Blair Oaks grad drafted by Atlanta Braves in fifth round

WARDSVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ)

There is no shortage of Missouri-born talent in professional baseball and, on Sunday, Blair Oaks grad Wil Libbert was added to that list.

The former Falcon and Mizzou pitcher punched his ticket to the next level, when the Atlanta Braves selected him in the fifth round of the MLB Draft, with the No. 144 overall pick, on Sunday. The left-handed pitcher's selection comes right after he helped the Ole Miss Rebels return to Omaha for the College World Series in the 2026 season.

Libbert joins Battle alum Tyler Putnam and former Camdenton and Mizzou star Kam Durnin in local talents to be taken in the 2026 MLB Draft.

The Wardsville native wraps up his college career, after making two stops in the Southeastern Conference. Libbert began his career playing for his hometown team, earning a redshirt in year one and then seeing action in year two. In 2025, he went 3-4 in appearances, as he appeared in 53.2 innings across 11 starts and struck out 55 batters with a 6.04 ERA.

After that, the Blair Oaks alum went transferred to Ole Miss, where he found quite a bit of success. Libbert appeared in 17 games for the Rebels, making eight starts. In that time, he posted a 6.19 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 48.0 innings, tallying a 2-2 record. Notably, he worked a critical 3.0 innings for Ole Miss in the deciding game of the Lincoln Regional against Arizona State, not allowing a hit or a run and striking out a pair.

However, Libbert's success at the collegiate level came as no surprise to Mid-Missourians. In high school, he was a three-time Missouri Class 4 all-state honoree. In his senior year, he went 5-2 with a 0.37 ERA, while striking out 97 batters across just 38 innings.

Now, it's time for Libbert to begin his next chapter as a member of the Atlanta Braves organization.