La Crosse, Wis. – The La Crosse Loggers on Wednesday announced the signings of Grant Fennell and Jordan Pearce, both freshmen from the University of Nevada.
Fennell, a 6-foot, 185-pound shortstop, batted .344 over his high school career at Scripps Ranch (Calif.), in San Diego, and was named a Perfect Game Underclass All-American. He is expected to compete for Nevada’s starting shortstop job early in his career.
“Grant Fennell is a dynamic baseball player,” Loggers General Manager Chris Goodell said. “He possesses middle-of-the-order bat potential in combination with a plus infield arm. We're excited to get a chance to be a part of his growth and see the impact he will make in the Northwoods League.”
Pearce will work as both a third baseman and right-handed pitcher for the Wolf Pack. Pearce, 6-foot-2, 203 pounds, was a standout at El Camino High School (Calif.), and earned an invitation to play in the California Collegiate League following his senior year. Pearce, who pitches right-handed and bats left-handed, emerged with Top-30 Prospect recognition from Perfect Game after turning in a 3.38 ERA with 18 strikeouts and 10 innings while batting .250.
“Jordan is a true, two-way talent who offers a great deal of power potential both at the plate and on the mound and is primed to be a significant contributor both at Nevada and for us in the summer,” Goodell said.
Fennell and Pearce are the first players from the Nevada program to sign with the Loggers. Nevada, coached by former University of San Diego assistant coach Jay Johnson, plays in the Mountain West Conference.
"We're thrilled to be able to partner with Jay Johnson and his Nevada program,” Goodell said. “With impact freshman like Grant and Jordan joining an already exciting group, they're going to be a fun bunch to watch.”
The Loggers’ 12th Annual Winter Baseball BBQ is set for Thursday, Jan. 22 at the Stoney Creek Inn of Onalaska. Doors open to the public at 6 p.m. and the event begins at 7:05 p.m. New York Mets pitcher Victor Black, a member of the 2007 Loggers, and new field manager Bill Sandillo will be the featured guests.
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The La Crosse Loggers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Preparing for its 22nd 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 (BOS) and Ben Zobrist (OAK).