Former Loggers pitcher Brooks Kriske debuts with the Yankees

LA CROSSE, Wis. — Former La Crosse Loggers pitcher Brooks Kriske made his Major League Baseball debut on Wednesday, July 29th, pitching a scoreless relief inning for the New York Yankees. Kriske becomes the 21st former Loggers player to make it to the Major League level, and the 237th former Northwoods League player overall.

Kriske, who played his college ball at the University of Southern California, played for the Loggers in 2013, and was drafted by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2016 MLB Draft.

He made 11 appearances for the Loggers in 2013, striking out 21 over 18.1 innings pitched. Kriske finished the summer with a 1-1 record and a 4.41 ERA.

Kriske spent the majority of the 2018 season with Class A Staten Island after missing the 2017 season due to Tommy John surgery. He advanced to High-A Tampa in 2019 where he flourished, striking out 16 while allowing four hits and no runs over 12 innings of work. He was then promoted to Class AA Trenton where he continued to pitch well, striking out 64 batters in just 48.2 innings while compiling a 2.59 ERA.

He was assigned to the Yankees Alternate Training Site for the 2020 season and then was called up to the Major League roster on July 26. On Wednesday, Kriske faced four Baltimore Orioles batters in his MLB debut, allowing a walk before recording a lineout and two strikeouts to end the game.

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The La Crosse Loggers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. In the midst of its 27^th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, over 230 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and MLB All-Stars Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson. All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit 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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