KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Growlers are pleased to welcome back three more members of its inaugural team for the franchise’s sophomore campaign. RHP Shane Bryant, SS Justin Fletcher and 1B Nick Yarnall will each be returning to Homer Stryker Field for the 2015 Growlers season.
Shane Bryant: 6’3” – 200lb, RHP, Purdue (Rs.-Jr.), Lafayette, IN
Justin Fletcher: 5’11” – 185lb, SS, Northern Illinois (Jr.), Pekin, IL
Nick Yarnall: 6’0” – 205lb, 1B, Pittsburgh (So.), Landisville, PA
One of the anchors of both the Growlers’ starting staff and bullpen, Bryant posted a win-loss record of 5-2, with two of those wins coming against rival Battle Creek. The Lafayette, IN native also earned four saves and sported a 3.60 ERA in 17 appearances (seven starts), walking 16 and striking out 32 in 65 innings.
Bryant redshirted at Purdue in 2014 after transferring from Indiana Wesleyan University. At IWU during the 2013 season, he went 7-3 with a 4.21 ERA in 12 appearances (11 starts), showing off his workhorse-like endurance during the Crossroads League tournament. Bryant went to McCutcheon High School in Lafayette, IN, mere miles from Purdue’s campus in West Lafayette.
Acquired midseason from the Mankato Moondogs, Fletcher brought pop to the Kalamazoo batting order and a solid glove to its middle infield. The Pekin, IL native hit .310 in 40 games for the Growlers with a pair of home runs, 11 doubles and 17 RBIs.
Fletcher is currently preparing for his junior season at Northern Illinois. In his first season as the Huskies’ starting shortstop, he ranked second on the team by hitting .278, smashing 12 extra-base hits and driving in 22 runs. Fletcher spent two years at Illinois Central College and graduated from Pekin Community High School, where he lettered in baseball, basketball and golf.
Listed as a first baseman but also seeing playing time at left field and designated hitter in 2014, Yarnall appeared in 48 games for the Growlers, good for fifth on the team. The Landisville, PA native hit .240 with four doubles, three triples, three home runs and 23 RBIs.
Yarnall now turns his attention to his sophomore season at Northern Illinois. He saw action in 40 games (12 starts) for the Panthers as a freshman, hitting .241 with an impressive .392 on-base percentage. Yarnall graduated from Hempfield High School, where he was a first-team Preseason Under Armour All-American his senior year and also participated in the East Coast Pro Showcase.
The Kalamazoo Growlers begin their second season on May 26, with the home opener on May 29. For information on 2015 Growlers season tickets, click here.
The Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, 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 120 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 (BOS) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website. For more information, visit www.growlersbaseball.com