Mayo's Regal will play college baseball at Division I Nebraska
Aug. 19—ROCHESTER — Now that he's got his college commitment out of the way, Ian Regal can just relax and play baseball during his senior season at Mayo High School.
Regal, who is starting his senior year at Mayo this fall, announced his intention to attend Division I University of Nebraska and play baseball for the Cornhuskers.
"It was always my goal to make my decision by the start of my senior year just to be able to focus on my school and then my workouts and just hit the gym hard," Regal said. "And obviously now being committed, I can play a little more relaxed and not have to worry about impressing scouts any more."
Regal said he had a few other offers from mid-major Division schools, but he felt Nebraska was the best opportunity. During a campus visit he thought the atmosphere and team camaraderie was "top notch and second to none."
Regal becomes the latest in a line of players from the area to attend Nebraska to play baseball. Mayo grad Tyler Rank played for the Cornhuskers in 2008-09. Red Wing's Pat Kelly (2012-2014) and Ryan Boldt (2014-16) both played three seasons at Nebraska.
The left-handed hitting and throwing Regal is a pitcher/first baseman/outfielder. As a junior at Mayo, he batted .378 with 10 doubles, 14 runs scored and 18 RBIs. On the mound, he had a 3-1 record with 1.25 ERA. He was named Big Nine All-Conference and to the Post Bulletin All-Area First Team.
Regal might have a chance to be a two-way player at Nebraska.
"They mainly want me as a pitcher but they'll give me the opportunity to hit once I get there," he said. "I'll try my hand at hitting and the outfield, most likely."
As a junior, Regal's fastball was timed at 92 miles an hour during a game. He said he was consistently throwing in the upper 80s for most of the season. Regal also throws a slider, curveball and changeup.
He played traveling baseball with the Blizzard out of the Twin Cities for most of this summer and when he was home, he also played American Legion ball with the Rochester Redhawks. It was during one tournament in July with the Blizzard that Regal made a trip from Iowa to Nebraska to visit the Cornhuskers campus in Lincoln.
"It's really great to be going to such a highly respected and nationally known school," Regal said.
Nebraska is coached by Will Bolt. He was the Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year in 2021 when he guided the team to a Big Ten Conference title. The Cornhuskers were 23-30 in 2022 and 10-14 in league play.
Nebraska coaches had scouted Regal during a high school game against Owatonna this spring and also saw him play at the Area Codes Baseball Tryouts in Illinois this summer.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Regal works out at Rochester Batting Cages and also trains with former minor-league pitcher Mitch Brown, a Century graduate.
Regal hopes to sharpen his control during his senior season. He struck out a whopping 71 hitters in just 39 1/3 innings as a junior, but he also walked 32.
