La Crosse, Wis. – The La Crosse Loggers front office announced two significant additions to their ever-growing 2023 roster today when they formally introduced Payton Tolle and Colton Vercoe from Wichita State University.
Payton Tolle was a massive presence for the Shockers during his rookie campaign in 2022, serving as a standout at the plate and on the mound. The 6-6, 250-pound left-hander hit .317 with seven doubles, three home runs and drove in 18 runs over 104 at-bats and was a mainstay in the Wichita State rotation all spring. Tolle tied for the team lead in making 12 starts on the mound (13 total appearances) en route to posting a 4-6 record with a 4.48 ERA while striking out 49 batters over 66.1 innings pitched. The Yukon, Okla. native has garnered a great deal of pre-season attention this year as he was recently voted to the pre-season first-time All-American Athletic Conference as the designated hitters and was also selected to Perfect Game’s pre-season all-conference teams as a utility player and ranked as the #9 draft prospect in the conference in the class of 2024. Tolle excels in the classroom as well as he was named to the AD Honor Roll in the fall of 2022 with a 4.0 grade point average.
Joining Tolle in the making trek east from Wichita State to La Crosse this summer will be teammate Colton Vercoe. The 6-5 right-handed hurler is set to embark on his first season as a Shocker but will be a sophomore eligibility-wise after spending his freshman season at Mesa Community College (Arizona). While there Vercoe made 14 appearances (6 starts) and posted a 1-4 record with one save and a 4.03 ERA while striking out 40 over 51.1 innings pitched. The Queen Creek, Ariz. native also enjoyed a great deal of success in summer collegiate baseball last summer when he earned a trip to the Kansas Collegiate League all-star game while competing for the Kansas Curve. Vercoe was also selected as the Team MVP for the Curve last summer.
Tolle, Vercoe 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.
