Making the change from a junior college to a four-year school can sometimes be an uphill battle with plenty of stumbles along the way.
Not for Campbellsville University outfielder Kleysen Gabruck.
The Martensville native is picking up right where he left off after two star-studded seasons at Williston State College, as he’s helped the Tigers to a 24-15 record heading into the final two weeks of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) season.
He’s hitting .291 with four doubles, a home run, 11 runs batted in and six stolen bases in 34 games while providing sound defense with a .981 fielding percentage.
With a couple of weeks left in the regular season, Gabruck has a few things he would like to put the finishing touches on.
“My biggest one is I would love to bat .300,” he told Saskatchewan Dugout Stories.
“I knew coming down here that the pitching was definitely going to be better, so it would be great if I could accomplish that.”
With a veteran pitching rotation and what he views as a solid “one through nine” set of hitters, the junior is also hoping for a lengthy playoff run to finish out the spring.
LOVING THE GAME
Gabruck credits his mother for getting him into baseball in the first place.
Growing up, he remembers watching her as a “really good softball player” in league games and tournaments.
While he also loved hockey, Gabruck gravitated to baseball as the years went on, eventually landing at Going Yard Academy in Saskatoon.
Every day, the budding college star fell more and more in love with being at the diamond or training at the academy.
“They mean so much to me,” Gabruck said of Going Yard.
“They helped me develop as a ball player and as a man. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
His performances with the Goats, as well as with the Sask Five Giants, earned him a commitment to Williston.
PLAYING TO HIS STRENGTHS
At 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds, Gabruck knew he wasn’t going to blow anyone with away with his power.
So when he got to Williston, he leaned on what got him there: hitting for a really good average, smart base-running and outstanding defense.
And that’s exactly what the Tetons got out of him for the two-time SDS All-College Team member.
As a freshman in 2024 who also spent some time in the infield, Gabruck hit .364 with 12 doubles, two triples, 27 RBI and nine stolen bases in 41 games to go along with a .948 fielding percentage.
While his average dropped to .341 in 2025, he added some pop to his bat by hitting his first four collegiate homers to go along with 37 RBI and 15 swipes. Gabruck was also named to an All Mon-Dak Conference selection.
Believe it or not, it was his sophomore season where he got his first real taste of adversity, starting the year 0-for-22 at the plate.
“I sat out most of our Tucson trip and felt like I needed to get out of my baseball shoes and just relax a little bit,” Gabruck recalled.
“I knew I could do it, so I just needed to take a step back and it was later in that trip where I came alive and I was batting well again.”
He thinks he was trying too hard to prove himself as an all-conference player, so taking a deep breath paid dividends in the long run.
PLAYING RELAXED
Armed with that experience and knowledge that he can come back from a big challenge, Gabruck found himself more comfortable with the shift to Campbellsville.
He went 0-for-7 with a pair of walks through his first six games before doubling in his first at-bat against Goshen University on February 14, finishing the day going 2-for-3 with two doubles, a walk, and two RBI.
Gabruck then went through a stretch of 18 games where he picked up at least a hit in all but four.
He waited a while, but he smashed his first career NAIA home run on April 10 against Cumberland.
As long as he’s contributing on a regular basis, it’s all Gabruck says he could ask for, as he knows he’s also showing the next generation of Saskatchewan athletes that they, too, can play collegiate baseball.
“You’re going to play your best when you’re having fun,” Gabruck said.
“If you’re thinking too much, you’re just going to dig yourself a hole, so just have fun and play relaxed.”
He’ll be looking to do that and more as the Tigers get ready for the Mid-South Conference playdowns starting April 28 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with an eye to the NAIA World Series, which is set for May 22-30 in Lewiston, Idaho.
Tales of Baseball 