WATERTOWN, S.D. (Dakota News Now) -Watertown hosted the State A Legion Baseball Tournament for the first time in 34 years.
So it was a perfect finish to a great high school/legion career for our Karl’s TV & Appliance Athlete of the Week Kaden Rylance.
So what’s it been like for Ryan Neale to coach him all these years?
Ryan Neale, Watertown Legion Coach says, “Fun. A coach’s dream.”
Kind of like his dad Heath who played QB for Augustana and then in the Canadian Football League. So that great athletic ability runs in the family. So what’s it like having a famous father?
Kaden Rylance, Watertown Senior says, “It’s pretty cool. I feel like a lot of people know my dad and say, oh are you Heath’s son? And obviously it’s pretty cool I guess.”
Neale says, “I think it’s always nice to have to have a guy like Heath be your dad. It’s his best friend, his biggest mentor and biggest critic. Their relationship is pretty close.”
Kaden is not just limited to baseball. He’s an outstanding golfer as well on a really good Watertown team. So what is it about baseball that trips his trigger?
Kaden says, “I played golf too and it was kind of a hard decision to pick between one and the other but I think just having some success during my high school years made me want to play baseball.”
And Ryan Neale couldn’t be happier that he loves baseball so much.
Neale says, “It’s a guy that quite frankly hasn’t come thru Watertown in a long time. When you have a skill set like that, a work ethic like that, an attitude like that and the determination and the coachability it’s really a special product. And he’s able to have all those tools that leads him to his success.”
Like the all-time single season strikeout leader in Post 17 history. And don’t think the other 8 guys on the field don’t appreciate what he brings to the field when he’s on the mound.
Neale says, “I think his teammates realize that the day he’s throwing if you can get him 1 or 2 runs we have a really good chance to win the ball game. It keeps the energy and it’s all about the team with him. and what he can do to continue to improve but the team really feeds off of him as well. When you have a guy like that who’s your best player and is also your hardest worker that also drives everyone else to be the same thing and the leadership has really shown.”
And he’s excited to be staying so close to home next year when he takes his talents to Brookings to pitch for the Jackrabbits.
Kaden says, “Kind of when I went on my first visit there I said this feels awesome and it’s close to home. Being 45 minutes away it just felt like the right choice.”
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