Kansas Introduces 8 Pitcher Additions

LAWERENCE, Kan. – Kansas Baseball announced the addition of 17 transfers on Tuesday, which includes a group of eight pitchers. The eight arms will add depth to a pitching staff that posted its lowest ERA last season since 2017.

"We really like the class of arms we have this year," Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach Brandon Scott said. "When you add these guys along with the crop of junior college and high school guys we committed last fall, it has a chance to be a very special group."

Below is a breakdown of each addition.

Pitchers
Name	Position • Previous School(s)
Alex Breckheimer	RHP • Chilton HS/Bryant & Stratton College
Jake Cubbler	RHP • Clearview Regional HS/USC Upstate
Robbie Knowles	RHP • Mira Costa HS/San Diego/El Camino College
Eric Lin	RHP • Huntley HS/South Alabama
Connor Maggi	RHP • Jefferson Forest HS/Gardner-Webb
Dalton Smith	RHP • Raymore-Peculiar High School/Kansas City Kansas CC
Malakai Vetock	RHP • Elkhorn HS/Creighton
Manning West	RHP • Apalachee HS/Oklahoma State/Walters State CC

Alex Breckheimer
RHP • Jr. • 6-5 • 250 • R/R
New Holstein, Wis. • Chilton HS/Bryant & Stratton College
2024 Stats: 6-4, 4.18 ERA, 56.0 IP, 23 BB, 73 SO, 1 SV in 12 appearances (five starts)

Notes: Transferred to Kansas with two years of eligibility remaining … Spent two years at Bryant & Stratton College … Went 9-6 with a 3.63 ERA in 104.0 innings pitched with 39 walks and 134 strikeouts in 22 career appearances (13 starts) … Led the team in ERA (3.00) his freshman year in 2023 … Ranked the No. 33 right-handed pitcher in the state of Wisconsin, and the No. 95 overall prospect in the state by Perfect Game in 2022 … Played four years of baseball at Chilton High School in Chilton, Wisconsin … East West Conference Player of the Year in 2022 … East West Conference First Team pitcher in 2022 … East West Conference First Team third base in 2021 ... East West Conference Honorable Mention pitcher in 2021 … Threw a no-hitter his junior season in 2021 … Helped his team become East West Conference Champions and regional champions in 2021 and 2022 … Also played football and basketball … Committed in March 2024 … Picked Kansas over Milwaukee, Omaha, Central Michigan, Western Kentucky, Purdue, USC Upstate, Campbell, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Southern Illinois, Evansville, Akron, Liberty and Lindenwood … Son of Randy and Kristin Breckheimer … Has two brothers, Trent and Jade, and one sister, Olivia.

Breckheimer on why he chose Kansas: "Had everything I was looking for development wise and the coaches seem to know what to do to get me to the next level."

Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach Brandon Scott on Breckheimer: "Alex has a good fastball. It's already a mid 90's heater with some ride. As he learns how to pitch at this level and becomes a little better mover, the sky is the limit for him."

Jake Cubbler
RHP • R-Sr. • 6-2 • 225 • R/R
Mullica Hill, N.J. • Clearview Regional HS/USC Upstate
2024 Stats: 3-4, 6.39 ERA, 49.1 IP, 24 BB, 54 SO, 3 SV in 20 appearances (two starts)

Notes: Transferred to Kansas with one year of eligibility remaining … Spent four years at USC Upstate … Went 9-4 with a 4.42 ERA in 112.0 innings pitched with 51 walks and 112 strikeouts in 60 career appearances (three starts) … All-Big South Second Team in 2023 … four-time Big South Relief Pitcher of the Week … 4-0 with a 1.51 ERA in 41.2 innings pitched with 19 walks and 37 strikeouts in 23 appearances (one start) in 2023 … Opponents hit .191 against him in 2023 … Set the single-season Division I era school record for earned run average in 2023 (1.51) … Ranked the No. 33 right-handed pitcher in the state of New Jersey, and the No. 118 overall prospect in the state in 2020 … Played four years of baseball at Clearview Regional High School in Mullica Hill, New Jersey … All-Conference Second Team selection in 2019 as a junior … Committed in June 2024 … Picked Kansas over Penn State … Son of Dave and Wendy Cubbler … Has two brothers, David and Josh, and two sisters, Tarah and Rachel.

Cubbler on why he chose Kansas: "Play in a great conference for baseball, exposure and has great resources for development."

Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach Brandon Scott on Cubbler: "We targeted Jake as soon as he hit portal. We like the fact that he knows how to pitch. His secondary stuff is good and the fastball has a chance to become a weapon. We've had success with guys like him. We look forward to working him. He is very cerebral and I like that about him."

