University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Adds Eight to 2025-2026 Roster
11/14/2024 12:05:00 PM | Baseball
MINNEAPOLIS - Head Coach Ty McDevitt has announced the signing of eight student-athletes for the 2025-2026 school year.
The class is made up of Ethan Felling (LHP; White Bear Lake, Minn.), Nathan O'Donnell (INF/RHP; New Lenox, IL), Eli Kokenge (RHP/INF; Harrisburg, SD), Zach Trettin (RHP; Lakeville, Minn.) Tristan Moore (RHP; Buffalo, Minn.), Greyson Zach (RHP; Pewaukee, Wis.), Oliver Lindstrom (LHP, Minneapolis, Minn.), and Iowa Western Community College transfer Casey Kowalczyk (RHP; Viroqua, Wis.).
All eight of the commits hail from the Midwest, with four coming from Minnesota.
"We're thrilled to introduce our 2025 recruiting class to Gopher Baseball fans. This class is intentionally composed of hard-nosed, Midwest ballplayers who are eager to build on the rich history and tradition of Gopher Baseball. Our coaching staff placed a strong emphasis on retaining in-state talent, and this class reflects that success," said McDevitt. "In today's competitive landscape, it's essential to recruit players who can make a quick transition to Division 1 college athletics, and I am confident that this group will have an immediate impact on our on-field success."
Ethan Felling:
Position: LHP | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 190 | Hometown: White Bear Lake, Minn. | High School: Mahtomedi
Scouting Report: Athletic and project-able build who was named the Metro East Conference player of the year and is the #6 ranked player in Minnesota. Has a fastball that has been up to 90 and a whip out slider.
Pitching Coach Alec Crawford on Ethan Felling: "Ethan is highly regarded as one of the state's top left-handed arms. We are extremely excited to have him as a part of our pitching staff moving forward. His competitive mentality plus his pitch ability make him an exciting addition for Gopher Baseball. I am expecting Ethan to come in right away and compete on our staff."
Nathan O'Donnell:
Position: INF/RHP | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 190 |Hometown: New Lenox, Ill. | High School: Providence Catholic
Scouting Report: Athletic infielder/right-handed pitcher who was named first team All-State in Illinois and Catholic League player of the year. Has power potential with the bat (.441 BA with 22 extra base hits) and sits 88-90 on the mound with a good slider.
Recruiting Coordinator/Assistant Coach Connor Gandossy on Nathan O'Donnell: "Nate comes to us from one of the best high school programs in the state of Illinois and fresh off a State Championship. Along with numerous accolades he received as a junior, one notable being named Chicago Tribune Player of the Year. Nate has the ability to impact the game not only at the plate but also on the mound. We are excited to bring in a versatile physical athlete like Nate and expect him to help us right away."
Eli Kokenge:
Position: RHP/INF | Height: 6-0 | Weight: 195 | Hometown: Harrisburg, SD | High School: Harrisburg
Scouting Report: Athletic right-handed pitcher/infielder who is ranked as the #4 player between SD, ND, and MN. Has a swing in miss arsenal with a fastball sitting 90-92, and a slider and change sitting low to mid 80s.
Pitching Coach Alec Crawford on Eli Kokenge: "Eli is one of the most dynamic arms that we've seen in a while. Coming off a spring/summer where he led Harrisburg to an extremely successful season, we believe that Eli has what it takes to contribute at our level right away. He commands a low 90s fastball and pairs it with a tight slider which makes him an extremely valuable asset in today's college game."
Tristan Moore
Position: RHP | Height: 5-11 | Weight: 180 | Hometown: Buffalo, Minn | High School: TPH Academy
Scouting Report: Athletic and dynamic athlete with swing and miss pitches. #14 ranked player in Minnesota (Perfect Game). Fastball sits upper 80s with a slider between 79-81.
Pitching Coach Alec Crawford on Tristan Moore: "Tristan comes to the program as one of the most athletic kids in the area. His raw athleticism and ability to spin the baseball are skills that we are incredibly excited to have on our team. His competitiveness and proven track record in high school baseball makes me eager to work with Tristan as we take the next step in Gopher Baseball."
Greyson Zach
Position: RHP/INF | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 215 | Hometown: Pewaukee Wis. | High School: Pewaukee
Scouting Report: Dynamic play-maker with size and athleticism. Southeast District player of the year. Runs his fastball up to 90 and has a swing and miss slider.
