St. Cloud, MN –The St. Cloud Rox announced today the signing of seven players.  Ike Mezzenga, John Nett, Jackson Hauge, Albert Choi, Hunter Day, Brandon Jaenke, and Brady Prewitt will all return to St. Cloud for the 2023 season after a 50-20 season (.735 winning percentage) in 2022, the best record in the Great Plains.

Ike Mezzenga returns to the Rox as a redshirt sophomore utility player for the 2023 campaign, coming out of Shoreview, Minnesota. In 2022 Mezzenga was one of the most prolific hitters for St. Cloud, finishing with a batting average of .361 as a utility player. Mezzenga comes to St. Cloud from the University of Minnesota.

John Nett is a junior outfielder out of Appleton, Wisconsin who plays for St. Cloud State University. In his 2022 campaign for the Rox, he finished second on the team in at-bats (238), finishing with an impressive .352 average which gave him a nod to the Northwoods League All-Star game. For St. Cloud State University, he collected 76 hits en route to a .359 batting average in 2022. Nett also set various records for the Rox in 2022 including the most stolen bases in a single-game (5) and tying the single game runs scored record (4) while also scoring the most runs in a single season (79) and most walks in a single season (69). His toolkit has earned him accolades such as being two-time First Team All-NSIC, Northwoods League Big Stick Award, Northwoods League Finest in the Field Award, and the 2022 St. Cloud Rox Player of the Year.

Jackson Hauge is a redshirt-junior utility player from Ramsey, Minnesota.  After playing the regular season for the Minnesota Mud Puppies of the Northwoods League, Hauge was drafted by the Rox for the 2022 playoffs.  In 2022 with the Rox, Hauge played exclusively in the playoffs, going 1-for-4 in his at-bats. Playing for Minnesota State-Mankato in the spring he finished his most recent campaign as a pivotal player for the Mavericks, ending with a batting average of .329. He also finished with a team best 11 home runs.

Albert Choi is a 5-tool outfielder out of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, entering his second season with the St. Cloud Rox this summer. Choi’s season was shortened in 2022 with injuries but in 17 at-bats, Choi hit .351. For division I program NJIT in 2022, he earned All-American East honors, finishing with a team second 65 hits, to the tune of a .288 average.

Hunter Day is a RHP returning to the St. Cloud Rox in 2023 for his second season, attending Tarleton State University. Day led the Rox in 2022 with 52.0 IP, going 8-0 in 10 regular season starts which is the most wins by a pitcher in a single season, curating a solid 3.46 ERA which earned him the 2022 Rox Co-Pitcher of the Year Award. Day is also a 2022 Northwoods League All-Star.

Brandon Jaenke is a freshman RHP out of Falls Creek, Wisconsin. In his first year with the Rox, Jaenke threw 11.2 innings and had 15 strikeouts. Jaenke is entering his second season with the Rox after throwing 41 IP for a NAIA program at Viterbo University.  The same school that Field Manager Brian Lewis is the Head Coach.

Brady Pewitt is a junior catcher out of Raytown, Montana. In his first season with the Rox, he finished with a .338 average over 74 at-bats. He performed similarly, earning all-conference accolades after a .368 average in his 2022 season with Colorado State University – Pueblo.

The Rox will return in 2023 for their 12th season of Northwoods League baseball.  The home opener is schedule for June 2nd versus the La Crosse Loggers presented by Coborn’s.  There will be a huge post-game fireworks show.  For more information regarding this release, season tickets and partial season ticket packages for the 2023 season including Kwik Trip Mini Plans, please contact the Rox office at 320-240-9798 or visit stcloudrox.com

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