JOPLIN, Mo. – Former Missouri Southern Baseball All-American Henry Kusiak's professional contract has been purchased by the Minnesota Twins organization, the Long Island Ducks announced Wednesday. Kusiak will report to Minnesota's Single-A affiliate in Fort Myers, Florida.
 
"Henry was outstanding both at the plate and in the field during the season's first week," said Ducks Manager Lew Ford. "He has earned this opportunity, and we wish him the best of luck in the Twins organization."
 
Henry Kusiak played five games for the Long Island Ducks (based in Central Islip, New York, member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball) during the opening week of the 2026 season. He posted a team-best .474 batting average with two home runs, eight RBI, seven runs, nine hits, two doubles, a walk, two stolen bases and a 1.395 OPS. The 25-year-old hit the Ducks first home run of the season, a 419-foot blast to center field on April 23 against Hagerstown. He also went deep in game one of a doubleheader on April 26 at Lancaster, finishing the game with four RBI and a magnificent diving catch in right field that preserved Trevor Bauer's no-hitter.
 
Kusiak, a Round Lake, Illinois, native, is currently in his third season of professional baseball. He was named the American Association Rookie Hitter of the Year and an American Association All-Star in 2025 after hitting .309 with 12 homers, 47 RBI and an .858 OPS as a member of the Chicago Dogs. He played 77 games in 2024 with the Windy City ThunderBolts of the Frontier League, batting .277 with three homers, 38 RBI, 43 runs and a .345 on-base percentage.
 
Prior to pro ball, Kusiak played five seasons for Missouri Southern from 2020 to 2024.
 
He helped the Lions capture the 2024 MIAA Tournament Championship as he was named an ABCA Second Team All-American, ABCA Gold Glove winner, ABCA First Team All-Region, NCBWA Second Team All-Region, D2CCA Second Team All-Region, First Team All-MIAA, MIAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, and College Sports Communicators Academic All-American.
 
Over the 2024 season, Kusiak hit .397 with 89 hits in 224 at-bats. Of his 89 hits, 20 were doubles, 3 triples, and 15 home runs for a team-high slugging percentage of .714. He drove in 63 runs and scored 78 himself. Additionally, Kusiak walked 44 times and recorded an MSSU single season record 23 HBP on the year for a .527 on base percentage. 

In the field, Kusiak finished with a .988 fielding percentage, making just 3 errors over 242 chances. The ABCA tabbed Kusiak with Gold Glove honors, deeming him the best defensive shortstop in all of NCAA Division II this season. 
 
Over his career as a Lion, he broke a total of 10 records in 2024, seven MSSU career records: hits (314), runs batted in (219), total bases (553), at-bats (903), extra base hits (124), games played (232), hit by pitch (57); two MIAA career records: hits (314), at-bats (903); and one MSSU single season record: hit by pitch (23). He also tied the MSSU career record for runs scored (244). Additionally, Kusiak ranks second in MSSU history in career doubles (61, one shy of tying the record) and career home runs (52, just the second player in MSSU history to hit 50+ in a career).
 
At Southern, Kusiak was also a two-time ABCA All-Region selection, two-time D2CCA All-Region selection, two-time NCBWA All-Region selection, four-time All-MIAA selection, two-time MIAA Gold Glove shortstop and two-time MIAA Hitter of the Week.
 
Kusiak graduated from Missouri Southern in Spring 2024 with a degree in biology, boasting a 3.94 GPA.