Iowa State has been known for its influx of transfer student-athletes as of late — whether it is for academics or athletics.

The ISU club baseball team has added two more transfers to the list, bringing in juniors Lee Gealow and Erik Rasmussen.

Last year, the club team fell below .500 but with the new experience added by Gealow and Rasmussen, it is looking forward to some extra help in 2013.

“Their experience will help,” said senior Ethan Schroeder. “They are good leaders and they have a lot to pass on to the younger players.”

Gealow originally went to Central College in Pella, Iowa, and eventually transferred to North Iowa Area Community College as a pitcher. Now he plays shortstop for the ISU club team.

“I’m from Mason City, which is a baseball town,” Gealow said. “I’ve been a part of winning programs in the past and I’m ready to take it to the next level.”

Rasmussen started off at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. Even though he pitched in high school, Rasmussen gave that up so he could focus more on hitting and playing first base, which is what he does at Iowa State.

“I think I bring some good experience to the table. I was lucky enough to play D3 baseball,” Rasmussen said. “I kind of feel like a freshman even though I’m older than everyone else. I can also bring knowledge in different situations of the game.”

Schroeder said the main expectation for the club team is to stay above .500 this season. With the previous college baseball experience, the transfer students hold high individual expectations for themselves as well.

“I always have high expectations for myself, that’s just a part of who I am,” Gealow said. “I take responsibility of a leader. I think other players trust me.”

Rasmussen emphasized that he came to Iowa State to focus on engineering. He plays on the club baseball team as a fun thing to do on the side.

“I think we have a good team this year and I think we have the potential to be pretty good,” Rasmussen said.

Both of the transfer students agreed that Iowa State is different than both of their previous schools.

At Wartburg, Rasmussen had four men competing for a spot.

“I was kind of uptight when I played because I was afraid to make a mistake,” Rasmussen said. “Here at Iowa State, I can play more relaxed. It’s also different because we have a student as our coach. That allows us to kind of do our own thing.”

The team has a lot to look forward to as they started off this spring with a 3-0 series win over Minnesota State-Mankato on March 30 and 31.

“I’m looking forward to being a part of something bigger than myself,” Gealow said. “We all gravitate toward each other. It’s going to be fun to get a jump on a sport I love.”

Rasmussen mentioned the nice weather ahead to look forward to as well.

“I’m looking forward to how the team will do,” Rasmussen said. “And hopefully we can make it to the postseason.”