San Diego State’s Wiley & Cal’s Hampton Ready for the NWL
La Crosse, Wis. – The La Crosse Loggers bolstered their 2016 lineup with the addition of a pair of sluggers from the West Coast today when team officials announced that San Diego State’s Justin Wiley and California’s Lorenzo Hampton, Jr. will be dawning the Loggers pinstripes this summer.
Justin Wiley returns for his sophomore season at San Diego State looking to build off of an impressive rookie campaign. The Chandler, Ariz. native, who has the ability to play both infield and outfield, say significant action for the Aztecs in 2015 when he hit .231 with three home runs and 17 RBI’s over 108 at-bats. Wiley really came into his own when the post-season arrived for SDSU as he was named to the Mountain West all-tournament team after hitting a robust .423 with three doubles, a home run, five RBI’s and four runs scored in the six games the Aztecs played. The 5-10, 190 pounder carried that momentum with him over to the summer and the Prospect League where he excelled for the Quincy Gems. For the summer, Wiley finished eighth in the league in batting average (.331) and fifth in slugging percentage (.503) along with clubbing 12 doubles, four home runs and knocked in 24 over 44 games played.
The signing of Lorenzo Hampton, Jr. continues the long-standing and fruitful relationship the Loggers have had with Cal-Berkeley that dates back to the Loggers inaugural season of 2003. The 6-5, 210 pound Hampton was one of Cal’s most highly touted recruits for this 2015-2016 school year after earning 2015 Perfect Game Honorable Mention all-American honors while playing at Monsignor Edward Pace High School in Miami Lakes, Fla. Hampton, who plays outfield for Cal, was ranked as the 90th best freshman in the country by Perfect Game heading into this 2016 season. Football fans have fond memories of his father’s playing career, Lorenzo, Sr., who was a running back for the Miami Dolphins from 1985-1989. The elder Hampton rushed for nearly 2,000 yards and 28 career touchdowns during that span. Hampton’s California Golden Bears are currently ranked in the Top 15 of most every major poll in the early stages of the 2016 season.
Wiley, Hampton and the rest of the Loggers will open their 2016 season on the road on May 31, 2016 when they travel to Kenosha to take on the defending NWL Champions. The 2016 home opener is then set for Thursday, June 2 when the Loggers welcome the St. Cloud Rox to the Lumber Yard for a 7:05 p.m. contest.
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 (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.lacrosseloggers.com.