KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Growlers are pleased to announce the signing of three San Diego State players: Jeff Kross, Jordan Verdon and David Hensley. The trio hails from California, and the Growlers welcome them to their 2016 team.
Jeff Kross: 6’6” – 230lb, RHP, Bats/R. Throws/R, San Diego State (Fr.), Upland, Calif.
The tall right-hander is in his first season of collegiate baseball after a tremendous high school career at Upland High School, where he was a two-time all-league selection as a pitcher and first baseman. Kross also played for the California Baseball Academy (CBA) during the summer of 2015. The freshman was named as a 2015 Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American during his final year of high school.
Kross has yet to throw an inning for the Aztecs, but his high ceiling and ideal height for a pitcher caught Growlers field manager Matt Lawson’s attention.
Jordan Verdon: 6’3” – 190lb, 3B, Bats/L, Throws/R, San Diego State (Fr.), El Cajon, Calif..
Verdon had ties to the Aztec baseball program long before his commitment, as he played for former SDSU pitcher James Davis at Granite Hills High School in El Cajon, Calif. Granite Hills won the league title all four years Verdon was a member of the team.
In addition to the team accolades, the six-foot-three third baseman was first-team all-league as a senior and a career .340 hitter in high school.
Verdon is batting .265 currently for the Aztecs, good for fourth on the team. Verdon is a hitting machine and expected to be someone who gets on base many times for the Growlers this summer.
David Hensley: 6’6” – 190lb, 1B/P, Bats/R, Throws/R, San Diego State (So.), San Diego, Calif.
Another tall southern California infielder will join the Growlers this summer in David Hensley. Hensley was a three-time captain and team MVP as a senior at Patrick Henry High School in San Diego, Calif.
As a freshman at SDSU, Hensley made 19 total starts, batting .257 with eight RBI in 70 at-bats. He primary played left field and designated hitter but did make one defensive substitution as a second baseman, showing his versatility in the field. In 2016, Hensley has started 11 of the 12 Aztec games, batting .225 with three doubles and three RBI.
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 22-year old summer collegiate 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 140 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), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com.
