University of Minnesota Athletics
Know the Newcomers: Will Semb
1/26/2022 9:40:00 AM | Baseball
Semb is a right-handed pitcher from De Pere, Wisconsin
The Gopher Baseball program added 15 new players heading into the 2021 season, including 10 freshman and five transfers. Today we'll get to know sophomore right-handed pitcher Will Semb, a transfer from the University of Iowa.
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A De Pere, Wis., native, Semb came to Iowa as a Top 500 ranked prospect by Perfect Game. Rated as the No. 7 player in Wisconsin by Perfect Game and the No. 3 right-handed pitcher, he was rated as the 13th-best player in Wisconsin by Prep Baseball Report. A 2019 Perfect Game Preseason All-American, he was a first-team all-conference and all-district selection as a junior after going 4-0 with a 0.35 ERA.
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As a freshman at Iowa in 2021, Semb went 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA in seven appearances, spanning 15 innings. He allowed 11 runs (five earned) on 11 hits with 16 strikeouts on the season. He entered the transfer portal in June and ended up committing to Minnesota in the summer.
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GS: What were your first memories of playing baseball?
WS: "I would say Tee-Ball. Ever since I was young I've really had an obsession with baseball and have loved playing it. It was honestly something I just wanted to try on my own. Neither of my parents really played any sports. It was just something that I picked up."
GS: Did you play other sports as a kid?
WS: "I played all the sports - football, basketball and soccer. I played soccer the longest, until my sophomore year of high school. But at the end of the day I wanted to focus on baseball, which I was playing pretty much year round."
GS: At what point did you know that baseball was something you were good at and you wanted to pursue at the next level?
WS: "I've always wanted to pursue it and in the back of my mind I knew I wanted to play in college. I was always really small when I was younger, but eventually I grew and then I got stronger, so it took a little bit. When I was 14 or 15 I started to see that it could be a possibility."
GS: What did your initial recruitment process look like?
WS: "When I was 16 was the first time I really started getting recruited. I took a big jump and started throwing harder and coaches started noticing. I was playing in Florida with the GRB Rays in the fall and I threw well there. I started hearing from several schools like Purdue, Iowa, Xavier and Wright State after that. I committed to Iowa when I was 16 so I was done with recruiting pretty early."
GS: After entering the transfer portal last spring, how did your recruitment go the second time?
WS: "Right away it was super fast-paced. A lot of people were calling because they want to know what you're going to do quickly before fall starts. The only visit I took was to Minnesota, everywhere else I wasn't really sure I wanted to see. I really liked it in Minnesota and after a couple calls with the coaches I was all set to become a Gopher. I was all in."
GS: Growing up in Wisconsin, did you have an early interest in Minnesota or did you grow up a Badgers fan?
WS: "I've always wanted to come to Minnesota, this was my No. 1 school. I'm just so glad it worked out the way it has."
GS: Since you've been on campus, what has it been like being on campus and getting to work with your new teammates?
WS: "It's awesome, all the guys that have been here have been super welcoming to me and the other newcomers. Right away I felt really comfortable being here and feeling like a part of the team."
GS: What are a couple goals you have for yourself and for the team this season?
WS: "For myself I'd say to be as impactful as I can in whatever role I have. For the team, I want us to play the best baseball we can and always keep making improvements."
GS: What's the mentality like on the pitching staff this year?
WS: "It's really competitive. Day in and day out we're pushing each other. I think everyone has been working really hard this winter and guys have taken some big jumps with their abilities."
GS: What would you say has been the biggest adversity you've gone through as a player?
WS: "I tore my ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) when I was a junior in high school and had to get Tommy John surgery. Last year was actually my first year back. I made five appearances my junior year of high school and missed my whole senior year. So that was really hard to go through, especially mentally. My first time throwing live in about two years was last fall at Iowa."
GS: How are you feeling, health-wise, heading into this season? And what is your fastball velocity up to?
WS: "I'm feeling great heading into the 2022 season, I feel 100 percent. The highest my fastball has gotten up to is 97 m.p.h."
GS: What's something you'd like Gopher Baseball fans to know heading into 2022?
WS: "Overall, this group has worked really hard to make improvements and we're set to have a really good year."
