SCSU Baseball Lands 11 New Recruits for 2013-14

St. Cloud State University baseball coach Pat Dolan has announced that 11 student-athletes have committed to play baseball for the Huskies beginning in the fall of 2013.

This group includes Matt Buss (Rosemount/H.S./Dakota Tech C.C.), Houston Droel (Mendota Heights/St. Thomas Academy), Dan Furhman (Chanhassen/H.S.), Tyler Gentz (Franklin, Wisc.), Jackson Goplen (West St. Paul/St. Croix Lutheran H.S.), Reid Holum (Grand Rapids/H.S.), Derek Larson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Palmer Ridge H.S.), Daniel Mokrzycki (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley H.S.), Bryan Rohde (Winona/H.S.), Dylan Valentyn (Faribault/Bethlehem Academy), Nolan Webster (Council Bluffs, Iowa/Lincoln H.S./Iowa Central C.C.).

“With us having 16 juniors and seniors on the roster and only 3 sophomores, we knew this was going to have to be a good size recruiting class,” Dolan said. “We've averaged 12 new recruits per year the past three years and to already have 11 early recruits is very beneficial to our program. At this point, we can now afford to be very selective in who we bring in and equally as important we can put more emphasize on both our current team and the 2014 recruiting class.”

“Our staff put in a lot to get this new class put together. It truly was a team effort and I can't thank coaches (Josh) Vorpahl, (Mike) Harwerth, (Rob) Swendra and (Bruce) Thompson enough for all the time they put in recruiting and in every facet of our program.

“We really filled all of our needs. We needed a big body catcher and we got one in Valentyn. We needed some more middle of the order hitting and we got that in Holum and Larson. We also needed a young shortstop who can run and we got that in Goplen.

“Like everyone, we needed pitching. We signed a good combination of experienced JUCO arms in Buss and Webster and we were fortunate to sign a nice group of high school pitchers in Mokrzycki, Rohde, Gentz, Furman and Droel.”

SCSU Husky Baseball Recruit Profiles:

Matt Buss, LHP, Rosemount, Minn.

Buss is a 2007 graduate of Rosemount High School and has played at Dakota Tech C.C. after signing out of high school with North Dakota State.

Buss was a two-time team captain at Dakota Tech and received All-Region honors in 2011. He played prep baseball at Rosemount for Coach Trevor Monroe and was a three-year varsity starter.

At Rosemount, Buss was a two-time All-Region and All-Conference selection and served as a team captain in 2006 and 2007. A Minnesota Lions All-Star game pick in 2007, Buss threw a no-hitter in his first varsity start as a freshman at Rosemount.

He is the son of David Buss and Sandy Mulkey.

“SCSU is a great fit for me academically with its strong business school and Coach Dolan never gave up on me recruiting me out of high school in 2007. I'm really looking forward to playing for the Huskies and the great tradition they have over the next two years.”

Dolan noted, “We recruited Matt heavily out of high school back in 2007 before he signed with NDSU. I think you are going to see him become a big time pitcher for us, after a few years playing for Wes Crawford at DCTC. He has that great left-handers' look and composure on the mound and being a little older and experienced he should fit right into the rotation next year.”

Houston Droel, RHP/Catcher, Mendota Heights, Minn.

A multi-talented athlete from St. Thomas Academy, where Droel plays for Coach Paul Weinberg. Droel served as a team captain in 2012 at St. Thomas Academy and he has gained All-Conference and Pitcher of the Year honors during his high school career.

Droel also plays baseball during the summer season with American Legion Post 521 and Coach Seth Pugh. He is the son of Tim and Heather Droel.

“I think Houston (Droel) is going to surprise some people," Doland said. "Not a lot of people know much about him, as he is coming off an injury last year, but both the Minnesota Starz and Minnesota Blizzard guys have nothing but high praise for him. He really has the potential to be a solid player for us.”

Dan Fuhrman, RHP, Chanhassen, Minn.

Fuhrman gained Rookie of the Year honors at Chanhassen in 2011, while playing for Coach Cullen Bahn. In 2012, Furman earned All-Conference honors and posted a solid 1.60 ERA with 38 strikeouts and a 1-1 record at Chanhassen.

In 2011, Fuhrman scored a 3.92 ERA and a 3-1 record with 40 strikeouts to his credit at Chanhassen. He is the son of Steve and Debbie Fuhrman.

Coach Dolan's Comments, “Dan comes highly recommended and is another strike throwing machine that competes. As he gets bigger and develops we expect him to become a quality pitcher for us.”

Tyler Gentz, LHP, Franklin, Wis.

