Baseball-golf standout opts to stay on the diamond at South Dakota State University

BROOKINGS — Watertown High School junior Kaden Rylance has announced his commitment to play baseball for South Dakota State University.

Rylance, a baseball player for Watertown Post 17's American Legion team and a golfer for the Arrows, posted the announcement on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Sunday.

Watertown Post 17 head coach Ryan Neale said the Jackrabbits are interested in Rylance both as a pitcher and a potential catcher.

Last summer for a Post 17 team that went 32-32, Rylance batted .273 with five doubles, three homers, 22 runs scored and 29 runs batted in while playing most first base. On the mound, the hard-throwing right-hander went 4-2 with a 2.30 earned-run average in 42 2/3 innings. He allowed 38 hits with 20 walks and 59 strikeouts.

Coming up through the Watertown Baseball Association, Rylance was a key member of the U13 Grey Sox and U14 Black Sox teams that captured state Class A tournament titles in 2020 and 2021, respectively. In 2022, he played on the Watertown Post 17 Junior Legion team that went 36-14 and reached the semifinals of the state tournament.

Rylance also shines on the golf course where he's been a four-year varsity regular. He placed third in the 2023 state Class AA boys' tournament last October and helped the Arrows capture their first state title since 1971. He also tied for seventh at state as a sophomore in 2022, took 11th as a freshman in 2021 and finished second as a eighth-grader in 2020.

Kaden's father Heath was also a standout athlete at Watertown High School, playing football and basketball, and also starred on the baseball field for Post 17.

The 1990 WHS graduate was the starting quarterback at Augustana University for four years and later played in the Canadian Football League for five seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Calgary Stampede. He is a member of the Augustana University, Watertown High School Athletic and Watertown Baseball Association halls of fame.

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Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Watertown High School junior Kaden Rylance commits to S.D. State