Three skilled fielders join a strong roster as the home opener swiftly approaches.
Duluth, Minn.- The home opener is twelve days away, Huskies fans! As we eagerly anticipate our return the Wade, the team’s opening day roster is rounding out. Xavier Carter, Dylan Johnson, and Peyton Powell are today’s spotlight players.
Continuing a steady stream of talent coming to Duluth from the “Golden State,” Xavier Carter hails from Sacramento, California. A redshirt freshman 1B/Outfielder at San Diego State, Carter’s 2020 season was cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic like many other players across the country experienced. “Navigating baseball right when COVID hit was definitely a challenge,” said Carter. “As time went on, I was able to keep my head on straight and put in work every day to be ready for the moment when we could be back on the field.” The Sacramento native has made the most of his seven at-bats for the Aztecs this season, holding a slugging percentage of .714 and an on-base percentage of .375, per goaztecs.com. Outside of baseball, Xavier enjoys traveling; two notable destinations he has visited include Copenhagen, Denmark as well as Guam with his family.
About 600 miles southwest of Sacramento lies the city of Blythe, California, where Dylan Johnson calls home. The redshirt junior outfielder has played in 30 games for the Fresno State Bulldogs in 2021, seeing 77 at-bats to date. In that span, Johnson has registered 25 hits, a slugging percentage of .481 and on-base percentage of .388 according to the team’s official page. As a junior at Palo Verde High School, Dylan led the state of California in high school batting average with .714. A fierce competitor, Johnson says he is excited to join the Huskies on recommendation of his college coaches. “(Duluth) is a great program that my coaches trust to get me better as a baseball player,” he remarked. When he is not in the outfield, the Blythe native enjoys fishing and lifting weights.
Peyton Powell joins the team as catcher/1st baseman/outfielder from Robinson, Texas. A redshirt freshman catcher at the University of Texas, Powell saw action as a designated hitter in six games in a truncated 2020 season, batting .364 with two RBI’s and five runs scored in, according to texassports.com. This season for the Longhorns, Peyton boasts an on-base plus slugging (OPS) sabermetric statistic of .856, highlighting how the Robinson native can hit for power and get on base at the same time. When asked what he is most looking forward to in Duluth, the self-proclaimed truck enthusiast said he is looking forward to building himself as well as new friendships. “I’m looking most forward to enhancing my baseball skills and body, while also enjoying a fun summer with new friends in a different state,” Powell said.
To stay the most up to date on all things Duluth Huskies Baseball email them duluthhuskies@gmail.com and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and the official Duluth Huskies Website, duluthuskies.com.
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The Duluth Huskies are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 27th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, over 250 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and MLB Gold Glove finalist and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.duluthhuskies.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Huskies as your favorite team.
