Recruit Profile - Mason Raburn

Mason Raburn enters Northwest Missouri State University as a freshman in the 2012-2013 academic year after graduating from Omaha's Creighton Prep.  Mason is a 6'1" 190-pound lanky left-handed pitcher.

Mason was a Varsity letter winner as a Sophomore, Junior, and Senior at Creighton Prep.  Mason finished the 2011 season with a 1.50 ERA. 

According to Perfectgame.org, Mason is a "crafty" lefty with a fastball topping at 80 miles per hour.  His 60-feet time is 7.53 seconds.

Perfectgame.org's analysis:  "Mason Raburn is a 2012 LHP/OF with a 6-1 185 lb. frame from Omaha, NE who attends Creighton Prep. Medium build with strength. Circle arm action form high 3/4 slot. Throws downhill, hides ball, with fade on fastball. Curveball ranged from 60-67, changeup from 65-73, will develop better feel for both pitches with experience. Switch-hitter. Tall, upright stance, uppercut swing path with raw power. Pull approach with bat speed, ball comes off bat well."

Coach Loe comment about Mason in the St. Joseph Post: “Mason, like Matt Kanger, comes from a tremendously successful Creighton Prep program.  Mason has had tremendous success at the high school level and has a live arm that gives him a lot of room to grow.”

Go Cats!!
###

Recruit Profile - Kurt Gitchell

Kurt Gitchell enters Northwest Missouri State University as a freshman during the 2012-2013 academic season.  He profiles out as a catcher or Second Baseman.  He bats and throws right-handed.  Kurt stands 5'10" tall and weighs 180 pounds.  Kurt graduated from Willowbrook High School in Villa Park, Illinois.

You can watch a video of Kurt fielding his position at Catcher, throws, and batting by clicking on the link below:

http://www.ncsasports.org/baseball-recruiting/il/villa-park/willowbrook-high-school/kurt-gitchell#ooid=tqcmluMzpQFc_jXIqOr-UgIeN3XWlfy0

Personal Statement

I am a three year starting catcher on the varsity team. My sophomore year I set three school records for throwing out a base runner attempting to steal; 1. Most in a season, 2. Most consecutive (20), and 3. Overall percentage (68%). My pop time is consistently 1.9. I am committed to blocking which allows my pitchers to feel comfortable throwing any pitch in any situation. My knowledge of the game and my pitchers have earned me the respect of my coaches who trust me to call the game. More than anything, I'm looking for an opportunity to show that I am a dedicated student athlete and that I will be an asset to any team. I want to play ball at the highest level I can while getting the best education possible.

According to the St. Joseph Post, "A .402 hitter his junior year, Gitchell also threw out 68% of runners trying to steal.  Another multisport athlete, Gitchell served as his school’s quarterback during his junior season that culminated with winning the Illinois state championship.

Coach Loe comment: “Kurt is a very polished high school player.  He is an outstanding athlete who is well-rounded; giving him a chance to be successful in all phases of the game.”

Go Cats!!
###

Recruit Profile - JJ Benes

JJ Benes enters Northwest Missouri State University as a freshman in the 2012-2013 academic year.  JJ profiles out as a Right-handed Pitcher or infielder.  JJ stands 6'00" and weighs 180 pounds.  JJ is from Omaha, Nebraska, and graduated from Papillion LaVista High School.

As a senior at Papillion LaVista High School in 2012, JJ hit .375 with 12 doubles, 6 home runs, and 33 RBIs.  As a pitcher, JJ had a 3-3 record with a 2.33 ERA, 52 strike-outs, in 47.2 innings pitched, and walked 15 batters.  JJ played DH, 1B, and RF.  He was 1st team All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-State in 2011.

According to the Lincoln Journal Star, JJ's coach says this about him:

“He pitched almost all of our toughest games. His losses were to Millard West twice and to Lincoln Northeast. That’s not too shabby. He works so hard. Drive by the field and he’s hitting off a tee by himself. He’s a driven young man. He gets a good jump on the ball in the outfield.”

In the 2012 Summer, JJ played for Pinnacle Bank (I believe American Legion Ball in Omaha that is associated with Papillion LaVista High School Baseball players), and had a .415 batting average, had a .636 slugging percentage, and an on-base percentage of .483, scored 50 runs, 73 hits, 23 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 65 RBIs, got hit by 5 pitches, earned 24 walks, and 18 strike-outs.  JJ was Top 12 in Batting Average for Omaha-based American Legion teams.  On the mound this past summer, JJ had a 00.95 ERA, 73 strike-outs, 13 walks, hit 2 batters, allowed 1 home run, 10 earned runs, pitched 73.2 innings, 1 save, 12 wins, 5 complete games, and appeared in 16 games.

Here is a nice article about JJ I found on Bakkentoday.com:

http://www.bakkentoday.com/event/article/id/60402/publisher_ID/6/

Here is another article from the Omaha World Herald:

http://www.omaha.com/article/20120809/PREPZONE/708099880/1707

According to the St. Joseph Post, Northwest Missouri State Head Coach Darin Loe said this about JJ:

"JJ is one of the more developed High School pitchers we have seen in recent years.  He not only works with a mid-80’s fastball but is truly a 3 pitch pitcher.  JJ also has some intriguing pop in the bat that gives him a chance to contribute on the offensive side as well.”

Go Cats!!
###

Scrimmage vs KCKCC Re-Cap - Sept 8, 2012 - Images

Go Cats!!
###