MARSHALL — Marshall High School pitcher Liam Kruse signed his letter of intent on Wednesday morning to continue his baseball career at the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the fall.

“It’s obviously exciting and it’s also kind of a relief because I’ve been looking at colleges for the last about three or four months,” Kruse said of his decision. “It feels good to get a decision made and focus more on the spring season coming up.”

As a junior, Kruse pitched 33 2/3 innings for the Tigers, compiling a 5-0 record, a 0.62 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. He also struck out 37 of the 141 batters he faced (26%) with 17 walks.

The decision came down to Minnesota Duluth or fellow Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference school Southwest Minnesota State University, Kruse said, citing his ability to compete as a two-way player and the appeal of the city of Duluth as deciding factors.

“[Playing as a batter and a pitcher] was a pretty important factor. I feel like I wouldn’t mind if I only had to be a pitcher, but having that was an extra reason why I wanted to go there,” Kruse said.

As a batter, Kruse put together a .407 on-base percentage and a .846 OPS for the Tigers. He hit five doubles and a homer with eight RBIs in 54 plate appearances last season.

The Marshall Tigers went 20-6 in their 2024 campaign, earning the No. 3 seed in the Section 2AAA tournament. After losing 5-0 to Mankato East in the winner’s bracket quarterfinals, the Tigers battled their way through the elimination bracket before falling 7-4 to top-seeded Mankato West in the elimination bracket finals.

Minnesota Duluth went 18-31 last season with a 14-26 NSIC record. While they struggled the year before as well, they went 25-25 (16-16 NSIC) in 2022 and will look to make a leap back to that level in 2024.

“[Head coach Bob Rients] said I’m going to be starting right away, so I’ll be able to make an impact right away,” Kruse said. “I’m hoping that first year just goes really well and I guess we’ll see where it goes from there.”

Kruse said he chose to pursue a financial markets major, but that decision could change. As for now, he’s focused on closing out his time at Marshall High School on a high note.

“I think the biggest part is going to be continuing to do stuff in the offseason. When it comes to next year, probably just more weight lifting and gaining more weight,” Kruse said. “Overall just geting better with [Duluth’s] coaching staff.”

The Marshall baseball team will kick off its season on April 4 with a home matchup against Fairmont at Legion Field. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.