LaRue joins Iowa Wesleyan baseball

ELDON — The latest in a string of local signings to Iowa Wesleyan, Cardinal senior Beau LaRue made his decision official on Thursday. He’ll be a Tiger next season.

"I'm excited to go to Iowa Wesleyan,“ LaRue said. ”It was the best option for me, and it was close to home.“

The Cardinal lefty threw 102 innings last season, fourth most on the team. He finished the year with a 2.62 ERA and 10 strikeouts.

LaRue was one of four Comets with a sub-3.00 ERA last season. The Comets went 10-4 last season including nine-straight wins leading to a substate final loss to eventual Class 2A champion Van Meter.

LaRue will join an Iowa Wesleyan squad that went 9-21 this season and 1-2 in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament.

“He came out and worked out for and threw a pen,” said Iowa Wesleyan head coach Blake Beiber. “We liked what we saw.”

LaRue and the Tigers will tread NAIA waters next season after leaving NCAA Division III at the end of the 2020-21 athletic season. The Tigers will play an all non-conference schedule next season, with most games being played locally. Beiber says that will help give more exposure to the Tigers and help cut down on long road trips to SLIAC opponents.

“Scheduling is going to be a lot better, because we have a lot more local teams on there,” Beiber said. “It's exciting.“

LaRue plans on studying to become an agriculture teacher when he gets to Iowa Wesleyan. Before then, however, the Comet southpaw and his squad have unfinished business. Namely, advancing one step further at the end of the year.

“We're planning on going to state,” LaRue said. “That's always the goal, but it's going to be hard work getting there.”