December 16, 2022

SIOUX FALLS – The University of Sioux Falls baseball program, and head coach Grant Hieb, are excited to announce the addition of 11 athletes for the 2023-24 season.

 

"We are very pleased with the signees for the class of 2023-2024.  We think we have a very talented group of student-athletes that should help this program keep moving in the right direction.  They are a very competitive group that we think will immediately push our veterans next fall. The future of Cougar Baseball is looking bright!"

-Head Coach Grant Hieb on the 2023 Signing Class

 

The members of the 2023 signing class include: Reid Barnard, Brady Baur, Grant Hallman, Mitchell Iliff, Carson Jager, Kaleb Klinkhammer, Tyler Maeyaert, Jake Pruchniak, Myles Rees, Jack Richeson and Michael Zimmerman.

 

Reid Barnard, Pitcher, St. Michael, MN / St. Michael-Albertville High School

Reid comes to USF from St. Michael, Minnesota where he attended St. Michael-Albertville High School. Barnard played baseball for the Knights where he recorded an ERA of 2.77 going 2-0 with one save in 17.2 innings pitched. Barnard tallied 22 strikeouts while only giving up 12 hits and seven runs as a Knight. He played club ball for Pitch2Pitch Millers and he is the son of Jessica and Dan. Reid plans to study Psychology in the fall.

"Reid's a very projectable right-handed pitcher who possesses a plus breaking ball.  As he gets stronger and his velocity increases, we feel he has the chance to be a top rotation arm with the ability to spin the ball."

-Coach Hieb on Reid Barnard

 

Brady Baur, Outfield/Pitcher, Prior Lake, MN / Marshall High School  

Brady comes to USF from Prior Lake, Minnesota where he attended Prior Lake High School. During his time with the Lakers baseball team he was elected a senior captain. Brady played club ball with Starters Sports Training and is the son of Tanya and Kevin. Baur plans to study Accounting in the fall. 

"The more we saw Brady pitch, the more we liked him.  He's a great competitor with a great work ethic.  As he gets stronger, we believe he has the make-up to be a top rotation arm for us."

-Coach Hieb on Brady Baur

 

Grant Hallman, Infield/Outfield, Chaska, MN / Chaska High School

Grant joins the Coo from Chaska, Minnesota where he played baseball for the Hawks of Chaska High School. Hallman played club ball for the MacStrength Grizzlies. Grant is the son of Sarah and Eric and plans to major in Accounting and Sports Management while at USF.

"Grant is a good sized outfielder who has some pop at the plate.  He's a guy that we hope can develop into a power hitter as he gets bigger and stronger in our program."

-Coach Hieb on Grant Hallman

 

Mitchell Iliff, Infield, Hastings, MN / Hastings High School

Mitch joins USF from Hastings, Minnesota where he played baseball for the Hasting High School Raiders. During his time with the Raiders, Iliff has earned Metro East All-Conference Honorable Mention honors as well as MVP honors for the Minnesota Blizzard. Iliff has recorded a .344 batting average while picking up two home runs, one triple, five doubles and 27 RBIs. Mitch is a member of the Hastings High School Leadership Council and is the son of Kerry and Jim. Iliff plans to major in Business Administration next fall.

"Mitchell has a smooth left-handed swing that we feel can be a big bat in our lineup in the future.  With time we think he could add some punch to the middle of the order."

-Coach Hieb on Mitchell Iliff

 

Carson Jager, Outfield, Maurice, IA / Floyd Valley High School

Carson comes to USF from Maurice, Iowa where he played baseball, football and track for the Dutchmen of Floyd Valley High School. Jager is a three-time varsity letter winner as well as a two-time all-conference and all-district first team selection. He was named to the 2022 3A All-IA Baseball second team as well as the 2021 3A All-IA Baseball first team. Jager led his American Legion team to a 2022 Championship all while maintaining a .359 batting average. Throughout high school, he tallied 66 singles, 16 doubles, 6 triples and 5 home runs. Jager batted in 77 runs and stole 27 bases for the Dutchman as he looks to continue his success at USF. Carson is the son of Shane and Marci and plans to pursue a degree in accounting followed by a master's in business administration. Jager is a member of the National Honor Society and enjoys hunting and fishing in his spare time.

"Carson is an athletic outfielder with a smooth left-handed swing. We feel he's an athlete that could hit at the top of the order for us in the future. As he continues to add size and strength, we believe he should really take off."

