KENOSHA, Wis. – The Kingfish have announced the signing of a trio from the University of Illinois. Sophomore Jack Yalowitz, returns from the 2016 Kingfish roster, and freshman in-fielders Ben Troike and Michael Massey will join the Kingfish in 2017.
Jack Yalowitz, a 5’10”, 180 pound sophomore, posted a .290 batting average in 69 at-bats last summer for the Kingfish. In his second season with the Illini, Yalowitz is batting .377, including an impressive 2 home run game against Florida Atlantic earlier this season.
Ben Troike, a 5’10”, 165 pound right-handed hitter will be joining the Kingfish after his first season with the Illini. Troike has spent the first 13 games of the season as the starting shortstop for the Illini. In that time, he’s amassed a .271 batting average in 48 at-bats while walking four times, collecting three hit-by-pitches and striking out just three times, giving him an on-base percentage of .364.
Troike is a native of Tinley Park, Illinois, where he batted a .359 in his senior season at Lincoln-Way North High School. He was ranked in the Big Ten’s top 30 freshmen by Perfect Game at the beginning of the 2017 season.
Michael Massey is a 6’0”, 180-pound left-handed hitter who has served as Illinois’ starting second basemen thus far this spring. He sports a .291 batting average, fourth highest on the team, in 55 at-bats with six extra-base hits. Massey’s four strikeouts are second-lowest on the team, only to Troike, among players who have at least 30 at-bats.
Massey is a native of Palos Park, Illinois who left Brother Rice High School as the No. 13 prospect in the state according to Prep Baseball Report. He hit .380 with eight homers and 17 stolen bases in his senior season, and was ranked as the No. 12 freshman in the conference by Perfect Game.
Tickets and merchandise for your Kenosha Kingfish are on sale now. For more information on Meijer 7-game packs, season or group tickets, please visit KingfishBaseball.com or call 262.653.0900. The Kingfish Ticket Office powered by Platinum Systems is open from 8:30am to 5pm, Monday through Friday at Simmons Field, 7817 Sheridan Road in Kenosha.
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The Kenosha Kingfish are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-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, 160 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.kingfishbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Kingfish as your favorite team.