A couple of personalities from St. Joseph baseball history have found themselves on the world stage.

With the World Baseball Classic in full swing, two St. Joseph Saints are competing on two different teams in the international event.

Former Saint Brad Ziegler is playing for the U.S. team, while Raymond Chang is playing for China.

Ziegler, who played in St. Joseph for one season about 10 year ago, was born in Pratt, Kan., and graduated from high school in Odessa, Mo., before becoming a pitcher at Missouri State.

“He was a tall, lanky kid,” said Jim Hamlin, general manager of the former St. Joseph summer league team. Hamlin recalls Ziegler as being deeply religious, even fund-raising at the ball park for a missionary goal. “He had a strange delivery.”

The sidearmer was drafted in the 20th round by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2003, and eventually made his way to the majors last May with the Oakland Athletics, where he posted a 3-0 record with a 1.06 earned run average and 11 saves last season.

Chang, also a second baseman, is still waiting for his Major Leagues break. The Kansas City-born Chang, who played his college baseball at Rockhurst, spent the summer of 2002 with the Saints, where he produced his share of timely hits.

Chang signed with the San Diego Padres organization as a non-drafted free agent on July 4, 2005. He split time with three different teams last season, hitting .247 overall with 11 doubles in 81 at bats, concluding the season with Portland of the Class Triple-A Pacific Coast League.

Although his Chinese team was eliminated by Korea on Sunday, Chang made his mark, getting one of the two hits for his team in its last outing and also making a spectacular defensive play that was caught on video for the World Baseball Classic’s Web site.

The U.S. team is 2-2 following Wednesday night’s loss to Venezuela, a team that it beat 15-6 earlier in pool play. Ziegler has pitched one inning in the World Baseball Classic to date, giving up three hits and one run — a home run.