Congrats to St. Albert Senior, Ben Hecker, who has committed to play baseball at Iowa Western Community College.  In 2011, Iowa Western moved 9 kids on to Division 1 baseball, which is Hecker's goal.  Below is the Iowa Western press release...

Head Coach Marc Rardin and Reiver Baseball announce the recruiting class for the 2012-2013 season.

In Alphabetical Order

Nick Elmore – Infielder - Oak Park, Missouri
Oak Park, Missouri native Nick Elmore has signed his letter of intent to join the Reivers next season. The 5’11” 210 lb. infielder was a two sport athlete at Oak Park High School, playing both football and baseball. In 66 at bats last season, Elmore batted .515 with 6 homeruns, and 33 RBI’s. He was also a perfect 12/12 in stolen bases. He was named to the 2011 Missouri Sportswriters Class 4 All-State second team. His combination of strength and speed is something that will fit right in with the style of play the Reivers have become known for. Elmore also participated this Fall with the Kansas City Royals Elite Scout Team.

Derek Francis – Infielder – Manhattan, Kansas
Derek Francis will come to Iowa Western by way of Manhattan High School in Manhattan, KS. The 6’4” 200 lb. infielder is four-year varsity letter winner at Manhattan High School. As a junior in 2011, Francis batted .468 with 8 doubles, 1 home run, and 32 RBI’s, while only striking out four times. He earned all league honors in 2011, and is tabbed as the 2012 preseason 1st team all-state shortstop. His big bat and defensive abilities gives Francis the opportunity to make an immediate impact for the Reivers. This Summer and Fall Derek was a member of the Midwest Wolverines travel program along with participating in the prestigious Midwest Scouting Association’s workout.

Ben Hecker – Left Handed Pitcher – Council Bluffs, Iowa
Local product Ben Hecker has signed with the Reivers and will stay in his hometown of Council Bluffs. Hecker was an impact player for St. Albert High School both a pitcher and a position player. Hecker batted .404 with 5 HR and 40 RBI’s, while posting a 5-3 record on the mound with a 1.71 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 77 innings pitched. His performance last season earned him a spot on the Iowa All-City team, and 3rd team all state. He helped lead his team to the final four of the state playoffs before losing to eventual state champions, Davis County.

Craig Larkin – Left Handed Pitcher - Ottumwa, Iowa
Iowa product and left-handed pitcher Craig Larkin will stay in-state to play for the Reivers next season. Larkin has earned second team all-conference honors each of the last two years while pitching for Eddyville-Blakesburg High School. He got his junior season started by hurling a perfect game, and added a no-hitter during the regular season en route to an 8 win season in which he struck out 95 batters and posted a 2.03 ERA. Larkin (6’1” 185 lbs.) also recorded a 20-strikeout game in a 2011 district playoff win. Larkin is currently playing basketball for his high school team and participated this Fall with Perfect Games Iowa Select Team.

Kaden Moore – Catcher - S. Sioux City, Nebraska
Catcher Kaden Moore of South Sioux City, Nebraska is another three-sport letterman signed to join the Reivers next fall. Also a starter on his high school’s football and basketball teams, the 6’3” 200 lb. Moore excelled both on the baseball field and in the classroom at South Sioux City High School. As a junior he led his team in batting with a .406 average. In the summer while playing his legion ball team he batted .444 with 21 RBI’s and a .530 On Base Percentage. Moore is also an outstanding citizen off the playing field. He is in his third year as a member of the National Honors Society, and is also a member of the National Council on Youth Leadership, all while maintaining a GPA that will graduate him in the Top 5% of his class. Kaden was also invited and performed at this summer’s Midwest Scouting Association workout.

Matt Olsen – Outfielder- Lees Summit, Mo.
Matt Olsen is a 5’10” athletic outfielder who comes to Iowa Western from Lees Summit, Mo. In 69 games spanning from summer to fall, Olsen posted a .507 batting average with 34 doubles, 6 triples, and 4 homeruns while driving in 48 RBI’s. Olsen also has the tool that cannot be taught, speed, stealing 21 bases in the 69 games. Olsen participated this Fall with the Kansas City Royals Elite Scout Team. In the summer and fall Matt played for the KC Express travel program.

David Parrett – Catcher/Utility - Edmond, Oklahoma
David Parrett, a 6’0” 185 lb. utility player will head north from Edmond, Oklahoma to join the Iowa Western team next fall. Last summer, Parrett showed off his all-around hitting skills, batting .484 with 24 doubles, 3 triples and 4 home runs. He also drove in 57 runs while only striking out 9 times in 163 at bats. His .460 average in the spring at Edmond Memorial High School also earned him a spot on the All-Edmond second team. Parrett’s athleticism and versatility will be a huge asset to the Reivers, as it creates multiple lineup possibilities to put the best team on the field.

