La Crosse, Wis. – As a little leaguer back in 2004, Mitch Stalsberg had the opportunity to take part in a baseball clinic put on in Viroqua, Wisc. by the La Crosse Loggers. One of the Logger players helping put on the clinic that day was one Max Scherzer. La Crosse Loggers team officials announced today at a press conference in Viroqua that Mitch Stalsberg (Winona State) will now get an opportunity to pitch on the same mound that Max Scherzer did as they have signed him to a contract for the 2016 season.
Stalsberg, now a sophomore at Winona State University, is coming off of an impressive freshman season that saw him go 4-3 with a 4.67 ERA while striking out 81 batters over 52 innings pitched. The southpaw also limited opponents to a .228 batting average over his 14 appearances, eight of which were starts for the Warriors. The highlight of Stalsberg’s freshman campaign came on April 18 when he tossed the 22nd no-hitter in WSU history and struck out 17 against Sioux Falls.
No-hitters and double-digits strikeout games are not unfamiliar to Stalsberg as his high school and American Legion careers were littered with them while play in Viroqua. The 6-1, 180 pound lefty was tabbed as the 2014 Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association High School Player of the Year after his senior season that saw him go 7-1 with a 0.25 ERA while striking out 122 batters over 55.2 innings. Behind Stalsberg, Viroqua made their first state tournament appearance in 29 years in 2014 and the hard-throwing southpaw promptly opened the tournament by striking out a state tournament record 21 batters in a 2-1 win over Ripon. Along with being named the state player of the year in 2014, Stalsberg was also tabbed a first team all-state selection and was named the Coulee Conference player of the year in both his junior and senior seasons.
Stalsberg and the rest of the Loggers will open their 2016 season on the road on May 31, 2016 when they travel to Kenosha to take on the defending NWL Champions. The 2016 home opener is then set for Thursday, June 2 when the Loggers welcome the St. Cloud Rox to the Lumber Yard for a 7:05 p.m. contest.
The La Crosse Loggers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Preparing for its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.lacrosseloggers.com.
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