Wayne State baseball coach Alex Koch has announced the addition of seven recruits for the 2022-23 season.
Joining the Wildcat baseball roster are Nathan Cunningham of Omaha, Emerson Dolph from Lincoln, Corbin Murphy of Ogallala, Luke Ruhl from Lee’s Summit, Mo., Blake Stanley of Elkhorn, Noah Strizek of Lincoln and Carter Thomas from Mason City, Iowa.
Cunningham is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound middle infielder from Elkhorn North High School. He is a three-year starter in baseball and two-year starter in basketball. Last season as a junior, Cunningham posted a .328 average with a team-high four home runs while also leading the team in doubles, triples and runs scored. He earned Class B All-State and All-Conference honorable mention and was an Academic All-State selection.
Dolph is a 6-foot-4, 215-pound right handed pitcher from Lincoln Pius High School where he started last season. On the mound, he was 1-0 with one save in five appearances while batting .324 with 12 hits and five runs scored.
Murphy, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound right-handed pitcher from Ogallala, is a three-year starter in basketball while also starting in football and golf along with baseball. He is a two-time All-Southwest Conference selection in basketball and also earned All-Conference honors in golf last spring playing on Ogallala’s Class B state qualifying team that finished 10th overall.
Ruhl is a 5-foot-11, 175-pound middle infielder from Lee’s Summit High School where he is a three-year starter in baseball and two in soccer. Last summer, Ruhl posted a .394 batting average and helped his team to the district finals. On the soccer field, scored 24 goals in just 14 games in 2018 to set single-season goals records.
Stanley is a 6-foot-2, 210-pound first baseman/utility player from Elkhorn High School where he is a three-year starter in baseball. Last spring as a junior, he earned All-Eastern Midlands Conference honorable mention with 24 hits and 20 RBI while helping Elkhorn High to the Class B state tournament with a 20-12 record. Stanley also excels in the classroom with Academic All-Conference honors.
Strizek is a 5-foot-9, 170-pound outfielder from Lincoln Pius High School, lettering two years in baseball. He helped Lincoln Pius to the Class A District 2 championship game last spring and played on the 2019 Nebraska American Legion Reserve state championship team.
Thomas is a 6-foot, 175-pound outfielder/left handed pitcher from Mason City High School in Iowa where he is a four-year starter in baseball and basketball and a three-year starter in football. Last summer in baseball, Carter hit .412 at the plate with 54 hits, 32 RBI, nine doubles and six triples while posting a 5-3 record on the mound with three saves and a 3.23 ERA, notching 61 strikeouts in just 43.1 innings of work. He was named first-team Class 4A All-State and has been named first-team All-District and All-Conference as a sophomore and junior. On the football field, he was first-team All-District as a sophomore, junior and senior and hauled in 28 catches for 453 yards and four TD’s last fall as a senior.
