Left to right: Karsen Simon, Dane Hagler, Parker Simon.
Karsen Simon was sitting behind the wheel of a truck in Wahpeton, North Dakota.
His twin brother, Parker, was up in Devils Lake. Parker had committed to play baseball for Lake Region State College. Dane Hagler, the Simons’ longtime friend and teammate, was working out with the Jamestown baseball team. He had signed there last January. Karsen was the only one of them not playing a sport.
After playing Legion ball this past summer, the trio had departed on their separate ways.
“We were always talking about, ‘Oh yeah, let’s go to a softball tournament. Let’s go play amateurs together,’” Karsen said. “And we were always looking at what was next for us, like what we could all do to get back together, and be together, and just share moments together.”
Parker was alone in Devils Lake during the fall semester. He was the closest to home among the three of them — the Simons grew up in Hampden and attended North Star Public School in Cando.
Devils Lake, with its estimated population of 7,135, is roughly 246 times the size of Hampden. Parker was separated from his identical twin brother and all of his North Star friends for the first time. But he started to get comfortable around his new college teammates.
“The guys are awesome,” Parker said. “I was a little timid at first: New people, new friends, different atmosphere here. But college baseball is an extraordinary thing.”
Parker and Karsen had both discussed the idea of playing for LRSC even before Parker committed. They were recruited by the Royals’ previous coach, Laurence Arango, whose tenure lasted less than a year. But Karsen, at the time, chose to pursue a Precision Agriculture Technician degree at North Dakota State College of Science.
Parker opted to keep playing baseball while staying close to home. He got acclimated this fall with LRSC’s new coach, Steve Anderson, who recently moved from Wisconsin.
“I’d heard a lot of good things about him,” Anderson said of Parker. “I was kind of scouting the team as we were also coming together as a team, just learning more about the guys that I’d taken over. And I heard nothing but amazing things about Parker, and his character, and who he is, and what he brings as a baseball player.”
As Parker set off on this new journey, Karsen often drove up from Wahpeton to visit him.
“I was here every single weekend,” Karsen said. “And I started to meet some of the guys, and got to build a relationship with them. And they were always telling me, ‘You’re so big,’ … ‘You throw so hard. You guys had such a good team. You should think about [transferring].’”
The idea was implanted in his head. Karsen made a couple of visits to the team, observing a practice and some of their scrimmages.
“I think that really lit a fire for him, that he missed it and wanted to play,” Anderson said.
Karsen officially reached out to Anderson. He wanted to join the team. It was a “no-brainer” for both sides, Karsen explained.
“He’s just such a personable guy, and he’s such a likable coach,” Karsen said. “He cares for every single one of us, and he doesn’t care what’s gonna happen. He’s always gonna give us the shirt off his back and give us his 110% effort.”
It also worked out for Karsen because of the agriculture program at LRSC. It’ll allow him to continue his studies and get back into the swing of things on the baseball field.
But there was definitely some rust to wipe off upon arrival.
“After taking the whole semester off of not really touching a baseball…it’s definitely been a change,” Karsen said. “And it’s starting to come back around again, for sure. The pitching I didn’t really lose, but the batting has definitely been the tougher side of things.”
The twins are back together. They were planning to reunite for one last Legion season this summer anyway, but just when they thought they were done playing school ball together, they rejoined forces.
Armed with similar heights, hairstyles and fastballs, they added an extra source of confusion for the first-year Anderson.
“It’s a daily stumble for me,” Anderson said. “I’ve picked up on a couple things that I can identify between the two of them. But they’re always in great spirits about it, and they don’t get frustrated. I think they’re pretty used to it.”
Karsen made the decision near the start of Christmas break. At the time, Hagler was still grinding through Jamestown’s NCAA Division II baseball program. It was the school he’d committed to during his senior basketball season — a school where his family has a bit of a legacy.
“I liked it there,” Hagler said. “The coaches were great. I definitely learned a lot.”
But with Karsen transferring to join Parker, the idea of Hagler doing the same only became more serious. The three of them spent nearly every day together during Christmas break. They started talking about the idea, and one thing led to another.
“We missed him being around. He was always in Jamestown,” Parker said. “We were like, ‘God, just make the decision to come back here.’”
Just days before the new semester, Hagler reached out to Anderson to ask if they still had spots available.
“With JUCO, I felt like I was gonna get a lot more innings here, and could also hit. It was tougher down there,” Hagler said. “But I think I wanted to develop at a little lower level right now, and then maybe in the future go back up to that kind of level.”
Parker and Karsen were out fishing one day. They got a call from Hagler, who told them, by Karsen’s recollection, “I think I’m gonna do it, guys. I don’t know how, but I think I’m gonna do it.”
