New Staff Introductions
With the fall 2021 semester officially underway, it is an extremely exciting time for the Iowa Baseball Manager Program. After a summer filled with incredible experiences for all of our managers, we are thrilled to be back on campus and back at Duane Banks Field for another year of Hawkeye Baseball! After a very competitive hiring process, we are thrilled to announce the hiring of 12 new managers that will be joining our program, matching the largest batch of incoming managers ever!
Before we introduce each of our new managers, there are a few achievements from former managers that need to be recognized. Ryley Kozisek, a former on-field manager who graduated in the Spring of 2021 completed his first season as the head coach of the varsity baseball team at Garner-Hayfield Ventura High School. After leading the Cardinals to a 21–5 record, including a 12–2 conference record that was good enough for a share of the conference title, Ryley was name the Top of Iowa Conference Coach of the Year. Next, former head manager Ryan Gorman has officially accepted a position with the Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball program. He will be completing the Master of Business Administration program while working as a Graduate Assistant for the baseball team. Congratulations to these two for their accomplishments this summer!
With the start of the 2021 fall semester, we will be welcoming lots of new faces into our program. While there are big shoes to fill from last year, we are extremely excited about all 12 of our new hires and cannot wait to see how each of them impacts our program in their own ways. Each new manager comes from a unique background and will bring a personalized set of skills with them to the program. From incoming freshmen eager to get their college journeys started to seasoned veterans who will begin their time in graduate school, it is exciting to see interest in our program from such a wide range of ages.
Below is a brief introduction of each of the 12 new managers who will be joining us this fall.
Administrative Assistants:
Paige Buikema: Paige will be a freshman this year at the University of Iowa studying Sport and Recreation Management. This summer she has been working with the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field and traveling with her family. Paige is excited to work hard and collaborate with other managers and is also looking forward to the atmosphere of Duane Banks Stadium on game days. Paige was in Cleveland in 2016 for game seven of the World Series and she said she would “go back to the Cubs winning the World Series” if she could travel to any moment in baseball history as it was “one of the best experiences I have ever had and one that I don’t think will ever be able to be replicated or topped in my lifetime.”
Data Analysts:
Austin Marchesani: Austin is coming to the University of Iowa to complete the Master of Business Analytics program. This summer was his third year as the pitching coach for the Cedar Falls high school baseball team and he also taught youth pitching lessons on the side. Austin is excited to be part of our program to learn and work with other managers, players, and coaches. He is also looking forward to learning about the data and technologies used within our program. When asked about going back to any moment in baseball history, Austin said, “The flip play by Jeter. He is my all-time favorite baseball player and I have seen the highlight too many times to count. It would be awesome to see it unfold in person.”
Connor Curtiss: Connor is an Iowa City native who will be joining our staff as an incoming freshman. Connor, who attended Iowa City West High School will be majoring in Data Science. He has been watching a lot of baseball, working on his coding abilities, and taking care of his new puppy this summer. As he has grown up, Connor has become more interested in the analytical side of baseball, so he is looking forward to continuing to learn and to make an impact on a team that he grew up watching. If Connor could travel to any moment in baseball history he would go back to game six of the 2011 World Series. The reason for this is to “warn Nelson Cruz about David Freese hitting a fly ball towards him so he would catch it and the Cardinals wouldn’t have won the World Series.”
Keithan Sharp: Keithan will be joining our staff as an incoming freshman and is currently an open major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He has been enjoying his last summer before college by traveling with his family, working out, and spending time with his friends. As a manager, Keithan is looking forward to learning about ways to integrate data with baseball performance and doing so as part of a team. The time in baseball history he would go back to if possible is, “a rainy, 2016 day in Cleveland.”
