La Crosse, Wis. – The La Crosse Loggers added a pair of key players to their ever-growing roster for the upcoming 2016 season on Wednesday when team officials announced the signings of outfielder Garrett Zech and pitcher Andrew Perez, both from the University of South Florida.
Freshman Garrett Zech was one of the nation’s top recruits coming out of Naples High School (Naples, Fla.) after earning Perfect Game honorable mention all-American honors this past year. The speedy outfielder was also selected in the 15th round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers before deciding to honor his commitment to the University of South Florida. Baseball America rated Zech as the 110th best overall prospect heading into the 2015 draft after he hit a gaudy .543 with 43 runs scored and utilized his 6.32-second 60-yard dash speed to swipe 28 bases. Perfect Game has tabbed Zech as the 145th best freshman in America heading into the 2016 college baseball season.
Joining Zech in making the trek from southern Florida to La Crosse, Wisc. next summer is southpaw Andrew Perez. Like Zech, Perez was also a Perfect Game honorable mention all-American in 2015 when he struck out 112 batters in just 51.2 innings of work for Timber Creek High School (Orlando, Fla.). The 6-2 lefty posted a 15-6 career mark in high school, amassing 192 punch outs. Perez and Zech are both part of South Florida’s Top 10 recruiting class in the nation.
Zech, Perez and the rest of the Loggers will open their 2016 season on the road on May 31, 2016 when they travel to Kenosha to take on the defending NWL Champions. The 2016 home opener is then set for Thursday, June 2 when the Loggers welcome the St. Cloud Rox to the Lumber Yard for a 7:05 p.m. contest.
The La Crosse Loggers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Preparing for its 22nd 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 (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.lacrosseloggers.com.
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