Hot Tots Welcome Talent from Top Military College
March 17, 2023 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Minot Hot Tots News Release
MINOT, ND - As the summer months get closer and college baseball seasons have started across the country, the Minot Hot Tots are still busy recruiting for their 2023 inaugural season. While looking for talent, coach Mitch Gallagher looks into top programs in various different divisions and conferences for the best talent. Recently, the Minot Hot Tots have added Michael (Thomas) Rollauer from The Citadel: The Military College of South Carolina to their roster.
The Citadel is ranked as the #1 Public College in the South offering up to a master's degree by U.S. News & World Report and is one of the top military colleges in the country focused on leadership excellence and academic distinction. Their athletic programs follow suit in this high standard for excellence. The baseball program at The Citadel is an NCAA Division I program in the Southern Conference. Since the program joined the Southern Conference, they have been Regular Season Champions 13 times, Southern Conference Tournament Champions 8 times, have made 13 NCAA tournament appearances, and have made one College World Series appearance in 1990. They were the first and, so far, only military school to appear in the College World Series. Since the beginning of the program, The Citadel has produced 11 MLB roster players, including most recently JP Sears who currently plays for the Oakland Athletics.
Thomas Rollauer is a utility player from Atlanta Georgia who will be playing in the in-field and out-field for the Hot Tots this summer. Before starting his college career Thomas played at Marist High School where he was team captain during his senior year, and helped lead his team to a state championship. He was also selected as an Atlanta 400 All-Star, received First Team All State Honors, and was ranked #25 short stop in the state of Georgia by Perfect Game. While Thomas is in his first year of playing for The Citadel, this is the second year of his college career. Before playing at The Citadel, Thomas played at the University of San Diego (USD) which is an NCAA Division I program in the West Coast Conference. They were Conference Tournament Champions in 2022 and have produced 22 MLB roster players including current players Connor Joe for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Riley Adams for the Washington Nationals.
Thomas is ready to continue playing baseball throughout the summer with the Hot Tots. "I'm really excited to play up in the Northwoods. I've heard really great things about the league and I'm excited to play a lot of games," said Rollauer. "I'm also really excited to play up in Minot and I've heard great things, and I can't wait to experience that part of the country."
Coach Mitch Gallgher believes he's really found a great player to add depth into different areas on the field this summer. "Thomas is the prototypical player I've been looking for this summer. High energy, loves to be at the ball field, and the kid can rake," said Gallagher. "A utility player that can float to most positions, and as competitive as they come."
The Hot Tots are excited to have representation on their team from one of the top military colleges in the country, especially with the large military community in Minot. The Hot Tots plan to honor service men and women throughout the season in multiple ways included a military appreciation night on June 23rd sponsored by Westlie Motor Company. This night is almost completely sold out, and only has 100 box seats left available for purchase. Fans interested in purchasing tickets to that game and others are encouraged to go to www.hottotsbaseball.com. Information regarding game day positions, host family programs, corporate tickets, and group outings can also be found on their website.
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