Tiger baseball secures two more South Dakota recruits
MITCHELL, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan University baseball team added more in-state talent early this week, head coach Steve Gust announced Monday morning. Winner standout Austin Calhoon and Rapid City native Tyler Hand will both join the Tigers for the 2013 season.
MITCHELL, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan University baseball team added more in-state talent early this week, head coach Steve Gust announced Monday morning. Winner standout Austin Calhoon and Rapid City native Tyler Hand will both join the Tigers for the 2013 season.
Calhoon has played three years of varsity baseball so far for the Winner/Colome Demons. The 5-foot-10 outfielder hit .540 as a junior with five triples, six doubles and one home run. He earned All-State First Team accolades in 2011, and is looking for an equally successful season as a senior.
Calhoon, who plans to major in mathematics at Dakota Wesleyan, also lettered four times in football and three times in basketball at Winner High School. He earned All-Big Dakota Conference football honors as a senior in 2011. He also earned academic all-state for football and has been a member of the honor roll for three years.
"Austin is a diamond in the rough," Gust said. "He may come from a small town in South Dakota, but he has big-time talent. He has a great left-handed swing, a strong arm and a big passion for the game. We believe he will develop into a great all-around player and that he has the ability to help us right away."
Hand comes to Dakota Wesleyan from Rapid City Central High School. The 5-foot-3 Hand has played mostly second base in his career, but dealt with injuries as a junior and was unable to play. Hand, who plans to major in athletic training at DWU, has a 3.5 GPA will add depth to the Tiger infield next season.
"Tyler has a strong passion for the game and a big desire to join a collegiate baseball team," Gust said. "What he lacks in size, he makes up in heart. He is also a great student, and brings a great work ethic both in the classroom and on the field to the team."
Calhoon and Hand are the Tigers' eighth and ninth recruits for 2013, and bring Gust's South Dakota recruit total up to five. They join Pierre natives Alex McGuigan (OF) and Jared Neilan (OF) and Tea native Andrew Becker (INF). DWU's other four recruits for 2013 are Jake Capko (3B/1B, Corvallis, Mont.); Nate Everett (LHP, Papillion, Neb.); Jerrett Mills (LHP, Norfolk, Neb.) and Luke Schultz (RHP, West Salem, Wis.).
Dakota Wesleyan starts its 2012 campaign Friday, Feb. 17, when it travels to Minneapolis, Minn., for a nonconference doubleheader against Dickinson State University at the Metrodome. The Tigers play Dickinson again Saturday in Minneapolis, and then travel to Kansas for a handful of games Feb. 24-26.