Drake Robison –Right Handed Pitcher - Rockford, Illinois
Drake Robison is a 6’1” right-handed pitcher from Rockford, Illinois. Last spring at Harlem High School, Robison had a 2-3 record on the mound with a 4.61 ERA. He struck out 66 batters in 55 innings pitched. He was named to the 2010 USSSA All-American team. This summer, Robison played for the USSSA gold medal team where in 12 innings pitched he struck out 12 batters and recorded a win without allowing a single earned run. Drake was also invited and performed at the Midwest Area Code Tryouts.

Austin Sanders – Left Handed Pitcher - Olathe, Kansas
Austin Sanders will make his way to Iowa Western by way of Olathe, Ks. A foot injury limited the left-handers innings last spring, but over the summer and fall he posted a 1.24 ERA and held opponents to a .177 batting average against while striking out nearly nine batters a game. Sanders, who stands at 6’2” 185 lbs., also hurled a complete game no-hitter. Like many other Reiver signees, Sanders shows excellence in the classroom as well as on the field with a 3.65 GPA.

Ethan Schlesener – Catcher/Utility. - Rogersville, Missouri
Ethan Schlesener is a 6’2” 190 lb. power hitting utility player from Rogersville, Missouri whose athleticism enables him to play multiple positions on the field. In the spring and summer combined, Schlesener combined to bat .377 with 10 homeruns and 18 doubles and 60 RBI’s in 175 official at bats. His performance in the spring at Logan-Rogersville High School has landed him on the All-Conference and All-district teams all three years, including being named to the 2011 All- State team. Schlesener also competes in football and wrestling, and helped lead his football team to a Class 3 State Championship. Ethan is currently the #13 ranked player in Missouri according to prepbaseballreport.com.

Nick Thayer – RHP - Shawnee, Kansas
Pitcher Nick Thayer will come to Iowa Western by way of Shawnee, Ks. Last spring at Shawnee Mission West High School, the 6’5” 210 lb. Thayer batted .441 while posting a 2-0 record on the mound with 1 save. His play earned him a spot on the All-sunflower League 1st team, and the 2011 All-Sun 2nd team. Off the field, Thayer is a member of the National Honors Society and a scholar athlete award winner. Thayer played in the summer with Johnson County 3&2 Hornets baseball club coached by Bob Jones.

Chad Worman – Left Handed Pitcher – Blue Springs, Missouri
Chad Worman is a 6’3” 190 lb. left-handed pitcher from Blue Springs, Missouri. Last season as a junior at Blue Springs South High School, Worman earned second team all conference honors as well as honorable mention on the Examiner All-Area team. He helped lead his team to a 2011 District Championship. Worman also achieved good grades in the class room as he was a part of the Class 4 Academic All-State team.

Statement from Head Coach, Marc Rardin:

“I am proud and excited to announce this year’s recruiting class. Reiver baseball looks promising for the future with this quality class of student athletes signing with Iowa Western baseball.”

“I am proud and excited to announce this year’s recruiting class. Reiver baseball looks promising for the future with this quality class of student athletes signing with Iowa Western baseball.”

“I have made claims in the past and will continue to make them and stand by them that our coaching staff does one of the best jobs of any college baseball program in the Midwest. Assistant coach Rob Allison has coordinated the recruiting of Reiver Baseball for the past 4 years and has done an incredible job. There isn’t a student athlete around that Coach Allison hasn’t heard about and seen. It is a long process to locate the athletes and build a relationship with them. Coach Allison is relentless in every aspect of being our recruiting coordinator. We don’t just indicate who can play the game of baseball, we target those athletes that can play but are also good students and good people. We recruit nationally, and with recruiting nationally comes competing against other top national junior college programs. We cross paths with schools from Florida, Arizona, and Texas when going after the same student/athletes. It says a lot about my coaching staff and our program when we can get those top tier talents to our school.”

This recruiting class was a challenge because we had to sign more pitchers than usual. Any time you are recruiting a talented high school pitcher, so is everyone else. When you are recruiting 8 or 9 in one class it calls for a lot of work on the phones and on the road. I’m also very excited about the position players we have coming in. They are very athletic and driven. Coach Allison, Coach Johns, and Coach Ziadeh definitely found a group of players that I feel will fit in very quickly and adapt and grow in our system. Reiver baseball is relentless and tireless when doing all of this that is needed to keep Iowa Western baseball in the top 5 in the country every year.”

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