Mankato MN – The Mankato MoonDogs, a member of the Northwoods League, are excited to announce the return of four members of their 2015 roster. Reece Eddins, Sam Myers, David Metzgar, and Cody O’Brein will all return to Mankato for the 2016 season.
Eddins, a sophomore righty out of Nebraska, went wire-to-wire for the MoonDogs in 2015. The 6’5”, Missouri native pitched in 11 games with 13 starts for Mankato, posting a 4.72 ERA over 59 innings while striking out 43 on the season. In 2016, Eddins has made three appearances for the Huskers, owning a 1.74 ERA with opponents hitting .262 against him.
Sam Myers is another right-handed pitcher headed back to Mankato. Myers has appeared in six games for the Cal State Northridge Matadors as a junior, striking out 11 over 8.1 innings so far in 2016. In 2015 for the MoonDogs, Myers made more appearances on the mound than any other pitcher, going 3-6 with two saves over his 28 games while striking out 52.
Cody O’Brein, a right handed junior out of Austin Peay State University, will also be a returning member for the 2016 MoonDogs. O’Brein joined the team late in July of 2015 with success. The 6’1”, 195 lb righty went 2-1, appearing in 12 games with a 1.92 ERA and eight strikeouts.
Finally, Cal State Bakersfield Junior David Metzgar will return to The Frank in 2016. The Roadrunners’ second baseman is hitting .273 through 11 games with a team-leading 13 RBI. His 2016 pre-season honors include preseason WAC Player of the Year (Perfect Game), preseason All-Conference (Perfect Game), and first team All-Conference as an infielder (College Sports Madness). Metzgar finished 2015 hitting .285 for the MoonDogs, finishing third on the team in doubles with 12.
The MoonDogs home opener is scheduled for Friday, June 3rd at 7:05 p.m. against the Rochester Honkers at Franklin Rogers Park. Season tickets are now on sale, call 507-625-7047 or visit the MoonDogs’ office at 1221 Caledonia Street in Mankato for more information.
The Mankato MoonDogs are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 23nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2016, 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 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 live via the Northwoods League Website. For more information, visit www.mankatomoondogs.com.