BISMARCK, ND – The Larks Coaching Staff has been covered. The local players for the Larks have been covered. Now it’s time to introduce the rest of the Larks roster highlighting a few of the players from all around the country. These are the fresh faces that the Bismarck faithful will come to know throughout its inaugural season in 2017.
First off, the starting pitcher for the first game in its team history. Ryan Byrd will get the call from Field Manager Sean Repay to take the mound for the Larks. Byrd is from Spokane, WA and pitched this last collegiate season for the Spokane CC. Byrd’s effort at the community college level have earned him a spot at Creighton University for his upcoming junior season.
Other pitchers for the Larks this season include JC Bonilla (Lackawanna CC), Andy Lalonde (Southern New Hampshire), Trenton Stoltz (Utah), and several others. As a whole, these three pitchers listed all stand above 6 foot 3 inches.
Bonilla, out of Queens, NY, struck out 18 hitters in 16.1 innings pitched in the 2017 season. Andy Lalonde, residing out of Bedford, NH, struck out 56 batters with a 2.68 ERA in the 2017 season. Stoltz, the Phoenix, AZ native, posted a 1.83 ERA in his junior season at the University of Utah.
Cullen Smith (East Tennessee State), Michael Pereznegron (University of Antelope Valley), and Austin Paschke (Faulkner University) are just a few of the Larks players that will man the infield for Coach Repay.
Smith, out of Lebanon, TN, started all 59 games for the Bucs batting .301 as a true freshman. Paschke, a Glendale, AZ native, hit 9 HR with 38 RBI in the 2017 season. Pereznegron, reigning out of Lathrop, CA, hit .343 with a .431 OBP for the Pioneers in his junior season.
Roaming the the outfield for the Larks will be Noah Sadler (Illinois State University), Hunter Wilcher (Central Christian College), Wyatt Ulrich (St. John’s University, Minnesota), and several other players from all around the nation.
Sadler, coming from Mukwonago, WI, hit .276 accompanied with 11 2B, 3 3B, and 4 HR. Wilcher, the native of Queen City, TX, played 51 games batting .354 while slugging 17 2B, 10 HR, and producing 53 RBI. Ulrich, out of Indus, MN, hit .500 in 29 games for the Johnnies while adding 10 SB.
The Larks are loaded with talent not only across the nation, but also across all levels of collegiate baseball. Field Manager Sean Repay has made it know that he is not afraid to grab the top talent from Division 2, Division 3, NAIA, and junior collegiate levels of play.
Come to Bismarck Municipal Ballpark, Home of Dakota Community Bank and Trust Field, to watch all of the Larks compete the rest of the Northwoods League. Make sure to be apart of Opening Night on Tuesday, May 30 when the Larks take on the Eau Claire Express. Call (701)-557-7600 or go to larksbaseball.com to purchase one of the few remaining Scheels 7-Packs.
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The Bismarck Larks are apart of the proven leader in the development of 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 170 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 website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
