Mon-Clair League baseball started in May, but teams have had to battle Mother Nature along the way.

Some local squads have still managed to get games in, and things are tight right now in the Monroe Division. Just one game separates the division-leading Waterloo Millers from the fifth place Belleville Rockies.

The Millers opened their season May 23 at SPPS Field in Waterloo with a split against Millstadt VFW, taking game one, 11-3, before dropping game two, 10-3.

The Millers faced off with the Rockies at home on May 24, taking both games, 11-1 and 10-8.

Waterloo and Columbia were rained out the following week.

Waterloo then traveled to Valmeyer’s Borsch Park to face the Lakers on Sunday. The two teams split the doubleheader.

Valmeyer took game one, 10-7, but the Millers bounced back to take a close game two, 2-1, giving Waterloo a 4-2 mark so far on the season.

The Millers will be in action this Saturday against the Columbia Saints at SPPS Field, and again on Sunday at home against the Edwardsville Mavericks. First pitch is at 1:30 p.m. both days, weather permitting.

Leading the way offensively for the Millers in the early going are Ethan Ruff (.526) and Wade Koester (.353, seven RBIs).
Millstadt is right behind the Millers in the division with a record of 5-3.

After opening the season with a split against Waterloo, the VFW took two from the Lakers on May 24. Over the weekend, Millstadt split with the St. Louis Spikes on Friday night and on Sunday, they split a doubleheader with the Rockies.

Millstadt VFW will travel to play Fairview Heights this Saturday. Game one is set for 1:30 p.m.

Millstadt’s Jarod Mueth leads the entire league in hitting at .611 with 11 RBIs. Alex Kollack is off to a 2-0 start on the mound with a 1.00 ERA for the VFW.

The Columbia Saints surprised some people last year and are starting off this season right where they left off, playing some good ball.

The Saints are currently 4-4 and sit just one game back in the Monroe Division.

The Saints opened the season with a split against the Lakers, but bounced back to take two from O’Fallon, 8-1 and 12-0.

The Saints played Saturday and Sunday, splitting with Fairview on Saturday and splitting with the Spikes on Sunday.

The Saints will face off against the Millers this Saturday at SPPS Field.

Logan Mueth is hitting .500 for the Saints in the early going. On the mound, Nick Yung has provided some quality innings for Columbia.

Valmeyer is also just one game back in the Monroe Division with a record of 4-4.

The Lakers opened the season by dropping three of their first four games, but regrouped to win three in a row before dropping game two on Sunday against the Millers, 2-1.

Valmeyer will face off with the Rockies this Saturday at Whitey Herzog Field with the first pitch at 1:30 p.m.

Jeremiah Bergheger is hitting .412 to lead the Lakers; Matt Reinholz is next with a .350 average.

On the mound, Andy Skaer is 1-1 for Valmeyer.