File photo by Travis Rosenau Sleepy Eye St. Mary's Mark Anderson pitches during a nonconference baseball game in Leavenworth on May 13, 2023. Anderson is currently a senior at St. Mary's University and will next play baseball at Bethel University in St. Paul. spring.
SLEEPY EYE — In his final year of high school baseball, Sleepy Eye St. Mary's pitcher Mark Anderson's baseball career isn't over yet.
The 6-5 senior right-hander has committed to play college baseball next spring with the Bethel University Royals in St. Paul. Anderson will join a Royals team coached by New Ulm High School graduate and former major leaguer Brian Raabe.
Anderson, a three-sport athlete who also plays soccer and basketball, pitched 34 innings for the Knights last spring with 59 strikeouts and a 2.06 ERA. In addition to his dominance on the mound, Anderson hit clean up, hitting .333 with 22 RBIs.
Anderson also could celebrate a DII Region Baseball state title at Sleepy Eye in the summer of 2023.
Anderson said he was first contacted by Bethel assistant pitching coach Ryan Myers after attending the Minnesota High School Baseball Coaches Association Junior Showcase in Minnetonka last summer.
“Me and Brandon [Schmitz] Then another Sleepy Eye kid was invited to a showcase at Tonka, and we all went to see it. ” Anderson said. “Bethel contacted me after the showcase and we started talking a little bit. In fact, later that day when I was talking to them, I had a Legion game and my coach was Zach Harla. , happened to be going to Bethel and playing for them. I was talking to him about it and he was really encouraging me to check it all out.
“Then it was almost school time so I decided to visit and I really liked what was going on there. I had other options, but to be honest I decided to go there. I was there.”
Other options for Anderson included Bethany Lutheran University and Gustavus Adolphus College. Anderson narrowed his options down to Bethel and BLC, but he explored St. Paul and decided he wanted to be with the Royals.
“I was definitely approached frequently by Bethany in Mankato.” Anderson said. “They told me a lot. They got Brandon. [Schmitz] Obviously, teammates, they wanted both of us. And I thought about them really well. It was mainly between Bethany and Bethel. ”
Anderson said he doesn't know exactly what his role will be initially, but he plans to work toward a spot in the starting rotation.
“They want me to go up a few miles an hour, but I don’t know.” Anderson said. “They want me to push to be in the starting rotation in my first year, but we’ll see what happens.”
Bethel coaches will work with Anderson to improve his pitch velocity, but Anderson said his fastball off the mound is currently his best pitch, as it currently tops out at 85 mph.
Anderson said he expects Bethel to help with his off-speed pitches.
“I think they’ll definitely help me with my offspeed.” Anderson said. “It's okay, but it can definitely get better. I think they can definitely help improve that. They've had very good pitching staffs in years past, so I think they're good pitchers. I know they can develop off-speed pitches to match my fastball. They have a lot of pitching coaches and that was also a plus from what I've seen. I'm helping you give.”
Bethel went 32-12 last season, including a perfect 14-0 at home. The Royals ended their season with a loss to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the NCAA DIII Regional Championship.
Anderson said she also liked that Bethel was a little far from home, describing the school as its own niche in the Twin Cities.
“It's like a little secluded area.” Anderson said of Bethel: “It's kind of within the city, but it's just in a niche part of the city, and I like that. Sure, you can still go out into the city, but in that little niche area. You can even stay in and have your own little home away from home.”
Anderson plans to major in accounting and finance at Bethel.
