Joe Petrea played baseball for Salem High School before attending Kaskaskia College from 1977 to 1979.  Joe had a batting average of .354 in 1977, .306 in 1978 and .303 in 1979 and he was a baseball Southern Illinois Collegiate Conference selection in 1977.  While at Kaskaskia College, Joe held a career batting average of .288, fifteen doubles, eight triples, one home run, forty-nine runs batted in, and a .432 on base average. Joe stole eighteen bases out of twenty-three attempts and had two triples in one game and was solid in the field with a fielding average of .979 handling 620 chances. Joe played for the South team in the All-Star Game at Wrigley Field in 1979.

Joe received a baseball scholarship to Middle Tennessee State University where he continued his educational and athletic career.  Joe had a career batting average of .321 with forty-five runs batted in, twenty-one doubles, three homeruns, and one triple.  Joe’s stats were all achieved using a wooden bat.  Joe was a great defensive first baseman with a .985 average handling 624 chances.  Joe was selected to the All Ohio Valley Conference team his senior year when his team played in the South Regional with a chance to go to the NCAA College World Series.