Braden Looper

Looper was a scholar athlete while a student at Mangum High School in Mangum, Oklahoma. He graduated in 1993 with four letters each in baseball and basketball, and two in football, while also a member of the National Honor Society.\n', '

He focused on baseball while attending Wichita State University, and was inducted into their sports Hall of Fame in 2003. In 1996, he competed in the College World Series, and was a first-team All-American as a junior. He was also a member of the bronze medal-winning Team USA in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.\n', '

Looper was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals as the third pick in the first round of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft. He made his major league debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 31, 1998, striking out the side in a relief appearance. After the 1998 season, he was traded to the Florida Marlins for shortstop Édgar Rentería.\n…