-Coach Hieb on Carson Jager

 

Kaleb Klinkhammer, Pitcher, Albertville, MN / St. Michael High School

Kaleb comes to Sioux Falls from Albertville, Minnesota where he played baseball and basketball for the Knights of St. Michael High School. Last season, Klinkhammer threw 18 innings while producing 25 strikeouts. He gave up just 7 walks on the year while maintaining a 1.5 ERA for the Knights. Kaleb is the son of Lisa Klinkhammer and plans to pursue a degree in business in hopes of someday opening his own consulting firm. In his free time, Klinkhammer enjoys coaching his younger brothers baseball team.

"Kaleb is a big, physical pitcher who we think has a lot of upside. We can't wait to start working with him once he gets to campus next fall."

-Coach Hieb on Kaleb Klinkhammer

Tyler Maeyaert, Outfield/Pitcher, Marshall, MN / Marshall High School  

Tyler joins the Cougars from Marshall, Minnesota where he was a three sport standout athlete at Marshall High School. For the Tigers, Maeyaert was a three year starter in both football and baseball, as well as a two year starter in basketball. A senior captain in football, he was also a Big South All-Conference selection as a junior in baseball. On the baseball field, Maeyaert boasts a .351 batting average with 27 hits, 14 RBI's and 8 stolen bases. As a pitcher, he threw 37 innings while collecting 44 strikeouts. Tyler played club ball for the Marshall Legion Mudcats and is the son of Kirsten and Bruce. Maeyaert plans to study Nursing at USF in the fall.

"Tyler is a multi-sport athlete who plays quarterback for the football team and guard for the basketball team.  He's a guy that we really think will take off once he gets here.  He has a good swing from the left side of the plate and has a lot of potential on the mound."

-Coach Hieb on Tyler Maeyaert

 

Jake Pruchniak, Pitcher, Sioux City, SD / Dakota Valley High School

Jake joins the USF family from Sioux City, South Dakota. He played baseball for the Panthers at Dakota Valley High School where he holds multiple school records: All-Time leader in strikeouts, single season strikeouts (88), single game strikeouts (18), single game home runs hit (3), and the only perfect game in school history. Pruchniak is also a two-time 1^st Team All-State selection by the SDHSBA. He also helped lead his team to a 7-0 record with 41.2 innings pitched while only giving up 12 hits and 14 walks all while producing 88 strikeouts. Jake is the son of Beth and Wayne, and he plans to study Business in the fall with aspirations to get his MBA and run his own business.

"Jake is a big, physical pitcher who we think will be a big part of our pitching staff in the next couple of years.  He's been dominant at the Class B level here in South Dakota and we believe his best years are in front of him."

-Coach Hieb on Jake Pruchniak

 

Myles Rees, Infield/Pitcher, Sioux Falls, SD / Washington High School

A local star, Myles is joining the Cougars and staying home in Sioux Falls. Rees played baseball for the Washington High School Warriors where he was named to the All-Conference team. He played American Legion baseball for Post 15 and he is the son of Kris and Clay.

"Myles is one of the best players in the state for his class.  He is a smooth infielder with a plus arm.  He's really came along on the mound this past year and we really think he has a chance to help us on both sides of the ball."

-Coach Hieb on Myles Rees

 

Jack Richeson, Pitcher, Lincoln, NE / Pius X High School

Jack joins USF from Lincoln, Nebraska where he played baseball for the Thunderbolts of Pius X High School. Richeson plans to major in Sports Management and Media Studies and is the son of Anne and Tim.

"We're very excited to have Jack come to USF next fall.  We liked his competitiveness and command on the mound and we feel he has a great upside as he'll only improve as his velocity increases."

-Coach Heib on Jack Richeson

 

Michael Zimmerman, Catcher, Omaha, NE / Omaha Westside High School

A two sport athlete, Michael joins the Cougars from Omaha, Nebraska where he played baseball and football for the Warriors of Omaha Westside High School. On the baseball field, Zimmerman boasted a .250 batting average going 12 for 48 at the plate with an on base percentage of .340 and a fielding percentage of .970. He played club ball for the Nebraska Prospects and is the son of Risa and Dale. Michael plans to study Exercise Science at USF with hopes to one day become a strength coach. 

"We think Michael will be a great addition behind the plate for us.  He's an excellent receiver who seems to have a great relationship with his pitchers.  The more we got to know him, the more we wanted him to be part of our program."

-Coach Hieb on Michael Zimmerman