FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 13, 2009

Southern Baseball signs Kolkmeyer for 2009

Joplin, Mo. - Missouri Southern baseball coach Bryce Darnell has announced the addition of Joplin High School product Dane Kolkmeyer to a national letter of intent to attend Southern and play baseball beginning in the Spring of 2010.

Kolkmeyer, a Joplin, Mo. native, is a 5-11, 165 pound shortstop that has started for three years for coach Kirk Harryman and the Eagles. In 2008 as a junior, Kolkmeyer hit .442 with 37 runs, seven doubles, three triples, four home runs and 18 RBIs. He was a first-team All-Area selection by the Joplin Globe and a first team All-Conference selection.

A record-setting wide receiver for the Eagles football team, Kolkmeyer started for three years for coach Doug Buckmaster. This past season as a senior, he was an All-State, All-Ozarks and All-Conference selection and was named the Joplin Globe Player of the Year. He set four different Missouri High School receiving records at Joplin. He had 105 catches for 1,574 yards, both state records.

The son of David and DeAnn Kolkmeyer, Dane has a brother, Dalton that is attending Missouri Southern. His future major at Southern is undecided.

"Dane is as good of a high school athlete as there is in the area," Darnell said. "We look for him to come into the program and make an immediate impact."