(Thunder Bay, ON) The Thunder Bay Border Cats announced today the signing of five players for the 2010 season including two Canadians.  Joining the two-time NWL Champions are outfielder Tanner Nivins from Kitchener, ON and catcher Will Thorp of Surrey, BC.  In addition, the Cats have also signed pitchers Brad Delatte, Michael Woytek and John Tatum.  The Cats roster includes a franchise record eight Canadian born players.    

Nivins is 5’10”, 190 pound freshman at New York’s Stonybrook University and was named Ontario Junior Player of the Year in 2005.   Nivins has played in 47 games this season and is batting .297 with eight home runs and 44 runs batted in. 

Thorp is sophomore at Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho, one of the top NAIA baseball programs in the country.  In 35 games this season, the 6’0″, 175 pound backstop is hitting .259 with one home run and 11 RBI’s.   

Delatte is a sophomore at Nicolls State University in Louisiana, where he is a teammate of Border Cats pitcher Drew Erwin.  The 6’0″, 180 pound left-handed reliever has appeared in 23 games and has a 3-2 record with four saves and a 4.26 earned run average.  Delatte, who hails from St. Amant, LA., has recorded 27 strikeouts in 25.1 innings.      

Woytek is a 6’4″, 220 pound righthander from Dublin, OH.   He is currently a junior at Wright State University in Dayton, OH.  In 13 games for the Raiders this spring, Woytek is 1-1 with a 7.12 ERA.

Tatum is also a big righthander at 6’4″, 220 pounds.  The native of Lufkin, TX played this past season in Texas at Angelina College.  Tatum will be a junior this fall when he moves to  McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA.  

The Cats have also inked four players to 10-day tryout contracts.  Pitcher Cody Connors of Ridgewater College, infielder Ty Wosleger of Fairfield University, pitcher Jason Wierschke and infielder Nick Beaman, both from Ripon College. 

The Border Cats open the 2010 Northwoods League season at Port Arthur Stadium on June 2, at 6:35 p.m. against the Duluth Huskies.