The Sage Informer

Colton Vance has been a staple in the Sages’ lineup since his sophomore year. The Sages’ first baseman has always been a reliable wrinkle in the order to come up with a big hit. His unique power tool has made him a feared hitter in the area and in the Illini Prairie Conference. Recently, Colton made his commitment official by signing his letter of intent to play baseball collegiately at Augustana.

When Vance was asked about what drew him to Augustana’s campus, he said, “Right off the bat I really liked the coaches. They are a successful program with a great tradition of winning, and coming from a school where winning was quite common, that was a high priority of mine going into the recruiting process.” Vance has been a part of the greatest stretch in Monticello baseball history. Since he stepped foot in the halls of MHS, the Sages have accumulated a combined record of 96-22-1 in his four years, with more wins to come before the end of his Senior campaign.

When asked if Vance could see himself making an impact early on in his career at Augustana, he said, “They have a couple more first baseman on the roster but I feel like I can compete for a starting spot early. I love that it won’t be given to me and that will only make me better.”

Colton heard from multiple schools from the very competitive CCIW conference. When asked about what his recruiting process looked like, he replied, “I heard from multiple schools within the CCIW conference and took multiple visits, but Augustana was by far my favorite. I enjoyed the campus atmosphere of their school much more than that of others.” The CCIW is historically one of the most competitive conferences in Division III athletics and Vance would have been able to step into a winning environment at whatever school he chose.

Matt Swartz, Staff Writer

swama25@sages.us