Three former Olathe-area high school athletes will suit up in minor league baseball games Aug. 18, spanning levels from Single-A to Triple-A.

The headliner closest to home: John Means, the Gardner-Edgerton High School product and Olathe native, is listed to pitch for the Omaha Storm Chasers against the Rochester Red Wings at 7:35 p.m. Means, 33, is working his way back after two Tommy John surgeries. He threw a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners on May 5, 2021, striking out 12 batters while facing the minimum 27, and earned an All-Star selection in 2019 when he went 12-11 with a 3.60 ERA as a rookie. He signed a two-year minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals on Feb. 13 and was assigned to Omaha.

No D-I school recruited him out of Gardner-Edgerton. Means enrolled at Fort Scott Community College before transferring to West Virginia, where the Orioles drafted him in the 11th round in 2014. His career MLB line: 78 games, a 23-26 record, 3.68 ERA, 334 strikeouts and a 1.05 WHIP across 401 innings.

In Jupiter, Florida, Olathe West alum Alex Birge will catch for the Palm Beach Cardinals against the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels at 6:30 p.m. Birge, 23, signed with the St. Louis Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in July 2025 after leading the University of California, Berkeley in home runs and walks during his 2025 season. The 6-foot, 205-pound left-handed hitter is listed as a top-10 prospect in the Cardinals' system, according to ESPN. He was promoted from the Florida Complex League to Palm Beach on Aug. 26, 2025.

Olathe South's Isaiah Campbell rounds out the local trio. The right-hander and his Reno Aces face the Salt Lake Bees at 8:35 p.m. Campbell, who turned 29 on Saturday, Aug. 15, carries a 5-1 record with a 6.65 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 44.2 innings across 42 appearances for the Diamondbacks' Triple-A affiliate this season, according to MLB.com. He made his major league debut on July 7, 2023, with the Seattle Mariners, becoming the second Portuguese-born player to appear in the majors. Campbell was born in the Azores while his father, Parry Campbell, was stationed there with the Air Force.

Tuesday's schedule for Olathe-area players, as reported by JoCo Today:

  • 6:30 p.m.: Alex Birge, Palm Beach Cardinals vs. Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
  • 7:35 p.m.: John Means, Omaha Storm Chasers vs. Rochester Red Wings
  • 8:35 p.m.: Isaiah Campbell, Reno Aces vs. Salt Lake Bees