Gentz is left handed pitcher, who as a sophomore helped Franklin H.S. win the Wisconsin Summer State championship. At Franklin, Gentz plays for coach Jim Hughes and he also plays for Coach R.J. Fergus at the Hitters Academy during the spring and fall seasons.

As a junior, Gentz started 8 games and threw 4 complete games with 2 shutouts. In 44.1 innings, he compiled a 1.90 ERA and held his opponents to a .152 batting average. At the plate he batted .313 with 30 hits. He was named to the All Conference team and won the Most improved Player on the team award.

Gentz is a member of the National Honor Society and is a 3-year Scholar Athlete. He is interested in pursuing an Engineering degree at SCSU. He is the son of Anne and Steve Gentz.

“As I looked at potential colleges, it was important to me to find a school that offered both baseball and engineering programs,” Gentz said. “I was happy to learn that St. Cloud State not only had both programs but that both are very well respected programs. Everyone I met during my visits to the University was very helpful and welcoming. From Coach Dolan and his staff, to the Adminssions staff and the Engineering professors…they answered all my questions and made me feel comfortable. I had no doubt that they were as interested in me as I was in SCSU.”

Coach Dolan said, “Tyler (Gentz) attended one of the final showcases and stood out big time on the mound with great presence, a plus curve ball and a solid running two-seam fastball. He gives us another solid young arm from the left side.”

Jackson Goplen, SS, West St. Paul, Minn.

Goplen earned All-Conference honors in baseball at St. Croix Lutheran during his sophomore and junior seasons. He also gained team MVP notice in 2012, while hitting .518 with a .603 on base percentage and a .679 slugging rate.

Goplen earned American Legion All-District awards over the past two summers and he gained team MVP notice in 2012. A talented football player, Goplen rushed for over 2000 yards as a prep player while earning All-Conference and All-State Honorable Mention awards at St. Croix Lutheran. He also earned All-Conference honors in basketball as junior. He is the son of Cathy and Scott Goplen.

“I chose St. Cloud State because I really liked the coaching staff and it just felt like the right place to be,” Goplen said. “I am really excited to join the Huskies! I think it will be a great baseball and life experience.”

?Coach Dolan added, “Jackson (Goplen) is a true all-around athlete that has excelled in football, basketball and baseball and when we get him focusing just on baseball in college he is really going to develop. He has some big time speed and reminds us of a Phil Imholte type of offensive player. He had a lot of other great options to choose from and for him to decide to play baseball for the Huskies is great for our program.”

Reid Holum, OF/1^st Base, Grand Rapids, Minn.

Holum is a four-time varsity letterwinner for coach Bill Kinnunen at Grand Rapids High School. He helped Grand Rapids to a third place finish at the 2012 MSHSL tournament and was part of Grand Rapids' America Legion team that placed fourth at the state tourney in 2012.

He batted .475 during his sophomore year and batted .450 as a junior at Grand Rapids in 2012. Holum played in four state Little League tournaments with the Itasca program and also helped Grand Rapids VFW team take third place at the state tourney in 2011.

Holum is a three-year letterwinner in hockey at Grand Rapids, and he played in two state championship games with the Grand Rapids Pee Wee A and Bantam A teams.

He enjoys deer and duck hunting in the fall and ice fishing in the winter.
He is the son of Brett and Sue Holum. Of note, Reid Holum's father Brett Holum played professional baseball in the Houston Astros' organization.

“We really believe Reid will become a high impact player for us,” Dolan said. “Baseball is in the Holum bloodlines with his Dad playing professional baseball. And you know when you get a Grand Rapids player they are fundamentally sound players. Billy (Kinnunen) does a great job with his program.”

Derek Larson, OF, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Larson has gained four varsity letters during his high school career at Palmer Ridge High School in Colorado Springs, Colo.

In 2012, Larson was selected to the wooden bat Colorado Rockies Scout Team for Fall Baseball and was also selected for play on the Team Colorado summer wooden bat team, where he batted .391 with 56 RBIs and 52 runs scored in a total of 57 games played.

A 2012 team captain at Palmer Ridge, Larson is a two-time All-Conference and All-Metro award winner. He batted .412 in 2012 and was selected to the Colorado Junior All-Star game at the Sky Sox Stadium. As a sophomore, Larson batted .500 and earned the team's Coaches' Choice Award. He is the son of Brad and Susan Larson.

“Derek (Larson) was another recruit who attended the summer showcase and 'wowed' us from the start. He hit 88 mph from the outfield, ran a 7.00 60-yard dash and proceeded to have a big time round of BP,” Dolan said. “We don't have any young left-handed hitters, so Derek will fill that void. He has a solid body already at 195 pounds and we expect some big things from him the next four years.”

