles are currently 10-4 with four regular-season games remaining before the Class 1 District 2 tournament begins on May 12.