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Loggers Sign Two Pac-12 Freshmen for 2018
O’Guinn and Ward – mixing power with speed!
La Crosse, Wis. – The La Crosse Loggers Baseball Club announced Monday the signing of two Pac-12 position players to its roster for 2018. Infielder Jamal O’Guinn from the University of Southern California and outfielder Braiden Ward from the University of Washington have signed full season contracts with La Crosse.
Jamal O’Guinn is a 6-foot-3 infielder that the Loggers are very excited to have joining their club this season. The Fresno, California native attended Buchanan High School where he was named All-League and All-Section for all four seasons. O’Guinn also earned All-State recognition three times and Tri-River Conference Player of the Year twice, as a freshman then again in his senior campaign. An all-around talent, O’Guinn received the conference Golden Glove Award twice and Silver Slugger Award once during his prep career. The 215-pound right hander finished with a .390 batting average over his career, leading his team to state and national titles in 2016. Rawlings-Perfect Game named O’Guinn to the Honorable Mention All-American Team and California All-Region Second Team for the class of 2017. O’Guinn possesses quick hands and an athletic frame as a freshman for the Trojans, showing potential for elite power in the Northwoods League when he arrives this summer.
Braiden Ward is a freshman outfielder from Merced, California with a 5-foot-10, 150-pound frame built for speed. Ward is must watch action on the base paths, as he recorded the fastest 60-yard dash at the 2016 West National Team Championships with a time of 6.23 seconds. Ward attended El Capitan High School where he had a remarkable prep career, batting a combined .441 with a .505 on-base percentage over three varsity seasons. The left handed hitter also collected an incredible 90 runs scored and averaged exactly one stolen base per game in 76 contests. Ward was selected to play for the New York Yankees International Scout team in the 2016 Goodwill Series held in Australia and like O’Guinn, earned Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American and California All-Region Second Team recognition. A converted shortstop out of high school, Ward has transitioned well as a centerfielder for the Huskies heading into their season opener this weekend.
It looks as if the two Pac-12 freshmen will complement each other well for the Loggers this season. The addition of O’Guinn and Ward to a 2018 roster already loaded with outstanding athleticism will also provide Loggers head coach Brian Lewis the freedom to mix and match his lineup throughout the season. Catch up on the updated Loggers roster and more club news at www.lacrosseloggers.com. To purchase season tickets or check out specialty ticket packages for the 2018 season, stop in the Loggers Front Office location at 1225 Caledonia Street in La Crosse or call (608) 796-9553.
The La Crosse Loggers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Entering its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods 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 185 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.lacrosseloggers.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Loggers as your favorite team.
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