Sophomore pitchers Johnson, Cortez, & Heilenbach bolster roster
Willmar, Minn. – The Willmar Stingers are excited to announce that they have added three new pitchers to the roster for the 2014 season. University of California-State Northridge teammates Jordan Johnson and Anthony Cortez will join Steve Heilenbach from Illinois State University as the newest members of the Stingers. All three players are sophomores and will provide depth to the pitching staff for this summer. With these three additions, the roster is now comprised of 23 players for the 2014 season, the Stingers fifth in the Northwoods League.
Johnson is a 6-foot, 180 pound red-shirt sophomore from Elk Grove, CA. The righty has made five starts for the Matadors this season and posted a 2-2 overall record. In 30 2/3 innings pitched, he has 20 strikeouts and only eight walks with a 3.82 Earned Run Average. During his time at Franklin High School, Johnson was named to the Delta Valley Conference First Team his junior season and was selected to try out for Team USA in 2011.
Cortez is a 6-foot, 180 pound sophomore from Los Angeles, CA. Cortez has been used out of the bullpen thus far by head coach Greg Moore, making seven appearances. Only giving up two runs in his seven innings, Cortez has proven to be a valuable reliever. Cortez has seven strikeouts, three walks, and an ERA of 2.57 in the early going of the 2014 season. During Cortez’s freshman season, he appeared in 18 games and amassed 14.0 innings with 18 strikeouts.
Heilenbach is a 6-foot, 185 pound right-handed pitcher originally from Western Springs, IL. Heilenbach has made three appearances for the Redbirds this season, with one start. With a record of 1-0, Heilenbach has an ERA of 2.79 with only three earned runs allowed in 9.2 innings. As a freshman, Heilenbach made nine appearances with a 0.52 ERA and held opponents to a batting average of .185.
Field Manager Matt Hollod, along with the Stingers organization, will continue to build the roster for the fifth season of Stingers baseball in 2014. 2014 season tickets for the upcoming season are currently on sale now. For more information regarding this story or season ticket pricing, please call 320-222-2010 or visit www.willmarstingers.com. The 2014 season is presented by Charter.
