Bismarck, ND – The Bismarck Larks announced today the signing of a pair of North Dakotans; Spencer Gillund, returning inaugural season infielder from Enderlin and pitcher Chase Gooding who attended West Fargo High School.
Spencer Gillund, originally from Enderlin, ND is currently a sophomore infielder for the Bismarck State College Mystics. Last season, he was named to the NJCAA Division II 3rd Team All-American Team. Spencer led the Mystics in hitting last season, hitting .410 with 13 home runs, 11 doubles and 53 runs batted in while only striking out 15 times in 144 at bats. This will be Spencer’s 3rd time signing with the Larks. He signed early in the season as a temporary player and finished the 2017 season with the Larks.
“Being the first guy to sign three times, I’ll take being in the record books any way I can,” jokes Gillund. “It’s definitely special. I’ll take any opportunity I can get. I’m thankful for Coach Repay for giving me those chances. I’m excited to get out there and compete for the championship for the best fans in the Northwoods League.”
“I am very excited to welcome Spencer back with the Larks for the 2018 season,” says Head Coach Sean Repay. “Spencer had 2 stints with us last season. He struggled at first, but his second time around showed the signs of the player he was at BSC. He recently signed to play at NDSU next season and will be a great addition for them. I think Spencer pressed too much last season playing in front of his home crowd. This year, I know he will be much more relaxed and play his game. He is an A+ character and clubhouse guy and am excited to work with him again this summer!”
Chase Gooding, a junior pitcher for the Charlotte 49ers, a D1 school in North Carolina, previously pitched for Allen Community College for the last two years. Chase, originally from West Fargo, ND, ended his two year career at Allen CC with 134 strikeouts in 106 inning pitched. He was part of the West Fargo High School team that played in the 2013 State Championship game, where they finished as the runner up.
Gooding says he has a lot of family that hasn’t seen him play in a while, so playing baseball in his home state will give them a chance to come out and watch a couple of the games. “I played for West Fargo and we played Bismarck a lot and they had great atmosphere so I can’t wait for that to be my home stadium,” says Gooding.
Coach Repay says, “Chase comes highly recommended by Coach Meyer, who I respect a great deal. He had a stellar career at Allen CC and will be a great arm on the 49ers pitching staff. Having him return to the state of North Dakota to play this summer is something I know he is excited about. I expect Chase to be a big time arm on the Larks pitching staff this summer, and I know Coach Gaines is excited to work with him.”
To cheer on the boys of North Dakota and the rest of the boys of summer, get your Scheels 7 Game Packs at 7packs.larksbaseball.com or call the office at 701-557-7600.
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The Bismarck Larks are a proud affiliate of the Northwoods League, the proven leader in development of elite college baseball players. The Larks mission is to use FUN to make a difference in the lives of our families, businesses, players, and communities we serve. This is accomplished with a commitment to putting fans first and providing high quality family entertainment at affordable prices. In 2017, the Larks sold out 27 of their 36 home games in Bismarck Municipal Ballpark, home of Dakota Community Bank and Trust Field, and were named the Northwoods League’s Organization of the Year.
Entering its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods 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 185 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-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 (LAD) and Lucas Duda (TBR). 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.