Two high school standouts were added to Larks roster for this addition of Surveying the Field presented by Frontier Precision.
The Bismarck Larks announced that Jacob Rogers and Brian Leonhardt will join them for the 2019 season. Both players were standouts in high school.
Rogers was chosen by the Los Angeles Angels in the 38th round in the 2017 draft. The 6’4” 180-pound infielder played high school baseball in Henderson, Nev. He spent his college freshman year playing for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas before transferring to Brigham Young University. He is currently a sophomore at BYU where he has to sit this season due to NCAA D1 transfer rules.
Rogers has family in South Dakota and is excited to play baseball in Bismarck. “Looking at an environment like Bismarck, I seriously don’t think anything could beat it. Playing in front of these fans,” Rogers said.
Leonhardt was a Perfect Game top 500 prospect and the 80th ranked pitcher in the country in his class. At 6’2” 190 pounds, he plays first base, outfield, and pitches. He played high school baseball in Chula Vista, Calif. He is currently a freshman at San Diego State University.
Leonhardt is looking forward to playing in front of sold out crowds in Bismarck. “I heard the Bismarck Larks were one of the best teams out there,” Leonhardt said. “Sounded like North Dakota would be fun.”
“I am excited to have these two big time bats in the Larks lineup for the 2019 season,” said Larks head coach Sean Repay. “Both of these young men play for two of the better baseball programs in the country and can flat out swing it. Rogers had a great high school career which led to him being drafted by the Angels. Leonhardt is a true freshmen who can do so many different things. He has started every day for San Diego State and has posted a great start to the season. He is a tough out at the plate and can also help us on the mound too. Both of these guys will provide us some juice in the middle of our lineup.”
In his freshman year at UNLV, Rogers played in 15 games with 21 at bats. He averaged .143 with an on base percentage of .333, 3 hits, 3 walks and 3 runs.
Leonhardt’s freshman season at SDSU is just beginning, but he is already making an impact. Through 8 games and 28 at bats, Leonhardt is batting .357 with 10 hits, 6 Runs, 9 RBI and 1 stolen base.
Both players are excited for their summer playing baseball with the Larks.
“Baseball means the world to me,” Rogers said. “
“It’s a whole different world when you’re out on the field,” Leonhardt said. “I love every part of it.”
The Larks’ 2019 season starts May 28 with a home game against the Eau Claire Express.
The Larks hope to sell out all 36 home games before the season starts. Purchasing a Scheels 7 Game Pack is the only way to secure a seat. The team is already 95 percent sold out of box seats.
The Bismarck Larks are a proud affiliate of the Northwoods League, the proven leader in development of elite college baseball players. The Larks mission is to use FUN to make a difference in the lives of our families, businesses, players, and communities we serve. This is accomplished with a commitment to putting fans first and providing high quality family entertainment at affordable prices. In 2018, the Larks sold out 30 of their 36 home games in Bismarck Municipal Ballpark, home of Dakota Community Bank and Trust Field. The Larks were named Northwoods Organization of the Year in 2017 and 2018.
The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 25-year old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, over 200 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (MIA). 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.
