La Crosse, Wis. – The La Crosse Loggers began their roster-building for the upcoming 2023 season today when the team announced the signings of four returnees in the form of three left-handed hurlers and one right-handed pitcher. Lefties Connor Harrison (Hawaii), Dylan Lapic (UT-Martin) and Micky Thompson (San Jose State) will join righty Eddie Berry (Rollins College) in returning to La Crosse this summer.
Junior Connor Harrison was a workhorse for the Loggers last summer, leading the staff with 65 innings pitched over 10 starts (12 total appearances) while posting a 3-4 record with a 4.29 ERA and striking out 57 batters. The Hawaii left-hander was equally as effective for the Rainbows last spring, making 19 appearances (3 starts) while striking out 27 batters over 32.2 innings pitched and he limited opponents to a team-best .236 batting average. Prior to joining Hawaii, Harrison spent one season at Sierra Junior College where he posted a perfect 5-0 record with a miniscule 1.59 ERA over 34 innings pitched.
Rising sophomore Dylan Lapic will not only be returning to the Loggers, but he’ll also be returning home for the summer as the 2021 La Crosse Central High grad gets set to dawn the Logger pinstripes for another tour around the NWL. Lapic, a 6-3 southpaw, ranked third on the Loggers in appearances last summer with 17 (4 starts) while posting a 1-2 record with one save and a 5.35 ERA. The La Crosse native struck out 32 batters over 33.2 innings while limiting opponents to a .244 batting average. Lapic spent his freshman campaign at Milwaukee Area Technical College, where he led the Stormers staff in innings pitched (46) while posting a 3-1 record with a 3.33 ERA and punched out 57 batters. Lapic has now transferred to the University of Tennessee-Martin where he is preparing for his sophomore season.
The third southpaw to return is junior Micky Thompson from San Jose State. The 6-1 Portland, Ore. native was also a key cog on the 2022 Loggers staff as Thompson ranked second on the team in strikeouts (42) over 39.2 innings pitched. Thompson made 12 appearances for the Lumbermen last summer, including five starts and held opponents to a .258 batting average. At San Jose State last spring, Thompson punched out 46 batters over 48.1 innings pitched over 16 appearances. Prior to joining SJSU in 2022, Thompson spent his freshman season as a member of the Washington State Cougars program prior to transferring.
Right-hander Eddie Berry will be returning for his third stint in La Crosse this summer. Berry was a late-season addition in 2021 for the Lumbermen, making a pair of August starts where he recorded 11 innings pitched a 4.09 ERA to close out the 2021 summer. The Mountain Brook, Ala. native returned in 2022 on a temporary contract and posted a 1-1 record with a 2.91 ERA over 7 appearances (4 starts) while striking out 24 batters over 21.2 innings pitched. The rising sophomore spent his freshman season at Swarthmore College (Pa.) in 2022 where he earned All-Centennial first-team and D3 All-Region honors after posting a 3-4 record with a 3.70 ERA while striking out 54 batters over 58.1 innings pitched. Berry transferred in the off-season to D2 powerhouse Rollins College (Fla.) and they open their 2023 season on February 1.
Berry, Harrison, Lapic, Thompson and the rest of the Loggers will open their 2023 campaign on May 29 when they travel north to Eau Claire. The 2023 home opener is set for May 30 at Copeland Park & Events Center. Season tickets and ticket packages for the 21st season of Loggers Baseball are on sale now with information available at www.lacrosseloggers.com or by calling the Loggers ticket office at 608-796-9553. Fans can also visit the Loggers office at 1225 Caledonia Street, La Crosse between 8:30-5, Monday thru Friday.
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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. Now in its’ 29th 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, 300 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (NYM), 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 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. 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.
