Team Includes French Shortstop, Top Hitters, Depth & Division 1 Talent

Written by Kyle Tatelbaum

BISMARCK, ND – The Larks will have new faces around the diamond and in the dugout in 2024 as the Mark Weidemaier era begins on May 27 at Bismarck Municipal Ballpark as the Larks play host to the St. Cloud Rox. This year’s squad consists of 41 players, traveling from 23 states, France, and Canada.

Familiar Faces

Cade Torgerson brings his electric left-handed arm back to the Municipal Ballpark mound for another summer campaign with the Larks this season. In his 2024 senior season with the University of Jamestown, Torgerson posted the second-lowest earned-run average for the Jimmies with a 2.91 ERA while striking out the most batters, with 82 punchouts in 74.1 innings pitched. Last summer with the Larks, he recorded a 3.86 ERA with 23 strikeouts and just 5 walks through 18.2 innings. Torgerson is a sensational athlete beyond the baseball field, as a four-year player for the Jamestown Football team. From the pocket to the mound, look for Torgerson to make a difference in the Larks rotation again this summer.

Players to Watch

French infielder Mathis Meurant is bringing his all-around hitting ability and athleticism to the middle of the infield for the Larks this summer. Meurant’s durability and talent was on full display in his sophomore season with the Cochise College Apaches, leading the team in games played (55), runs (56), hits (73), doubles (15), triples (5), RBI’s (49), batting average (.374), OBP (.461), and slugging percentage (.579). After earning All-ACCAC First Team All-Conference and All-Region honors, Meurant will take his talents to the University of Arizona under Coach Chip Hale for the 2025 season. Meurant’s all-around hitting ability and athleticism will provide Head Coach Mark Weidemaier with the ability to see production at any desired spot in the lineup.

Left-handed hitting first baseman Brady Krzciok has been on an absolute heater ahead of the summer season- leading the Macom Monarchs to the program’s first conference title since 1995 and first postseason berth since 2018. In his sophomore season, Krzciok set the tone with ridiculous numbers, leading the team in batting average (.496), hits (58), home runs (11), doubles (11), slugging (.897), runs (47), RBI’s (48), total bases (105), and walks (35) in just 38 games. If he can continue to see beach balls at the plate, Krzciok will cement himself as one of the main contributors in the heart of the Larks’ star-studded lineup.

Left-handed hitting Western Michigan corner infielder and outfielder CJ Richmond has been incredible in his junior campaign for the Broncos, starting all 48 games hitting .396 with 72 hits in 182 at-bats while slugging .676 with a .498 OBP. Richmond brings experience and durability to the Larks lineup, playing over 77 games over the first two years of his college career beginning in 2022 at Western Illinois, and 2023 at Iowa Western CC where he hit .290 with a .441 on-base percentage and a .581 slugging percentage.

Keeping an eye on the University of New Mexico outfielder Tye Wood, who brings an extremely productive switch-hitting bat to the Larks lineup this summer. In his junior season for the Lobos, he hit .329 with 48 hits and 43 runs scored in 47 games played, drawing 4 more walks than strikeouts (37-33) while posting a .495 OBP. Wood has never hit below .325 in his collegiate career, batting .375 in his freshman season and .413 in his sophomore season for Iowa Western- earning him First Team All-Region selections in both seasons with the Reivers. Wood will be reunited with his outfield coach this summer in Larks assistant coach Sam Tetrault, who has been accredited for Wood’s smooth transition from Iowa Western to division 1 ball. 

Recent 6’4 185 lb sophomore Nebraska commit Jaron Cotton is worth keeping tabs on, providing great speed and hitting ability to the Larks lineup. Starting in 61 out of the 62 games for the Barton College Cougars, Cotton hit for average and power, recording a .333 batting average while slugging 10 home runs, 15 doubles, and 3 triples while stealing 22 bases at an 88% clip. After the season with the Larks, he will take his talents to the Big Ten Conference under the coaching of fellow Texas native and 2021 Big Ten Coach of the Year Will Bolt, who is looking for Cotton to help drive the Cornhuskers back to the College World Series for the first time since 2005.

Davis Baker helped lead the University of Pennsylvania to the Quakers’ second consecutive Ivy League Championship- defeating Cornell 11-9 and 12-6 to become the first Ivy League team to go back-to-back since Columbia in 2015. Baker started in every game (42) for the Quakers this season while recording the second most hits on the roster with 55.  In 2023, Baker earned Second-team All-Ivy honors as a shortstop and was nominated to the Ivy League All-Tournament Team.

Another pair of teammates, Andrew Ivy Jr and Jaylen Edmonds, of Arizona Christian University have been crushing the ball coming into the summer. The two are hitting .344 and .305 respectively while leading the Firestorm to the most franchise wins since 2019. Ivy Jr is slugging .544 with a .439 OBP while lighting up the basepaths with 15 stolen bases in 44 starts while making 3 appearances from the bench. Watch for Edmonds to be a reliable producer in the Larks lineup, coming off a junior campaign in which he started in every game (53) while batting in the third most runs on the team with 45, including a 3 home run and 12 RBI performance. Pay attention to these two teammates as they add speed and power to the Larks lineup.

Local Sensations 

Some of the best talent coming from the state of North Dakota will have the chance to shine this summer at Bismarck Municipal Ballpark, with 5 players from the North Dakota area suiting up for the Larks.

