KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Growlers are excited to announce the addition of two Seminoles to the 2015 roster. Left-handed pitcher Alec Byrd and infielder Dylan Busby will make the move to Kalamazoo at the end of their season at Florida State University.

Alec Byrd: 6’3”- 175lb, LHP, Bats L/Throws L, Florida State University (Sophomore), Miami Shores, FL.

Dylan Busby: 6’3”- 185lb, SS/3B, Bats R/Throws R, Florida State University (Freshman), Sarasota, FL.

During his freshman season at Florida State, Alec Byrd appeared in ten games for the Seminoles including one start and had a 1-1 record. Byrd’s primary role was in relief in which he had a 4.20 ERA in 15.0 innings that season and allowing 7 earned runs with an opponent batting average of .286. Byrd also struck out 13 batters while allowing 8 walks.

Byrd was a standout at St. Thomas Aquinas High School where he was a varsity letterman on the baseball team all four years. 2013 he was a Louisville Slugger first team All-American and earned FACA first team All-State honors. He was also named the Sun-Sentinel Player of the Year and the Miami Herald Pitcher of the Year in for his 2013 campaign. Byrd hit .372, with 26 RBI and two home runs and had an 8-2 record with a 1.32 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 63.2 innings of work his senior year.

In 2013 Byrd was selected in the 37^th round of MLB first year player draft by the Cincinnati Reds. Thus far Byrd has made 3 appearances in the 2015 season with the Seminoles. He currently has a 2.45 ERA in 3.2 innings of work with 1 strikeout and a .313 opponent batting average.

For Busby the 2015 season will be his first in a Seminole uniform. The Sarasota, Florida product was selected for the Florida Athletic Coaches Association baseball classic after his senior season and was named a FACA All-Star. Busby earned first team All-Area honors during his senior season and was ranked 195 by perfectgame.org. Dylan’s father, Wayne, was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 1988 MLB draft.

To this point in his freshman season with Florida State, Busby has appeared in 7 games with the Seminoles and has started 6 of them. In those 7 games, Busby has a .182 batting average and a .333 on base percentage in 22 at bats with 4 hits, 2 of which were doubles. Busby also currently has a .273 slugging percentage while scoring 2 runs and has a .857 fielding percentage while turning 1 double play.

Kalamazoo begins its second season on May 26 at Madison. The Growlers’ home opener comes on May 29 against the Battle Creek Bombers. The full Growlers schedule can be found here. For information on 2015 Growlers season tickets, click here.

The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 21-year old summer collegiate 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, 120 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 (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (BOS) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com.