La Crosse Adds Vanderbilt Speedster, Grand Canyon Slugger
Hamilton and Kelenic Bring Athleticism to Logger Lineup
LA CROSSE, WIS. – Wth the Division I collegiate baseball season getting ready to kick off their 2024 season this week, the La Crosse Loggers added a pair of impact bats from prominent programs. Team officials announced that freshmen RJ Hamilton (Vanderbilt) and JT Kelenic (Grand Canyon) will both be dawning the Logger pinstripes this summer.
RJ Hamilton comes to Vanderbilt as one of the most highly touted freshmen in the country and on the heels of a successful summer stint in the Cal Ripken Summer Collegiate League. The Hoover, Ala. native was ranked as the No. 1 prospect coming out of the state of Alabama and a Top 100 freshman by Perfect Game. A 5-10, 170-pound middle infielder who can also play in the outfield, Hamilton was a member of the 2022 Team USA Gold medal winning team. Last summer, as a high school senior, Hamilton hit .346 and stole 21 bases over 22 games played for the Alexandria Aces before arriving on Vanderbilt’s campus this fall. The Commodores are ranked #6 in the country according to D1Baseball.com’s pre-season poll.
Like Hamilton, JT Kelenic is set to embark on his freshman campaign but will do so in the state of Arizona with the Grand Canyon Lopes. A physical presence, the 6-4, 210-pound outfielder from Waukesha, Wisc. was a second-team all-state selection in 2022 and ranked as the #3 outfield prospect coming out of the state of Wisconsin in the class of 2023. Perfect Game also ranked Kelenic as the #11 freshman in the Western Athletic Conference during their pre-season polls. Baseball roots run deep in the Kelenic family as this other brother, Jared, was the sixth overall pick of the New York Mets in the 2018 MLB Draft before being traded to the Seattle Mariners where he spent the 2021-2023 seasons roaming their outfield and then joined the Atlanta Braves this past off-season.
Hamilton, Kelenic and the rest of the Loggers will open their 2024 campaign on May 27 when they travel west to Mankato, Minn. to take on the MoonDogs. The 2024 home opener is set for May 29 at Copeland Park & Events Center. Season tickets and ticket packages for the 22nd 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.
####
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’ 31st season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 26 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 two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TEX), 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.
