Dawgs sign five players

OF/1B Will Hollis will return to the Okotoks Dawgs in 2019. Photo: Okotoks Dawgs

March 18, 2019

By Dustin Saracini

Okotoks Dawgs

Okotoks, AB. – The Dawgs are pleased to announce five additional player signings for the upcoming 2019 campaign. The club has secured commitments from a pair of Bellevue University Bruins in returning star Riley Baasch and Kory Longaker, Iowa Western’s Isaiah Peterson, Canadian Austin Oulds of Lourdes University, and former Dawgs Rookie of the Year Will Hollis (Texas State University).

NAIA – Riley Baasch (Bellevue University – 1B/C – Junior) Grand Island, NE

Baasch will be back in the red and white for a second consecutive year this summer. A staple in the lineup, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound junior suited up for 37 games last season, collecting 31 hits while hitting two home runs. His best game of the campaign for the Dawgs came against the Fort McMurray Giants on June 25. Baasch put on a show in front of the Seaman Stadium crowd, going 2-4 with a home run, three RBI, and a stolen base. Playing under head coach Mitch Schmidt at Bellevue University, Baasch had an incredible freshman season in 2017, hitting .367 while earning an honourable mention on the Omaha World-Herald all-Nebraska team. He ended his sophomore campaign with a team-leading 17 home runs, 60 RBI, and 65 hits over 58 games.

NAIA – Kory Longaker (Bellevue University – IF/OF – Senior) Edmonds, WA

Longaker, also of Bellevue University, will be making his Dawgs debut this summer. The infielder currently patrols shortstop for the Bruins and hit a team-leading .399 during a junior campaign filled with accolades. Overall, he posted a slash line of 399/.456/.610, with his 91 hits ranking 12th nationally. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound infielder from Edmonds, WA. can also terrorize the base paths, stealing 22 bags a season ago, en route to being named a Second-Team NAIA All-American. On top of that, Longaker earned NSAA Player of the Year, First-Team all-NSAA, and was named captain of the First-Team NAIA all-Nebraska in 2018.

NJCAA – Isaiah Peterson (Iowa Western – OF/LHP – Sophomore) Lincoln, NE

Also making his Dawgs debut will be Peterson, a talented outfielder/LHP out of perennial NJCAA powerhouse Iowa Western. In his freshman campaign with the program, the Lincoln, NE. product hit the ground running, slashing .364/.481/.606 over 45 games. On the mound, he was just as effective. Over six appearances and 11 innings, Peterson struck out 15 batters and owned an 0.82 ERA. Iowa went 54-7 that season, including a perfect 24-0 conference record. This season, boasting a 7-3 mark, the 5-foot-11, 180-pounder has kept the momentum. Hitting .333, Peterson opened the new campaign with a 3-3 game at the plate against Crowder.

NAIA – Austin Oulds (Lourdes University – OF/RHP – Sophomore) Chatham, ON

The lone Canadian on this list, Oulds will get his first shot in the red and white this summer. The 5-foot-9, 185-pound outfielder/RHP is getting his first taste of college ball with the Gray Wolves in 2019. Over seven appearances this season, his highlight game came against Mount Marty, going 2-5 with 3 RBI.

NCAA D1 – Will Hollis (Texas State University – OF/1B – Junior) McKinney, TX

A McKinney, TX. product, Hollis returns to the Dawgs after an incredible debut in 2018. The reigning Rookie of the Year hit .361, good for seventh in the WCBL, along with three home runs, 16 extra-base hits, and a team-leading 31 RBI. In college, the versatile infielder/outfielder plies his trade at Texas State University. Hollis is currently enjoying a red-hot start in his first season with the Division I program, hitting .347 while collecting 17 hits over 13 games. His biggest game of the year so far came against McNeese, where he went 3-4 with four runs, four RBI, and a home run. The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder committed to TSU following an impressive season with Cisco, where he led the team in batting average as a sophomore.

“They (the fans) were amazing all year,” Hollis said of his rookie season in Okotoks. “The town, people knowing you’re a Dawg, it’s really special. It’s a special place to be.”