(Rochester, Minn.)—The Rochester Honkers announced today the signing left handed pitcher Drew Slade from Ripon College and right handed pitcher David Lemasters from Lake Erie College for the 2017 season.
Slade is a 5-foot-9, 165-pound junior from Pardeeville, Wis. He was a late edition to the Madison Mallards last summer, appearing in 3 games, 2 of which were starts. Slade posted a 0-1 record, pitching 12.2 innings and striking out 10. Slade started Ripon College’s season opener at home Saturday versus UW-Platteville. Slade went 6.0 innings, allowing 2 unearned runs and striking out 7 for the no decision as Ripon took a 2-2 tie after 6 and ended up losing 8-2.
Slade finished his sophomore season 3-3 with a 2.39 ERA, tops on the team. He appeared in 10 games, eight of them starts, pitching 52.2 innings, allowing only 14 earn runs and striking out 50. As a freshman, he made 11 appearances, going 0-2 with a 3.62 ERA, striking out 26 in 32.1 innings.
Lemasters is a 6-foot, 195-pound junior from Cortland, Ohio. He is currently 0-0 with a 2.770 ERA. He has made 3 starts, pitching 13.0 innings, allowing 6 earned runs and striking out 8.
As a sophomore, Lemasters started 11 games, posting a 5-5 record with a 4.05 ERA. He struck out 75 in 66.2 innings, and was an All-GLIAC Second Team selection.
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.
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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 (BOS), 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.