Pitching Coach Alec Crawford on Greyson Zack: "Greyson is coming to the University of Minnesota as one of the most physically gifted recruits we have coming in. His sheer size and project-ability make him a phenomenal addition to the team. We expect him to contribute for the Maroon and Gold based on what he has shown us the past 18 months. I'm excited to start working with Greyson on a daily basis and continue to build on his current successes."
Zach Trettin
Position: RHP | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 185 |Hometown: Lakeville, Minn. | High School: Southwest Christian
Scouting Report: 2024 All Conference player with a quick arm. Fastball sits 87-89 with a deceptive slider. Held a 2.29 ERA over 42+ innings last season. Accumulated 49 strikeouts in eight games started.
Pitching Coach Alec Crawford on Zach Trettin: "Coming off an All-Conference year at Southwest Christian, we are very excited to bring Zach in. He's shown the ability to command the baseball and has an extremely high ceiling. We are encouraged and excited for Zach to make his next big jump as a premiere arm in the state of Minnesota."
Oliver Lindstrom
Position: LHP | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 180 |Hometown: Minneapolis, Minn | High School: Minneapolis South
Scouting Report: Strike throwing lefty that comes from a long history of success in high school baseball. Currently ranked the #11 player in Minnesota. Has a three pitch mix with above average command. Fastball sits 86-88, pairs it with a SL which induces a number of swings and misses.
Pitching Coach Alec Crawford on Oliver Lindstrom: "Oliver is a strike throwing machine from the left side. His ability to spin the ball will create match-up problems in our favor early in his career. We are excited that the future southpaw is staying close to home, and we expect big things out of him in a Gopher uniform. We could not be more excited to keep the Minneapolis South LHP in the home state."
Casey Kowalczyk
Position: RHP | Height: 6-0 | Weight: 185 | Hometown: Viroqua, Wis. | College: Iowa Western Community College
Scouting Report: Physical power arm that sits 90-93 (touching 95). Above average change up in the mid-80s as well as a good slider. Helped Iowa Western to the Junior College World Series last season as a freshman. Struck out 25 hitters in 25 innings pitched with a sub 3.3 ERA.
Pitching Coach Alec Crawford on Casey Kowalcyzk: "A Viroqua, WI native - Casey comes to us running his Fastball into the mid-90s and pairs that with a swing and miss changeup. A skill set that we have been looking to add to our pitching staff. Casey shares similar competitive values that I believe has separated him from his peers. We are looking forward to having Casey in the Maroon and Gold as we continue building a championship level pitching staff."
The class is made up of Ethan Felling (LHP; White Bear Lake, Minn.), Nathan O'Donnell (INF/RHP; New Lenox, IL), Eli Kokenge (RHP/INF; Harrisburg, SD), Zach Trettin (RHP; Lakeville, Minn.) Tristan Moore (RHP; Buffalo, Minn.), Greyson Zach (RHP; Pewaukee, Wis.), Oliver Lindstrom (LHP, Minneapolis, Minn.), and Iowa Western Community College transfer Casey Kowalczyk (RHP; Viroqua, Wis.).
All eight of the commits hail from the Midwest, with four coming from Minnesota.
"We're thrilled to introduce our 2025 recruiting class to Gopher Baseball fans. This class is intentionally composed of hard-nosed, Midwest ballplayers who are eager to build on the rich history and tradition of Gopher Baseball. Our coaching staff placed a strong emphasis on retaining in-state talent, and this class reflects that success," said McDevitt. "In today's competitive landscape, it's essential to recruit players who can make a quick transition to Division 1 college athletics, and I am confident that this group will have an immediate impact on our on-field success."
Ethan Felling:
Position: LHP | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 190 | Hometown: White Bear Lake, Minn. | High School: Mahtomedi
Scouting Report: Athletic and project-able build who was named the Metro East Conference player of the year and is the #6 ranked player in Minnesota. Has a fastball that has been up to 90 and a whip out slider.
Pitching Coach Alec Crawford on Ethan Felling: "Ethan is highly regarded as one of the state's top left-handed arms. We are extremely excited to have him as a part of our pitching staff moving forward. His competitive mentality plus his pitch ability make him an exciting addition for Gopher Baseball. I am expecting Ethan to come in right away and compete on our staff."
Nathan O'Donnell:
Position: INF/RHP | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 190 |Hometown: New Lenox, Ill. | High School: Providence Catholic
Scouting Report: Athletic infielder/right-handed pitcher who was named first team All-State in Illinois and Catholic League player of the year. Has power potential with the bat (.441 BA with 22 extra base hits) and sits 88-90 on the mound with a good slider.