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A De Pere, Wis., native, Semb came to Iowa as a Top 500 ranked prospect by Perfect Game. Rated as the No. 7 player in Wisconsin by Perfect Game and the No. 3 right-handed pitcher, he was rated as the 13th-best player in Wisconsin by Prep Baseball Report. A 2019 Perfect Game Preseason All-American, he was a first-team all-conference and all-district selection as a junior after going 4-0 with a 0.35 ERA.
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As a freshman at Iowa in 2021, Semb went 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA in seven appearances, spanning 15 innings. He allowed 11 runs (five earned) on 11 hits with 16 strikeouts on the season. He entered the transfer portal in June and ended up committing to Minnesota in the summer.
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GS: What were your first memories of playing baseball?
WS: "I would say Tee-Ball. Ever since I was young I've really had an obsession with baseball and have loved playing it. It was honestly something I just wanted to try on my own. Neither of my parents really played any sports. It was just something that I picked up."
GS: Did you play other sports as a kid?
WS: "I played all the sports - football, basketball and soccer. I played soccer the longest, until my sophomore year of high school. But at the end of the day I wanted to focus on baseball, which I was playing pretty much year round."
GS: At what point did you know that baseball was something you were good at and you wanted to pursue at the next level?
WS: "I've always wanted to pursue it and in the back of my mind I knew I wanted to play in college. I was always really small when I was younger, but eventually I grew and then I got stronger, so it took a little bit. When I was 14 or 15 I started to see that it could be a possibility."
GS: What did your initial recruitment process look like?
WS: "When I was 16 was the first time I really started getting recruited. I took a big jump and started throwing harder and coaches started noticing. I was playing in Florida with the GRB Rays in the fall and I threw well there. I started hearing from several schools like Purdue, Iowa, Xavier and Wright State after that. I committed to Iowa when I was 16 so I was done with recruiting pretty early."
GS: After entering the transfer portal last spring, how did your recruitment go the second time?
WS: "Right away it was super fast-paced. A lot of people were calling because they want to know what you're going to do quickly before fall starts. The only visit I took was to Minnesota, everywhere else I wasn't really sure I wanted to see. I really liked it in Minnesota and after a couple calls with the coaches I was all set to become a Gopher. I was all in."
GS: Growing up in Wisconsin, did you have an early interest in Minnesota or did you grow up a Badgers fan?
WS: "I've always wanted to come to Minnesota, this was my No. 1 school. I'm just so glad it worked out the way it has."
GS: Since you've been on campus, what has it been like being on campus and getting to work with your new teammates?
WS: "It's awesome, all the guys that have been here have been super welcoming to me and the other newcomers. Right away I felt really comfortable being here and feeling like a part of the team."
GS: What are a couple goals you have for yourself and for the team this season?
WS: "For myself I'd say to be as impactful as I can in whatever role I have. For the team, I want us to play the best baseball we can and always keep making improvements."
GS: What's the mentality like on the pitching staff this year?
WS: "It's really competitive. Day in and day out we're pushing each other. I think everyone has been working really hard this winter and guys have taken some big jumps with their abilities."
GS: What would you say has been the biggest adversity you've gone through as a player?
WS: "I tore my ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) when I was a junior in high school and had to get Tommy John surgery. Last year was actually my first year back. I made five appearances my junior year of high school and missed my whole senior year. So that was really hard to go through, especially mentally. My first time throwing live in about two years was last fall at Iowa."
GS: How are you feeling, health-wise, heading into this season? And what is your fastball velocity up to?
WS: "I'm feeling great heading into the 2022 season, I feel 100 percent. The highest my fastball has gotten up to is 97 m.p.h."
GS: What's something you'd like Gopher Baseball fans to know heading into 2022?
WS: "Overall, this group has worked really hard to make improvements and we're set to have a really good year."
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HIT & RUN WITH Will
Major: Business & Marketing EducationFavorite vacation spot: Florida Place to eat on campus:Â Chipotle Netflix show: Don't have one Go-to pitch: Fastball Hobby:Â Playing Fortnite with teammates Fun Fact:Â Loves to hunt deer Athlete:Â Aaron Rodgers Professional team:Â Milwaukee Brewers Musical artist:Â Don't have one Hidden talent: Can juggle a soccer ball really well |
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