His decision was official.
Hagler had been a four-sport star in Cando. Before transferring, he’d also gotten to watch the LRSC men’s basketball team play — a more physical, stronger, faster-paced game than the high school level.
Hagler scored over 2,000 points during his North Star basketball career. He was also a Mr. Basketball finalist and a Lions All-Star during his senior year. He realized he wanted to play basketball again — another thing he wouldn’t have gotten at Jamestown.
So Hagler didn’t just call Anderson during Christmas break. He also called Jared Marshall, the LRSC men’s basketball coach. He inquired about transferring to LRSC and playing both baseball and basketball.
“I think [Marshall] was a bit surprised,” Hagler said. “But he said he’d be happy to have me.”
Marshall had recruited Hagler out of high school. Though they didn’t come to an agreement at the time, the contact they’d built paid off a year later.
“Selfishly, I always thought we were the better move for him,” Marshall said. “It’s not a negative remark to Jamestown; I just always thought we were the better move… Hopefully you have those relationships, so if anything does change, you’re their first call — like this.”
Though it’s rare for somebody to play basketball and baseball for LRSC, Hagler isn’t even the first member of his family to do so. His cousin, Jayden Komrosky, played on the Royals’ baseball team during the 2017-18 season, then the basketball team throughout the 2018-19 season. LRSC’s former baseball coach, John Lund, also played both sports for the Royals.
“It doesn’t happen very often,” Marshall said. “And it’s gotta be the right kid. But he’s one I think we can believe in and that I know can handle both. He’s a heck of a talent, and you’ve just gotta let him play.”
The LRSC men’s basketball team is stacked this year, with 15 rostered players. The season is more than halfway over already. Marshall and Hagler briefly discussed getting him some reps with this year’s team, but they ultimately decided better of it.
Hagler is fully planning to transition into basketball this summer, in preparation to play some hoops for the Royals next winter.
He’ll only get one full basketball season in Royal blue compared to two baseball seasons.
“Probably baseball,” Hagler said of which sport he’ll pursue at the four-year level. “But I want to play basketball for a couple more years while I’m in this kind of shape.”
So Hagler is officially a Royal. And his aspirations at a four-year school are, at least for now, put on hold.
“It was a little difficult,” Hagler said of leaving Jamestown behind. “But these guys definitely make it easier. I’ve already made quite a few friends here, and quite a few pretty close friendships, so it’s been nice.”
When Hagler first reached out, Anderson said he did a quick Google search. He quickly learned that Hagler was a premier local talent in multiple sports — baseball, basketball, football and track and field. He was excited to add him to the squad.
“I’m sure anytime you’re making a change, even if you’re going someplace that’s closer to home and you know people there — you had made a decision to do one thing,” Anderson said. “It’s always hard when you’re 17, 18, 19, making these sorts of decisions. But I think the guys have done a tremendous job of rallying around him and making him a part of the team right away. And it’s like he’s been here all fall.”
Last spring for North Star, Hagler struck out more than two batters an inning, pitched to a sub-2.00 ERA and hit nearly .500. He’s been reported to throw in the mid-to-upper 80s. He has the kind of raw talent that’s good enough to get noticed by NCAA schools.
To get that caliber of player to come to LRSC is massive for a rebuilding program.
“I think it’s important being able to bring in big talent; obviously, that’s what helps teams succeed in the wins and loss column,” Anderson said. “But I think it’s beyond talent. It’s about the type of person that someone is, as well. And these guys [Karsen and Hagler] that came in at the semester are both stand-up individuals. And I’m excited, this year, too, because we have a lot of guys here that I think are really talented, and were a bit possibly overlooked.”
The inseparable trio is reunited. After thinking their playing days together were over, they’ll get to play two years of JUCO just a short drive down the backroads from their hometown.
“I know those Jamestown guys are a bunch of good guys; I worked out with their coach once or twice,” Parker said. “But I’m glad [Hagler] made the decision and got the Cando boys back together.”
Hagler, just weeks removed from being at Jamestown, said it’s like nothing has changed between the three of them.
The Simon and Hagler families will be sure to be in attendance this spring.
“It’s gonna be cool. I don’t think they ever expected that,” Karsen said. “I mean, they were expecting to come watch Parker every now and then when they could. And I know, now that all three of us are gonna be here playing…I don’t think they’re gonna miss a game.”
Karsen said his family has already booked their flights to Florida to see the team’s season-opening tournament in early March.
“After that high school season, they were closing the book on a lot of stuff,” he said. “And now they’re opening it up, and we’re gonna try this now, I guess.”
