Returners Parrott & Palmiscno joined by Gray and Toerner
Willmar, Minn. – The Willmar Stingers are excited to announce that Ky Parrott (James Madison University) and Danny Palmiscno (North Dakota State University) are set to return to Willmar for the 2016 season. Outfielders Cole Gray (Midland University) and Justin Toerner (California State University – Northridge) have also been added to the roster for the 2016 season, the Stingers seventh in the Northwoods League. With the addition of these four players, the roster is now complied of 12 players.
Ky Parrott, who is in his junior season at JMU, was a fixture in the Stingers lineup all summer long playing primarily in the outfield. Playing in 58 games in 2015, Parrott finished with a batting average of .289, 55 hits, scored 36 runs and hit four home runs; all of which were good enough to finish in the Top-6 on the team. Parrott proved to be a driving force in the Stingers offense leading the team in runs batted in (47), which was also good enough to rank fifth in the entire Northwoods League.
As a sophomore at James Madison, Parrott finished third on the team with a batting average of .288 in 47 games. Proving that his ability to drive in runs was no coincidence, Parrott led the Dukes with eight home runs and 44 RBIs. Prior to attending JMU, Parrott was drafted in the 2013 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 26th round.
Danny Palmiscno, a junior catcher at NDSU, saw action in eight games with the Stingers after signing a temporary contract for the summer. During his sophomore season with the Bison, Palmiscno played in 18 games and made 10 starts. With a batting average of .222 in 2015, Palmiscno was able to showcase his defensive skills behind the plate where he hasn’t committed a single error during his time with the Bison.
Originally from Grand Forks, ND, Palmiscno played at Red River High School where he finished his senior season on all-state, all-conference and all-state tournament teams, along with being named a finalist for the North Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year.
Cole Gray, a 6-0 180-pound junior outfielder from Ontario, CA, has been a stellar performer for the Midland University Warriors baseball team. Gray has appeared in all 60 games in both his freshman and sophomore season, making 54 and 58 starts respectively. Gray has finished third on the Warriors squad in batting average each season, hitting .337 as a freshman and .312 as a sophomore. In 2015, Gray amassed 59 hits and 12 doubles, both of which were second on the team. Gray provided a similar offensive output as a freshman in 2014. In 175 at-bats, Gray put together a season with 59 hits, 10 doubles, and 33 RBI.
Justin Toerner, a 5-10 165-pound outfielder from Temecula, CA, was a mainstay in the Matador outfield during his freshman season in 2015. Playing in all but one of the Matadors 57 games last year, Toerner led the team in at-bats with 211 and posted a .265 batting average. Toerner ranked in the Top-5 on the team in multiple offensive categories: Hits (56), Doubles (10), Stolen Bases (11), Runs Scored (27), and RBI (26). Toerner reached base in 21 straight games last summer, including a 10 game hitting streak, while registering 15 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games over the course of his first season of college baseball.
Field Manager Matt Passauer, as well as the Stingers organization, will continue to build the roster for the 2016 season as the off season continues. Season tickets for the 2016 season are currently on sale. For more information regarding this press release please contact the Willmar Stingers front office at 320-222-2010 or visit www.willmarstingers.com.
The 2016 season is presented by Marcus Construction. “From start to finish we’ll make your job easier and build a facility you will be proud of.”