On-Field:
Bryce Melton: Studying Sport and Recreation Management with certificates in Athletic Administration and Event Management, Bryce is an incoming senior who will be joining our staff. He has already been involved in the baseball industry as an Assistant Coach for the sophomore baseball team at Bettendorf High School while also working alongside the Bettendorf Activities Director. Bryce is looking forward to learning as much as possible, specifically about pitching and the different forms of technology that are used in baseball. If he could, Bryce would go back to see Jackie Robinson’s first MLB game. He said, “This moment is incredibly historic, so meaningful, and I would absolutely love to see Jackie play.”
Gabe Hester: Gabe is an incoming freshman who graduated from Norwalk High School in the Spring of 2021. At Iowa, he will be in the Tippie College of Business studying either Management and/or Business Analytics. This summer, Gabe played for Norwalk’s high school baseball team, played MLB The Show, and spent time at the lake. He is most looking forward to the experience of being with a Division I baseball program. Gabe would go back in baseball history to the start of the 2004 baseball season. When asked why, he stated, “To watch Barry Bonds’ 1.422 OPS season and what on paper looks to be the St. Louis Cardinals most star-studded team not to win a World Series.”
Jake Kenyon: Jake joins our staff as an incoming junior majoring in Sport and Recreation Management with a minor in Business Administration. Over the summer, Jake has been coaching baseball at his former high school in Illinois as well as taking an online class. He is looking forward to meeting all the new and existing managers as well as growing and learning more about the game of baseball. When asked if he could go back to any moment in baseball history, Jake said, “November 2, 2016 — or better known as the day the Cubs won the World Series! The single happiest day of baseball in my life, no doubt.”
Mike Pithan: Mike will be a sophomore at the University of Iowa studying Public Policy with a specialization in Economics and will also be obtaining a minor in History. This summer, Mike has been in Nantucket, Massachusetts working at the Nantucket Golf Club. He is excited to grow his knowledge of the game of baseball, connect with other managers and people in the baseball industry, and utilize the resources and tools the manager program has available. If Mike could go back to any moment in baseball history, it would be, “the Steve Bartman incident at Wrigley Field in the 2003 NLCS to see how a single play not only changed the entire atmosphere in the stadium, but the shape of the series as well.”
Tyler Schark: Tyler will be joining us from Ottumwa High School and will be double majoring in Accounting and Business Analytics in the Tippie College of Business. Tyler played on his high school baseball team and worked when he had time outside of baseball this summer. He is most excited for the opportunity to meet new people and help the Iowa baseball team in any way possible. When asked about a moment in baseball history he would go back to, Tyler stated, “I would like to go back to the days that there were no pitching limits and guys were throwing multiple days a week and also playing the field. I would just want to go back to those moments to see how it really impacted the players.”
Will Kenne: This fall, Will is entering his junior year at Iowa studying Sport and Recreation Management with a minor in Business Administration. He has had a relaxing summer working, fishing, hot-air ballooning, and shooting photography at high school baseball games. Something Will is looking forward to is being part of a Division I program and having the opportunity to further his knowledge of the game of baseball. Similar to Connor, Will would choose to go back in baseball history to game six of the 2011 World Series in St. Louis if he could. He said, “it was one of the most iconic moments in baseball history, and as a Cardinals fan I would have loved to have been there.”
Zack Anderson: Zack is another Iowa City native who joins our staff from Iowa City Liberty High School. At the University of Iowa, he will be studying Sport and Recreation Management. Over the summer, Zack completed his final year of high school baseball, golfed, worked, and hung out with his friends. He is looking forward to joining our staff and experiencing the environment of a Division I program. If he could travel back in baseball history, Zack would go back to “the era with Barry Bonds to be able to see how dominant those guys were and how many home runs they were hitting.”
Video and Scouting:
Savannah Dennis: Savannah is an incoming freshman joining our staff from Johnston, Iowa and will be majoring in Statistics at the University of Iowa. Over the summer she worked as an intern with Prep Baseball Report (PBR) while also completing her final year as a student manager for the Johnston high school baseball team. She is looking forward to meeting everyone and helping #MoveTheNeedle for the program and the baseball industry in general. If possible, Savannah would like to go back to “the first World Series game to see the country come together and enjoyed some great baseball.”
