(Click the image above for a VIDEO interview)

BISMARCK, ND – The Bismarck Larks will welcome two West Virginia University players for the 2018 Season: Kevin Brophy and Tristen Hudson.

“I was excited when I saw it was a beautiful state,” said Brophy when he learned he would spend the summer in North Dakota. “The Larks pull a lot of fans and that is cool for summer ball. It is going to be a great atmosphere.”

Brophy, a 6’3″ 215lbs. left handed hitting corner infielder from Randolph, New Jersey, is currently in his sophomore year with the West Virginia Mountaineers. Through three games on the young season, Brophy is hitting .286 with one home run and one RBI in seven at-bats. As a freshman, Brophy hit .300 with a .440 on-base percentage in 40 at-bats on a team that advanced to the Division 1 NCAA Regional Championship game. At Morristown Beard High School, Brophy was named one of the top players in the entire state of New Jersey, as well as a top 80 player nationally at his position.

“I am very excited to have Brophy in a Larks uniform for the 2018 season,” said Coach Sean Repay. “He is a guy who has a ton of power at the plate, but isn’t a guy who lives or dies by the long ball. He’s going to hit for average and power at a high level. He also plays above average defense at both corner positions. He was originally a shortstop in high school, so he has a ton of athleticism. The ball flies out of the park to right field.  It is going to be fun to watch Brophy hit in Bismarck this season!”

Brophy has had a lot of practice with the bat. “I first picked one up with I was about 3-years-old. My dad played in high school,” Brophy told us. “From the beginning it was baseball, baseball, baseball. It has always been my escape from the outside world.”

It is not just his batting you can look forward to in this summer, Brophy also promises a memorable show. “Last year my walk-up song was ‘I feel like a woman,’” he said smirking. “I played really well.” Brophy won’t yet commit to giving fans in Bismarck a similar performance. “We’ll have to see,” he said still laughing.

Brophy’s teammate at West Virginia is Tristen Hudson. Hudson, a 6’3” 178lbs. switch-hitting middle infielder/pitcher from Seneca, South Carolina, is beginning his freshman campaign for the Mountaineers. Through three games, Hudson made two appearances out of the bullpen, logging 1.2 innings of perfect baseball registering a strikeout as well. He has yet to record an at-bat through the first three games. While at Seneca High School, Hudson was named “Mountain Lakes Region Player of the Year,” while being named the top-ranked shortstop and #11 overall ranked player in the entire state of South Carolina according to Perfect Gamer.

“I love the nervous energy and the rush of getting a hit,” Hudson said of playing baseball. “There is nothing better than hearing the crowd go crazy. I am really excited to play in one of the top leagues in all of summer ball.”

“Hudson is a very versatile player that brings a lot to the table for us,” said Coach Replay. “He is one of the first guys West Virginia has rolled out of their bullpen so far this season which shows just how good he is on the mound. As a middle infielder, he is a guy the coaching staff is very high on there and has a very bright future. Add the fact that he is a switch hitter to the mix and we have one of the more dynamic players that we could ask for on our roster. I expect Hudson to help us out of the bullpen a ton and be a guy we can rely upon heavily in the mix of talent we have up the middle in the infield. ”

Before they arrive this May, meet the pair for yourself here.