Rounding the Bases with George Klassen

HIT & RUN Favorite athlete: Christian Yelich Hobby: fishing Class at the U: Computer Science Musical artist: The Weeknd Movie: The Matrix TV show: NCIS Pro team: Milwaukee Brewers Meal: steak tacos Thanksgiving dish: mashed potatoes Biggest fear: crashing his car Pet peeve: snoring Hidden talent: can backflip Person you'd like to meet: Selena Gomez Never leave home without: Xbox Dream vacation spot: his cabin in Wisconsin   TEAM SUPERLATIVES Best personality in dugout: Joshua Culliver Hardest-working: Drew Hmielewski Most competitive: Michael Gurka Most studious: Jack Liffrig Biggest prankster: Patrick Fredrickson Breakout player: Joshua Culliver Build the ultimate five-tool player: J.P. Massey (arm), Drew Stahl (glove), Kyle Bork (power), Drew Hmielewski (speed), Zack Raabe (contact)

Gopher Baseball welcomes six new faces to the fold heading into the 2021 season, including five freshmen and one transfer. In order to get to know each one of them better, Gopher Sports is sitting down with each newcomer and diving into the finer details of their baseball career.
 
Leading off, we have freshman right-hander pitcher George Klassen of Port Washington, Wis. Prior to Minnesota, Klassen was a standout hurler for Port Washington High School, where his performance earned him recognition as Perfect Game's No. 1-ranked pitcher and No. 2 overall player in the state. Leading up to the 2020 MLB Draft, Baseball America tabbed Klassen as the No. 259 overall player in the draft class.
 
Luckily for the Gophers, Klassen will be donning the Maroon & Gold before taking his talents to the next level. Possessing an innate ability to miss bats, Klassen registered 56 strikeouts in just 22 innings pitched as a junior, allowing only 10 hits all year. The following year, he was dubbed a 2020 PG/Rawlings Preseason All-American.
 
Having also competed as a two-way player, Klassen led Port Washington with 25 hits in 2019, owning a .362 batting average. He also competed for the GRB Rays and Midwest Reds Scout Team, where he posted a 5-2 mark with 39 strikeouts in 38 innings pitched over the last three seasons.
 
GS: Why did you choose to attend the University of Minnesota?
GK: "First and foremost, it's just a super comfy place for me. I feel at home. My mom went here, my sister goes here right now and it was one of the first schools I ever visited. Plus, it's really close to home. It just felt natural coming here. Also, knowing that [head coach John Anderson] is staying here for a really long time, [pitching coach Ty McDevitt] is going to stay for a really long time, everybody on the staff... I can't go wrong. I just really like it here."
 
GS: How did you first start playing baseball?
GK: "I don't think I really started playing baseball until I was seven or eight years old. My parents tell this story a lot. We were walking on the beach and my dad was chucking rocks in the water, and I was like, 'oh, that looks fun.' So, I started chucking rocks just nice and easy and they're going twice as far as my dad's, and he's getting mad about it. He said, 'You know what? Let's just sign up for baseball and see how it goes.' It was 9U and I missed the tryouts. We called the coach and said, 'We missed the tryouts, but just give him a chance.' That's basically how it started. I didn't really know what was going on, didn't really have that much baseball smarts. But I got into it quick, adapted quick and stuck with it."
 
GS: When did you set your sights on playing collegiately?
GK: "I played in my town league from 9U, 10U, 11U and 13U. And that's when I feel like I outgrew my town league. That's when I got more interested in these larger travel teams that didn't just play in a 10-mile radius of my town. They went to Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois – all that stuff. My first travel team that I played for was Hitters Baseball from 13U to 16U. It was a complete change of talent, practice, work ethic, how much time you put into it so you can save you spot – which I loved. There was so much competition, but there was so much family around it, so much connection, so much bonding. It felt fun."
 
GS: What is the most memorable moment of your career?
GK: "My most memorable moment in my career would have to be the summer of 2019, pitching in Atlanta at Lake Point. I was playing for GRB and we were up against a team that grabs players from all over the country, so it was some good competition. That game, I gave it everything I had and helped our team win against them. The best part of that game were the emotions from my teammates from pitching in that game."
 
GS: What would you say is your biggest strength on the mound?
GK: "My biggest strength on the mound is just being focused. When I'm on the mound, I don't get distracted. I don't see what's behind me. I just focus on this pitch and I don't think about the last one or what's coming up next. I focus on what I can do in this second. Also, velocity helps too, but I think that toughness, that focus really helps me on the mound."
 
GS: What is one area you would like to improve on?
GK: "Nailing down on that consistent accuracy, pin-pointing the spots that I want. Sometimes, I'll let myself go a little bit. I'll throw a walk here and there and then I'll have to dial it back in. I want to keep it consistent through how many innings I have or however many pitches I have that day."

GS: Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
GK: "I think my biggest influence would be my parents because they were the ones who drove me everywhere and sacrificed time to come and watch me play, and that means a lot to me. They supported my process and dream of playing baseball from the very start."
 
GS: Do you have any game day rituals or superstitions?
GK: "I always try to eat a Snickers candy bar before. Everything else, I try to do everything the same: how I put on my uniform, shorts, socks, pants, undershirt, jersey – that's about it, though."
 
GS: What is your favorite part about living in Minneapolis?
GK: "Back home, I live on the country – just fields and farmland everywhere. It's cool living in the city. I thought coming here, I would feel a little more confined with all the buildings. But it feels pretty open. It feels welcoming. It's also nice seeing my sister here, too. I know I have family and I also know that I'm not coming into college completely alone. I have a whole team behind me, supporting me."
 
GS: What kind of pitcher would you describe yourself as?
GK: "I would say a long, lengthy, hard-throwing pitcher. I don't just try to beat people with force. I'll throw in some off-speed here and there. My fastball moves a ton, so I wouldn't say complete force. But, I'm a power pitcher."
 
GS: What is your favorite part about being a Gopher?
GK: "The welcoming feeling I get here. The first day I stepped on campus, I went to work out and there were seven, eight guys there and they acted like we were teammates for years. That was one of the coolest things I've ever experienced.
 
GS: If you could be one teammate for a day, who would it be?
GK: "Honestly, I'd be Jack Liffrig. That man does some insane school. He looks like he's tearing it down. It's a grind for him. I'd love to see what he does in a day."
 
GS: What are your aspirations after college ball?
GK: "Obviously, everybody's goal in this program is to play after. Sign that deal. If that doesn't happen, I'm getting a great education here. I'm still deciding if I want to continue with computer science or move into more business, sports management. Ultimately, take what I've learned from here and put it throughout the rest of my life."
 
GS: What impact has the coaching staff had on you so far?
GK: "Giving me the sense that I shouldn't be afraid to ask questions or speak what's on my mind… I don't want to feel scared. The transition from travel ball to here, it's awesome. It's just a welcome with open arms."
 
GS: What are your goals for your freshman season?
GK: "Freshman season, just from a baseball standpoint, I want to top out at 97. That will be nice to see if I can do that. I think this year I probably won't be a starter. I'm totally fine with that. I'll put as much as I can on the line for whatever role I am. I would love to be a Friday or Saturday night closer, if need be. Also, just being myself. Build the best for me and keep being me."
 

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