Since 1964, the Oklahoma Travelers baseball organization has sent players on to compete collegiately all over the country, but it would be difficult for any of the past teams to match this year's edition in sending players on to the next level.

Every graduating player on the 2002 Travelers squad is expected to have a chance to play collegiately next spring with even more waiting in the wings for their chance to showcase their skills to scouts all over this part of the country.

"This has been one of the most successful seasons that we have ever had in that regard," head coach Mark Ward said. "We have been able to achieve considerable name recognition from college coaches over the years and most of them know the quality of players that we have had come through here.

"This year's group benefited greatly from that exposure and many of them were able to make good showings in front of the many scouts we play in front of, and up their stock in the process. That's a tribute to their hard work."

This year's Travelers have posted an outstanding 55-12 record heading into NABF Regional Tournament action on Friday in Joplin, Missouri. They are possibly four victories away from just the second World Series berth in the program's illustrious history.

The future also looks bright with the Travelers' 17-and-under squad, which played out of Shattuck this summer, competing in the 17-and-under NABF World Series at the USA Baseball Complex in Millington, Tennessee this week.

Leading the way for the Travelers this season has been Elk City graduate Matt Yost, who has picked up right where he left off during the high school season, feasting on opposing pitching.

Yost, who will attend the University of Arkansas this fall after recently signing with the Razorbacks, is on his way to eclipsing a Traveler record, which has stood for 20 years.

The big first baseman maintains an incredible .522 batting average through the regular season, which would shatter the previous team record of .492 set by Ward's brother and former Woodward High School head coach Gregg Ward in 1982.

With 95 hits in 62 games played, Yost is on the way to joining the prestigious 100-hit club to go along with his team-leading 75 runs batted in and team-best 24 walks.

Yost isn't the only Traveler that has shined in the presence of college scouts this summer.

Noah Booth is headed to Wichita State after a brilliant postseason with the Shocker coaches in attendance. The southpaw was a great addition to the pitching staff, bolstering the rotation from the left side and has a team-best 1.00 ERA with an 8-0 mound record and team-high five complete games. He also leads the way with 75 strikeouts in 56 innings and is holding opponents to a team-low .212 batting average against.

Seminole State signees Landon Scales and Cody Merrell have raised eyebrows from coaches throughout the region but remain firm with their decisions to play for the tradition-rich Trojan program next year.

Scales has been one of the aces of the pitching staff for the past two years and this season sports a 9-1 record with 1.61 ERA and team-high 56 2/3 innings pitched. He also has a sensational strikeout-to-walk ratio with 63 Ks and just 13 free passes.

Merrell is a three-year mainstay in the lineup and currently has a .436 batting average to his credit, including 14 doubles, three triples, five home runs and 45 RBI. The Perryton, Texas All-Stater has drawn rave reviews from Division I coaches with his tremendous ability to play centerfield or shortstop at the blink of an eye.

Granite's Colby Tackett and Leedey's Matt Stout have signed on to continue their playing careers at Clarendon Junior College after outstanding seasons this summer for the Travelers.

Tackett has been a regular on the mound, tied with a team-leading 17 appearances and sports a 9-1 overall record and 3.61 ERA. He also has posted 55 strikeouts and just 14 walks in 51 2/3 innings.

Stout meanwhile has done nothing but progress in his two seasons as a Traveler.

This year, the Leedey graduate filled into the leadoff slot at midseason and thrived in that position, hitting a sensational .447 with a team-leading eight home runs to go with a sparkling .767 slugging percentage, 46 RBI and 61 runs scored.

Throw in his incredible defensive play in the spacious outfield at Ackley Park and team-best 27 stolen bases and you can see why many colleges were vying for his services.

The most highly coveted prospect for the Travelers this summer was very likely Altus' Ryan Phillips.

The 6-4 lefthander was able fine-tune his mechanics on the mound as the season progressed and had dozens of colleges bidding for his services after notching an 8-2 record with even 3.00 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings.

Barton County College in Kansas won the Phillips lottery and is expected to immediately put the big lefty near the front of their rotation.

Traveler catchers Levi Garrett and Brad Boles also garnered solid scholarship offers to continue their careers at Western and Eastern Junior Colleges respectively after splitting playing time throughout the season.

Garrett is currently hitting at a .346 clip with 13 extra-base hits and 26 RBI. Boles adds solid defensive play and a .321 average with 11 doubles and 19 runs batted in.

Sentinel's Chelo Gonzales is another player that saw his stock rise dramatically in college coaches' eyes with his outstanding play in the outfield this summer as well as his bat wielding ability.

Gonzales has maintained a solid average and is hitting .415 going into the postseason with 17 RBI and will play at Redlands Community College.

Elk City's Brett Edwards was injured most of the season but still provided outstanding early efforts on the mound to garner a scholarship from Hutchinson Community College. The righthanded hurler notched a 2-1 record, 2.21 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings.

Mangum's Matt Lively was a late edition to the squad but made the most of his opportunities with a .410 batting average, three home runs and 17 RBI in just 39 at-bats. The big swinging righthander will play next season at USAO in Chickasha.

The Travelers' final two graduates, Clinton's A.J. Juarez and Woodward's David Bates, are expected to have opportunities to continue playing at Southwestern and Northern at Enid respectively.

Juarez has made the most of his mound opportunities with a 5-0 record and 3.28 ERA. Bates meanwhile has hit well of late and has four home runs in 68 at-bats.

Juniors Brett Case, Timmy Sullivan and Nate Smith have already drawn considerable interest from college throughout the region with another year of high school remaining and one more season as a Traveler.

Case, a Super 9 outfielder from Preston, has shined in his first year in a Traveler uniform, batting a sensational .494 with team-high 66 runs scored, 23 doubles, six triples and .792 slugging percentage to go along with five home runs and 51 RBI.

Sullivan has had an outstanding season in full-time duty at second base, posting a .378 average with 17 doubles, four triples and seven home runs as well as 64 runs scored and 44 RBI.

Smith meanwhile has become a fixture of improvement on the mound, tying for the team lead with 17 appearances and 3.74 ERA. He has struck out 27 in 24 1/3 innings and will be a main cog in the pitching staff next season for Elk City as an Elk and Traveler.

Woodward's Chance Gerloff will have two more years after emerging on the scene on the left side of the infield following his sophomore year in high school. The switch hitter batted .287 with 24 RBI.

Elk City's Brett Davis should also be a regular in the lineup next summer after joining the club following a tremendous run with the Elks through the OK Kids state tournament.