Express first baseman Rudy Rott was selected for the 2016 Louisville Slugger Freshmen All-American team after an impressive campaign in his first season as an Ohio Bobcat.
Rott had a break out season this spring for the Bobcats, hitting .319 with a .406 on-base percentage. He ranked second on the team in on-base percentage as well as RBIs with 39 and doubles with 13. Rott started 51 games in the infield at Ohio University, but has played exclusively at first for the Express this summer.
Rott’s batting ability has translated well into the Northwoods League. He is swinging a hot bat for the Express, possessing a .355 average through the first eight games, the second best for the team. He is tied for a team lead in hits with 11, third on the team with a .444 on base percentage, and has added four RBI’s.
Rott is a native of Holmen, Wisconsin, attending La Crosse Aquinas High School where he batted .580 had a .874 slugging percentage and scored 46 runs as the team’s leadoff hitter. Not only did he play in the infield and behind the plate, he was also an undefeated 6-0 on the mound in his senior season with a 1.17 ERA.
The official release: http://m.ohiobobcats.com/m/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/060816aab.html
The Northwood’s League rookie has started every game for the Express this summer, and has proved himself as an important part of the offensive core, a capable hitter, and a long-term starter for manager Dale Varsho.
Season tickets, 5-Game Packs, and single-game tickets are on sale now for Express home games. The all-new 5-Game Pack includes a reserved ticket along with food and beverage for three innings for five of the biggest promotional nights of the 2016 season all for only $45.00. All tickets can be purchased by calling the Express office at 715-839-7788 or by stopping at the downtown office at 102 E. Grand Ave.
The Eau Claire Express are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 23rd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2016, 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 150 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website. For more information, visit www.eauclaireexpress.com.