BISMARCK, ND – Top players from all across the country come to play in the Northwoods League, but the Larks didn’t have to look past the state lines to find some of their key players. A handful of players will be making short trips from their in-state colleges to play for the Larks in the inaugural season. Here’s what you need to know about these local Larks:
Quinn Irey – Catcher
Irey just completed his third season at Jamestown University. The Bismarck native and Bismarck High School graduate has played in 101 games over his career for the Jimmies, 92 as a starting catcher. In his career, he is hitting .313 with 12 doubles, five home runs, and 39 RBIs. Behind the plate, he has a .985 fielding percentage to go along with 72 assists. Irey is excited to come back and play in front of the hometown fans and learn something new everyday he is with the Larks.
Parker Harm – Left-Handed Pitcher
Harm hails from nearby Mandan High School and just finished his redshirt-freshman season at North Dakota State University. This season for the Bison, Harm appeared in 13 contests, including one start, and posted a 3.11 ERA in 37.2 innings. Opponents are hitting just .157 against Harm, who notched 24 strikeouts and allowed just six extra-base hits. At Mandan High School, Harm helped the Braves earn a state title in 2015. That season, the senior went 8-1 with a 0.98 ERA in 24.1 innings.
Mason Pierzchalski – Infielder
A teammate of Harm’s at NDSU, Pierzchalski was the first player the Larks signed ahead of the inaugural season. A native of Sammamish, Wash., Pierzchalski has found a home in Fargo playing for the Bison. Pierzchalski is a career .274 hitter after three seasons with the Bison, starting 131 of the 146 games he’s appeared in. In 2017, Pierzchalski hit .305 and accumulated 67 hits, 13 doubles, 3 triples, 36 RBIs, and just 16 strikeouts. The junior made just one error all season at first base.
Spencer Gillund – Infielder
Gillund is another home state product that will don the Larks uniform this season. Originally from Enderlin, Gillund just finished his freshman season with the Bismarck State Mystics. In 2017, Gillund hit an impressive .410 with 11 doubles, three triples, six stolen bases, and just 15 strikeouts. The freshman lead the team in three categories with a .799 slugging percentage, 13 home runs, and 53 RBIs. Gillund also appeared in 7 games on the mound, logging 9.2 innings and notching eight strikeouts, four saves, and a 1.86 ERA.
Trever Leingang – Catcher
A teammate of Gillund’s at Bismarck State, Leingang also has ties to the aforementioned Parker Harm. Leingang was a teammate of Harm’s and the regular catcher for the Mandan High School Braves when they won the state title in 2015. In two seasons with the Mystics, Leingang has appeared in 75 games and has a career batting average of .308. This season, Leingang batted .376 with nine doubles, 41 runs scored, 26 RBIs, and a .514 on-base percentage.
You can watch these North Dakota products play this season at Bismarck Municipal Ballpark, home of Dakota Community Bank and Trust Field. Opening Night is this Tuesday, May 30. Call (701)-557-7600 to get tickets or log on to larksbaseball.com, where single-game and Scheels 7-Pack ticket options are still available.
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The Bismarck Larks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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 160 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.larksbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Larks as your favorite team.
