Eau Claire, Wis. – The Express front office today announced the addition of three players, all from Dallas Baptist University, to the 2014 roster. Pitchers Brandon Koch and Cory Taylor, along with catcher Daniel Salters, bring the 2014 roster to 20.
Koch is a 6-foot-1-inch, 195-pound right-handed pitcher for the Patriots. Koch has appeared out of the bullpen in a team-leading 13 games this spring. He has a 3-0 record, 1.20 earned run average and two saves in 15 innings. The Plano, Tex. native has an impressive 25 strikeouts and has allowed only 12 hits in what is turning into a solid sophomore season. As a freshman, Koch appeared in 19 games covering 15 innings pitched with 17 strikeouts.
Taylor is a 6-foot-2-inch, 245-pound sophomore for Dallas Baptist. The native of Owasso, Okla. has appeared in seven games this spring, including five starts, and has a record of 2-0. His 34.2 innings pitched rank third on the staff and he is tied for the team lead in strikeouts with 41. His 2.60 ERA ranks fifth on the team. Taylor started eight of 15 appearances as a freshman and finished with a 1-3 record and 5.85 ERA in 40 innings pitched. He also had impressive strikeout numbers last year, finishing with 44.
Salters is a 6-foot-3-inch, 220-pound sophomore catcher. He has started all 23 of the Patriots’ games in 2014 and is batting .241. The Eufaula, Okla. native leads the team with two triples and ranks second on the squad with seven doubles and three home runs. Salters has shown great plate discipline with 21 walks, compared to only nine strikeouts, giving him an impressive .402 on-base percentage. He spent his freshman season at Eastern Oklahoma State and batted .338 with five home runs, 23 runs batted in and 14 doubles in 47 games played.
The Express begin their 10th season of play in the Northwoods League on Tuesday, May 27 versus the Lakeshore Chinooks. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 PM with gates opening at 5:30. Season tickets and voucher packs are on sale now. Single-game tickets will go on sale May 1. The full promotional schedule for 2014 will be announced on April 1.
The Eau Claire Express are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 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 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live and free of charge via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.eauclaireexpress.com.