Derek Gibson, a former player for the Southeast Missouri State University baseball team, is a member of the St. Louis Cardinals organization and was promoted to the Class A Palm Beach Cardinals last week. Gibson helped lead the Redhawks to a regular-season Ohio Valley Conference championship last season, something Southeast hadn't won since 2002.

What was the transition like for you from Southeast to the St. Louis Cardinals organization?

Transitioning at any level is always an unknown. There's so many different things that play into moving to a different level, whether it's high school to college or college to pros. New environment, new competition, different styles of the game are all factors that can play in. The biggest transition for me was using wood bats. The ball doesn't fly quite as well as it does with metal, and wood bats sometimes feel heavier. I had a tough first couple of weeks trying to get used to everything, but I continued to stay focused and locked in and became more comfortable and confident in games.

How did it feel to get picked up by the Cardinals, who are in your home state?

An amazing feeling. I think it's every young kid's dream to play pro baseball. Playing for your home town makes it even sweeter. I've been a Cardinals fan my whole life and to be able to be a part of this organization is pretty special. I'm very thankful to be playing for a first-class organization and wouldn't trade it for the world.

What is the biggest difference between playing collegiately and professionally for you?

The biggest difference from college to the pros is competition. Players at this level are some of the best in the world. There's a small number of players that are lucky enough to have the opportunity to play college baseball and even less that get a chance in the pros. The game is faster, the pitchers have better stuff, defense is cleaner and the hitters swing their bats well. But at the end of the day, it's the same game. I haven't changed my approach much. I play hard, play fast and play the game right.

What would you say you miss the most about playing for Southeast?

SEMO was one of the best experiences of my life. First-class university all the way around, from top to bottom. I believe that we have the best AD in the country in Mark Alnutt, and our coaching staff is second to none. There is nowhere else I would have rather been than Southeast. I miss our guys, and I'm so thankful for the many memories that we made and everything we accomplished along the way. We won a conference championship, something that Southeast hadn't done in over 10 years and that was extremely special. Our players and coaches worked extremely hard each and every day to get to where we're at now. I'm extremely excited about the future of our baseball program.

How does it feel to have been promoted to Class A ball and now to be with Palm Beach?

Great feeling. Everybody's goal in pro ball is to keep moving up and eventually make the big leagues. I don't set limits on myself and probably have higher expectations on myself than anyone else has on me. I honestly didn't think that I would reach Class A Palm Beach by the end of the summer, but I guess God had a different plan. I'm never satisfied with a performance no matter how good it is because I know that if I want to keep moving up, it's got to be better and I have to be better than I was yesterday.

What are your aspirations with Palm Beach?

My goals at Palm Beach are pretty simple. I'm gonna come out each day, give 100 percent to my coaches and teammates, work hard, keep getting better, be a game changer and do whatever it takes to win games.

What is the best thing about playing professional baseball?

The best thing about playing pro ball is being a role model and setting good examples for kids. I feel like it's our responsibility as players to reach out to the youth and playing pro ball is a great way to do that. I love seeing kids play with passion and play for the love of the game and not for their parents or whoever else.