Next level: Creeker to become a Shocker

▪  Tates Creek baseball junior Colin Burgess, a catcher, committed to Wichita State on Monday.

The Shockers, whose basketball team has become a national name in recent years, moved to the American Athletic Conference from the Missouri Valley Conference, of which they’d been a member since 1945, this school year.

Wichita State offered Burgess on a Monday after a weekend performance with his summer team, the Midland Braves based out of Ohio, in Fort Myers, Fla. He also had an offer from Evansville.

“They have a really nice program there, with nice facilities and everything,” said Burgess, who was especially impressed with the Shockers’ indoor practice facility. “Their coaches are really cool people.”

“It wasn’t too big but it wasn’t too small,” Burgess said.

▪  Mickey Pearson, a 6-foot-7 small forward at John Hardin, committed to Saint Louis on Saturday. Pearson, a senior, averaged 22.2 points and 8.8 rebounds last season for John Hardin, a semifinalist in the 10th Region tournament. The Bulldogs will play Scott County as part of the Jock Sutherland Classic at Lafayette on Feb. 3.

▪  Two Kentucky girls’ swimmers picked colleges recently. Morgan Miller, a senior from North Oldham who was part of two victorious relay teams in the 6th Region championships last season, committed to the University of Kentucky on Monday. Sacred Heart’s Ellie Masterson will also swim in the Southeastern Conference; she committed to South Carolina on Oct. 10.

▪  Scott County senior Mackenzie Pawlak committed to play softball for the University of Pikeville this week.

This story was originally published October 19, 2017 at 3:15 PM with the headline "Next level: Creeker to become a Shocker."