Lefties Butzin and Larkins, righties Matthews and Acker
La Crosse, Wis. – The La Crosse Loggers Baseball Club announced Monday the signing of four pitchers to full season contracts for 2018. The Loggers have added two left handed pitchers, Tyler Butzin from Madonna University and Colton Larkins from Oral Roberts University, as well as righties Daylon Matthews from Sacramento City College and Brady Acker from Nova Southeastern University.
Tyler Butzin is a sophomore lefty that has made an immediate impact for Madonna this season after spending his freshman year at Eastern Michigan University. Butzin made 11 starts for EMU as part of the weekend rotation, posting a team-low ERA of 3.33 in a team-high 78.1 innings. His impressive season began with an incredible scoreless streak in his first four college starts, totaling 30.0 innings without yielding an earned run. Butzin earned the 10th lowest ERA in the Mid-American Conference and the best by any freshman starter. His dominance on the mound has continued as a Madonna Crusader, beginning the season with a 2-0 record and 1.42 ERA in three starts. The 5-foot-11 Dearborn Heights, Michigan native has punched out 31 opposing batters in 19.0 innings of work so far for the 16-4 Crusaders.
Oral Roberts’ lefty Colton Larkins is a 6-foot junior that is also in his first year at his new school after playing two seasons at Crowder College. Larkins helped the Crowder Roughriders reach the NJCAA World Series in 2017 by posting a 2-1 record and struck out 44 batters in 37.2 innings of work as a sophomore. Larkins has thrown very well for Oral Roberts to begin the season as he has yet to allow an earned run in 8.0 innings, striking out eight and holding opponents to a .156 batting average.
Daylon Matthews is a sophomore right hander that appeared in a team-high 20 games as a freshman for Sacramento City College last season. The Yelm, Washington native also recorded a team-low 2.12 ERA over 29.2 innings while striking out 20 batters and collecting four saves in the back end of the Panthers’ bullpen. The 6-foot-3 reliever has picked up where he left off for the 13-4 Panthers this season, posting a 2.25 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 8.0 innings.
Brady Acker is in his first season at Nova Southeastern after spending two seasons at NJCAA powerhouse Chipola College. Acker made 13 starts for the Indians last season, going a perfect 5-0 on the year and helping lead Chipola to a 51-9 season that was capped off with a NJCAA Division I National Championship. The 6-foot-4 righty finished the season with a 2.56 ERA over 66.2 innings of work, striking out 51 while issuing only 19 walks. As a junior at Nova Southeastern, the Tamarac, Florida native has struck out 15 batters over 10.0 innings in his first three starts of the 2018 season.
The four newly signed pitchers will be significant additions to a Loggers club looking to make a run at the Northwoods League title in its 25th anniversary season. Get to know the future Loggers at www.lacrosseloggers.com as 27 players have been announced for the 2018 roster!
The La Crosse Loggers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. 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 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.lacrosseloggers.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Loggers as your favorite team.
