(Rochester, Minn.) – The Rochester Honkers announced today the signing of two UC Davis players, right-handed pitcher, Zach Stone, and infielder, Brad Pluschkell, for the 2017 Northwoods League Season.
Stone is a 6-foot-1, 200 pound redshirt junior from Eureka, Calif. He earned a starting role for the Aggies in 2016. He appeared in two games, but an injury sidelined him for the season. Stone posted a 1-1 record in 8.0 innings of work. His only victory was against Santa Clara throwing six shutout innings and allowing only three hits while striking out nine.
As a sophomore in 2015, Stone was on the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association “Stopper of the Year” initial watch list. He appeared in 33 games as the Aggies closer, posting a 3-3 record, with a 1.14 ERA. He set the UC Davis record for saves in a season with 22, and finished the season ranked 21st in the NCAA in saves and 24th in appearances. He struck out 42 batters in 39.1 innings, and held opponents to a .216 batting average against him.
In 2014, Stone made 25 appearances, earning nine saves and finished with a 3-4 record with a 3.14 ERA.
Pluschkell is a 5-foot-11, 180 pound junior from Pleasanton, Calif. In his sophomore season, Pluschkell was the only Aggie player to appear in all 53 games, making 50 starts. He finished the season hitting .262 with nine doubles, two triples, 20 runs scored, and 14 RBIs. Pluschkell led the team with 12 sacrifice hits (2nd the Big West Conference and 39th in the NCAA), and was ranked 46th in the nation in sacrifices per game (0.23).
The UC Davis Aggies kick off their season on February 17 in Las Vegas, Nevada to participate in a round-robin tournament, hosted by UNLV. They will face Saint Mary’s, Omaha, and host team UNLV over the 3-day series.
The Rochester Honkers 24th season begins on Tuesday, May 30th when the team hosts the Mankato MoonDogs in their home opener at Mayo Field at 7:05 pm. Season Tickets, ½ Season Plan, Suites and Patios are now available. Call the Rochester Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information. The Honkers are also looking for host families for the 2017 season and ask all interested parties to call the business office for more information.
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 24-year old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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 160 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.