About Us
Midwest Prospect, LLC was organized in 2020 by Brandon Ruud and Matt Leedom, both of whom have had plenty of different experiences in the sports field. A common goal that both owners have is helping young athletes
achieve their athletic goals. In order to achieve that goal, Midwest Prospect was formed. Midwest Prospect gives athletes of all sports the opportunity to create a profile that will be posted on its website that
hundreds of coaches will have access to. Not only will the profile be on the website, but the athletes will receive a link to their profile that can be sent to any coach or college program that they are interested in.
Although
Midwest Prospect feels that providing an opportunity to host young athletes’ profiles is important, we feel that there is still more that we can do to help athletes across the country. In addition to providing athletes
with a profile on our page, Midwest Prospect offers opportunities for young athletes to get both experience and exposure in front of coaches. Midwest Prospect hosts various showcases and tournaments across the Midwest
in select locations. By providing these options to young athletes, we feel that we are on the right path to achieving our overall goal.
“I am very happy that I get to help these young athletes. As a former student
athlete, I am familiar with the feeling that these young athletes have while going through the process of trying to play at the next level. With that, I am dedicated to helping these athletes as much as I can. I am
excited to see the progress of every athlete associated with our company, as well as the overall growth that Midwest Prospect will encounter as the years go on.”
Brandon Ruud
Co-Owner/CEO
Brandon Ruud
bruud@midwestprospect.org
Co-Owner/CEO
Brandon Ruud was born and raised in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Sports
have been a part of Ruud’s life from the young age of 5 and continue to be a part of his life to this day. Ruud started off by playing soccer and eventually switched to both baseball and basketball, until he decided
to concentrate on baseball during his high school years. Brandon attended Washington High School, graduating in the spring of 2013. While he was there, he was a three-year letterman on the baseball team. During his
time in Sioux Falls, Ruud was also a part of the Sioux Falls East baseball team for six consecutive years from 2008 through 2013.
In the summers of 2014 and 2015, Ruud returned to Sioux Falls to coach the
13U and 14U Sioux Falls East baseball team consecutively. In addition to his coaching duties, Ruud served as an Administrative Intern with the Sioux Empire Baseball Association during the summer of 2015. Ruud provided
assistance in organizing and administering youth baseball tournaments, helped with league scheduling, and organized and distributed needed materials. He was also the principal organizer for the annual Military Appreciation
Day event; one of the biggest events that the association hosts.
Ruud went on to attend Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Sports Marketing and Administration
in the spring of 2017. During his time at Northern, Ruud was on the baseball team under the direction of head coach Dean Berry. In addition, during his senior year, Brandon served as a Marketing Intern within the athletic
department at Northern. Ruud’s main duties included setting up and operating in game promotions for sporting events, participating in discussions with the Athletic Director to improve marketing practices, as well as
distributing promotional and fundraising materials.
Upon his departure from Northern, Ruud attended Ball State University where he received his Master of Arts in Sport Administration in the spring of 2019.
The program was ranked number 16 in the nation for best program in the field in the summer of 2019. During his tenure at Ball State, Ruud had the opportunity to be a part of the baseball program working for head coach
Rich Maloney, the past president and current board member of the ABCA. Ruud designed, constructed and implemented both hitting and pitching tendency charts, recorded and compiled both scrimmage and game statistics,
as well as prepared scouting reports for the Cardinals’ baseball program.
In the spring and summer of 2019, Ruud had the opportunity to be a Video Scout Intern for Sports Info Solutions in Coplay, Pennsylvania
within the baseball department. At SIS, Ruud recorded analytical data for many Major and Minor League organizations and Collegiate programs as well as ESPN and Fangraphs. The data that Ruud collected was then sent to
the various clients for them to utilize at their own expense, as well as to the Research and Development department within SIS to help them develop new statistical components. In addition, Ruud participated in the auditing
process, both with frame by frame analysis and defensive description, to ensure that accurate data was being recorded. Lastly, he had the chance to complete scouting reports for various prospects.
After his time
in Pennsylvania, Ruud decided to move back home to Sioux Falls. Ruud saw an opportunity and decided to take advantage of it. Beginning with his coaching days, Ruud has become passionate about helping student athletes
reach their highest potential. His goal for Midwest Prospect is to provide these athletes with an easy, affordable way to gain initial exposure with coaches across the Midwest, that could possibly lead to post-high
school playing experiences. He is looking forward to showcasing young athletes’ talent and helping them pursue their dreams.
Please email info@midwestprospect.org with any comments or questions.
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