Lucas Burgum, the hometown kid hailing proudly from Mandan, ND was a strikeout artist for the Legends of Alexandria College throughout his freshman season. The workhorse right-hander started 7 games for the Legends, posting a record of 3-1 with 2 complete games. Through his 41 innings of work, he averaged 13.61 K’s per 9, striking out 62 batters with just 21 walks surrendered. Burgum was named  MCAC Central Division Baseball Athlete of the Week for March 25-31, throwing a dominant 6-inning complete game due to run rule, giving up only four hits and one earned run in the 11-1 win. 

Mandan native, Isaac Huettl will suit up behind the dish for the first half-season for the Larks, providing significant pop to the lineup. Through 50 games for the Northern Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) Trojans, Huettl is hitting .284 with 10 home runs and a .412 batting average. Huettl has cemented himself as a contributor in the Trojans lineup, ranking top five in nearly every offensive category for the Trojans last season. Huettl is no stranger to North Dakota baseball, formerly playing for the Badlands Big Sticks and Mandan Chiefs in the AA American Legion League before playing collegiate ball. 

The 2024 Larks roster consists of three Bismarck State College Mystics, two of which come from North Dakota. Thompson native, 6 ‘4, 230 pound Kyle Odenbach brings his powerful left-handed arm to the mound this summer, coming off of a strong 2024 campaign where he appeared in relief in all 8 appearances, posting a 3.77 ERA with 39 strikeouts through 28.2 innings. Mandan native, Matthew Porter was exceptional on the mound in his freshman season, starting 6 games while appearing in 9- he struck out 42 batters while surrendering just 16 walks through 34.2 innings of work. Bank on both North Dakota arms to bring their swing-and-miss stuff to the mound this summer, combining velocity and control to deceive opposing hitters.

Both arms are very fortunate to have their battery mate this summer in catcher/utility Andrew Niaves from Madison, Wisconsin. Niaves has been an all-around contributor for the Mystics, posting a .301 batting average, and .514 OBP, while going 12/12 in stolen bases throughout his redshirt freshman season. Niaves is an exhilarating player to watch, bringing his 5-tool abilities to play every day at any position. Expect Niaves to earn significant innings behind the dish or at any corner outfield position this summer.

6 ‘4, 225 pound Velva, North Dakota native, Luke Zimmer has excelled on the mound in his sophomore campaign for the University of Jamestown Jimmies. Through 56.1 innings of work, Zimmer fanned 55 batters while surrendering just 25 walks with a 3.99 ERA while posting a 5-3 record through 11 starts and 14 appearances, including 2 complete games. While Zimmer may have been used as a starter for the Jimmies, his effectiveness the first time through opposing lineups may result in Larks Coach Mark Weidemaier utilizing his talents out of the bullpen. 

The full roster is listed as follows:

Pitchers

Jamal Allen – Union University – Senior

Scott Borgmann – Wilmington University – Redshirt Sophomore

Corey Braun – University of Mississippi – Redshirt Junior

Lucas Burgum – Alexandria Technical and Community College – Sophomore

David Chase – Iowa Western – Sophomore

Haldon Craig – Doane College – Sophomore

Matthew Donnison – Illinois State University – Freshman

Turner Doran – Western Michigan University – Junior

Braeden Guentz – Pepperdine University – Freshman 

Kyle Lane – Harding University – Redshirt Junior

Kai Mayfield – Alexandria Community College – Sophomore

Kaden Moriarty – University of Mary – Redshirt Freshman 

Kyle Odenbach – Bismarck State College – Sophomore 

Matthew Porter – Bismarck State College – Freshman

Jacob Roberts – Palm Beach State – Sophomore

Riley Roskopf – Paradise Valley Community College – Sophomore

Larson Scholtz – Spartanburg Methodist College – Junior

Kai Taylor – Augustana University – Redshirt Junior

Cade Torgerson – University of Jamestown – Senior

Luke Zimmer – University of Jamestown – Redshirt Sophomore 

Catchers

Mackenzee Higuchi – California Polytechnic State University – Junior

Isaac Huettl – North Iowa Area Community College – Redshirt Freshman

Kyle Hvidsten – Iowa Western Community College – Sophomore

Will Millard – Hillsdale College – Freshman

Andrew Niaves – Bismarck State College – Redshirt Freshman

Anthony Priester – Meridian Community College – Sophomore

Infielders

Alex Alva – University of Jamestown – Junior

Davis Baker – University of Pennsylvania – Sophomore

Jaron Cotton – Barton Community College / University of Nebraska – Sophomore

Zach Daudet – California Polytechnic State University – Junior

Michael Davinni – University of Utah – Redshirt Junior

Jaylen Edmonds – Arizona Christian University – Junior

Brady Krzciok – Macomb Community College – Sophomore

Nathan Martinez – College of San Mateo – Redshirt Sophomore

Ryan McKay – Macomb Community College – Freshman

Mathis Meurant – Cochise College – Sophomore

Outfielders 

CJ Richmond – Western Michigan University – Junior

Erick Dessens – Paradise Valley Community College – Freshman

Andrew Ivy JR – Arizona Christian University – Sophomore

Tye Wood – University of New Mexico – Junior

Noah Toney – Union University – Sophomore 

The Larks Opening Day is Monday, May 27 at Bismarck Municipal Ballpark Home of Dakota Community Bank & Trust Field. The team kicks off the season with 22 home games in the first 32 days. 

Fans can visit larksbaseball.com for more information on tickets, partnerships, and merchandise.