Southwest Minnesota State University Athletics

MARSHALL, MINN.: Former Southwest Minnesota State University left-handed pitcher Ryan Morse was recently named to the Florida State League All-Star game that will take place on Saturday, June 14 in Viera, Fla.

Morse, who played at SMSU from 2003-05, plays for the Vero Beach Devil Rays in the Class A FSL and will play for the East Division All-Stars.

A native of St. Cloud, Minn., Morse is 2-1 this season with a 2.72 ERA appearing in 13 games with six starts.  In 53 innings pitched he has recorded 31 strikeouts while allowing 15 walks and 46 hits.  Opponents are hitting just .236 against him.

Morse, SMSU’s first and only Major League Baseball draft-pick, was selected in the 13th round of the 2005 draft.  In 2006 he was named Pitcher of the Year at Rookie League Princeton (W.Va.), where made 10 starts before being promoted to short-season Hudson Valley.  His combined 2.78 ERA in 2006 ranked fifth in the   organization.  In 2007 he finished 5-6 with a 3.99 ERA appearing in 30 games with 16 starts for Class A Columbus in the South Atlantic League.

Morse played three seasons for SMSU earning first team All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference honors all three years.  A second team all-region honoree in 2005, Morse finished his career at SMSU with a 17-11 record in 35 games with a 4.51 ERA.  He ranks second in school history in strikeouts (190), third in strikeouts/per nine innings (9.02), tied for sixth in wins (17), seventh in games started (34) and eighth in innings pitched (189.2).  He also tossed the sixth no-hitter in school history on Mar. 29, 2005 versus Minnesota, Crookston.