Kansas native Michael Baska played in Major League Rugby between 2018-2021, and again between 2023-2024. He represented the NOLA Gold (2018-2019), the Utah Warriors (2020-2021), and the Chicago Hounds (2023-2024).

Baska played gridiron football through highschool, before attending Arkansas State University from 2012 to 2015, when he transferred to Lindenwood University which he attended until 2017, playing rugby throughout his university career. Baska signed with the NOLA Gold for MLR’s inaugural season in 2018. He earned 7 appearanced for the Gold in 2018 (6 starts), scoring his first MLR try and 9pts total (2/3 from the tee). Baska would represent the Gold for 2 seasons, earning 19 appearances in total (6 starts), before signing with the Utah Warriors ahead of the 2020 season. He appeared in 4 games in the truncated 2020 season before the season was shut down after 5 rounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the league returned in 2021, Baska earned 13 caps for the Warriors (all starts) and scored a career high 4 tries in a standout season which earned him his first MLR Team of the Week selection in Round 6.

Following the 2021 MLR season, Baska earned his test debut for the USA as well as a contract in France with Rouen Normandie in the Pro D2. After 2 years in France, he returned stateside ahead of the 2023 MLR season, signing with the Chicago Hounds for their inaugural MLR season. Baska earned a career high 16 appearances in 2023, appearing in every game for the Hounds, and starting 9 of them. He scored another try, racking up 224m gained with ball in hand and completed 83 tackles. On 2nd January 2024, the Chicago Hounds announced the return of Michael Baska for the 2024 MLR season.

Achievements

• MLR Team of the Week: 2021 – Round 6