Baseball | Blake Vandiver
Vandiver turned in a strong offensive performance for the Metro East Bears in the Firecracker Tournament on July 1-2.
The Roxana High graduate had two hits in the tournament opener against Aviston, drove in a run against Ballwin and got a double and scored a run against Jackson (Mo.) in the Bears’ tournament finale. The effort earned Vandiver this week’s Riverbend AdVantage News Athlete of the Week award.
Vandiver helped the Bears finish 2-2 in pool play at the Firecracker Tournament. They had wins over Aviston and the Belleville Junior American Legion squad and losses to Ballwin and Jackson. The Bears forfeited their game with Ballwin because of using an age-ineligible player.
Vandiver is playing in his first season with the Bears this summer. Last summer, he was a member of the Twin City Senior Legion baseball team, which was sponsored by South Roxana American Legion Post 1167. Twin City didn’t field a team this summer.
Vandiver graduated from Roxana in ‘16. The center fielder hit .389 with a team-high 7 doubles and 28 stolen bases. He’s now playing baseball at Lewis and Clark Community College, where he completed his freshman season.
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