Mankato, MN – The Mankato MoonDogs, a member of the Northwoods League, are proud to announce the signing of three additional players for the 2017 season. Tanner James, a freshman first baseman joins the team from Texas A&M University. In addition, the MoonDogs have signed a pair of players currently playing for the CSU-Bakersfield Roadrunners including catcher Jake Ortega and pitcher Naithen Dewsnap.
Tanner James- Texas A&M
James, a 6'3", 215 lb. first baseman has not seen any action yet as a freshman for a 14-3 Texas A&M ball club this spring but he put up some impressive numbers at Robinson High School near his hometown of Waco, Texas. In addition to being a four-year letter winner, James batted .530 with five home runs and 40 RBI as a senior, was named District 18-4A Offensive MVP and Texas SportsWriters Association Second team in 2016. He proved he can come through in high pressure situations when in 2016, he hit a walk-off two run single in the Texas state regional semifinal to get help his team make a run to the state semi-finals. James is a left-handed hitter and his size and strength help him create a powerful swing, which he can use to drive balls to all fields. He is also capable of pitching and playing middle infield.
Jake Ortega- CSU Bakersfield
Ortega will join the MoonDogs after his sophomore year at CSU-Bakersfield. A 5'10", 170 lb. catcher, Ortega has played well for the Roadrunners so far this spring, hitting .333 with 4 RBI. He has yet to commit any errors in the field. Ortega is following up a strong freshman year, which saw him finish third on his team in hitting (.286), drove in 13 runs, and crossed the plate 14 times. Ortega is known for his good defensive play and has a strong arm behind the plate, something that has become a staple for MoonDogs catchers the last few seasons. His hometown is Mission Viejo, California.
Naithen Dewsnap- CSU Bakersfield
Dewsnap, a 6'4", 185 lb. Junior transferred to CSU-Bakersfield this fall after pitching in 10 games for Chaffey College, including one start. The right-hander has been a reliable presence pitching out of the bullpen for the roadrunners, appearing in relief seven times. He has a 2-0 record with a 3.09 ERA in 11.2 innings of work and 3 three saves. Dewsnap's sidearm delivery is reminiscent of former MoonDogs reliever David Regan (2005).
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The Mankato MoonDogs are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 23rd season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 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, more than 150 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visitwww.mankatomoondogs.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store and set the MoonDogs as your favorite team.
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 23-year old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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, more than 160 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