Robbie Knowles
RHP • Jr. • 6-1 • 220 • R/R
Manhattan Beach, Calif. • Mira Costa HS/San Diego/El Camino College
2022 Stats: 0-0, 10.80 ERA, 1.2 IP, 2 BB, 3 SO in two appearances

Notes: Transferred to Kansas with two years of eligibility remaining … Spent one year at San Diego and one year at El Camino College … Underwent Tommy John surgery … Redshirted his one season at San Diego … Ranked the No. 29 right-handed pitcher in the state of California, and the No. 89 overall prospect in the state by Perfect Game in 2019 … Played four years of baseball at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, California … Helped his team become Bay League Champions in 2018 and 2019 … Also played two years of water polo … Committed in July 2024 … Picked Kansas over Xavier, LA Tech, Long Beach State, Liberty, Fullerton, Cal Baptist … Son of Rob and Kristi Knowles … Has one younger brother, Dylan … His grandfather, William Knowles, played minor league baseball … His father, Rob, played baseball at San Diego State and in the St. Louis Cardinals organization … His uncle, Brian Addison Sr., played football for the Oilers and Raiders … His cousin, Brian Addison Jr., played football at UCLA … Writes country music with his dad and is a published artist on all streaming platforms under the name Rob E Knowles.

Knowles on why he chose Kansas: "Kansas seemed like the best fit for me."

Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach Brandon Scott on Knowles: "Sometimes you just get lucky in recruiting. We got lucky with this one. Robbie has an amazing story with injuries and missed time. He was pitching this summer in the California League. I showed up to the All-Star Game in Compton, California, to see somebody else. Robbie came out of the bullpen and I forgot about anyone else I was there to see. His fastball is 96-98 mph with an above average slider at 83-84. He dominated this summer and we are super excited to get him. He comes off as a motivated, hardworking, eager to learn kid who is thankful for the opportunity. The more reps we can get him this fall, the better he will become."

Eric Lin
RHP • Sr. • 6-0 • 200 • R/R
Algonquin, Ill. • Huntley HS/South Alabama
2024 Stats: 0-0, 5.18 ERA, 24.1 IP, 13 BB, 26 SO in 13 appearances

Notes: Transferred to Kansas with one year of eligibility remaining … Spent three years at South Alabama … Went 2-2 with a 5.38 ERA in 73.2 innings pitched with 43 walks and 68 strikeouts in 36 career appearances (two starts) … Had at least one strikeout in 12 of his 13 appearances in 2024 … Ranked the No. 26 right-handed pitcher in the state of Illinois, and the No. 73 overall prospect in the state by Prep Baseball Report in 2021 … Played four years of baseball at Huntley High School in Huntley, Illinois … Named to the All-Area team … Helped his team become conference champions in 2021 … Committed in June 2024 … Son of Paul and Dorothy Lin … Has one older brother, Daniel.

Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach Brandon Scott on Lin: "Lin comes to us from a good mid-major in South Alabama. He is an outlier for us, we normally like guys who threw a ton and have proven to be high-inning guy at their mid-majors. He didn't throw as much at South Alabama as we would have imagined. In Lin we see a guy with a big-time outlier fastball. I had one conversation with him on his visit about his fastball. He implemented that conversation into his approach this summer and the numbers he put up were outstanding. We truly think he has the stuff to be an all-conference reliver here."

Connor Maggi
RHP • Sr. • 5-10 • 195 • R/R
Forest, Va. • Jefferson Forest HS/Gardner-Webb
2024 Stats: 2-0, 3.00 ERA, 60.0 IP, 15 BB, 73 SO in 29 appearances

Notes: Transferred to Kansas with one year of eligibility remaining … Spent three years at Gardner-Webb … All-Big South First Team in 2024 … Big South Relief Pitcher of the Week on March 11, 2024 … Went 3-1 with a 4.59 ERA in 143.0 innings pitched with 58 walks and 155 strikeouts in 78 career appearances (one start) … Led the pitching staff with a career-high 73 strikeouts in 2024 … Had a team-high 26 appearances in 2023 … Did not allow a run to score in his first five outings of the season in 2023 … Ranked the No. 13 right-handed pitcher in the state of Virginia, and the No. 45 overall prospect in the state by Perfect Game in 2021 … Played four years of baseball at Jefferson Forest High School in Forest, Virginia … All-Seminole District First Team and Second Team … All-District Second Team and All-Region Honorable Mention in 2019 as a sophomore when he posted a 1.20 ERA and a.450 batting average … Helped his team become Seminole District Champions … Threw a complete game with 12 strikeouts in the Halifax region championship game … Committed in June 2024 … Picked Kansas over Troy, Baylor, Cincinnati, Louisiana Lafayette, Liberty, Virginia Tech, Miami (FL) and Coastal Carolina … Son of Robert and Cathy Maggi … Has one older sister, Carter.

Maggi on why he chose Kansas: "I chose Kansas due to the high level of baseball, the professionalism of the school and the traditions of KU."

Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach Brandon Scott on Maggi: "It takes about two minutes watching Connor to realize he has an outlier pitch. He can pitch in any bullpen in the country. We are excited he chose to come here. He is my odds on favorite to lead the Big 12 in appearances this year. We are that excited about him. His slider was one of the best pitches available in the portal this summer. We can't wait to see how it translates to Big 12 play."

Dalton Smith
RHP • Jr. • 6-0 • 185 • R/R
Raymore, Mo. • Raymore-Peculiar HS/Kansas City Kansas CC
2024 Stats: 3-1, 2.19 ERA, 24.2 IP, 16 BB, 27 SO, 3 SV in 18 appearances

Notes: Transferred to Kansas with two years of eligibility remaining … Spent two years at Kansas City Kansas Community College … Went 4-1 with a 4.93 ERA in 38.1 innings pitched with 26 walks and 40 strikeouts and three saves in 30 career appearances (three starts) … Played four years of baseball at Raymore-Peculiar High School in Peculiar, Missouri … Helped his team become district champions his junior and senior seasons … Also played three years of football and two years of basketball … Committed in April 2024 … Picked Kansas over Missouri, FAU, Nebraska, South Alabama and SEMO … Son of James and Ladonna Smith … Has one sister, Jamie.

Smith on why he chose Kansas: "When I first got the call from Coach Coyne, it felt like the right fit. Even after a bad game, from him watching me he saw something in me. Once I got onto campus for my visit it felt like home and was also close to home. Coming off a great year last year, I knew the staff would make me the best player I could."

Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach Brandon Scott on Smith: "Big fastball with a solid slider. He comes from a very good junior college program. We think he is still very green when it comes to pitching and like that about him. We think he could make a jump and be a 94-96 arm with above average secondary stuff. He commands the fastball and we always talk about how being able to do that gives you a chance."

Malakai Vetock
RHP • Sr. • 6-2 • 205 • R/R
Elkhorn, Neb. • Elkhorn HS/Creighton
2024 Stats: 4-2, 5.22 ERA, 50.0 IP, 16 BB, 40 SO in 17 appearances (five starts)

Notes: Transferred to Kansas with one year of eligibility remaining … Spent three years at Creighton … Went 9-2 with a 5.87 ERA in 92.0 innings pitched with 40 walks and 70 strikeouts in 45 career appearances (five starts) … Held opponents to a .209 batting average in 2023 … Ranked as the No. 4 right-handed pitcher in the state of Nebraska, and the No. 9 overall prospect in the state by both Perfect Game and Prep Baseball Report in 2021 … Played three years of baseball at Elkhorn High School in Omaha, Nebraska … Posted a record of 4-1 with a 1.51 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 31 innings his senior year … Helped his team win two district championships … Committed in June 2024 … Picked Kansas over Nebraska, Coastal Carolina, Tarleton State and Tennessee Tech … Son of Andrew and Bobbie Vetock … Has three sisters, Joslyn, Jayden and Channing.

Vetock on why he chose Kansas: "Because of the coaching staff and Big 12 baseball."

Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach Brandon Scott on Vetock: "This guy can do it all. We don't know where he fits in yet, but we know he fits in. He has starter stuff and a track record of success. He throws all of his pitches for strikes and seems to have a high capacity for knowing how to pitch. We wouldn't be shocked if he pushes hard for an early spot in weekend rotation."

Manning West
RHP • R-So. • 6-6 • 225 • R/R
Winder, Ga. • Apalachee HS/Oklahoma State/Walters State CC
2024 Stats: 8-1, 3.64 ERA, 54.1 IP, 26 BB, 66 SO in 14 appearances (13 starts)

Notes: Transferred to Kansas with three years of eligibility remaining … Spent one year at Oklahoma State and one year at Walters State Community College … All-TCCAA First Team in 2024 … Held opponents to a .211 batting average … Second on the team in innings pitched (54.1) and strikeouts (66) … Did not appear in a game at Oklahoma State … Ranked the No. 10 right-handed pitcher in the state of Georgia, and the No. 18 overall prospect in the state by Prep Baseball Report in 2022 … Played four years of baseball at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia … All-State First Team selection … Two-time All-Region First Team recipient … Holds the school record in career ERA (2.41), innings pitched (196), wins (16) and strikeouts (283) … Owns the single-season school record for strikeouts (122) … Also played two years of football … Committed in July 2024 … Picked Kansas over Indiana … Son of Matt and Jennifer West … Has one brother, Maddox, and one sister, Logan.

West on why he chose Kansas: "The opportunity they presented and their ability to make me a better player."

Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach Brandon Scott on West: "In Manning we feel like we are getting a guy who has potential to start in the Big 12. We like that all four pitches are different. He has an out pitch to right-handed and left-handed hitters. He dominated in the Appy League this summer and we're excited to see his progression this fall."

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Kansas Introduces 8 Pitcher Additions

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