Dan Mokrzycki, LHP, Naperville, Illinois

Mokrzycki hails from Naperville, Ill., where plays baseball at Neuqua Valley High School for coach Robin Renner. An All Upstate Eight selection, Mokrzyki posted a 2.12 ERA with 46 strikeouts and an 8-0 record in 2012. He is the son of Les and Patti Mokrzycki.

“After making several college visits, SCSU was the only place where I felt like I was at home the second I got out of the car,” Mokrzycki said. “It has a winning baseball program with the right mindset, a great business program, a beautiful campus, and coaches that care about their players and recruits. I'm extremely excited for my years with SCSU because of the winning mentality and the quality of education I will be receiving.”

Dolan noted, “Dan comes from a baseball rich city in Naperville, Ill. and was highly recommended. Coach (Bruce) Thompson initially got in contact with him, and from day one, we knew he was the perfect fit for our program. He's another big left-handed pitcher and those types of players are very difficult to find at our level.”

Bryan Rohde, LHP, Winona, MN

An All-Conference award winner and team MVP at Winona, Rohde helped his Winona America Legion team make it to the state tournament in 2012. In 2011, Rohde posted an 8-2 record and a 1.89 ERA in Legion ball and owned a 3.63 ERA and a 2-1 record at Winona H.S. He plays baseball at Winona H.S. for Matt Smith and his Winona VFW coach is Matt O'Brien.

"I am going to St. Cloud State because of the great atmosphere surrounding the team, the success of the baseball program, the expertise and dedication of the coaches, and a great education that will serve me long into the future,” Rohde said. “I am looking forward to growing as a player and contributing to the team's success."

“Bryan is a big upside guy with a great frame for a left-handed pitcher,” Dolan said. “He is already flirting in the mid 80's with his fastball and his best pitch is his curve ball. He was injured much of the spring and summer, so he didn't get out to many of the top showcase. In the past this is how we've been fortunate to sign some guys that ended up having big time careers for us and we are hoping the same with Bryan!”

Dylan Valentyn, Catcher, Faribault, Minn./Bethlehem Academy

Valentyn is a three-time varsity award winner at Bethlehem Academy, where he plays for Coach Scott Hanson. An All-Conference award winner in 2011 and 2012, Valentyn serves as a team captain and also gained Team MVP notice over the past two seasons.

He charted a .412 batting average in 2012 and was named the All-Area baseball player of the year in 2012. He was also selected to the 2012 Baseball Metro All-Star team in 2012.

In football, Valentyn earned three varsity letters and two All-Conference awards as a prep player. A two-time team captain, Valentyn was selected to the All-Area team in 2011-12 and was picked as his team's Defensive MVP in 2011. Valentyn will also play this weekend in the MSHSL Prep Bowl title game at the Metrodome.

A member of the National Honor Society, Valentyn is the son of Jay and Barb Valentyn.

“I am very excited to know that I am Husky,” Valentyn said. “When I first visited St. Cloud State University, I knew it felt right the first time I was there. St. Cloud State has a great coaching staff lead by Coach Dolan. When I met the team, I could tell it was a tight knit group of guys and I wanted to be a part of this team. The school also has a great business program which will insure that I get a great education as well.”

Coach Dolan said, “Dylan is a big bodied catcher who can run. He is very athletic for his size and another solid all-around athlete. He just has a great baseball mentality of wanting to get better by working hard.”

Nolan Webster, RHP, Council Bluffs, Iowa

Webster is a transfer from Iowa Central Community College, whiere he placed for Coach Rick Peterson. At ICCC, Webster charted a 5-2 record with 23 strikeouts in 48.1 innings of work this spring.

A graduate of Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Webster was a four-time letterwinner for Coach Kames Larsen.
A two-time All-Conference athlete in football and baseball, Webster earned All-City honors in football and All-District notice in baseball in high school. In two seasons of high school baseball, Webster charted a 14-5 record with a 2.81 ERA and earned MVP honors both seasons.

He is the son of Mike and Judy Webster.

“I chose St. Cloud State because I really liked the atmosphere on campus and really liked the coaches,” Webster said. “I Just really fell in love with the way things are ran there. Excited to be a Huskie.”

Dolan noted, “Nolan (Webster) is a strike throwing machine that attacks the zone. We've had great success with Coach Peterson's recruits at Iowa Central most recently with Ryne Schwenke, who was an All-Region closer for us. Nolan is more of a starting pitcher and we think he'll be eating up some solid innings for us next year.”
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“One of the other great qualities of our recruiting class is academic strength of them as a group,” Dolan said. “Ten of the 11 have over a 3.00 gpa with six of them bringing in a 3.5 or better GPA. This all leads to a much easier transition to both the general college life style and the student-athlete's success. We not only have some new great student-athletes, but we have new members of our Husky Baseball Family that will so much for our program and the University.”

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