Meet the six Ball State baseball players in the MLB right now
· Yahoo Sports
When it comes to putting players in the big leagues, there's no better mid-major team than Ball State baseball.
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There are currently six Major League Baseball players who are Ball State alumni, which isn't just the highest number in the Mid-American Conference — it's one of the top 10 highest numbers in the nation. Ball State is tied with UCLA and Oregon State for the fifth-most alumni in the MLB, with only Florida (12), Arizona and Vanderbilt (eight each) having more active MLB players.
All six Cardinals in the MLB played under head coach Rich Maloney, who just completed his 21st season at Ball State. Here's a look at all six Ball State baseball alumni currently in the MLB.
Alex Call, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Call played four seasons at Ball State from 2013-16 and finished his Cardinal career by being named the 2016 MAC Baseball Player of the Year. He was a third-round pick by the Chicago White Sox in 2016 but was traded to Cleveland in 2018 while he was still a prospect.
Call was promoted to the major leagues for the first time in 2022 but was designated for assignment less than a month later. The Washington Nationals claimed him off waivers that same season and went on to play in 128 games for the team in 2023. In 2025, Call was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers and appeared in 38 games for them last season, including seven postseason games during the team's World Series run.
This season, Call has appeared in 41 games for the Dodgers and is slashing .256/.369/.314.
Zach Cole, OF, Houston Astros
Cole played for the Cardinals from 2020-22 and was an All-MAC first-team selection in 2022 before being drafted by the Houston Astros in the 10th round of the 2022 MLB Draft. By 2025, Cole had worked his way up through the Astros' farm system and made his major league debut last September. He is one of 138 players in MLB history to log a home run in his first major league at-bat.
Cole was optioned to Triple-A to begin the 2026 season but was promoted back to the Astros in May. He has appeared in 19 games for the Astros this season, slashing .157/.353/.189.
Drey Jameson, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Jameson enjoyed two standout seasons at Ball State, winning MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year in 2018 and MAC Pitcher of the Year in 2019. He was selected with the 34th overall pick in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft and was promoted to the major leagues by 2022. Jameson made four starts that season, finishing with a 3–0 record, a 1.48 ERA and 24 strikeouts.
Jameson was on the Diamondbacks' Opening Day roster in 2023 and posted a 3.32 ERA across 15 appearances (three starts) for the team before he was placed on the injured list with elbow inflammation. He eventually had Tommy John surgery that knocked him out for the entirety of the 2024 season and has bounced between the D-Backs and their Triple-A affiliate in Reno, Nevada, since then. Jameson was recalled to the Diamondbacks on June 6 and has pitched 3⅔ innings this season.
Chayce McDermott, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
McDermott played for Ball State from 2018-21 and was an All-MAC second-team selection in his final season. He was a fourth-round pick by the Astros in the 2021 MLB Draft but was traded to the Baltimore Orioles as part of a three-team deal in 2022.
The Orioles promoted McDermott for the first time in 2024 and made four major league appearances in 2025. He was traded to the Dodgers in April 2026 and has pitched one relief inning for them this season.
Kyle Nicolas, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
Nicolas played for the Cardinals from 2018-20 before the COVID-19 pandemic cut short his collegiate career. He entered the 2020 MLB Draft and was selected by Miami Marlins in the second round. In 2021, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates and was promoted to the major leagues for the first time in 2023.
After several appearances for the Pirates over the 2024 and 2025 seasons, Nicolas was traded to the Cincinnati Reds before the 2026 season. He made seven appearances for the Reds before being traded to Baltimore in June 2026. Nicolas has yet to appear in a game for the Orioles.
Tyler Schweitzer, LHP, Chicago White Sox
The most recent Ball State alumni to make his MLB debut, Schweitzer played for the Cardinals from 2020-22 and was named MAC Pitcher of the Year in his final season. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the fifth round of the 2022 MLB Draft and has been in the organization for his entire professional career.
Schweitzer was called up to the majors for the first time on April 8, 2026, and has pitched four innings for the White Sox this season.
Contact Cade Hampton via email at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CadeHamp10.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Six former Ball State baseball players playing in MLB in 2026