(St. Cloud, MN) The St. Cloud River Bats announced Wednesday the signing of six players to temporary contracts for the fast-approaching 2010 season. Bryan Peters (Nebraska), Mike Carroll (Duke), Armando Gutierrez (Missouri Baptist), Nick Anderson (Concordia-St. Paul), Deryk Marks (Augustana College) and Matt Lewis (St. Scholastica-Duluth) have all inked deals to play in the Northwoods League this summer.
Marks, a junior, was tabbed NSIC Newcomer of the Year after posting solid numbers during conference play. In NSIC action, the infielder registered league-highs in RBIs (54) and doubles (16). Overall, he hit
.433 with 13 home runs and 78 RBIs. Marks received a Gold Glove for his defensive efforts at third base and catcher. The Cottage Grove, Minn., native also pitched, going 1-2 with an 8.53 ERA in 10 relief appearances.
“Deryk is a dynamic player,” River Bats Owner and General Manager Joel Sutherland said. “It’s important to have guys on the roster with versatility. He’ll be exciting to watch.”
Anderson, also from the NSIC, made a program-record 27 appearances and became the first Golden Bear to toss more than 80 innings (83.2) in a season. The junior was named NSIC Player of the Week on April 19th after going 2-0 over 12.2 innings of work during a one-week span. Anderson finished the spring 6-8 with a 4.95 earned run average, striking out 63 and walking just 28. He has won 15 games in three seasons for Concordia.
Lewis will join Anderson on the pitching staff. The junior right-hander went 8-3 with a 3.02 ERA in 62.2 innings pitched. The 6’2’’ hurler struck out 56 and walked just 15 – opponents hit .273 against Lewis.
“Anderson and Lewis are strike throwers,” Sutherland said. “Limiting walks is critical and these two are as accurate as they come.”
Peters comes to St. Cloud after contributing as a freshman with Nebraska in the Big 12. The fleet-footed middle infielder has appeared in 44 games, 37 of them starts, for the Cornhuskers. As of May 24, he is hitting .268 with no home runs and 13 RBIs in 142 at-bats. He’s swiped seven bases in nine tries.
Carroll just capped off his freshman season with Duke. Through 41 games, Carroll is batting .258 with no long balls and nine runs batted in. Carroll has stolen five bases in eight chances.
Gutierrez was one of the top offensive weapons for Missouri Baptist this spring, compiling a .390 batting average with eight home runs and 26 knocked in on a team that featured current River Bat Sean Woolard and a former one in Rashad Tucker (2008).
Teams are entitled to 10 temporary contracts, which run a minimum of 10 days and maximally until June 30th. Last year, teams received eight 10-day contracts and players could only be signed to two of them. The new roster protocol allows for more flexibility.
“We can take more chances on guys from some of the top schools in country,” Director of Business Operations Wes Sharp said. “Players from schools like Arizona State and Arkansas are College World Series contenders – they might not free up until late June or early July. Having the option to keep temporary players until the end of the month alleviates this matter greatly.”
The home opener is scheduled for June 5 at 7:05 p.m. A Fireworks Extravaganza is slated for after the game. It’s going to be longer, louder, and brighter than any fireworks show in River Bats history.
Tickets for the home opener and the entire River Bats regular season are currently available online at www.riverbats.com or by contacting the River Bats ticket office at (320) 240 9798.
