(Rochester Minn.) – The Rochester Honkers announced today the signing of two right-handed pitchers, from close to home and overseas. Chia-Ching Ho, from the National Taiwan Sport University in Taoyung, will be playing in Rochester under a full contract. In-state product and right-handed pitcher Kyle Ferderer, from North Dakota State, was signed under a temporary contract.
Ho is a 6-foot-1, 183-pound sophomore from Taichung, Taiwan. He will be the first player in the team’s history to come from outside of the United States. 2017 marks the third season that players from the National Taiwan Sport University will be playing in the Northwoods League. The League has taken steps over the past few years to welcome international prospects to play in the Midwest. An agreement between the Northwoods League and the Collegiate Baseball League Europe (CBLE) before the 2015 season has brought European players into the League.
Ferderer is a 5-foot-11, 180-pound freshman from Savage, Minn. A three-year letterman from Burnsville High School, he posted a 3-2 record and 2.10 ERA during his junior season that earned him all-conference and all-section honors. Kyle struck out 72 batters with only 12 walks in 42.1 innings, including a school record 16 strikeouts in a single game. As a senior, Ferderer won seven games in eight appearances with 51 strikeouts, while batting .400 from the plate with six doubles.
This season, Kyle has appeared in eight games for the Bison. In 12.1 innings of relief work, Kyle has a 2-0 record and 3.65 ERA with 15 strikeouts. He pitched two scoreless innings against Valley City State on May 2nd, striking out four batters while only surrendering a hit. It was his fourth scoreless appearance of his freshman season. North Dakota State travels to Fort Wayne this week for the final series of the regular season.
The Rochester Honkers 24th season begins on Tuesday, May 30th when the team hosts the Mankato Moondogs in their home opener at Mayo Field at 7:05 pm. The NEW 5-Game Packs are available now! Season Tickets, ½ Season Plans, Suites and Patios are also available. Call the Rochester Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information. The Honkers are also looking for host families for the 2017 season and ask all interested parties to call the business office for more information.
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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 (BOS), 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.
