FOND DU LAC, WI – The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders are excited to welcome back seven players from last year’s team who will be returning to defend the Northwoods League title in 2021. Aaron Anderson (Liberty University), Alex Vera (Illinois), Chris Aldrich (UCLA), Jake Brooks (UCLA), Ryan Loutos (Washington University St. Louis), Sam Novitske (Oregon), and Teddy Eyink (Purdue University Fort Wayne) are all set to be a part of the 2021 squad.
Anderson, a redshirt junior first baseman from Liberty University, is returning to the Dock Spiders for his third season with the team. Last season with the Dock Spiders, Anderson batted .331 with 33 RBI, eight doubles, and two home runs. He had two hits and drove in three runs in the 2020 championship game against the La Crosse Loggers.
Vera, a sophomore southpaw, is entering his second season with the Dock Spiders. Vera went 2-0 last summer and earned a 1.16 ERA over 23.1 innings pitched.
Aldrich is currently a freshman right-handed pitcher at UCLA. He made 10 appearance with the Dock Spiders last summer, going 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 16 innings pitched.
Brooks, a 6’4” freshman pitcher at UCLA, made 10 appearances last summer finishing with a 1-2 record while striking out 27 batter over 25 2/3 innings.
Ryan Loutos a 6’5” right-handed pitcher from Washington University in St. Louis. Loutos was one of eight players to remain on the roster for the full 2020 season with the Dock Spiders. He finished the season 3-0 with 19 strikeouts. Check out his interview with the voice of the Dock Spiders, Cade Crenshaw, as Ryan talks about coming back to Fond du Lac.
Sam Novitske, will return home (native of Ripon) for his third season with the Dock Spiders. Playing in 28 games with the Dock Spiders in 2019, hit .324 with a .400 OBP, 10 doubles, 15 RBI, eight stolen bases and 17 walks. During the 2020 Dock Spiders season playing in 42 games batting .307 with one home run, 22 RBI and 36 runs scored. Off the field, Sam became the first Oregon player in program history named first team CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 in 2020.
Eyink, a freshman at Purdue University Fort Wayne, is returning to the Dock Spiders after pitching briefly for the team in 2020. Last year, he appeared in two games posting a 2.70 ERA with 3.1 innings pitched
The Dock Spiders are set to open their fifth season of baseball with a home game on Monday, May 31 against the Green Bay Booyah at 1:05pm. Season ticket packages are available from the Dock Spiders ticket office right now over the team’s website or by calling (920) 907-9833.
The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders 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 230 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 (CHC) 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 All-Star Jordan Zimmermann (DET). 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.dockspiders.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Dock Spiders as your favorite team.