Karsen and Hagler were thrown right into the fire, so to speak, upon their first week with the team. LRSC held what it calls “hell week” to open the semester. The boys had to wake up at 4:15 a.m. each day. They’d start with a workout, then split into four different teams to partake in various events. They competed in things like bunting, live at-bats and “last man standing,” a game where guys ran up stairs until there was only one left.
The week culminated on Friday with a 4:15 meeting team at the gym. Shortly thereafter, the squad went out to nearby Camp Grafton and had what Anderson described as a “pretty intense” workout.
“The goal was, for the end of the week, for everyone to have learned about themselves,” Anderson said. “And to learn more about their teammates, and to just become closer as a team. And learn how much we can handle.”
Karsen and Hagler both said the experience was good for them as the new guys. They got to build some team chemistry and get to know their new teammates very quickly.
“Coach told us on Sunday that this week ain’t gonna be our friend,” Karsen said. “It was definitely a challenge, but it really brought our team together. We really built the camaraderie. And we all kind of gathered around each other. If there was one guy left going, everyone was around him cheering him up and pushing him to do his best.”
Hell week was crucial in instilling these players’ beliefs in themselves. It’s a team that struggled in 2024, placing last in the Mon-Dak. But that was with a different coach and a largely different group of players. Some of the top contributors to last year’s team are back, and new talent is in to replace the guys they lost.
Anderson has settled in quickly to help get this program on its feet.
“The biggest change is learning North Dakota. I’m not familiar with the teams that have a legacy in baseball programs,” Anderson said. “I’m learning local coaches, and who I can depend on as far as their scouting reports. It’s been good. It’s exciting… We have a huge freshman class right now. We have 15 freshmen. And I think historically, this team has struggled to have more than probably 20 to 22 on the roster. And I’d really like to get to 25 or 26 next year. So we’re about halfway to where I want to be with this class already.”
Hagler, a late but welcome addition, is prime among the talented freshmen. Anderson said he sees a handful of guys who have four-year potential, and it certainly applies to the D-II transfer.
Hagler is still gradually ramping his arm up to full speed. But he’s coming in with the expectation to get a lot of innings as a starter this spring. He should be able to get plenty of valuable experience, making adjustments and seeing what works at the college level.
“Definitely get this team to a winning season,” Hagler said of his goals. “And just have fun here.”
Both Simons have hard, swing-and-miss stuff on the mound. Parker said his focus will be trying to close games. He’ll also be playing some third base.
“There’s guys that are gonna be throwing harder. They’re bigger,” Parker said. “Better infields. Better outfields. Just better teams altogether. But I’m excited to take on that task, and I’ve got the best teammates in the world to do it with.”
Karsen will mostly be in a middle relief role, he said. But he also indicated that he’s open to starting if Anderson needs him to. On the position side, he’ll be playing some first base. The main thing he stressed was that he’ll do whatever his coach and the team need him to do.
“It’s so easy when you’ve got such a good group of teammates, and they’re always cheering you on,” Karsen said.
As of now, the team is holding practices inside a barn by the high school. They’ve also been utilizing the gym at the college. They meet and work out as a team five to six days a week.
“You have to get creative when you’re at a two-year and when you’re in the Upper Midwest,” Anderson said. “The weather doesn’t always play in our favor, but that’s not slowing us down… Everybody here is used to having to be inside in the winter time, and so we just get creative with it.”
It’s all in preparation to play in Dodge City, Kansas, on March 2 and 3, before spending close to a week in Florida at the RussMat Central Florida Invitational.
With the family and hometown ties that these players already possess, and the bonding they attained through hell week, it’s shaping up to be a competitive and close-knit group.
“It’s not like anyone’s a low man on the totem pole,” Karsen said. “You’re not a freshman anymore in high school, where you’ve got your seniors that are three years older than you. Everyone’s on the same level. We’re all just a bunch of best friends out there playing baseball together. And that’s the best part about it. No one’s got a grudge against anybody.”
Nobody on this team is dwelling on the past, or of the struggles last year’s team went through. The fresh, local talent — which also includes players like Beau Brodina and Simon Beach from Devils Lake, Jacob Warnke from Emerado and Jamison Nelson from Mandan — is ready to unite and give the rest of the Mon-Dak a serious run.
“We’ve got a brand new coach — super good guy, got so much baseball knowledge — and got a great recruiting class in here,” Parker said. “And I think we’re gonna do some great things. This fall, we did super well. So yeah, I’m excited to go to Florida in March.”
Whatever happens, it’ll be one last ride together for the small-town North Dakota boys.
