Carter, Gromacki top freshmen right-handers for Tigers
La Crosse, Wis. – The La Crosse Loggers on Wednesday announced the signing of Liam Carter and Nolan Gromacki, both freshman right-handed pitchers from the University of Missouri.
Carter, 6-foot-7, 185 pounds, is a polished, mature pitcher who featured three pitches in high school and will take a key bullpen/spot starter role for the Tigers this spring. The Highland Park, Ill., native was named Al-Conference and All-Area as a high school senior and was ranked No. 33 in Illinois’ Class of 2014 (Prep Baseball Report). Perfect Game also named him a Preseason All-American Honorable Mention heading into this season.
“Liam Carter has a big, projectable frame with a live arm,” Loggers General Manager Chris Goodell said. “We’re excited for the opportunity to work with him. He has a ton of upside and we look forward to him blossoming in a Loggers uniform.”
Gromacki, who is from Smithville, Mo., was a three-time All-Conference performer as both a pitcher and infielder in high school, and won the Kansas City area Scholar-Athlete Award in 2014 as a senior. The Tigers coaching staff expects to put him to work as a go-to reliever this spring, as Gromacki, 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, is an efficient pitcher who consistently throws strikes.
“Nolan Gromacki has a bulldog mentality on the mound and loves to compete,” Goodell said. “His ability to fill up the strike zone, coupled with his competitiveness, surely will be an asset to our staff this summer.”
The Loggers have an impressive history with the Missouri program.
Right-handed pitcher Max Scherzer joined La Crosse in 2004 following his freshman season with the Tigers. Scherzer was drafted in the 1st Round (11th overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006 and made his Major League Debut in 2008. Scherzer won the 2013 Cy Young Award with the Detroit Tigers and this offseason signed a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Washington Nationals.
Missouri has also sent Trevor Coleman (2007), Tyler Clark (2008), and Breckin Williams (2014) to the Loggers. Coleman and Clark went on to sign professional contracts, and Williams was selected to the NWL South Division All-Star Team last summer.
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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 (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (BOS) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.lacrosseloggers.com.