NORTHWOODS LEAGUE ANNOUNCES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: April 17, 2009

Former River Bat Jaramillo Makes MLB Debut

(PITTSBURGH, PA) Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Jason Jaramillo (HAHR-uh-mee-oh) made his Major League debut Thursday afternoon in a 6-3 loss to the Houston Astros at PNC Park. The former St. Cloud River Bat started at catcher and went 1-for-3 after not seeing any game action in Pittsburgh’s first eight contests of the season. Jaramillo made the team out of spring training as the backup to regular catcher Ryan Doumit. Jaramillo, a switch-hitter, pulled a fourth-inning single to right field in his second at-bat against Houston starter Russ Ortiz to pick up his first Major League hit.

Jaramillo had spent his entire professional career in the Philadelphia Phillies organization until an off-season trade sent him across state to the Pirates this past December. In five seasons in the minor leagues he hit .272 in 479 games. The Franksville, Wisconsin native played three years of college ball at Oklahoma State before being drafted by the Phillies in the second round in 2004.

For the River Bats in 2002, the 6’0”, 200 pound Jaramillo played in 57 games and batted .217 with three home runs and 27 RBI. He credits that summer in the Northwoods League to propelling him to a monster sophomore year at OSU where he was named a third-team All-American leading the Cowboys with a .385 average, while hitting nine homers and driving in 42 runs.

Jaramillo becomes the 52nd Northwoods League player to make it to the big leagues and the fourth consecutive former St. Cloud River Bat to do so. Chris Jakubauskas debuted last week and Casey McGehee and Sean Kazmar were September call-ups last season.

Former Eau Claire Express pitcher Jordan Zimmermann will be the next NWL alumnus to make a Major League debut when he starts for Washington against Atlanta on Monday.

The Northwoods League plays more games than, draws more fans than, and plays in venues superior to any Summer Collegiate Baseball League in North America. The league will begin its 16th season of action on May 28.