Waterloo, IA – The Waterloo Bucks have announced that catcher/first baseman Kyle Pollock will return to Waterloo for his second season in 2014. Pollock (pronounced PAUL-uck), a junior at the University of Evansville, is the 13th player to be named to the Bucks’ roster for the team’s 20th season.
Last season for Waterloo, Pollock hit .263 with five home runs and 33 RBI. The 6’0”, 197-pounder started in all 40 games he played, finishing with a .404 slugging percentage and seven doubles. Pollock hit .333 with seven RBI with the bases loaded.
“Any time you get the opportunity to have a catcher return for another season is huge for an organization,” said Bucks’ field manager Travis Kiewiet. “We usually only carry two catchers on the roster and to have Kyle back in that position is very reassuring. One thing that doesn't show up in the box score when talking about Kyle is that all of our pitchers last year really liked throwing to him. His receiving and blocking skills gave our pitchers the confidence to throw any pitch in any count. I'm excited to have Kyle back in a Bucks uniform for another summer.”
This season for the Purple Aces, Pollock is hitting .500 in three games and 14 at bats. The Clinton, Ohio native has stolen two bases and driven in five runs. Last season for Evansville, Pollock appeared in 58 games, hitting .234 with six doubles and 24 RBI.
Born August 15, 1992, Pollock attended Westerville Central High School where he hit .505 with a .829 slugging percentage throughout his prep career. Pollock was named first team All-State and All-District as a senior.
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 Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), 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.
