(Pictured left to right: Local players Max Wagner, Ryan Stefiuk, Ben Hampton)

Three local products to don the Booyah jersey again this summer

By Manny Rodriguez

Booyah 2021 Roster Page

ASHWAUBENON, Wis. — The Green Bay Booyah have announced the return of Clemson infielder Max Wagner, Vanderbilt left-handed pitcher Ryan Stefiuk, West Virginia left-handed pitcher Ben Hampton and Dixie State left-handed pitcher Ben Hart for the 2021 season. The announcement marks the first player signings for the 2021 season and the return of three local standouts for a second season.

“Coming off stellar high school careers we were thrilled to have Max, Ryan, & Ben join us during the abbreviated season last summer,” said Booyah Vice President & General Manager John Fanta. “First off, it’s good for baseball in the local community. It gives younger players someone to look up to and illustrates what you can achieve through hard work. Secondly, for the players themselves, getting an opportunity to get their feet wet against high-level collegiate competition, last summer, before setting foot on college campus is extremely valuable. I look forward to seeing the growth they have following their true freshman seasons at their respective universities.”

A native of Green Bay, Wagner will be playing his freshman season at Clemson this spring. The 6-0 Wagner was the 2020 Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year for Wisconsin, becoming the first metro player to win the award since 2002. He was a three-time player of the year in the Fox River Classic Conference and helped lead the Green Bay Preble Hornets to the WIAA Division 1 state tournament each season of his career. He finished his high school career with a 16-3 record and a 0.82 ERA on the mound as well. He also slashed .457/.569/.731 at the plate while in high school. Wagner signed a two-year contract as a high school senior last summer, making 15 appearances for the Booyah in his first taste of Northwoods League action.

 

 

Rejoining Wagner on the Booyah this season is high school teammate Ryan Stefiuk. The 6-4 left-handed hurler will be playing his freshman season at Vanderbilt this spring. Stefiuk was the top-rated southpaw and fourth-best prospect overall in the state of Wisconsin and the 15th-ranked southpaw nationwide in the Class of 2020 according to Perfect Game. Among his many accolades include a 0.90 career ERA in high school, four-time all-state first-team and 2020 Perfect Game Preseason All-America. He made seven appearances for the Booyah last summer.

 

 

 

 

Also returning to the Booyah is pitcher Ben Hampton. He will be playing his freshman season at West Virginia this spring. The 6-2 left-handed pitcher was ranked as the No. 22 overall prospect in Wisconsin by Perfect Game in 2020, was a Rawlings-Perfect Game Senior Preseason All-America High Honorable Mention, Bay Conference Pitcher of the Year, District Player of the year and an all-state selection. He struck out 112 hitters in 58 innings leading to a team MVP award after leading West De Pere to a state tournament appearance as a junior. He made four appearances for the Booyah in 2020.

 

 

 

 

Lastly, returning to the Booyah in 2021 is Ben Hart. Standing at 6-2, the left-handed pitcher will be playing his redshirt freshman season at Dixie State this spring. A native of Lakeside, California, Hart made seven appearances for the Dixie State Trailblazers in 2020, his true freshman season. He recorded 13 innings pitched, striking eight hitters, issuing three walks and posting a 2.08 ERA before COVID-19 put an early end to the season. As a member of the Booyah, he appeared in eight games (4 starts) spanning 28 innings. He struck out 23 batters while posting a 3.54 ERA.

“Ben did an outstanding job on the mound for us last year,” said Fanta. “We look forward to having him take on an even larger role on the staff going into this summer.”

The Booyah recently announced the Fleet Farm Flex Pack as a new ticket package option for 2021. For more ticket package information visit www.booyahbaseball.com or call the ticket office at 920-497-7225. The Booyah front office at Capital Credit Union Park is located at 2231 Holmgren Way in Ashwaubenon. Office hours are Monday-Friday 8:30am-5pm.

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The Green Bay Booyah 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’ 27^th 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 245 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including 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.booyahbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Booyah as your favorite team.