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Published On: January 30th, 2017

La Crosse, Wis. – The La Crosse Loggers front office announced today that former Milwaukee Brewers pitcher and current television analyst Jerry Augustine will headline their 14th Winter Baseball BBQ set to take place on March 2 at the AmericInn Hotel & Conference Center in La Crosse.

Augustine, a native of Kewaunee, Wisconsin, excelled at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse before being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 15th round of the 1974 draft.  The southpaw went on to play in just two minor league seasons before getting called up to the Brewers big league club, eventually earning his first major league victory against the New York Yankees on Sept. 15, 1975.  He became a starter in 1976 and completed 4 games while winning 34 in the next three seasons.  Augustine was named to the 1976 American League All-Rookie Team and was chosen as the Brewers' Rookie of the Year by the Milwaukee Baseball Writers Association.

For his big league career, Augustine went 55-59 and produced a 4.23 ERA over parts of 10 seasons while appearing in 275 games.  Among his appearances, he completed 27 of his 104 starts, which included six shutouts.   He also has 11 career saves.

Augustine is already a member of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Wall of Fame, having been inducted in 1984.  As an Eagle, Augustine lettered three years in baseball and was a member of two Wisconsin State University Conference (WSUC) championship teams in 1972 and 1973. The highlight of his collegiate career was in 1973 season when he accorded all-conference recognition with a 4-0 record, a league-leading 49 strike outs and 2.91 earned run average.

Following his playing days, Augustine further cemented his ties to the state by coaching the UW-Milwaukee baseball team from 1974-1986 before joining Fox Sports Wisconsin as a color analyst, a position that he holds to this day.  He also runs his own insurance agency in West Allis, Wisc. – Jerry Augustine Agency, Inc. 

Joining Augustine in making up the speaking lineup for this year’s Winter BBQ includes representatives from the La Crosse Area Baseball Hall of Fame (www.lacrossebaseballhof.org) group who will be honoring this year’s class of inductees.  Additionally, Loggers field manager Brian Lewis will be on hand along with assistant coaches Tom Kinney and Curtis Fry to give a preview of the upcoming Loggers season.

Tickets for the 14th Annual Winter Baseball BBQ are on sale now at the Loggers ticket office (1225 Caledonia Street, La Crosse) or by calling 608-796-9553.  Adults can gain admission to the program for just $15 while kids 12 & under can join in the festivities for just $5.  All tickets include a ballpark-style meal and the Winter Baseball BBQ program.  Doors will open to the public at 6 p.m. for a social hour, followed by the program at 7 p.m.

The Loggers are set to open the 2017 campaign, their 15th season in La Crosse, on Tuesday, May 30 when they play host to the Duluth Huskies at 7:05 p.m.  Gates to the brand new Coverra Insurance Services Courtyard Entrance will open at 6:00 p.m. as fans can get their first look at the newly remodeled entrance, P & P Products Pro Shop, Gerhard’s 1st Supply Restrooms and expanded concession pavilion. 

The La Crosse Loggers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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 160 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM).  All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.greenbaybullfrogs.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Bullfrogs as your favorite team.
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