Bucks Re-Sign Infielder from Iowa
Waterloo, IA – The Waterloo Bucks have announced infielder Jake Riffice will return to Waterloo for his second season in 2014. Riffice (pronounced RIFF-hiss), a junior at the University of Iowa, is the second player to be named to the Bucks’ roster for the team’s 20th season.
Last season for Waterloo, Riffice played in 31 games, hitting .267 with four doubles and eight RBI. The 5’11”, 175-pounder stole seven bases and finished with a .427 on-base percentage. Riffice played 16 games at shortstop and 12 at second base during the course of the season, and finished the year strong, hitting .357 over the team’s last 10 games. Versus left-handed pitchers, Riffice hit .556 with a .611 slugging percentage.
“We’ve always liked Jake’s ability to hit, particularly against left-handed pitching, and he provides us great depth as a middle infielder,” said Bucks general manager Dan Corbin. “Defensively, he has a solid glove and we’re excited for him to return to Waterloo this summer.”
A native of Granite Bay, California, Riffice transferred to Iowa from Sierra College where, in 2013, he was a Big Eight All-Conference selection. Riffice hit .300 over 40 games with 23 RBI, 27 runs, and seven steals.
Born March 20, 1992, Riffice attended Granite Bay High School where he led his prep team to runner-up finishes at the 2009 and 2010 Section Championship. Jake is the son of Eric and Lori Riffice.
The Bucks will open the 2014 season on the road versus the Rochester Honkers on May 27, but return to Waterloo for their home opener versus Rochester on May 28. Season tickets and group outings are currently on sale. For more information, call the Bucks’ Ticket Line at (319) 232-5633. Fans are encouraged to stay in touch with the Bucks in the off-season by utilizing their website at www.waterloobucks.com.
The Waterloo Bucks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 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 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including MLB All-Stars Max Scherzer (DET), Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYY), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live and free of charge via the
Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.waterloobucks.com