At an official Draft Day press conference held on February 23rd, Hunter signed his National Letter of Intent in front of over 150 spectators and several media outlets. The team presented him with his own personalized jersey as well as his own locker complete with team nameplate.
“I am very excited about joining the team,” said Krusmark moments after signing his NLI. “I have really enjoyed getting to know the players and spending time playing ball with them.”
The team’s head coach, Kyle Poock ‘83,‘97, said that Krusmark is able to join in the team’s practices, playing catch, throwing and even participating in batting practices. He also has the opportunity to attend home and away games, riding the bus with the team and sitting in the dugout. Nine players from the team were elected to play a leadership role in scheduling visits, practices, and game times with Krusmark’s family.
The Winona State Baseball Team signed a new player this past spring: 14-year-old Hunter Krusmark, from Lake City, Minn.Krusmark, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2014, became connected to the team through Team IMPACT, a non-profit based out of Boston, Mass., whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses through the power of team. As an official member of the WSU Baseball Team, Krusmark will attend practices, games, and events.
“The Warrior family gained a special addition with the signing of Hunter,” said Associate Athletic Director Myranda Nash. “Team IMPACT is such a special organization that we are thrilled to partner with … and we are happy to invite Hunter into our baseball program.”
Since its inception in 2011, Team IMPACT has matched more than 1,100 children to over 450 colleges and universities throughout the country. The child gains strength, camaraderie and support, and the student-athletes are taught lessons about courage, resiliency, and life perspective that they can’t learn in a classroom.
