La Crosse, Wis. – The La Crosse Loggers tapped back into the Pac-12 with their latest roster additions when team officials announced the signings of Randy Labaut and Cesar Salazar from the University of Arizona today.
Freshman Randy Labaut spurned an offer from the Toronto Blue Jays last summer when they selected him in the 37th round of the MLB draft out of Downey High School (Downey, Calif.), instead opting to pursue his collegiate career at Arizona. Labaut is a true two-way threat who has the ability to play first base or in the outfield and he will be counted on to be a major part of the Loggers pitching staff in this upcoming summer. The 6-foot-1 hurler finished his high school career with 19 wins, a 2.05 ERA and 209 punch outs in 180.2 innings pitched. He was named a 2015 Perfect Game All-American Honorable Mention and California Region Honorable Mention.
Catcher Cesar Salazar joins Labaut as another very highly touted freshman who helped make up that 19th best recruiting class in the nation according to Collegiate Baseball. Salazar, a left-handed hitting backstop, was ranked as the 26th best prospect in the state of Arizona coming out of Suhuaro High School (Tucson, Ariz.) and he also earned 2015 Perfect Game All-American Honorable Mention honors after hitting a robust .613 with four homers in his senior season. Perfect Game also ranks Salazar as the 272nd best freshman in the country entering this 2016 season.
La Baut, Salazar 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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