(Rochester, Minn.)—The Rochester Honkers announced today the signing of Nevada outfielder, Mike Echavia and Orange Coast Junior College catcher, Chris Ceballos for the 2017 season.
Echavia is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound junior outfielder from Pleasanton, Calif. He is currently hitting a team high .400 with four doubles, one triple, and 5 RBIs through the Wolf Pack’s first eight games. He has seen action in right and left field and the team’s designated hitter, while starting seven of eight games. Echavia started his collegiate career as a red shirted freshman at Hawaii in 2014. He then played two years at Chabot College where he hit .346 with 49 RBIs and five homeruns in 2016.
Echavia has experienced the Northwoods League before, playing with the La Crosse Loggers during the 2015 season. He batted .264, as an outfielder, with 14 hits, 11 runs, and four doubles in 20 games. He also appeared in 18 games as a pitcher, finishing with a 1-1 record, 5.78 ERA, and 24 strikeouts in 37.1 innings. He was named a 2014 second team Summer Collegiate All-American by Perfect Game for his time in the Golden State League.
Ceballos is a 6-foot-2, 220-pound freshman catcher from Chino Hills, Calif. He is currently hitting .278 with 6 runs, 4 RBIs and one home run in 18 at-bats. Ceballos has appeared in 13 games, starting in three for the 12-2 Pirates.
Ceballos started his collegiate career at Cal State Fullerton, where he was redshirted his freshman year. On the roster for the 2017 season, Ceballos made the decision to transfer to Orange Coast to get more playing time. A 2015 graduate of Chino Hills High School, Ceballos finished his senior season hitting .422 with 25 RBIs, and 12 home runs. His 12 home runs broke the school’s single season mark of 11, set by Chris Parmelee in 2006. Parmelee made it to the major leagues with the Minnesota Twins and is now in the Oakland Athletics’ organization.
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 Plans, 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.
###
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.