La Crosse, Wis. – With opening day less than two months away, the La Crosse Loggers continue to add to their roster for the upcoming 2023 campaign. Today team officials announced the signings of a pair of right-handed pitchers in Josh Leersen (Birmingham-Southern) and Erick Diez (Long Beach State) along with an infielder from the University of Kansas in Jackson Cobb.
Right-hander Josh Leersen will be looking to continue his dominant ways this summer in La Crosse when he finishes his spring season with the current #1 ranked team in NCAA DIII, the Birmingham-Southern Panthers. The 6-2, 190-pound junior currently leads the Panthers with a perfect 5-0 record and a miniscule 2.17 ERA, recording 51 strikeouts to just 18 walks over 37.1 innings pitched. The Sandy Springs, Ga. native has picked up this spring right where he left off last summer when he earned Prospect League Pitcher of the Year honors while pitching for the Danville Dans. During that summer of 2022, Leersen went 5-0 with a 0.75 ERA and punched out 67 batters over 48 innings pitched.
The second right-hander that the Lumbermen secured today is true freshman Erick Diez from Long Beach State University. The Vacaville, Calif. native has made two appearances thus far in the 2023 season, striking out a pair of batters over one inning. Prior to enrolling at LBSU, Diez was a standout at Vanden High School where he earned league pitcher of the year honors his senior season after posting a perfect 9-0 record with a 1.72 ERA and striking out 90 batters over 61 innings pitched.
Slick-fielding infielder Jackson Cobb is in the midst of his first season with the Kansas Jayhawks of the BIG12 Conference. The red-shirt
sophomore is hitting .167 over 24 at-bats with one stolen base while appearing in 18 games. Cobb, has the ability to play both shortstop and second base, spent his freshman year at both the University of Arkansas and Texas Tech before transferring to Crowder Community College last season. At Crowder, the left-handed hitting Cobb hit .360 with four home runs, 49 RBI’s and stole 12 bags over 50 games played.
Leersen, Diez, Cobb 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.
