Wayne State College head baseball coach Alex Koch has announced the signings of eight players to national letters of intent to attend Wayne State and play for the Wildcats in the 2025-26 academic year.  The list includes Tyler Albert of Omaha, Elliot Beister (bee-stir) from Elkhorn, Nathan Briggs of Watertown, South Dakota, Tony Coniglio from Omaha, Drew Leiser (lee-sure) from St. Cloud, Minnesota, Gavin Redden of Wayne, Brandt Smith of Omaha and Brock Stephens (stevens) from Osceola, Iowa.
            Albert is a 6-5 right-handed pitcher from Millard South High School.  Last spring as a junior he earned Class A All-State honorable mention honors with a 3-1 record and 3.19 ERA in 37.1 innings of work, striking out 44 batters while helping his team to a 24-11 record and third place finish at the Class A State Tournament.
            "Tyler was a highly sought-after recruit in this class," said Coach Koch.  "He is a big, physical two-sport athlete with an extremely high ceiling and has the ability to be a starter for us when he steps on campus.  We are fortunate to have two quality arms in this class from Millard South (Brandt Smith)."
            Beister (bee-stur) is a 5-10 outfielder from Elkhorn High School where he is a three-year starter in football and four years in baseball.  Last spring as a junior he batted .301 with 22 hits, 24 runs scored and 20 stolen bases and had three homers with 18 RBI during his sophomore season.  On the football field this fall he rushed for 699 yards and scored seven touchdowns.
            "Elliot fits our style of play well," remarked Koch.  "He used his speed on the football field to have a great year at running back for the Antlers and will use his speed and power to compete for time as a freshman here at WSC.  Another multi-sport kid that loves to compete at a high level."
            Briggs is a 5-10 shortstop from Watertown High School in South Dakota where he was a multi-sport athlete in baseball, football and wrestling.  Last summer Briggs hit .314 with nine doubles, four home runs, 40 RBI and 51 runs scored helping Watertown Post 17 to a 46-25 record and a tie for third place at the Class A State Legion Tournament.  He was also 1-0 on the mound with two saves.  In the summer of 2023 Briggs posted a .421 batting average.
            "Nathan is a hard-working, multi-sport athlete that plays up the middle of the field," commented Koch.  "He has great hands and quickness that will help him compete for playing time as a freshman.  His work ethic and competitive nature will bring a spark to a new looking infield after graduating many players."
            Coniglio is a 6-1 utility player from Omaha Creighton Prep High School where he is a starter in football and baseball.  Last spring in baseball he posted a .309 batting average with 29 hits, 19 RBI, 27 runs scored and 14 stolen bases while helping the Jays reach the Class A State Tournament with a 21-14 record.  Coniglio was also the starting quarterback for the Creighton Prep football team, throwing for over 1,000 yards (1,043) as a junior and this fall he threw for 730 yards while rushing for another 511 yards and seven TD's on the ground. 
            "Tony is yet another multi-sport athlete in this signing class," boasted Coach Koch.  "He has the ability to play just about anywhere on the field for us.  We are excited about how versatile he is with the way he swings the bat and he will bring a competitive edge to our program next year."
            Lieser (lees-ur) is a 6-5 right-handed pitcher from St. Cloud Tech High School in Minnesota.  He earned All-Central Lakes Conference and All-Section honors last spring while helping his team reach the Class 4A State Tournament with a 4-1 record and a save striking out 23 batters in 28 innings of work.  Lieser has helped St. Cloud Tech win back-to-back regular season Central Lakes Conference titles. 
            "Drew in a long, lanky right-handed arm who is very projectable on the mound with lots of room to grow," commented Koch.  "He was recruited throughout our conference and we are extremely excited we landed him."
            Redden is a 5-10 outfielder from Wayne High School where he competed in cross country, football, basketball and baseball for the Blue Devils.  He led Wayne to a pair of state baseball tournaments as a junior, helping the Blue Devil high school team in the spring reach the Class C State Tournament earning All-State honors as a utility player with a .426 batting average while also posting a 5-4 record as a pitcher with a 2.02 ERA in nine games striking out 44 batters in 52 innings.  Last summer he helped the Wayne American Legion baseball team reach the Class B State Tournament with a 25-5 record.  This fall in cross country, he just missed a state medal at the Class C State Championships finishing 19^th.
            "Gavin is a kid that will push kids with his work ethic and his high baseball IQ," stated Koch.  "he will add depth into our outfield and will use his speed to try and help out the 'Cats in year one."
            Smith is a 6-4 right-handed pitcher from Millard South High School.  Last spring as a junior he produced a 7-2 record with a 3.77 ERA in 11 games, striking out 37 batters in 42.2 innings of work.  As a sophomore he recorded two saves in 20.1 innings pitched with an 0-2 record and 21 strikeouts.
            "Brandt is another Millard South arm that competes with all of his pitches in the zone," said Coach Koch.  "Brandt should make an immediate impact on our staff for the 2026 season."
            Stephens is a 5-10 right-handed pitcher from Interstate 35 Community School in Iowa where he is a four-year letter winner in baseball.  Last summer he earned All-West Central Conference honors with a .301 batting average producing 10 doubles and 21 RBI while on the mound sporting a 2-2 record with one save and a 3.62 ERA, striking out 42 batters in just 29 innings pitched with an opponent batting average of .205.
            "Brock was an under the radar kid for us," said Koch.  "He caught our eye at our prospect camp this summer.  For being an undersized pitcher he really blew us away at what he could do on the mound.  We are excited to watch him grow as a pitcher next fall."
            Wayne State College is an NCAA Division II school located in Wayne, Nebraska and competes in the 15-team Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.  The Wildcats finished the 2024 season with a record of 29-23 overall (21-16 NSIC/fifth place) and finished third place in the season-ending NSIC Baseball Tournament.