Tiger baseball lands Pierre standout
MITCHELL, S.D. – Last week, the Dakota Wesleyan University baseball team landed one of the top pitching prospects in the state of Wisconsin. Wednesday morning, head coach Steve Gust announced the Tigers have added one of the top college prospects in the state of South Dakota to their 2013 roster.
MITCHELL, S.D. – Last week, the Dakota Wesleyan University baseball team landed one of the top pitching prospects in the state of Wisconsin. Wednesday morning, head coach Steve Gust announced the Tigers have added one of the top college prospects in the state of South Dakota to their 2013 roster.
Pierre native Jared Neilan, a standout outfielder for the Pierre Post 8 American Legion team, is DWU's seventh recruit for the 2013 season. He is the third signee from South Dakota and joins teammate Alex McGuigan – another outfielder.
Neilan, a 6-foot-2 outfielder, started in 54 games for Post 8 last season. He batted .383 with two home runs and led the team with 70 hits and 47 RBIs. He will start for Post 8 again this season and looks to help his team to a berth in the state Legion tournament.
Neilan, who plans to major in business at Dakota Wesleyan, also played football at T.F. Riggs High School and earned All-Eastern South Dakota Conference honors as a running back for the Governors as a senior in 2011.
"We believe Jared is one of the top recruits in the state," Gust said. "He has all the tools to be successful. Most importantly, he is a good student and a young man of character and integrity.
"Jared will come in and compete for playing time from day one. The sky is the limit for him. He has good size, speed, intelligence and is a potential big bat in our lineup."
Along with McGuigan, Neilan joins infielder Andrew Becker (Tea, S.D.); first/third baseman Jake Capko (Corvallis, Mont.); left-handed pitchers Nate Everett (Papillion, Neb.) and Jerrett Mills (Norfolk, Neb.) and right-handed pitcher Luke Schultz (West Salem, Wis.).
Dakota Wesleyan opens the 2012 season Friday, Feb. 17, when it plays Dickinson State University in a nonconference doubleheader at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. The Tigers are scheduled to open their home season March 28 against Mayville State University.