KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Growlers are pleased to announce the addition of two Ohio natives to the 2015 roster. Pitchers Steven Calhoun of the University of Toledo and Jarod Yoakam of the University of Cincinnati will begin their seasons with the Growlers at the conclusion of their 2015 collegiate campaigns.
Steven Calhoun: 6’7”-190lbs, LHP, Bats L/Throws L, University of Toledo (sophomore), Tipp City, OH.
Jarod Yoakam: 6’2”-180lbs, RHP, Bats R/Throws R, University of Cincinnati (freshman), Marysville, OH.
In the 2015 campaign, Steven Calhoun has appeared in 10 games for the Rockets making 10 starts. He has compiled a 3-4 record with a 2.97 era in 57.2 innings pitched. In those 10 starts the sophomore has accumulated 45 strikeouts while allowing 58 hits, 21 walks, 19 earned runs and an opponent batting average of .272. During his freshman season, Calhoun made 3 starts for Toledo and appeared in 20 games while pitching 49.1 innings. He put together a 2.74 era in mostly relief work with a 1-3 record. Calhoun punched out 53 batters while allowing 15 earned runs and 25 base on balls and notched 1 save.
Calhoun graduated Tippecanoe High School in Tipp City, Ohio in 2013. He was a two-year letterman in baseball while also being a four-year letterman in golf, a two-year letterman in bowling and a one-year letterman in swimming and diving. Calhoun was rated as the 72nd best prospect in the state of Ohio by the Ohio Prep Baseball Report and was a first-team all-conference selection in his senior season. He was also a four-time first-team all-conference selection in golf and was named player of the year two times for Tippecanoe High School.
Jarod Yoakam is currently enjoying his first season in a Bearcat uniform. Yoakam has made 17 appearance so far for Cincinnati, all of which have been in relief, and has pitched to a 5.18 era in 33 innings of work. The Marysville, Ohio native has recorded 14 punch outs while allowing 23 walks, 19 earned runs and an opponent batting average of .300.
While at Marysville High School, Yoakam was a four-year baseball letterman and was ranked as the 29th overall best player and the 10th best right-handed pitcher in the state of Ohio by Perfect Game. He was named to the first-team all-Ohio team by USA Today Sports and first-team Ohio Capital Conference. He was also a member of the first-team all-district team in 2014 on top of being named a central district all-star. In 2012 Yoakam represented Ohio in the Midwest Futures game. On top of all of those accolades he was a four-year scholar athlete and member of the Marysville High School Honor Roll.
Kalamazoo begins its second season on May 26 at Madison. The Growlers’ home opener comes on May 29 against the Battle Creek Bombers. The full Growlers schedule can be found here. For information on 2015 Growlers season tickets, click here.
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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 (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 Website. For more information, visit http://www.growlersbaseball.com.