Recruiting Coordinator/Assistant Coach Connor Gandossy on Nathan O'Donnell: "Nate comes to us from one of the best high school programs in the state of Illinois and fresh off a State Championship. Along with numerous accolades he received as a junior, one notable being named Chicago Tribune Player of the Year. Nate has the ability to impact the game not only at the plate but also on the mound. We are excited to bring in a versatile physical athlete like Nate and expect him to help us right away."
Eli Kokenge:
Position: RHP/INF | Height: 6-0 | Weight: 195 | Hometown: Harrisburg, SD | High School: Harrisburg
Scouting Report: Athletic right-handed pitcher/infielder who is ranked as the #4 player between SD, ND, and MN. Has a swing in miss arsenal with a fastball sitting 90-92, and a slider and change sitting low to mid 80s.
Pitching Coach Alec Crawford on Eli Kokenge: "Eli is one of the most dynamic arms that we've seen in a while. Coming off a spring/summer where he led Harrisburg to an extremely successful season, we believe that Eli has what it takes to contribute at our level right away. He commands a low 90s fastball and pairs it with a tight slider which makes him an extremely valuable asset in today's college game."
Tristan Moore
Position: RHP | Height: 5-11 | Weight: 180 | Hometown: Buffalo, Minn | High School: TPH Academy
Scouting Report: Athletic and dynamic athlete with swing and miss pitches. #14 ranked player in Minnesota (Perfect Game). Fastball sits upper 80s with a slider between 79-81.
Pitching Coach Alec Crawford on Tristan Moore: "Tristan comes to the program as one of the most athletic kids in the area. His raw athleticism and ability to spin the baseball are skills that we are incredibly excited to have on our team. His competitiveness and proven track record in high school baseball makes me eager to work with Tristan as we take the next step in Gopher Baseball."
Greyson Zach
Position: RHP/INF | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 215 | Hometown: Pewaukee Wis. | High School: Pewaukee
Scouting Report: Dynamic play-maker with size and athleticism. Southeast District player of the year. Runs his fastball up to 90 and has a swing and miss slider.
Pitching Coach Alec Crawford on Greyson Zack: "Greyson is coming to the University of Minnesota as one of the most physically gifted recruits we have coming in. His sheer size and project-ability make him a phenomenal addition to the team. We expect him to contribute for the Maroon and Gold based on what he has shown us the past 18 months. I'm excited to start working with Greyson on a daily basis and continue to build on his current successes."
Zach Trettin
Position: RHP | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 185 |Hometown: Lakeville, Minn. | High School: Southwest Christian
Scouting Report: 2024 All Conference player with a quick arm. Fastball sits 87-89 with a deceptive slider. Held a 2.29 ERA over 42+ innings last season. Accumulated 49 strikeouts in eight games started.
Pitching Coach Alec Crawford on Zach Trettin: "Coming off an All-Conference year at Southwest Christian, we are very excited to bring Zach in. He's shown the ability to command the baseball and has an extremely high ceiling. We are encouraged and excited for Zach to make his next big jump as a premiere arm in the state of Minnesota."
Oliver Lindstrom
Position: LHP | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 180 |Hometown: Minneapolis, Minn | High School: Minneapolis South
Scouting Report: Strike throwing lefty that comes from a long history of success in high school baseball. Currently ranked the #11 player in Minnesota. Has a three pitch mix with above average command. Fastball sits 86-88, pairs it with a SL which induces a number of swings and misses.
Pitching Coach Alec Crawford on Oliver Lindstrom: "Oliver is a strike throwing machine from the left side. His ability to spin the ball will create match-up problems in our favor early in his career. We are excited that the future southpaw is staying close to home, and we expect big things out of him in a Gopher uniform. We could not be more excited to keep the Minneapolis South LHP in the home state."
Casey Kowalczyk
Position: RHP | Height: 6-0 | Weight: 185 | Hometown: Viroqua, Wis. | College: Iowa Western Community College
Scouting Report: Physical power arm that sits 90-93 (touching 95). Above average change up in the mid-80s as well as a good slider. Helped Iowa Western to the Junior College World Series last season as a freshman. Struck out 25 hitters in 25 innings pitched with a sub 3.3 ERA.
Pitching Coach Alec Crawford on Casey Kowalcyzk: "A Viroqua, WI native - Casey comes to us running his Fastball into the mid-90s and pairs that with a swing and miss changeup. A skill set that we have been looking to add to our pitching staff. Casey shares similar competitive values that I believe has separated him from his peers. We are looking forward to having Casey in the Maroon and Gold as we continue building a championship level pitching staff."
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